--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To play someone when the character masks…" description: "\"To play someone when the character masks their own emotions, doesn't understand their own emotions, has no release for their own emotions, and yet is f..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b49/melissa-leo-9231_character_to-play-someone-when-the-character-masks_1952782.jpg" --- # To play someone when the character masks their own… ![“To play someone when the character masks their own emotions, doesn't understand their own emotions, has no release for their own emotions, and yet is full of emotion - that is a much harder character to play than someone who has somewhere to put it.” quote by Melissa Leo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b49/melissa-leo-9231_character_to-play-someone-when-the-character-masks_1952782.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b49/melissa-leo-9231_character_to-play-someone-when-the-character-masks_1952782.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b49/melissa-leo-9231_character_to-play-someone-when-the-character-masks_1952782.jpg) > “To play someone when the character masks their own emotions, doesn't understand their own emotions, has no release for their own emotions, and yet is full of emotion - that is a much harder character to play than someone who has somewhere to put it.” [Melissa Leo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-leo/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Acting a character who cannot process emotions is more challenging than playing one who can express them, because internal conflict is hidden. **In simple terms:** Playing emotionally blocked characters is harder than expressive ones. Key Takeaway Explore ways to convey hidden emotions. Themes acting psychology emotional expression Mood thoughtful analytical Type educational inspirational When to use this quote - theatre - film - character workshops Key Concepts character analysis method acting inner conflict Questions to Reflect On - How do you reveal inner turmoil without dialogue? - What techniques help externalize suppressed feelings? A Different Perspective Some actors thrive on external expression; hidden emotions may be harder to portray. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Emotion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emotion/) [Emotions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emotions/) [Masks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/masks/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) ## Related quotes > [I'm very glad people love 'Breaking Bad,' but the harder character to write is the good character that's as interesting and as engaging as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vince-gilligan/i-m-very-glad-people-love-breaking-bad-but-the-harder-character-to/) [Vince Gilligan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vince-gilligan/) > [“If once they get through this initial dryness successfully, they become much less dependent on emotion and therefore much harder to tempt. I”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/if-once-they-get-through-this-initial-dryness-successfully-they/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [The more emotion I put in to it the harder I rock.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/o-c/the-more-emotion-i-put-in-to-it-the-harder-i-rock/) O.C > [I just don't play a character for the heck of it. Rather, I always look for a human element in every character that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pankaj-tripathi/i-just-don-t-play-a-character-for-the-heck-of-it-rather-i-always-look/) [Pankaj Tripathi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pankaj-tripathi/) > [So I just play the character, I play the lines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-shaw/so-i-just-play-the-character-i-play-the-lines/) [Fiona Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-shaw/) > [I'll always be back to the stage. I have no doubt that the stage will always call me back. 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If I like my character, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samantha-akkineni/i-never-look-at-how-many-songs-i-have-or-how-many-girls-are-there-in/) [Samantha Akkineni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samantha-akkineni/) > [I'm pretty far from the character I play, so it's fun to mess around and be a 15-year-old again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-braun/i-m-pretty-far-from-the-character-i-play-so-it-s-fun-to-mess-around/) [Nicholas Braun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-braun/) > [In every character you play, as much as you hate to admit it as an actor, but there's an element of you that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-montgomery/in-every-character-you-play-as-much-as-you-hate-to-admit-it-as-an/) [Janet Montgomery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-montgomery/) > [I'm always looking for a low-budget script with an interesting character to play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-koenig/i-m-always-looking-for-a-low-budget-script-with-an-interesting/) Walter Koenig > [The psych up comes from knowing what I can both give and get from each role. I get a lot personally from each character…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-leigh-cook/the-psych-up-comes-from-knowing-what-i-can-both-give-and-get-from/) [Rachael Leigh Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-leigh-cook/) > [I want to keep an element of myself in every character I play. And maybe that's connected to finding something that you like in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-dornan/i-want-to-keep-an-element-of-myself-in-every-character-i-play-and/) [Jamie Dornan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-dornan/) > [I still get terrified if I have to talk in front of a group of people. By having a character to play, it makes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-lee/i-still-get-terrified-if-i-have-to-talk-in-front-of-a-group-of-people/) [Sheryl Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheryl-lee/) > [Whatever character I play, I want to inspire. I don't want to just be the girlfriend or be the wife.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasmine-cephas-jones/whatever-character-i-play-i-want-to-inspire-i-don-t-want-to-just-be/) [Jasmine Cephas Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasmine-cephas-jones/) > [I dont believe there is any character that one can play for that long and not bring a piece of you to it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-gless/i-dont-believe-there-is-any-character-that-one-can-play-for-that-long/) [Sharon Gless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-gless/) ## More by Melissa Leo > [My mom was a '70s mom. She paved a road that no one had yet walked.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-leo/my-mom-was-a-70s-mom-she-paved-a-road-that-no-one-had-yet-walked/) [Melissa Leo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-leo/) > [I love acting. I really do. I think that's maybe the one thing that is known about me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-leo/i-love-acting-i-really-do-i-think-that-s-maybe-the-one-thing-that-is/) [Melissa Leo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-leo/) > [You have to let the costume inform you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-leo/you-have-to-let-the-costume-inform-you/) [Melissa Leo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-leo/) > [That's what acting is. You're not alone. It's reacting. That's what we do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-leo/that-s-what-acting-is-you-re-not-alone-it-s-reacting-that-s-what-we-do/) [Melissa Leo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-leo/) > [I'm interested in what the fans think, in what would make them feel connected to the Wayward Pines they had grown to love. 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So why sit around griping and grousing about what's not there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-leo/i-m-a-very-lucky-girl-who-gets-to-act-for-a-living-so-why-sit-around/) [Melissa Leo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-leo/) > [Well, I don't think of myself as a feminist at all. 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No matter what their talent or energy level is, everyone on the crew has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-leo/the-director-is-the-captain-of-the-ship-without-question-no-matter/) [Melissa Leo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-leo/) [Explore all 74 Melissa Leo quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-leo/) ## 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. 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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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