---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: [With] this show [This Is Us], I don't…"
description: "\"[With] this show [This Is Us], I don't think I was seeking something outside of the world I'd always played in so much as I'm ruled by characters. If i..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/812/milo-ventimiglia-7793_character_with-this-show-this-is-us-i-don-t-think_890009.jpg"
---

#  \[With\] this show \[This Is Us\], I don't think I was seeking…

![“&#91;With&#93; this show &#91;This Is Us&#93;, I don't think I was seeking something outside of the world I'd always played in so much as I'm ruled by characters. If it's a great character, I'm invested. It doesn't matter what the genre, what the storyline, anything.” quote by Milo Ventimiglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/812/milo-ventimiglia-7793_character_with-this-show-this-is-us-i-don-t-think_890009.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/812/milo-ventimiglia-7793_character_with-this-show-this-is-us-i-don-t-think_890009.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/812/milo-ventimiglia-7793_character_with-this-show-this-is-us-i-don-t-think_890009.jpg)

> “\[With\] this show \[This Is Us\], I don't think I was seeking something outside of the world I'd always played in so much as I'm ruled by characters. If it's a great character, I'm invested. It doesn't matter what the genre, what the storyline, anything.”

[Milo Ventimiglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milo-ventimiglia/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

An actor finds meaning not in external stories but in the characters they embody, regardless of genre

**In simple terms:** Characters drive engagement more than plot

Key Takeaway

Connect deeply with characters to stay invested

Themes

acting character immersion genre‑agnostic

Mood

introspective enthusiastic

Type

personal professional

When to use this quote

- theatre
- film
- TV series
- creative work

Key Concepts

method acting emotional truth

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you balance character focus with story?
- Can genre influence character depth?

A Different Perspective

May overlook the importance of narrative context

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Character Invested](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character-invested-1066838/) [Genre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genre/) [Genre Storyline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genre-storyline-1137509/) [Great character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-character/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Matter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/matter/) [Seeking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seeking/) [Shows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shows/) [Storyline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/storyline/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/)

## Related quotes

> [Every project you're involved in and any character that you're invested in ... you learn a message from that experience. I know that sounds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-giddish/every-project-you-re-involved-in-and-any-character-that-you-re/)

[Kelli Giddish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-giddish/)

> [“It is only after knowing him for some time that you begin to realize you are, to him, an essentially fictional character, one he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-cunningham/it-is-only-after-knowing-him-for-some-time-that-you-begin-to-realize/)

[Michael Cunningham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-cunningham/)

> [ \[John Musker\] got me reading the mythology and we very early on we worked up a basic storyline centered around the character of Maui.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-clements/john-musker-got-me-reading-the-mythology-and-we-very-early-on-we/)

[Ron Clements](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-clements/)

> [Character contributes to beauty. It fortifies a woman as her youth fades.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-bisset/character-contributes-to-beauty-it-fortifies-a-woman-as-her-youth/)

[Jacqueline Bisset](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-bisset/)

> [People reveal themselves completely only when they are thrown out of the customary conditions of their life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-da-vinci/people-reveal-themselves-completely-only-when-they-are-thrown-out-of/)

[Leonardo da Vinci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-da-vinci/)

> [These are the times in which a genius would wish to live. It is not in the still calm of life, or the repose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abigail-adams/these-are-the-times-in-which-a-genius-would-wish-to-live-it-is-not-in/)

[Abigail Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abigail-adams/)

> [It could be a great script but the director is not the right person for me to work for at this time. So there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blair-underwood/it-could-be-a-great-script-but-the-director-is-not-the-right-person/)

[Blair Underwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blair-underwood/)

> [Everyone in this world is dealt a different hand-some better, some worse than others-but what's more important is how you play that hand. This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-ha/everyone-in-this-world-is-dealt-a-different-hand-some-better-some/)

[Christine Ha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-ha/)

> [Tarzan is such a great character in that he's very innocent and wide-eyed about the world, yet he's so powerful and capable. It's fun…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-t-weiss/tarzan-is-such-a-great-character-in-that-he-s-very-innocent-and-wide/)

[Michael T. Weiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-t-weiss/)

> [I think all writers are always collecting characters as we go along. Not just characters of course, we're collecting EVERYTHING. Bits and pieces of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-sokoloff/i-think-all-writers-are-always-collecting-characters-as-we-go-along/)

[Alexandra Sokoloff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-sokoloff/)

> [I feel that Pride and Prejudice is an incredibly well constructed novel on every level. The dialogue is great. The character development is great.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-sittenfeld/i-feel-that-pride-and-prejudice-is-an-incredibly-well-constructed/)

[Curtis Sittenfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curtis-sittenfeld/)

> [ I just thought that Adrienne \[Shelly\] wrote a great character \[for Waitress\]. It really was all on the page. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keri-russell/i-just-thought-that-adrienne-shelly-wrote-a-great-character-for/)

[Keri Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keri-russell/)

> [What we loved about the movies we watched as children was the great character work. They are all about the place where the ordinary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-duffer/what-we-loved-about-the-movies-we-watched-as-children-was-the-great/)

[Matt Duffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-duffer/)

> [Depth and strength of a human character are defined by its moral reserves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-da-vinci/depth-and-strength-of-a-human-character-are-defined-by-its-moral/)

[Leonardo da Vinci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-da-vinci/)

> [ I've always been a fan of \[Mary Elizabeth Winstead's\]. She gets to do some fun action-y stuff she brings this gritty swashbuckle to. I… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-trachtenberg/i-ve-always-been-a-fan-of-mary-elizabeth-winstead-s-she-gets-to-do/)

[Dan Trachtenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-trachtenberg/)

## More by Milo Ventimiglia

> [I feel like there's a currency to your personal life and your performance - your acting, your work. If that personal life starts to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milo-ventimiglia/i-feel-like-there-s-a-currency-to-your-personal-life-and-your/)

[Milo Ventimiglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milo-ventimiglia/)

> [I think with actors, we tend to get rid of characters - and not get rid of them as in discard them or throw…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milo-ventimiglia/i-think-with-actors-we-tend-to-get-rid-of-characters-and-not-get-rid/)

[Milo Ventimiglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milo-ventimiglia/)

> [When you're in morgue you're seeing life that no longer exists. It gives you an appreciation when you look someone in the eye, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milo-ventimiglia/when-you-re-in-morgue-you-re-seeing-life-that-no-longer-exists-it/)

[Milo Ventimiglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milo-ventimiglia/)

> [There were a million different things I could have chosen or wanted to do, but the path of an artist was the one that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milo-ventimiglia/there-were-a-million-different-things-i-could-have-chosen-or-wanted/)

[Milo Ventimiglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milo-ventimiglia/)

> [You've got this world, these pathologists that are, day in and day out, taking apart bodies, coming up with theories about how they died…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milo-ventimiglia/you-ve-got-this-world-these-pathologists-that-are-day-in-and-day-out/)

[Milo Ventimiglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milo-ventimiglia/)

> [In THE WHISPERS, I played a father, with an amazingly talented actor, Kyle Breitkopf. I've played a dad a lot, so it's nice again…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milo-ventimiglia/in-the-whispers-i-played-a-father-with-an-amazingly-talented-actor/)

[Milo Ventimiglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milo-ventimiglia/)

> [There were a million different things I could have chosen or wanted to do, but the path of an artist was the one that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milo-ventimiglia/there-were-a-million-different-things-i-could-have-chosen-or-wanted-2/)

[Milo Ventimiglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milo-ventimiglia/)

> [I have a Crock-Pot, and I have an All-Clad slow-cooker - I have two different ones. The All-Clad is larger, for maybe a gang…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milo-ventimiglia/i-have-a-crock-pot-and-i-have-an-all-clad-slow-cooker-i-have-two/)

[Milo Ventimiglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milo-ventimiglia/)

> [When I was born, they didn't work. They're broken, the nerves in my lower left lip. When I was kid, I would talk out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milo-ventimiglia/when-i-was-born-they-didn-t-work-they-re-broken-the-nerves-in-my/)

[Milo Ventimiglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milo-ventimiglia/)

> [I have dual citizenship with Italy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milo-ventimiglia/i-have-dual-citizenship-with-italy/)

[Milo Ventimiglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milo-ventimiglia/)

> [I used to sit when I was a kid, from 14 or 15 on, with a book or a paper or a magazine in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milo-ventimiglia/i-used-to-sit-when-i-was-a-kid-from-14-or-15-on-with-a-book-or-a/)

[Milo Ventimiglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milo-ventimiglia/)

> [Unless I'm running and yelling, then you really see how crooked my mouth is!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milo-ventimiglia/unless-i-m-running-and-yelling-then-you-really-see-how-crooked-my/)

[Milo Ventimiglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milo-ventimiglia/)

> [I think there couldn't be a more perfect time with the state of the world than to come together and share an experience -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milo-ventimiglia/i-think-there-couldn-t-be-a-more-perfect-time-with-the-state-of-the/)

[Milo Ventimiglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milo-ventimiglia/)

> [I was either going to be an actor, a Naval aviator, or a pediatric surgeon. Those were the three things that I wanted to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milo-ventimiglia/i-was-either-going-to-be-an-actor-a-naval-aviator-or-a-pediatric/)

[Milo Ventimiglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milo-ventimiglia/)

> [I think there's an initial shedding of the skin of a character when you've played them for so long, almost like a snake losing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milo-ventimiglia/i-think-there-s-an-initial-shedding-of-the-skin-of-a-character-when/)

[Milo Ventimiglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milo-ventimiglia/)

[Explore all 87 Milo Ventimiglia quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milo-ventimiglia/)

## 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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/)

> [In the fight between biology and morality, biology has commonly won in the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/semir-zeki/in-the-fight-between-biology-and-morality-biology-has-commonly-won-in/)

[Semir Zeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/semir-zeki/)

> [Your looks don't make you pretty, it's the person inside who makes you pretty!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-chan/your-looks-don-t-make-you-pretty-it-s-the-person-inside-who-makes-you/)

[Aaron Chan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-chan/)

> [I'm not a huge social media kind of guy, so I don't really know, I don't really ever get... at least in real life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freddie-stroma/i-m-not-a-huge-social-media-kind-of-guy-so-i-don-t-really-know-i-don/)

[Freddie Stroma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freddie-stroma/)

> [If you stood me in a costume next to a computer graphic of the same-looking character, I think there would be a difference. 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/)

> [Courage: the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can't practice any other virtue consistently](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/courage-the-most-important-of-all-the-virtues-because-without-courage/)

[Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/)

> [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/)

[Browse all 32,707 Character quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "[With] this show [This Is Us], I don't think I was seeking something outside of the world I'd always played in so much as I'm ruled by characters. If it's a great character, I'm invested. It doesn't matter what the genre, what the storyline, anything.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Milo Ventimiglia"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milo-ventimiglia/with-this-show-this-is-us-i-don-t-think-i-was-seeking-something/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Character"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milo-ventimiglia/with-this-show-this-is-us-i-don-t-think-i-was-seeking-something/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/812/milo-ventimiglia-7793_character_with-this-show-this-is-us-i-don-t-think_890009.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/812/milo-ventimiglia-7793_character_with-this-show-this-is-us-i-don-t-think_890009.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/812/milo-ventimiglia-7793_character_with-this-show-this-is-us-i-don-t-think_890009.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“[With] this show [This Is Us], I don't think I was seeking something outside of the world I'd always played…” — Milo Ventimiglia",
                "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": "Milo Ventimiglia",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milo-ventimiglia/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "[With] this show [This Is Us],...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milo-ventimiglia/with-this-show-this-is-us-i-don-t-think-i-was-seeking-something/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milo-ventimiglia/with-this-show-this-is-us-i-don-t-think-i-was-seeking-something/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
