--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When you start and you're taking the…" description: "\"When you start and you're taking the character seriously, it's going to lead down a variety of paths.\" — Jon Hurwitz" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50b/jon-hurwitz-43014_character_when-you-start-and-you-re-taking-the-cha_2900603.jpg" --- # When you start and you're taking the character seriously… ![“When you start and you're taking the character seriously, it's going to lead down a variety of paths.” quote by Jon Hurwitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50b/jon-hurwitz-43014_character_when-you-start-and-you-re-taking-the-cha_2900603.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50b/jon-hurwitz-43014_character_when-you-start-and-you-re-taking-the-cha_2900603.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50b/jon-hurwitz-43014_character_when-you-start-and-you-re-taking-the-cha_2900603.jpg) > “When you start and you're taking the character seriously, it's going to lead down a variety of paths.” [Jon Hurwitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-hurwitz/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Taking a character seriously opens many narrative possibilities. **In simple terms:** Serious character work expands story paths. Key Takeaway Commit fully to character development. Themes writing character creativity Mood thoughtful creative Type creative professional When to use this quote - screenwriting - theatre - role‑play Key Concepts storytelling dramatic structure improvisation Questions to Reflect On - How does seriousness affect improvisation? - When is flexibility more valuable? A Different Perspective Over‑analysis can stifle spontaneity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Path](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/path/) [Variety](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/variety/) ## Related quotes > [“You ask questions. You take your life seriously, but you don't take yourself too seriously. You're going to take over the world, and change…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophia-amoruso/you-ask-questions-you-take-your-life-seriously-but-you-don-t-take/) [Sophia Amoruso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophia-amoruso/) > [When you take a character seriously, there's more room for comedy because you're not aware of how absurd you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-mcleavy/when-you-take-a-character-seriously-there-s-more-room-for-comedy/) [Robin McLeavy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-mcleavy/) > [It's part of my character not to take myself too seriously. That's one of the reasons I've been able to survive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-west/it-s-part-of-my-character-not-to-take-myself-too-seriously-that-s-one/) [Adam West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-west/) > [The writer has to make pleasure for the reader - which, I think, is done by taking one's character's seriously and taking one's readers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/the-writer-has-to-make-pleasure-for-the-reader-which-i-think-is-done/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [I feel it's important to show different sides of my character, and I never take myself too seriously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carmella/i-feel-it-s-important-to-show-different-sides-of-my-character-and-i/) [Carmella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carmella/) > [Slater's a big star and he's been in the business a long time. He's always in a good mood and easygoing but he takes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uwe-boll/slater-s-a-big-star-and-he-s-been-in-the-business-a-long-time-he-s/) [Uwe Boll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uwe-boll/) > [Nothing comes easy when I'm in character, because everything I do in character, I take seriously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vin-diesel/nothing-comes-easy-when-i-m-in-character-because-everything-i-do-in/) [Vin Diesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vin-diesel/) > [What you BECOME on earth matters far more than what you DO. You're taking your character to heaven, not your career.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/what-you-become-on-earth-matters-far-more-than-what-you-do-you-re/) [Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/) > [There's a kind of chemical spark that comes sometimes with the character, that you don't even have to think about how she is reacting,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludivine-sagnier/there-s-a-kind-of-chemical-spark-that-comes-sometimes-with-the/) [Ludivine Sagnier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludivine-sagnier/) > [I love the creating part of taking on a character. It is fun to BE another person and create what it would be like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-dohring/i-love-the-creating-part-of-taking-on-a-character-it-is-fun-to-be/) [Jason Dohring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-dohring/) > [Acting has always been something I've wanted to get into. I think the best models are actors; you're taking on a character. In that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liberty-ross/acting-has-always-been-something-i-ve-wanted-to-get-into-i-think-the/) [Liberty Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liberty-ross/) > [I love taking a character and raining holy hell down on them and seeing how they respond, how they react. It's one of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blake-crouch/i-love-taking-a-character-and-raining-holy-hell-down-on-them-and/) [Blake Crouch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blake-crouch/) > [I enjoy catching our show whenever I can. It does get very weird to watch myself, it's always been that way, but at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lafferty/i-enjoy-catching-our-show-whenever-i-can-it-does-get-very-weird-to/) [James Lafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lafferty/) > [The thing that intrigued me about 'Breaking Bad' from day one was the idea of taking a character and transforming him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vince-gilligan/the-thing-that-intrigued-me-about-breaking-bad-from-day-one-was-the/) [Vince Gilligan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vince-gilligan/) > [I've watched my mom take a plain piece of paper and create something beautiful out of it, and I think that kind of manifested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elena-kampouris/i-ve-watched-my-mom-take-a-plain-piece-of-paper-and-create-something/) [Elena Kampouris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elena-kampouris/) ## More by Jon Hurwitz > [ One of the things that we love most about our comedy \[ American Reunion\] is that it goes all-out. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-hurwitz/one-of-the-things-that-we-love-most-about-our-comedy-american-reunion/) [Jon Hurwitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-hurwitz/) > [That's the fun of going to a high school reunion: it's seeing the people who you were close to all those years ago, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-hurwitz/that-s-the-fun-of-going-to-a-high-school-reunion-it-s-seeing-the/) [Jon Hurwitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-hurwitz/) > [Thats the fun of going to a high school reunion: its seeing the people who you were close to all those years ago, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-hurwitz/thats-the-fun-of-going-to-a-high-school-reunion-its-seeing-the-people/) [Jon Hurwitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-hurwitz/) > [For us, we just start with the character. We think of Stifler, and that usually just leads to something that's outrageous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-hurwitz/for-us-we-just-start-with-the-character-we-think-of-stifler-and-that/) [Jon Hurwitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-hurwitz/) > [A lot of our favorite comedies in general are usually directed by writers, whether or not they wrote the original script themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-hurwitz/a-lot-of-our-favorite-comedies-in-general-are-usually-directed-by/) [Jon Hurwitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-hurwitz/) > [I think Oz is the type of show that makes you turn away in fear and in horror, so for a television show, thats…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-hurwitz/i-think-oz-is-the-type-of-show-that-makes-you-turn-away-in-fear-and/) [Jon Hurwitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-hurwitz/) > [We were with Hayden Schlossberg enormous fans of that first American Pie. We were in college when it came out, and we watched it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-hurwitz/we-were-with-hayden-schlossberg-enormous-fans-of-that-first-american/) [Jon Hurwitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-hurwitz/) > [When we approached the project, the very first thing we did was take each character and say, "Okay, where would this character be?" We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-hurwitz/when-we-approached-the-project-the-very-first-thing-we-did-was-take/) [Jon Hurwitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-hurwitz/) [Explore all 9 Jon Hurwitz quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-hurwitz/) ## More Character quotes > [This may sound strange, but although I feel like I know everything about my characters, the brand of shampoo they use, how many cavities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-honeyman/this-may-sound-strange-but-although-i-feel-like-i-know-everything/) [Gail Honeyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-honeyman/) > [I always like a character who makes me laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-stirling/i-always-like-a-character-who-makes-me-laugh/) [Rachael Stirling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-stirling/) > [Social responsibility above the level of family, or at most of tribe, requires imagination-- devotion, loyalty, all the higher virtues -- which a man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/social-responsibility-above-the-level-of-family-or-at-most-of-tribe/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) > [I'm often moved by the circumstances around some of my characters, but I don't think I've actually cried watching myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-winslet/i-m-often-moved-by-the-circumstances-around-some-of-my-characters-but/) [Kate Winslet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-winslet/) > [When you're on a daytime drama you get one page, you better damn well know your character. You better know what she would do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hudgins/when-you-re-on-a-daytime-drama-you-get-one-page-you-better-damn-well/) David Hudgins > [It can sometimes make people fold into themselves and kind of run away, but I think in this case these characters are being forced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-deschanel/it-can-sometimes-make-people-fold-into-themselves-and-kind-of-run/) [Emily Deschanel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-deschanel/) > [If you are well-mannered towards those whose views are similar to yours, you may be said to exhibit a fairly good character. But, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-are-well-mannered-towards-those-whose-views-are-similar-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Democracy is based on the conviction that man has the moral and intellectual capacity, as well as the inalienable right, to govern himself with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/democracy-is-based-on-the-conviction-that-man-has-the-moral-and/) [Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/) > [In the fight between biology and morality, biology has commonly won in the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/semir-zeki/in-the-fight-between-biology-and-morality-biology-has-commonly-won-in/) [Semir Zeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/semir-zeki/) > [Your looks don't make you pretty, it's the person inside who makes you pretty!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-chan/your-looks-don-t-make-you-pretty-it-s-the-person-inside-who-makes-you/) [Aaron Chan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-chan/) > [I'm not a huge social media kind of guy, so I don't really know, I don't really ever get... at least in real life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freddie-stroma/i-m-not-a-huge-social-media-kind-of-guy-so-i-don-t-really-know-i-don/) [Freddie Stroma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freddie-stroma/) > [If you stood me in a costume next to a computer graphic of the same-looking character, I think there would be a difference. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warwick-davis/if-you-stood-me-in-a-costume-next-to-a-computer-graphic-of-the-same/) [Warwick Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warwick-davis/) > [Courage: the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can't practice any other virtue consistently](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/courage-the-most-important-of-all-the-virtues-because-without-courage/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [I'm a character actor - always have been, always will be - and historically, character actors don't come into their own until later in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-potts/i-m-a-character-actor-always-have-been-always-will-be-and/) [Annie Potts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-potts/) [Browse all 32,707 Character quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When you start and you're taking the character seriously, it's going to lead down a variety of paths.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jon Hurwitz" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-hurwitz/when-you-start-and-you-re-taking-the-character-seriously-it-s-going/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Character" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-hurwitz/when-you-start-and-you-re-taking-the-character-seriously-it-s-going/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50b/jon-hurwitz-43014_character_when-you-start-and-you-re-taking-the-cha_2900603.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50b/jon-hurwitz-43014_character_when-you-start-and-you-re-taking-the-cha_2900603.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50b/jon-hurwitz-43014_character_when-you-start-and-you-re-taking-the-cha_2900603.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When you start and you're taking the character seriously, it's going to lead down a variety of paths.” — Jon Hurwitz", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Jon Hurwitz", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-hurwitz/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "When you start and you're taking...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-hurwitz/when-you-start-and-you-re-taking-the-character-seriously-it-s-going/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-hurwitz/when-you-start-and-you-re-taking-the-character-seriously-it-s-going/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```