Character Quote by Keri Russell
![“I just thought that Adrienne [Shelly] wrote a great character [for Waitress]. It really was all on the page.” quote by Keri Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/b93/keri-russell-8795_character_i-just-thought-that-adrienne-shelly-wrot_120250.jpg)
“I just thought that Adrienne [Shelly] wrote a great character [for Waitress]. It really was all on the page.”
About This Quote
The speaker praises the writing of a character in a film, emphasizing that the quality was evident on the page before production.
In simple terms: Great character writing shines on paper.
Key Takeaway
Strong scriptwork drives performance.
Themes
screenwriting
character development
film production
actress appreciation
Mood
appreciative
thoughtful
Type
praise
observation
When to use this quote
- script reading groups
- actor auditions
- film studies classes
Key Concepts
narrative craft
visual storytelling
Practical Applications
- focus on character arcs early
- use script notes to guide performance
Questions to Reflect On
- How does script quality affect an actor's interpretation?
- What makes a character compelling on page?
![“I do think it [the Waitress] speaks in a positive way for women and it was surprising for me to see it for the first time as a movie all put together with music. I really liked it a lot.” quote by Keri Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d94/keri-russell-8795_film_i-do-think-it-the-waitress-speaks-in-a-p_2893649.jpg)
![“[Adrienne Shelly] explain exactly what she was looking for. This was her movie [Waitress].She also wrote the songs that I sing in it. She wrote everything. She chose the colour of our outfits; she designed the set of the diner. She was very, very involved at every level.” quote by Keri Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/3b4/keri-russell-8795_colour_adrienne-shelly-explain-exactly-what-she_2338810.jpg)
![“That's interesting to hear you say that because watching it [the Waitress] for the first time at Sundance was fascinating - it was so different from the experience of making it.” quote by Keri Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/281/keri-russell-8795_different_that-s-interesting-to-hear-you-say-that_2249053.jpg)
![“It's definitely a unique situation that we're in. And, yeah, it is difficult not having our ringleader here with us to talk about the film [the Waitress], not having our main person here. People are also asking in relation to the film: what would Adrienne [ Shelly] say about this or that? But I…” quote by Keri Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/209/keri-russell-8795_asking_it-s-definitely-a-unique-situation-that_1800137.jpg)
![“I wouldn't say that my experience making it [the Waitress] was necessarily uplifting, but watching it with an audience, I was surprised at how hopeful it was at the end.” quote by Keri Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/23e/keri-russell-8795_audience_i-wouldn-t-say-that-my-experience-making_1036183.jpg)
![“I think it's quite common and realistic. There are many stories like this [in Waitress]. [Jenna, my character] marriage looks really horrible up on the screen but I think there are a lot of people in bad relationships who wake up and think to themselves: "Wow, how did I end up here? Why am I still…” quote by Keri Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/390/keri-russell-8795_bad-relationship_i-think-it-s-quite-common-and-realistic_892656.jpg)
![“Adrienne [ Shelly] had 100 per cent control over this movie [ Waitress] as a director. She didn't just write it, direct it and act in it, she was the creative force behind everything, from the jokes down to the expressions.” quote by Keri Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/282/keri-russell-8795_behinds_adrienne-shelly-had-100-per-cent-control_888805.jpg)
![“Really, it [the Waitress] was a story about believing in yourself ultimately, and caring enough about yourself to change your life.” quote by Keri Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/137/keri-russell-8795_about-yourself_really-it-the-waitress-was-a-story-about_688043.jpg)
![“We shot the movie [Waitress] in 20 days so there wasn't a lot of time to learn. There wasn't a lot of pie baking going on, at least not by me. But we always had pies while we were filming - we ate two different pies every day for lunch!” quote by Keri Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/ab1/keri-russell-8795_baking_we-shot-the-movie-waitress-in-20-days-so_553770.jpg)
![“The thing I loved about this movie [Waitress] when I read the script was that it was exactly the kind of film that I love to watch. It's not just funny, it's serious, just when you need it to be and true to life in a way.” quote by Keri Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/417/keri-russell-8795_film_the-thing-i-loved-about-this-movie-waitr_490196.jpg)
![“Cheryl [Hines] and I sat through two screenings at the Sundance Film Festival and during the second one, we said to each other: "You know, we don't have to get sad about this. Let's try to enjoy this. Let's just watch it. It's a happy movie [Waitress]."” quote by Keri Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/02f/keri-russell-8795_enjoy_cheryl-hines-and-i-sat-through-two-scree_166168.jpg)
![“With a pie, the crust is a real delicacy. It's very hard to get it just right because it's got to be cold and just the right consistency. There's a whole art to it and I haven't learned how to do it [filming in Waitress].There's not a lot of time for cooking, especially when you're shooting nights…” quote by Keri Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/160/keri-russell-8795_art_with-a-pie-the-crust-is-a-real-delicacy_384169.jpg)
