--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I love doing characters that surprise…" description: "\"I love doing characters that surprise people and showing what I am, which is an actor, first and foremost.\" — Michael Ball" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/26e/michael-ball-6205_actor_i-love-doing-characters-that-surprise-pe_2040950.jpg" --- # I love doing characters that surprise people and showing… ![“I love doing characters that surprise people and showing what I am, which is an actor, first and foremost.” quote by Michael Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/26e/michael-ball-6205_actor_i-love-doing-characters-that-surprise-pe_2040950.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/26e/michael-ball-6205_actor_i-love-doing-characters-that-surprise-pe_2040950.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/26e/michael-ball-6205_actor_i-love-doing-characters-that-surprise-pe_2040950.jpg) > “I love doing characters that surprise people and showing what I am, which is an actor, first and foremost.” [Michael Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ball/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He values surprising audiences and emphasizing his identity as an actor above other roles. **In simple terms:** Acting first, surprise audiences. Key Takeaway Prioritize your core craft. Themes creativity identity performance Mood reflective proud Type professional personal When to use this quote - theatre auditions - film roles - public interviews - improv workshops Key Concepts acting public perception self‑definition Questions to Reflect On - How does surprise serve your artistic growth? - What defines you beyond acting? A Different Perspective May limit versatility if over‑focused on surprise. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Surprise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surprise/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) ## Related quotes > [I think there's something so wonderful about being part of the process from the seed of the idea to seeing it come to life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-aniston/i-think-there-s-something-so-wonderful-about-being-part-of-the/) [Jennifer Aniston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-aniston/) > [With independent film, as an actor, you have more involvement - it's very much more connected. It's not just like I'm showing up and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alia-shawkat/with-independent-film-as-an-actor-you-have-more-involvement-it-s-very/) [Alia Shawkat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alia-shawkat/) > [I love it when characters surprise you, just like real people. When I write a scene I just try to make the characters behave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-falchuk/i-love-it-when-characters-surprise-you-just-like-real-people-when-i/) [Brad Falchuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-falchuk/) > [My characters surprise me constantly. My characters are like my friends - I can give them advice, but they don't have to take it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurell-k-hamilton/my-characters-surprise-me-constantly-my-characters-are-like-my/) [Laurell K. Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurell-k-hamilton/) > [I follow filmmakers, and story, and characters that surprise and delight me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-hechinger/i-follow-filmmakers-and-story-and-characters-that-surprise-and/) [Fred Hechinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-hechinger/) > [I usually start with an ending, then outline high points of things that happen, and kind of make up the rest as I go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-kagawa/i-usually-start-with-an-ending-then-outline-high-points-of-things/) [Julie Kagawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-kagawa/) > [Paulinho will surprise many people. If he does not fit at Barca, he would at Atletico.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/filipe-luis/paulinho-will-surprise-many-people-if-he-does-not-fit-at-barca-he/) [Filipe Luis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/filipe-luis/) > [What was so lovely about 'O.J.' and 'This Is Us' to a certain extent is that I got a chance to surprise people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sterling-k-brown/what-was-so-lovely-about-o-j-and-this-is-us-to-a-certain-extent-is/) [Sterling K. Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sterling-k-brown/) > [I don't think we surprise people. We try to out-execute them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-krzyzewski/i-don-t-think-we-surprise-people-we-try-to-out-execute-them/) [Mike Krzyzewski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-krzyzewski/) > [The essence of comedy, drama, and horror is surprise. I have an uncanny ability to surprise people because they look at my face, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lithgow/the-essence-of-comedy-drama-and-horror-is-surprise-i-have-an-uncanny/) [John Lithgow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lithgow/) > [Humor needs to come in under cover of darkness, in disguise, and surprise people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/humor-needs-to-come-in-under-cover-of-darkness-in-disguise-and/) [Garrison Keillor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-keillor/) > [That's always the biggest surprise when people meet me: how buoyant I am and how fun and light I am.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-davis/that-s-always-the-biggest-surprise-when-people-meet-me-how-buoyant-i/) [Viola Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viola-davis/) > [There's something so embarrassing about doing characters and talking about it. It's humiliating.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cole-escola/there-s-something-so-embarrassing-about-doing-characters-and-talking/) [Cole Escola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cole-escola/) > [When you're doing characters from famous novels, you have a responsibility as an actor to make it what the writer intended. And then you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-suchet/when-you-re-doing-characters-from-famous-novels-you-have-a/) [David Suchet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-suchet/) > [I love doing characters that challenge me. I'd love to do something that requires me to change physically or learn a skill.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-riley/i-love-doing-characters-that-challenge-me-i-d-love-to-do-something/) Charlotte Riley ## More by Michael Ball > [I'd love to explore South America, but the security issues worry me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ball/i-d-love-to-explore-south-america-but-the-security-issues-worry-me/) [Michael Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ball/) > [How many millions of times have I sung 'Love Changes Everything?' But when I see how it matters to people, it gives me the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ball/how-many-millions-of-times-have-i-sung-love-changes-everything-but/) [Michael Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ball/) > [As a person, Stephen Sondheim is a very funny, very dry and very shy man. I've never witnessed any diva-ish moments, he just always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ball/as-a-person-stephen-sondheim-is-a-very-funny-very-dry-and-very-shy/) [Michael Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ball/) > [I can't properly explain it, but I don't mind admitting I suffered a breakdown.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ball/i-can-t-properly-explain-it-but-i-don-t-mind-admitting-i-suffered-a/) [Michael Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ball/) > [I've got soft features, curly hair with blonde bits and dimples. People think of me as a singer, an entertainer, someone who's always there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ball/i-ve-got-soft-features-curly-hair-with-blonde-bits-and-dimples-people/) [Michael Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ball/) > [You can generate a phenomenal relationship with an audience. 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You just go out and do it again and again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ball/that-s-what-distinguishes-the-pros-from-people-involved-in-amateur/) [Michael Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ball/) > [Try to leave people feeling better for having met you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ball/try-to-leave-people-feeling-better-for-having-met-you/) [Michael Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ball/) [Explore all 99 Michael Ball quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ball/) ## More Actor quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/) [Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/) > [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. 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And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warwick-davis/if-you-stood-me-in-a-costume-next-to-a-computer-graphic-of-the-same/) [Warwick Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warwick-davis/) > [failure in the theater is more public, more brilliant, more unreal than in any other field.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lillian-hellman/failure-in-the-theater-is-more-public-more-brilliant-more-unreal-than/) [Lillian Hellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lillian-hellman/) > [I'm a character actor - always have been, always will be - and historically, character actors don't come into their own until later in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-potts/i-m-a-character-actor-always-have-been-always-will-be-and/) [Annie Potts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-potts/) > [Actors don't hate acting. Most people don't hate acting! 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