--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The British tradition, basically, is to…" description: "\"The British tradition, basically, is to go to the character. And the Hollywood tradition, shall we say, is basically to take the character to the perfo..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea7/john-hurt-1669_british_the-british-tradition-basically-is-to-go_2677264.png" --- # The British tradition, basically, is to go to the… ![“The British tradition, basically, is to go to the character. And the Hollywood tradition, shall we say, is basically to take the character to the performer.” quote by John Hurt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea7/john-hurt-1669_british_the-british-tradition-basically-is-to-go_2677264.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea7/john-hurt-1669_british_the-british-tradition-basically-is-to-go_2677264.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea7/john-hurt-1669_british_the-british-tradition-basically-is-to-go_2677264.png) > “The British tradition, basically, is to go to the character. And the Hollywood tradition, shall we say, is basically to take the character to the performer.” [John Hurt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hurt/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote contrasts British and Hollywood approaches: one focuses on character depth, the other on showcasing talent. **In simple terms:** British focus on character, Hollywood on performer. Key Takeaway Blend character depth with performance skill. Themes culture performance character Mood analytical insightful Type film acting When to use this quote - British theater - Hollywood cinema - character study - performer showcase Key Concepts film theory acting methods Questions to Reflect On - How can actors honor character while showcasing talent? - What balance works best in your craft? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on performance may neglect character nuance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [British](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/british/) [British Tradition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/british-tradition-2550665/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Character Hollywood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character-hollywood-1879237/) [Hollywood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hollywood/) [Hollywood Tradition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hollywood-tradition-1186096/) [Performers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/performers/) [Tradition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tradition/) [Tradition Basically](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tradition-basically-2550666/) [Tradition Shall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tradition-shall-2550667/) ## Related quotes > [Once you do a character in Hollywood and people haven't seen you before, they put you in a box and they think that's all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aubrey-plaza/once-you-do-a-character-in-hollywood-and-people-haven-t-seen-you/) [Aubrey Plaza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aubrey-plaza/) > [The Hollywood tradition I like best is called “sucking up to the stars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-carson/the-hollywood-tradition-i-like-best-is-called-sucking-up-to-the-stars/) [Johnny Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-carson/) > [“the idea of separated powers and of rules governing all the contenders for power became imbedded in British tradition over the centuries.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-idea-of-separated-powers-and-of-rules-governing-all-the/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [“She said Halloween is a British tradition and it has nothing to do with being a Christian. I almost said Why do you celebrate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annabel-pitcher/she-said-halloween-is-a-british-tradition-and-it-has-nothing-to-do/) [Annabel Pitcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annabel-pitcher/) > [On behalf of Shawn Wayans, Marlon Wayans, Kim Wayans and David Wayans, I say thank you for upholding the wonderful Hollywood tradition of nepotism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlon-wayans/on-behalf-of-shawn-wayans-marlon-wayans-kim-wayans-and-david-wayans-i/) [Marlon Wayans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlon-wayans/) > [I try to always step up to the plate, be professional, be good at what I'm doing and deliver on the character. 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He recorded 'Sing Me Softly of the Blues' and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carla-bley/one-performer-whose-band-played-my-music-better-than-i-could-myself/) [Carla Bley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carla-bley/) > [The process of putting intangible thoughts into an imperfect system of notation - which is difficult enough, depending on your ideas - acquaints you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-andre-hamelin/the-process-of-putting-intangible-thoughts-into-an-imperfect-system/) [Marc-Andre Hamelin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-andre-hamelin/) > [Many people, including myself, thought of Jobs as an inventor, an Edison-like figure, but he wasn't. I did a documentary on James Brown recently;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-gibney/many-people-including-myself-thought-of-jobs-as-an-inventor-an-edison/) [Alex Gibney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-gibney/) > [In a personal way, to do with family and the father-son relationship, in a kind of artistic way with regard to him being an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-serkis/in-a-personal-way-to-do-with-family-and-the-father-son-relationship/) [Andy Serkis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-serkis/) > [The Role of Deliberate Practice in the Acquisition of Expert Performance”: “The differences between expert performers and normal adults are not immutable, that is,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-anders-ericsson/the-role-of-deliberate-practice-in-the-acquisition-of-expert/) [K. Anders Ericsson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-anders-ericsson/) ## More by John Hurt > [I can't say that I wouldn't prefer to make small films, basically because I think they are probably more interesting in terms of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hurt/i-can-t-say-that-i-wouldn-t-prefer-to-make-small-films-basically/) [John Hurt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hurt/) > [Acting is an imaginative leap, really, isn't it? And imaginations prosper in different circumstances. And it's being able - I can't tell you how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hurt/acting-is-an-imaginative-leap-really-isn-t-it-and-imaginations/) [John Hurt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hurt/) > [My surname certainly suggests a man whose destiny has always been injury.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hurt/my-surname-certainly-suggests-a-man-whose-destiny-has-always-been/) [John Hurt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hurt/) > [ I got used to \[ Lars Von Trier\] doing the narration for 'Dogville' and 'Manderley.' And I said to him I do these narrations… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hurt/i-got-used-to-lars-von-trier-doing-the-narration-for-dogville-and/) [John Hurt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hurt/) > [The first thing you have to get used to in any kind of acting is the ability to make a fool of yourself. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hurt/the-first-thing-you-have-to-get-used-to-in-any-kind-of-acting-is-the/) [John Hurt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hurt/) > [One wonders sometimes, looking at the world, how it's dealing with itself. There are days when you wake up and you feel very optimistic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hurt/one-wonders-sometimes-looking-at-the-world-how-it-s-dealing-with/) [John Hurt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hurt/) > [To me, nothing ever feels like a sure thing. I cling to that because it's very important you don't ever think anything is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hurt/to-me-nothing-ever-feels-like-a-sure-thing-i-cling-to-that-because-it/) [John Hurt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hurt/) > [Things come in a quieter way to me. It's not laziness, and it's not diffidence. I just know how far you have to bend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hurt/things-come-in-a-quieter-way-to-me-it-s-not-laziness-and-it-s-not/) [John Hurt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hurt/) > [I've spent a great deal of my life doing independent film, and that is partly because the subject matter interests me and partly because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hurt/i-ve-spent-a-great-deal-of-my-life-doing-independent-film-and-that-is/) [John Hurt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hurt/) > [I find myself more interested in producing. Not because I'm interested in the financial side of it, but just getting together the right elements…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hurt/i-find-myself-more-interested-in-producing-not-because-i-m-interested/) [John Hurt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hurt/) > [Actors are not always the best judges. 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I'm very curious about where we're all marching.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hurt/really-i-m-only-alive-out-of-curiosity-i-m-very-curious-about-where/) [John Hurt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hurt/) > [You carry that through and adapt it to a camera lens, but you're quite right, you cannot be sure of what an audience is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hurt/you-carry-that-through-and-adapt-it-to-a-camera-lens-but-you-re-quite/) [John Hurt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hurt/) [Explore all 217 John Hurt quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hurt/) ## More British quotes > [I'd love to work in the States; I'd love to work anywhere where you get a good script and a good part to play.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-carmichael/i-d-love-to-work-in-the-states-i-d-love-to-work-anywhere-where-you/) [Laura Carmichael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-carmichael/) > [I shot for French and British Vogue. 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Our belief in tolerance and liberty which shines…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-brown/we-can-find-common-qualities-and-common-values-that-have-made-britain/) [Gordon Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-brown/) > [ No wonder that Churchill described this effort \[the British codebreakers working at Bletchley Park\] as "Britian"s secret weapon," a weapon far more effective than… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-hilton/no-wonder-that-churchill-described-this-effort-the-british/) [Peter Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-hilton/) > [When we first sold the Wallace and Gromit shorts to America, people suggested we get rid of the strange British accents and put clear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-park/when-we-first-sold-the-wallace-and-gromit-shorts-to-america-people/) [Nick Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-park/) > [I always wanted to make a 'James Bond' film, and they only seemed to hire British directors, and I'd made 'Swingers' - they were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-liman/i-always-wanted-to-make-a-james-bond-film-and-they-only-seemed-to/) [Doug Liman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-liman/) > [Somebody said that part of my reaction to British cinema is actually, paradoxically, a patriotic one. I'm so disappointed that we're not better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-brownlow/somebody-said-that-part-of-my-reaction-to-british-cinema-is-actually/) [Kevin Brownlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-brownlow/) > [All the cliches of glamorous sophistication have little appeal to me. Do I want to live the British version of 'Dynasty?' No thanks!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sade-adu/all-the-cliches-of-glamorous-sophistication-have-little-appeal-to-me/) [Sade Adu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sade-adu/) > [British Forces should be in a position to give back in a ten fold measure any attack that the Germans may attempt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-banting/british-forces-should-be-in-a-position-to-give-back-in-a-ten-fold/) [Frederick Banting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-banting/) > [Although I don't have anything against people from other countries, the higher the influx into England the more the British identity disappears.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/although-i-don-t-have-anything-against-people-from-other-countries/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It could be my British need for discipline that makes me admire the American appetite for freedom and passion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-winwood/it-could-be-my-british-need-for-discipline-that-makes-me-admire-the/) [Steve Winwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-winwood/) > [While we like to think queueing is unique to British culture, the truth is that we are mere amateurs. 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