--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I empty myself out and fill myself with…" description: "\"I empty myself out and fill myself with the character. I would play a devil worshipper, and I would fill myself up with whatever devil worshippers beli..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f49/nelsan-ellis-12920_believe_i-empty-myself-out-and-fill-myself-with_2562320.jpg" --- # I empty myself out and fill myself with the character. I… ![“I empty myself out and fill myself with the character. I would play a devil worshipper, and I would fill myself up with whatever devil worshippers believe. Then, as myself, I empty that out and become Nelsan.” quote by Nelsan Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f49/nelsan-ellis-12920_believe_i-empty-myself-out-and-fill-myself-with_2562320.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f49/nelsan-ellis-12920_believe_i-empty-myself-out-and-fill-myself-with_2562320.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f49/nelsan-ellis-12920_believe_i-empty-myself-out-and-fill-myself-with_2562320.jpg) > “I empty myself out and fill myself with the character. I would play a devil worshipper, and I would fill myself up with whatever devil worshippers believe. Then, as myself, I empty that out and become Nelsan.” [Nelsan Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelsan-ellis/) ## 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 immerses fully in a role, adopting its mindset before returning to self. **In simple terms:** Fully embody a character. Key Takeaway Deep immersion aids performance. Themes acting identity method Mood introspective creative Type artistic psychological When to use this quote - theatre - film - personal growth - therapy Key Concepts psychological immersion role-play Questions to Reflect On - How to separate self after performance? - What boundaries protect personal identity? A Different Perspective Blurring self and role may cause identity strain. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Devil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/devil/) [Devil worship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/devil-worship/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) ## Related quotes > [I'm tired of people calling me a Devil worshipper. Because if the Devil did exist, he'd be worshipping me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-m-tired-of-people-calling-me-a-devil-worshipper-because-if-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm tired of people calling me a devil worshipper. It's kind of pointless you know. Because if the Devil did exist, he'd be worshipping…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-manson/i-m-tired-of-people-calling-me-a-devil-worshipper-it-s-kind-of/) [Marilyn Manson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-manson/) > [I read all the great philosophers but most people just hear what they want to hear and it makes it easy for them to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-manson/i-read-all-the-great-philosophers-but-most-people-just-hear-what-they/) [Marilyn Manson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-manson/) > [When devil worshippers get a sunburn, they should call them SaTANs. Get it? Cause he's red? And they are now? Oh, shut up. I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-devil-worshippers-get-a-sunburn-they-should-call-them-satans-get/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Scary rock n' roll bands had all the devilish imagery. But at the same time, it's not because they were devil worshippers, they were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immortal-technique/scary-rock-n-roll-bands-had-all-the-devilish-imagery-but-at-the-same/) [Immortal Technique](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immortal-technique/) > [“Did I imagine the castle, the dungeon, the ritual orgies and violations? Did Lucy, Billy, Samuel, Eliza, Shirley and Kato make it all up?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-jamieson/did-i-imagine-the-castle-the-dungeon-the-ritual-orgies-and-violations/) [Alice Jamieson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-jamieson/) > [NO WE ARE NOT DEVIL WORSHIPPERS!!! I've never been and never will be a satan worshipper or someone who worships a devil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-manson/no-we-are-not-devil-worshippers-i-ve-never-been-and-never-will-be-a/) [Marilyn Manson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-manson/) > [“Graham of Claverhouse, you know, who persecuted the Covenanters and had a black horse that could ride straight up a precipice. Don’t you know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/graham-of-claverhouse-you-know-who-persecuted-the-covenanters-and-had/) [G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) > [“Someone told me you were worshipping the devil with the punk rocks!" he said, opening the jug. Ma walked into the apartment, and Grandpa…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-patrick-macdonald/someone-told-me-you-were-worshipping-the-devil-with-the-punk-rocks-he/) [Michael Patrick MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-patrick-macdonald/) > [Never play with the Devil if you are afraid to shake the dice because you will never throw a six.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/never-play-with-the-devil-if-you-are-afraid-to-shake-the-dice-because/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [And thus I clothe my naked villainy With odd old ends stol'n out of holy writ; And seem a saint, when most I play…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/and-thus-i-clothe-my-naked-villainy-with-odd-old-ends-stol-n-out-of/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [I hate people who say 'Just to play devil's advocate.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-macfarlane/i-hate-people-who-say-just-to-play-devil-s-advocate/) [Seth MacFarlane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-macfarlane/) > [If you wish to seduce an angel, you must play the part of a devil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliphas-levi/if-you-wish-to-seduce-an-angel-you-must-play-the-part-of-a-devil/) [Eliphas Levi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliphas-levi/) > [The devil ain't got no power over me. The devil come, and me shake hands with the devil. Devil have his part to play.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-marley/the-devil-ain-t-got-no-power-over-me-the-devil-come-and-me-shake/) [Bob Marley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-marley/) > [Those who play with the devil's toys will be brought by degrees to wield his sword.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-buckminster-fuller/those-who-play-with-the-devil-s-toys-will-be-brought-by-degrees-to/) [R. Buckminster Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-buckminster-fuller/) ## More by Nelsan Ellis > [It's hard to get an education when teachers spend 70 percent of their time trying to discipline students.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelsan-ellis/it-s-hard-to-get-an-education-when-teachers-spend-70-percent-of-their/) [Nelsan Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelsan-ellis/) > [Whenever you have a character in which one of his defining qualities is his sexuality, it's always challenging, because you don't want to bring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelsan-ellis/whenever-you-have-a-character-in-which-one-of-his-defining-qualities/) [Nelsan Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelsan-ellis/) > [When I moved to Chicago, I was coming from a school that didn't have any arts in Alabama. I essentially came from a town…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelsan-ellis/when-i-moved-to-chicago-i-was-coming-from-a-school-that-didn-t-have/) [Nelsan Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelsan-ellis/) > [I'm not an emotional person; I keep it in, and I wouldn't know how to get it out if it weren't for acting and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelsan-ellis/i-m-not-an-emotional-person-i-keep-it-in-and-i-wouldn-t-know-how-to/) [Nelsan Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelsan-ellis/) > [At some point in my life, I wanted to be in a vampire movie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelsan-ellis/at-some-point-in-my-life-i-wanted-to-be-in-a-vampire-movie/) [Nelsan Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelsan-ellis/) > [I was quiet, and I was artistic. I liked writing poetry, and that was very strange, so I was bullied a lot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelsan-ellis/i-was-quiet-and-i-was-artistic-i-liked-writing-poetry-and-that-was/) [Nelsan Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelsan-ellis/) > [When you're in a position that you can comfortably give, you need to pay it forward.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelsan-ellis/when-you-re-in-a-position-that-you-can-comfortably-give-you-need-to/) [Nelsan Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelsan-ellis/) > [I am a vampire/werewolf and sci-fi fanatic. God is so good! I get to play in a series that has all that!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelsan-ellis/i-am-a-vampire-werewolf-and-sci-fi-fanatic-god-is-so-good-i-get-to/) [Nelsan Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelsan-ellis/) > [There were not many black students at Juilliard, unfortunately. So when you get there, you become very good friends, in particular, with the other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelsan-ellis/there-were-not-many-black-students-at-juilliard-unfortunately-so-when/) [Nelsan Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelsan-ellis/) > [Although I can be a leading man, you wouldn't look at me and go, 'He's a leading man.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelsan-ellis/although-i-can-be-a-leading-man-you-wouldn-t-look-at-me-and-go-he-s-a/) [Nelsan Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelsan-ellis/) > [My mom's side, they're southern Baptist Christian.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelsan-ellis/my-mom-s-side-they-re-southern-baptist-christian/) [Nelsan Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelsan-ellis/) > [I had no intention of being an actor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelsan-ellis/i-had-no-intention-of-being-an-actor/) [Nelsan Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelsan-ellis/) > [You go back to my town, it's like going back to the 1960s... just not a great place to grow up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelsan-ellis/you-go-back-to-my-town-it-s-like-going-back-to-the-1960s-just-not-a/) [Nelsan Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelsan-ellis/) > [Being different makes you beautiful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelsan-ellis/being-different-makes-you-beautiful/) [Nelsan Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelsan-ellis/) > [The sci-fi fans in America... they are die-hard. They will follow you to the ends of the Earth. Once they attach themselves to a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelsan-ellis/the-sci-fi-fans-in-america-they-are-die-hard-they-will-follow-you-to/) [Nelsan Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelsan-ellis/) [Explore all 52 Nelsan Ellis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelsan-ellis/) ## More Believe 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/) > [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. It makes a mockery of freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-robison/some-people-still-believe-you-should-just-fall-in-line-with-what-s/) [Emily Robison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-robison/) > [The truth seems to be that propaganda on its own cannot force its way into unwilling minds; neither can it inculcate something wholly new;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-truth-seems-to-be-that-propaganda-on-its-own-cannot-force-its-way/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [Resist discouragement by speaking His Word over your future. Keep standing. Keep hoping; keep believing because He is working behind the scenes. He's going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/resist-discouragement-by-speaking-his-word-over-your-future-keep/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [There is no such word as item girl in the dictionary. People have created this word and I don't believe that I am an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shefali-zariwala/there-is-no-such-word-as-item-girl-in-the-dictionary-people-have/) [Shefali Zariwala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shefali-zariwala/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [I don't really like too much credit. I know nobody's going to believe this, but I'd rather be able to score goals and nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-wright-phillips/i-don-t-really-like-too-much-credit-i-know-nobody-s-going-to-believe/) [Bradley Wright-Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-wright-phillips/) > [“What I have a problem with is not so much religion or god, but faith. When you say you believe something in your heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/what-i-have-a-problem-with-is-not-so-much-religion-or-god-but-faith/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [Bush reiterated his stand to conservatives opposing his decision on stem cell research. He said today he believes life begins at conception and ends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/bush-reiterated-his-stand-to-conservatives-opposing-his-decision-on/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [Never underestimate the power of the human mind to believe what it wants to believe, no matter the conflicting evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-herbert/never-underestimate-the-power-of-the-human-mind-to-believe-what-it/) [Brian Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-herbert/) > [To believe in love, to be ready to give up anything for it, to be willing to risk your life for it, is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/to-believe-in-love-to-be-ready-to-give-up-anything-for-it-to-be/) [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) > [That's why I don't generally talk about endorsements because I don't believe we have to tell people who to vote for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-iii/that-s-why-i-don-t-generally-talk-about-endorsements-because-i-don-t/) [Martin Luther King III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-iii/) > [Mankind have been slow to believe that order reigns in the universe-that the world is a cosmos and a chaos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/mankind-have-been-slow-to-believe-that-order-reigns-in-the-universe/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [We instantly believe everything we think. Isn't that insane? It's good for us to explore the depravity of our minds, so we know we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krishna-das/we-instantly-believe-everything-we-think-isn-t-that-insane-it-s-good/) [Krishna Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krishna-das/) Browse all 47,704 Believe quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I empty myself out and fill myself with the character. I would play a devil worshipper, and I would fill myself up with whatever devil worshippers believe. Then, as myself, I empty that out and become Nelsan.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Nelsan Ellis" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelsan-ellis/i-empty-myself-out-and-fill-myself-with-the-character-i-would-play-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Believe" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelsan-ellis/i-empty-myself-out-and-fill-myself-with-the-character-i-would-play-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f49/nelsan-ellis-12920_believe_i-empty-myself-out-and-fill-myself-with_2562320.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f49/nelsan-ellis-12920_believe_i-empty-myself-out-and-fill-myself-with_2562320.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f49/nelsan-ellis-12920_believe_i-empty-myself-out-and-fill-myself-with_2562320.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I empty myself out and fill myself with the character. I would play a devil worshipper, and I would fill…” — Nelsan Ellis", "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": "Nelsan Ellis", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelsan-ellis/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I empty myself out and fill...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelsan-ellis/i-empty-myself-out-and-fill-myself-with-the-character-i-would-play-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelsan-ellis/i-empty-myself-out-and-fill-myself-with-the-character-i-would-play-a/#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 } } ] } ```