--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The first thing I do when I read a part…" description: "\"The first thing I do when I read a part is see if I can identify emotionally with a character. If I make that connection, everything else is just worki..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/857/joshua-leonard-32106_books_the-first-thing-i-do-when-i-read-a-part_1364955.jpg" --- # The first thing I do when I read a part is see if I can… ![“The first thing I do when I read a part is see if I can identify emotionally with a character. If I make that connection, everything else is just working on knowing their life circumstances and manifesting those through practice and research.” quote by Joshua Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/857/joshua-leonard-32106_books_the-first-thing-i-do-when-i-read-a-part_1364955.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/857/joshua-leonard-32106_books_the-first-thing-i-do-when-i-read-a-part_1364955.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/857/joshua-leonard-32106_books_the-first-thing-i-do-when-i-read-a-part_1364955.jpg) > “The first thing I do when I read a part is see if I can identify emotionally with a character. If I make that connection, everything else is just working on knowing their life circumstances and manifesting those through practice and research.” [Joshua Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-leonard/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Reading a part involves first feeling emotional resonance with a character. **In simple terms:** Connect emotionally before analyzing. Key Takeaway Prioritize empathy. Themes acting character study empathy Mood thoughtful inspirational Type professional personal When to use this quote - audition prep - script analysis - character development Key Concepts method acting psychology Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance feeling and analysis? - What techniques deepen character empathy? A Different Perspective Emotional connection may bias objectivity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Circumstances](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/circumstances/) [Connections](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/connections/) [Emotionally](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emotionally/) [Emotionally Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emotionally-character-1820279/) [Firsts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firsts/) [I can](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-can/) [Identify Emotionally](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/identify-emotionally-4682621/) [Knowing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knowing/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Manifest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/manifest/) [Practice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/practice/) [Read Identify](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/read-identify-4682622/) [Research](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/research/) [Thing Read](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thing-read-353087/) ## Related quotes > [I always find that I have to be emotionally on my character's side for it to be convincing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-hartnett/i-always-find-that-i-have-to-be-emotionally-on-my-character-s-side/) [Josh Hartnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-hartnett/) > [“You learn to read so you can identify the reality in which you live, so that you can become a protagonist history rather than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/you-learn-to-read-so-you-can-identify-the-reality-in-which-you-live/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [People look at the same passage, and one person will say this is the best thing he's ever read, and another person will say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-auster/people-look-at-the-same-passage-and-one-person-will-say-this-is-the/) [Paul Auster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-auster/) > [But it is one thing to read about dragons and another to meet them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-k-le-guin/but-it-is-one-thing-to-read-about-dragons-and-another-to-meet-them/) [Ursula K. Le Guin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-k-le-guin/) > [If you want to learn a thing, read that. If you want to know a thing, write that; if you want to master a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harbhajan-singh-yogi/if-you-want-to-learn-a-thing-read-that-if-you-want-to-know-a-thing/) [Harbhajan Singh Yogi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harbhajan-singh-yogi/) > [Unless you can be in a place yourself and go through the subject of your story yourself, the next best thing is not to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-morpurgo/unless-you-can-be-in-a-place-yourself-and-go-through-the-subject-of/) [Michael Morpurgo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-morpurgo/) > [Digital doesn't interest me. It's too many steps removed from the actual tactile thing. I still read books. I don't read online.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-lange/digital-doesn-t-interest-me-it-s-too-many-steps-removed-from-the/) [Jessica Lange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-lange/) > [“Odd Thing to Read After an Autopsy: “He was in much better health than we expected.” Well, yeah … except for the DEAD part.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-medeiros/odd-thing-to-read-after-an-autopsy-he-was-in-much-better-health-than/) [Teresa Medeiros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-medeiros/) > [All the elements in an advertisement are primarily designed to do one thing and one thing only: get you to read the first sentence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-sugarman/all-the-elements-in-an-advertisement-are-primarily-designed-to-do-one/) [Joseph Sugarman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-sugarman/) > [I'd go nuts. Because people look at the same passage and one person will say this is the best thing he's ever read, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-auster/i-d-go-nuts-because-people-look-at-the-same-passage-and-one-person/) [Paul Auster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-auster/) > [“So!' he said, at length, and it came as a complete surprise to me that fellows ever really do say 'So!'. I had always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-g-wodehouse-3/so-he-said-at-length-and-it-came-as-a-complete-surprise-to-me-that/) [P G Wodehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-g-wodehouse-3/) > [It's a very powerful, emotional thing to read a book, and to reduce it to a series of questions in a test strips something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-dicamillo/it-s-a-very-powerful-emotional-thing-to-read-a-book-and-to-reduce-it/) [Kate DiCamillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-dicamillo/) > [It was a big thing for me to read black writers. 'Fences,' by August Wilson. James Baldwin's 'Amen Corner.' 'The Fire Next Time.' 'The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chadwick-boseman/it-was-a-big-thing-for-me-to-read-black-writers-fences-by-august/) [Chadwick Boseman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chadwick-boseman/) > [It is one thing to read about the world, but quite another to see and hear for oneself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-travers/it-is-one-thing-to-read-about-the-world-but-quite-another-to-see-and/) [Mary Travers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-travers/) > [It is a good thing to read books, and need not be a bad thing to write them, but in any case, it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-locker-lampson/it-is-a-good-thing-to-read-books-and-need-not-be-a-bad-thing-to-write/) [Frederick Locker-Lampson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-locker-lampson/) ## More by Joshua Leonard > [Being behind a camera, in front of the camera, is my own little deconstructionist niche.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-leonard/being-behind-a-camera-in-front-of-the-camera-is-my-own-little/) [Joshua Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-leonard/) > [Even in the realest American cinema that I see, there's still not that sense that this is reality. There's still that sense that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-leonard/even-in-the-realest-american-cinema-that-i-see-there-s-still-not-that/) [Joshua Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-leonard/) > [Mike and Heather and I rapped once or twice in New York and then we all wound up on a train together on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-leonard/mike-and-heather-and-i-rapped-once-or-twice-in-new-york-and-then-we/) [Joshua Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-leonard/) > [Pain is pain, joy is joy - you can't avoid bringing pieces of yourself into a role.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-leonard/pain-is-pain-joy-is-joy-you-can-t-avoid-bringing-pieces-of-yourself/) [Joshua Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-leonard/) > [In horror, character development is often pushed aside in favor of the shock value. The best genre movies to me are movies like The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-leonard/in-horror-character-development-is-often-pushed-aside-in-favor-of-the/) [Joshua Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-leonard/) > [I would love to direct some day. It's a good job for a control freak.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-leonard/i-would-love-to-direct-some-day-it-s-a-good-job-for-a-control-freak/) [Joshua Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-leonard/) > [I've done almost 20 films and I still worry about not finding the next one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-leonard/i-ve-done-almost-20-films-and-i-still-worry-about-not-finding-the/) [Joshua Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-leonard/) > [Actors are such an insecure breed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-leonard/actors-are-such-an-insecure-breed/) [Joshua Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-leonard/) > [I'm really proud of Blair Witch Project as a film, but as far as the cultural phenomenon of it - that was just weird…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-leonard/i-m-really-proud-of-blair-witch-project-as-a-film-but-as-far-as-the/) [Joshua Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-leonard/) > [I ultimately have faith though, that good films will find their audience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-leonard/i-ultimately-have-faith-though-that-good-films-will-find-their/) [Joshua Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-leonard/) > [I'm less interested in slasher, and go more for roles that can affect you on a personal level. I'm interested in human empathy in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-leonard/i-m-less-interested-in-slasher-and-go-more-for-roles-that-can-affect/) [Joshua Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-leonard/) > [We ended up with 19 hours of footage and had to narrow it down to an hour and a half. Our instructions were to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-leonard/we-ended-up-with-19-hours-of-footage-and-had-to-narrow-it-down-to-an/) [Joshua Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-leonard/) > [We hit a stride where all self-consciousness disappeared.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-leonard/we-hit-a-stride-where-all-self-consciousness-disappeared/) [Joshua Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-leonard/) > [Sony could have $50 million and a sound stage and A-list actors and never make the same film. The constraints on this film became…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-leonard/sony-could-have-50-million-and-a-sound-stage-and-a-list-actors-and/) [Joshua Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-leonard/) > [I think as long as there are folks on the fringe who want to make movies, the indie scene will still be around. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-leonard/i-think-as-long-as-there-are-folks-on-the-fringe-who-want-to-make/) [Joshua Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-leonard/) [Explore all 16 Joshua Leonard quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-leonard/) ## More Books quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [If what I write is literature, I guess you'd better emphasize the 'litter.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/if-what-i-write-is-literature-i-guess-you-d-better-emphasize-the/) [Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/) > [My sentences got sharper and my stories more efficient, and I gradually learned to imagine the reader more clearly and to empathize with that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-thompson-walker/my-sentences-got-sharper-and-my-stories-more-efficient-and-i/) [Karen Thompson Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-thompson-walker/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [“Within the pages of books, I've journeyed to Mandalay, the Milky Way and Santa Fe, without once having to leave my armchair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-ansbro/within-the-pages-of-books-i-ve-journeyed-to-mandalay-the-milky-way/) [Kevin Ansbro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-ansbro/) > [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [“Tacitus did not write a most dangerous book. His readers made it so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-k-krebs/tacitus-did-not-write-a-most-dangerous-book-his-readers-made-it-so/) [Christopher K. Krebs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-k-krebs/) > [“Take some books and read; that’s an immense help; and books are always good company if you have the right sort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/take-some-books-and-read-that-s-an-immense-help-and-books-are-always/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [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 have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [“Be careful about reading health books. Some fine day you'll die of a misprint.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-herz/be-careful-about-reading-health-books-some-fine-day-you-ll-die-of-a/) [Markus Herz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-herz/) > [But editors are still the world's readers. And thus the eyes of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/but-editors-are-still-the-world-s-readers-and-thus-the-eyes-of-the/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) [Browse all 59,485 Books quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The first thing I do when I read a part is see if I can identify emotionally with a character. 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