--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I love to play horrible, evil, mean people." description: "\"I love to play horrible, evil, mean people.\" — Mary Steenburgen" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f2/mary-steenburgen-10553_character_i-love-to-play-horrible-evil-mean-people_129316.jpg" --- # I love to play horrible, evil, mean people. ![“I love to play horrible, evil, mean people.” quote by Mary Steenburgen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f2/mary-steenburgen-10553_character_i-love-to-play-horrible-evil-mean-people_129316.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f2/mary-steenburgen-10553_character_i-love-to-play-horrible-evil-mean-people_129316.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f2/mary-steenburgen-10553_character_i-love-to-play-horrible-evil-mean-people_129316.jpg) > “I love to play horrible, evil, mean people.” [Mary Steenburgen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-steenburgen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Playing antagonistic roles offers creative challenge and explores human complexity. **In simple terms:** Enjoy portraying villainous characters. Key Takeaway Embrace complex roles. Themes acting character study creativity Mood excited introspective Type artistic personal When to use this quote - film sets - theatre rehearsals - character workshops Key Concepts psychology theatre Practical Applications - Seek roles that test moral boundaries Questions to Reflect On - What draws you to dark characters? - How do you separate self from role? A Different Perspective Audience may misinterpret actor’s personal views. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Mean people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mean-people/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) ## Related quotes > [“When we say that the West has brought us nothing but evil, do we mean that beef is evil, that cabbages are evil that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-joaqu-n/when-we-say-that-the-west-has-brought-us-nothing-but-evil-do-we-mean/) [Nick Joaquín](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-joaqu-n/) > [Of all the human evils, of which we have thousands of years of record and our own contemporary experiences, the most horrible evil of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-ford-coppola/of-all-the-human-evils-of-which-we-have-thousands-of-years-of-record/) [Francis Ford Coppola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-ford-coppola/) > [Sometimes directors come to me when I have to play some horrible thing, scary or hysterical or crying; they ask, 'Did you study somewhere…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristine-opolais/sometimes-directors-come-to-me-when-i-have-to-play-some-horrible/) [Kristine Opolais](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristine-opolais/) > [I'm not this horrible, evil person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abby-lee-miller/i-m-not-this-horrible-evil-person/) [Abby Lee Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abby-lee-miller/) > [I have this tendency to play these horrible, horrible characters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sasha-roiz/i-have-this-tendency-to-play-these-horrible-horrible-characters/) [Sasha Roiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sasha-roiz/) > [I do sometimes strongly hope that in a past life, my most recent life before this, I was absolutely horrible, evil, hideous. Because otherwise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vanessa-paradis/i-do-sometimes-strongly-hope-that-in-a-past-life-my-most-recent-life/) [Vanessa Paradis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vanessa-paradis/) > [“It is very seldom that one encounters what would appear to be sheer unadulterated evil in a human face; an evil, I mean, active,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-de-la-mare/it-is-very-seldom-that-one-encounters-what-would-appear-to-be-sheer/) [Walter de la Mare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-de-la-mare/) > [“But she’s the Pastor’s wife… Do you not understand the irony of this whole situation?” he said clearly enjoying himself. “One evil being at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelly-crane/but-she-s-the-pastor-s-wife-do-you-not-understand-the-irony-of-this/) [Shelly Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shelly-crane/) > [I did this movie, 'A Walk Among the Tombstones' - I truly play a horrible, horrible individual in that - and I would occasionally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-harbour/i-did-this-movie-a-walk-among-the-tombstones-i-truly-play-a-horrible/) [David Harbour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-harbour/) > [Release what no longer serves you to create a space for that which does. 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I can't bear it, I can't bear inequality, I can't bear bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-suzman/i-think-it-s-a-very-central-tenet-to-it-yes-it-is-i-can-t-bear-it-i/) [Janet Suzman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-suzman/) > [“Just because your life sucks doesn’t mean other people cant be happy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-borris/just-because-your-life-sucks-doesn-t-mean-other-people-cant-be-happy/) [Albert Borris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-borris/) > [There are all sorts of topics and themes that just recur time and time again, which either means people have less imagination or that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buck-henry/there-are-all-sorts-of-topics-and-themes-that-just-recur-time-and/) [Buck Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buck-henry/) > [No one notice your pains, but they all notice your mistakes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-alapan/no-one-notice-your-pains-but-they-all-notice-your-mistakes/) [Mitch Alapan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-alapan/) > [It rolls off my back. Ridicule doesn't mean anything - even from people you're supposed to wear knee pads around, like the scientific community.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-schultz/it-rolls-off-my-back-ridicule-doesn-t-mean-anything-even-from-people/) [Dwight Schultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-schultz/) ## More by Mary Steenburgen > [Dancing in the strip club, Not the dancing, but the being naked was excruciatingly scary for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-steenburgen/dancing-in-the-strip-club-not-the-dancing-but-the-being-naked-was/) [Mary Steenburgen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-steenburgen/) > [I learned not to care what other people think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-steenburgen/i-learned-not-to-care-what-other-people-think/) [Mary Steenburgen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-steenburgen/) > [I was this person with this weird last name from New York that no one had ever heard of. But my screen test I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-steenburgen/i-was-this-person-with-this-weird-last-name-from-new-york-that-no-one/) [Mary Steenburgen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-steenburgen/) > [I wrote my first song when I was 54 years old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-steenburgen/i-wrote-my-first-song-when-i-was-54-years-old/) [Mary Steenburgen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-steenburgen/) > [I have loved by far the majority of the people I've worked with and the experiences I've had.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-steenburgen/i-have-loved-by-far-the-majority-of-the-people-i-ve-worked-with-and/) [Mary Steenburgen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-steenburgen/) > [I'd already made the decision before I'd even read it-just because it was John Sayles. Then when I read it, the themes were actually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-steenburgen/i-d-already-made-the-decision-before-i-d-even-read-it-just-because-it/) [Mary Steenburgen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-steenburgen/) > [I wanted it to be a wonderful combination of being able to dance a little bit, not being especially good, but also playing a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-steenburgen/i-wanted-it-to-be-a-wonderful-combination-of-being-able-to-dance-a/) [Mary Steenburgen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-steenburgen/) > [When you read books, you kind of create that whole world in your mind, and you go on a journey with the author of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-steenburgen/when-you-read-books-you-kind-of-create-that-whole-world-in-your-mind/) [Mary Steenburgen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-steenburgen/) > [I've done little things, including Botox, but it didn't feel right for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-steenburgen/i-ve-done-little-things-including-botox-but-it-didn-t-feel-right-for/) [Mary Steenburgen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-steenburgen/) > [As an actress, my best tools are my emotions and expressions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-steenburgen/as-an-actress-my-best-tools-are-my-emotions-and-expressions/) [Mary Steenburgen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-steenburgen/) > [If there's an addiction in the Clinton family, it's to problem solving.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-steenburgen/if-there-s-an-addiction-in-the-clinton-family-it-s-to-problem-solving/) [Mary Steenburgen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-steenburgen/) > [I think, as an actor, you're constantly confronted with your fear of sticking your neck out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-steenburgen/i-think-as-an-actor-you-re-constantly-confronted-with-your-fear-of/) [Mary Steenburgen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-steenburgen/) > [Our culture loves movies and TV, which is wonderful, but there's something a little bit passive sometimes about watching, because you're looking at other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-steenburgen/our-culture-loves-movies-and-tv-which-is-wonderful-but-there-s/) [Mary Steenburgen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-steenburgen/) > [I think I did a couple of test commercials that didn't even make it on the air. That's how little I had really done.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-steenburgen/i-think-i-did-a-couple-of-test-commercials-that-didn-t-even-make-it/) [Mary Steenburgen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-steenburgen/) > [The accordion came from just having a desire to play music. Somehow, I have slowly taught myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-steenburgen/the-accordion-came-from-just-having-a-desire-to-play-music-somehow-i/) [Mary Steenburgen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-steenburgen/) [Explore all 64 Mary Steenburgen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-steenburgen/) ## 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. 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