--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: With 'Vikings,' I had the task of making…" description: "\"With 'Vikings,' I had the task of making these people interesting and, to a point, sympathetic.\" — Michael Hirst" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a58/michael-hirst-19597_had_with-vikings-i-had-the-task-of-making-th_1476877.jpg" --- # With 'Vikings,' I had the task of making these people… ![“With 'Vikings,' I had the task of making these people interesting and, to a point, sympathetic.” quote by Michael Hirst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a58/michael-hirst-19597_had_with-vikings-i-had-the-task-of-making-th_1476877.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a58/michael-hirst-19597_had_with-vikings-i-had-the-task-of-making-th_1476877.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a58/michael-hirst-19597_had_with-vikings-i-had-the-task-of-making-th_1476877.jpg) > “With 'Vikings,' I had the task of making these people interesting and, to a point, sympathetic.” [Michael Hirst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hirst/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Creating compelling, sympathetic characters requires depth and humanizing traits. **In simple terms:** Humanize characters to engage audiences. Key Takeaway Add relatable flaws and motivations. Themes storytelling character development empathy history Mood insightful creative Type educational inspirational When to use this quote - scriptwriting - teaching - leadership training Key Concepts narrative empathy historical drama Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance drama with authenticity? - What traits make a character relatable? A Different Perspective Simplification can erase complexity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Had](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/had/) [Interesting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interesting/) [Making](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/making/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People Interesting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-interesting/) [Point](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/point/) [Point Sympathetic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/point-sympathetic-5373485/) [Sympathetic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sympathetic/) [Task](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/task/) [Vikings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vikings/) [Vikings Task](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vikings-task-5373484/) ## Related quotes > [With 'The Tudors,' I had a huge amount of material - I mean, so many books and so much stuff about what they really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hirst/with-the-tudors-i-had-a-huge-amount-of-material-i-mean-so-many-books-2/) [Michael Hirst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hirst/) > [For 'Vikings,' we have to do so much outside shooting, and it's normally - I think with American shows, it'll be 60 or 70…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hirst/for-vikings-we-have-to-do-so-much-outside-shooting-and-it-s-normally/) [Michael Hirst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hirst/) > [TV drama - not always, but on the whole - were pretty appalling and very secondary, too. No one expected it to be like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hirst/tv-drama-not-always-but-on-the-whole-were-pretty-appalling-and-very/) [Michael Hirst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hirst/) > [If you're in America or Europe, walk for three blocks, and you'll pass about 14 Vikings. Their reach was immense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hirst/if-you-re-in-america-or-europe-walk-for-three-blocks-and-you-ll-pass/) [Michael Hirst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hirst/) > [I got interested in the Vikings, and then you realize that there isn't much to be read about them because they did not write…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hirst/i-got-interested-in-the-vikings-and-then-you-realize-that-there-isn-t/) [Michael Hirst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hirst/) > [I felt that a lot of Viking culture had been caricatured and misconstrued. After all, they were far more democratic than the Saxons and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hirst/i-felt-that-a-lot-of-viking-culture-had-been-caricatured-and/) [Michael Hirst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hirst/) > [The Vikings certainly didn't write anything about themselves; it was not a literate, but rather a pagan, culture. So what we get was written…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hirst/the-vikings-certainly-didn-t-write-anything-about-themselves-it-was/) [Michael Hirst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hirst/) > [I couldn't give 'Vikings' away - I mean, I love these people. And I'm not sure anyone else writing it would necessarily have the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hirst/i-couldn-t-give-vikings-away-i-mean-i-love-these-people-and-i-m-not/) [Michael Hirst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hirst/) > [Curious people are interesting people; I wonder why that is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/curious-people-are-interesting-people-i-wonder-why-that-is/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) > [I drink to make other people interesting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-jean-nathan/i-drink-to-make-other-people-interesting/) [George Jean Nathan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-jean-nathan/) > [I find people interesting. People trying hard are interesting. People with a passion are interesting - whether its old cars or taxidermy or knitting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clare-balding/i-find-people-interesting-people-trying-hard-are-interesting-people-2/) [Clare Balding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clare-balding/) > [I find people interesting. People trying hard are interesting. People with a passion are interesting - whether it's old cars or taxidermy or knitting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clare-balding/i-find-people-interesting-people-trying-hard-are-interesting-people/) [Clare Balding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clare-balding/) > [I've never really presumed to know what my fans want or like. When I'm making the music, I just chase whatever I find interesting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hutchinson/i-ve-never-really-presumed-to-know-what-my-fans-want-or-like-when-i-m/) [Eric Hutchinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hutchinson/) > [I've always loved reprehensible people because they're so much more interesting to play on screen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-caine/i-ve-always-loved-reprehensible-people-because-they-re-so-much-more/) [Michael Caine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-caine/) > [Dead or alive, interesting people are interesting people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noel-riley-fitch/dead-or-alive-interesting-people-are-interesting-people/) [Noel Riley Fitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noel-riley-fitch/) ## More by Michael Hirst > [The key for me with historical characters is they're interesting because they're human beings. A little bit of Hemingway goes a long way here,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hirst/the-key-for-me-with-historical-characters-is-they-re-interesting/) [Michael Hirst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hirst/) > [For 'Vikings,' we have to do so much outside shooting, and it's normally - I think with American shows, it'll be 60 or 70…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hirst/for-vikings-we-have-to-do-so-much-outside-shooting-and-it-s-normally/) [Michael Hirst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hirst/) > [You have to create characters - certainly in series TV - who people engage with. They don't have to be nice; you don't have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hirst/you-have-to-create-characters-certainly-in-series-tv-who-people/) [Michael Hirst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hirst/) > ['Downton Abbey' is just one cliche after another, and it is a really, really poor piece of drama. But that's only me talking. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hirst/downton-abbey-is-just-one-cliche-after-another-and-it-is-a-really/) [Michael Hirst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hirst/) > [People love cliches. If you can give people cliches, that's very good TV, then.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hirst/people-love-cliches-if-you-can-give-people-cliches-that-s-very-good/) [Michael Hirst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hirst/) > [With 'The Tudors,' I had a huge amount of material, I mean so many books and so much stuff about what they really said.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hirst/with-the-tudors-i-had-a-huge-amount-of-material-i-mean-so-many-books/) [Michael Hirst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hirst/) > [I couldn't give 'Vikings' away - I mean, I love these people. And I'm not sure anyone else writing it would necessarily have the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hirst/i-couldn-t-give-vikings-away-i-mean-i-love-these-people-and-i-m-not/) [Michael Hirst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hirst/) > [The Vikings certainly didn't write anything about themselves; it was not a literate, but rather a pagan, culture. So what we get was written…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hirst/the-vikings-certainly-didn-t-write-anything-about-themselves-it-was/) [Michael Hirst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hirst/) > [When I did 'The Tudors,' there was massive information available and a ready-made market.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hirst/when-i-did-the-tudors-there-was-massive-information-available-and-a/) [Michael Hirst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hirst/) > [My instinct is to absolutely recoil when talking about writing in a mechanistic way. Nothing could be dumber than writing a film or TV…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hirst/my-instinct-is-to-absolutely-recoil-when-talking-about-writing-in-a/) [Michael Hirst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hirst/) > [I've found that using historical material and being rooted in historical material is liberating because I always think to myself, 'Well, this actually happened,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hirst/i-ve-found-that-using-historical-material-and-being-rooted-in/) [Michael Hirst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hirst/) > [People offer me loads of stuff, and some of it I like, but I just can't do it because I can't write it all.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hirst/people-offer-me-loads-of-stuff-and-some-of-it-i-like-but-i-just-can-t/) [Michael Hirst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hirst/) > [The American obsession with 'Downton' amuses me slightly because it's such a fiction. I've always been questioned about my historical veracity, and 'Downton' just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hirst/the-american-obsession-with-downton-amuses-me-slightly-because-it-s/) [Michael Hirst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hirst/) > [I wasn't setting out to write a documentary; if I had, I would have done it in a completely different way. I was asked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hirst/i-wasn-t-setting-out-to-write-a-documentary-if-i-had-i-would-have/) [Michael Hirst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hirst/) > [Nobody knows what really happened in any historical period. There are some periods where we know more than others, though.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hirst/nobody-knows-what-really-happened-in-any-historical-period-there-are/) [Michael Hirst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hirst/) [Explore all 32 Michael Hirst quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hirst/) ## More Had quotes > [Hats off to starting a franchise younger than we all did in 'Twilight' and keeping your cool. The 'Harry Potter' men and women had,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kellan-lutz/hats-off-to-starting-a-franchise-younger-than-we-all-did-in-twilight/) [Kellan Lutz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kellan-lutz/) > [If I had to speak in front of a Korean audience, I would be hard pressed to sound other than a little girl.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/an-na/if-i-had-to-speak-in-front-of-a-korean-audience-i-would-be-hard/) [An Na](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/an-na/) > [I think I've had the longest career of strength, focus, and still being able to sell records. I think I'm that guy. I'm still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nas/i-think-i-ve-had-the-longest-career-of-strength-focus-and-still-being/) [Nas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nas/) > [I had an idea for a technologically advanced luxury watch. I got involved in digital art and neon painting and put on shows of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giorgio-moroder/i-had-an-idea-for-a-technologically-advanced-luxury-watch-i-got/) [Giorgio Moroder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giorgio-moroder/) > [I was in high school and I had an independent album out, and we kept sending that out, and I was doing shows. No…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-hilton/i-was-in-high-school-and-i-had-an-independent-album-out-and-we-kept/) [Tyler Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-hilton/) > [My mom had very low expectations for me, and she really had a point. I was a big problem at seventeen. If I had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/my-mom-had-very-low-expectations-for-me-and-she-really-had-a-point-i/) [Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/) > [I just think my own ambition would not allow me to sit on the gifts that my creator had given me. And so that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janelle-monae/i-just-think-my-own-ambition-would-not-allow-me-to-sit-on-the-gifts/) [Janelle Monae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janelle-monae/) > [I have never been in, nor have I had any strong particular desire to be in, what is termed a costume drama, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-freeman/i-have-never-been-in-nor-have-i-had-any-strong-particular-desire-to/) [Martin Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-freeman/) > [We were so poor as kids. I didn't even see a bathtub, running water, hot water, commode - we didn't have any of that.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-robertson/we-were-so-poor-as-kids-i-didn-t-even-see-a-bathtub-running-water-hot/) [Phil Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-robertson/) > [I had sort of had a 21st birthday when I was 17, 18 years old living in Japan. I had all of that stuff…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-wright/i-had-sort-of-had-a-21st-birthday-when-i-was-17-18-years-old-living/) [Sarah Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-wright/) > [Though my grandmother had picked up modern ideas in America, she still had some conflicting 19th-century Irish notions. She believed that daughters, educated though…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosemary-mahoney/though-my-grandmother-had-picked-up-modern-ideas-in-america-she-still/) [Rosemary Mahoney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosemary-mahoney/) > [My mom and dad had the relationship that I want, and they were teammates. They were always equal 50/50.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/becca-kufrin/my-mom-and-dad-had-the-relationship-that-i-want-and-they-were/) [Becca Kufrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/becca-kufrin/) > [Professionally speaking, the proudest moment was when I booked the 'Human Stain.' I knew it had Nicole Kidman, Anthony Hopkins, Ed Harris and Gary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wentworth-miller/professionally-speaking-the-proudest-moment-was-when-i-booked-the/) [Wentworth Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wentworth-miller/) > [We got orders to strike the Marshall and Gilbert Islands. We had a task force with the Enterprise. We had two or three cruisers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barney-ross/we-got-orders-to-strike-the-marshall-and-gilbert-islands-we-had-a/) [Barney Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barney-ross/) > [I wish that I had known back then that a mastery of process would lead to a product. Then I probably wouldn't have found…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-george/i-wish-that-i-had-known-back-then-that-a-mastery-of-process-would/) [Elizabeth George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-george/) [Browse all 11,989 Had quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/had/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "With 'Vikings,' I had the task of making these people interesting and, to a point, sympathetic.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Michael Hirst" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hirst/with-vikings-i-had-the-task-of-making-these-people-interesting-and-to/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Had" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hirst/with-vikings-i-had-the-task-of-making-these-people-interesting-and-to/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a58/michael-hirst-19597_had_with-vikings-i-had-the-task-of-making-th_1476877.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a58/michael-hirst-19597_had_with-vikings-i-had-the-task-of-making-th_1476877.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a58/michael-hirst-19597_had_with-vikings-i-had-the-task-of-making-th_1476877.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“With 'Vikings,' I had the task of making these people interesting and, to a point, sympathetic.” — Michael Hirst", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Michael Hirst", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hirst/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "With 'Vikings,' I had the task...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hirst/with-vikings-i-had-the-task-of-making-these-people-interesting-and-to/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hirst/with-vikings-i-had-the-task-of-making-these-people-interesting-and-to/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```