---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I've always wanted my characters to have…"
description: "\"I've always wanted my characters to have more dimension and realistic cores than the ingenue material often provides. It's been a challenge.\" — Kelli O..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f11/kelli-o-hara-8395_always_i-ve-always-wanted-my-characters-to-have_2464934.png"
---

#  I've always wanted my characters to have more dimension…

![“I've always wanted my characters to have more dimension and realistic cores than the ingenue material often provides. It's been a challenge.” quote by Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f11/kelli-o-hara-8395_always_i-ve-always-wanted-my-characters-to-have_2464934.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f11/kelli-o-hara-8395_always_i-ve-always-wanted-my-characters-to-have_2464934.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f11/kelli-o-hara-8395_always_i-ve-always-wanted-my-characters-to-have_2464934.png)

> “I've always wanted my characters to have more dimension and realistic cores than the ingenue material often provides. It's been a challenge.”

[Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Creating multidimensional characters challenges writers to move beyond stereotypes.

**In simple terms:** Depth in characters is challenging.

Key Takeaway

Develop richer, realistic characters.

Themes

character development depth writing

Mood

creative inspirational

Type

advice literary

When to use this quote

- novel writing
- screenplay
- character workshops

Key Concepts

psychology storytelling

Questions to Reflect On

- How can you avoid flat characters?
- What techniques deepen character core?

A Different Perspective

Stereotypes limit storytelling.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Challenge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/challenge/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Characters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/characters/) [Ingenue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ingenue/)

## Related quotes

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[Jack Coleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-coleman/)

> [I love playing an ingenue, and I love doing revivals, and I will continue to do that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/i-love-playing-an-ingenue-and-i-love-doing-revivals-and-i-will/)

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> [I was never one of those actors who believed, 'I'm so gonna be an ingenue.' I already knew that wasn't gonna happen, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keala-settle/i-was-never-one-of-those-actors-who-believed-i-m-so-gonna-be-an/)

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> [I could never play the ingenue, the girl next door or the very successful young doctor. That would be a bore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-jason-leigh/i-could-never-play-the-ingenue-the-girl-next-door-or-the-very/)

[Jennifer Jason Leigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-jason-leigh/)

> [I never played an ingenue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/latanya-richardson/i-never-played-an-ingenue/)

[LaTanya Richardson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/latanya-richardson/)

> [I saw I wasn't an ingenue like Debbie Reynolds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-rae/i-saw-i-wasn-t-an-ingenue-like-debbie-reynolds/)

[Charlotte Rae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-rae/)

> [I was never an ingenue. I've traveled the globe, I've backpacked through South America, I've done conservation work in Africa. I was never the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annabelle-wallis/i-was-never-an-ingenue-i-ve-traveled-the-globe-i-ve-backpacked/)

[Annabelle Wallis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annabelle-wallis/)

> [I've never wanted to be the ingenue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debi-mazar/i-ve-never-wanted-to-be-the-ingenue/)

[Debi Mazar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debi-mazar/)

> [“She wished she had eyes like her sister, huge and bright, constantly straddling the line between terrified child and ingénue.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomm-quackenbush/she-wished-she-had-eyes-like-her-sister-huge-and-bright-constantly/)

[Thomm Quackenbush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomm-quackenbush/)

> [I know the fact I've worked continuously since drama school means I fit a stereotype - the ingenue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phoebe-fox/i-know-the-fact-i-ve-worked-continuously-since-drama-school-means-i/)

[Phoebe Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phoebe-fox/)

> [I can't be an ingenue forever, and I wouldn't want to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lea-salonga/i-can-t-be-an-ingenue-forever-and-i-wouldn-t-want-to-be/)

[Lea Salonga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lea-salonga/)

> [I've never wanted to be the ingenue. Now that I'm getting into my forties, I think my time as a woman has arrived; I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debi-mazar/i-ve-never-wanted-to-be-the-ingenue-now-that-i-m-getting-into-my/)

[Debi Mazar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debi-mazar/)

> [I would not want to go back to playing the ingenue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winona-ryder/i-would-not-want-to-go-back-to-playing-the-ingenue/)

[Winona Ryder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winona-ryder/)

> [Onstage, I was never the ingenue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-johnston/onstage-i-was-never-the-ingenue/)

[Kristen Johnston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-johnston/)

> [I'm certainly not 10 pounds away from being an ingenue! Of course I would love to lose 10 pounds. I would never lie and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marissa-jaret-winokur/i-m-certainly-not-10-pounds-away-from-being-an-ingenue-of-course-i/)

[Marissa Jaret Winokur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marissa-jaret-winokur/)

## More by Kelli O'Hara

> [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/)

[Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/)

> [I never really try to watch the movie of the things I've been in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/i-never-really-try-to-watch-the-movie-of-the-things-i-ve-been-in/)

[Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/)

> [I love playing an ingenue, and I love doing revivals, and I will continue to do that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/i-love-playing-an-ingenue-and-i-love-doing-revivals-and-i-will/)

[Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/)

> [Playing characters allows me to do things I may not always do, while singing in concerts allows me to really find my own voice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/playing-characters-allows-me-to-do-things-i-may-not-always-do-while/)

[Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/)

> [I don't ever think about the roads I didn't take because I spend too much time thinking what's ahead. I don't go backwards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/i-don-t-ever-think-about-the-roads-i-didn-t-take-because-i-spend-too/)

[Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/)

> [If you act brave, you can seem brave, and if you do it enough, you can talk yourself into believing you're brave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/if-you-act-brave-you-can-seem-brave-and-if-you-do-it-enough-you-can/)

[Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/)

> [If a man thinks you're beautiful or thinks you're strong or thinks you're smart, take the power and use it, but don't need it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/if-a-man-thinks-you-re-beautiful-or-thinks-you-re-strong-or-thinks/)

[Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/)

> [Our natural thing to do when we break away from our parents and our family is to decide in how many ways they were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/our-natural-thing-to-do-when-we-break-away-from-our-parents-and-our/)

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> [My mom's side of the family is from Arkansas!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/my-mom-s-side-of-the-family-is-from-arkansas/)

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> [Sometimes I think people are famous because they're themselves and they do a role and you see them do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/sometimes-i-think-people-are-famous-because-they-re-themselves-and/)

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> [I loved to sing and I loved to act, and I didn’t want to continue opera because I wanted to act.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/i-loved-to-sing-and-i-loved-to-act-and-i-didn-t-want-to-continue/)

[Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/)

> [The 'Carousel' overture has always been one of my all-time favorite pieces of music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/the-carousel-overture-has-always-been-one-of-my-all-time-favorite/)

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> [My father named me Kelli because 'Kelli O'Hara' just sounded so Irish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/my-father-named-me-kelli-because-kelli-o-hara-just-sounded-so-irish/)

[Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/)

[Explore all 81 Kelli O'Hara quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/)

## More Always quotes

> [I think performing has pretty much always been a part of me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isa-briones/i-think-performing-has-pretty-much-always-been-a-part-of-me/)

[Isa Briones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isa-briones/)

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[Jenova Chen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenova-chen/)

> [I always like a character who makes me laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-stirling/i-always-like-a-character-who-makes-me-laugh/)

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> [It's always great to see old friends, especially those I have not been able to see in 15 months.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-regal/it-s-always-great-to-see-old-friends-especially-those-i-have-not-been/)

[William Regal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-regal/)

> [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/)

[Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/)

> [I have really good lateral movement. I've always had quick lateral movement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-rivers/i-have-really-good-lateral-movement-i-ve-always-had-quick-lateral/)

[Austin Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-rivers/)

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> [Whether it was Little League or playing with your brothers or sisters, that was always a problem. If I would lose - because I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-ripken-jr/whether-it-was-little-league-or-playing-with-your-brothers-or-sisters/)

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> [Bayern is always a team that can win the Champions League title in Europe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lothar-matthaus/bayern-is-always-a-team-that-can-win-the-champions-league-title-in/)

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Browse all 36,048 Always quotes

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