--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I really just like characters who you…" description: "\"I really just like characters who you don't know where they stand for a long while. It's like people. You hang out with them for 10 years, and then all..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dad/oscar-isaac-4432_characters_i-really-just-like-characters-who-you-do_661854.jpg" --- # I really just like characters who you don't know where… ![“I really just like characters who you don't know where they stand for a long while. It's like people. You hang out with them for 10 years, and then all of a sudden they do something, and you say, 'Who are you?' That's more interesting. In life and on-screen.” quote by Oscar Isaac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dad/oscar-isaac-4432_characters_i-really-just-like-characters-who-you-do_661854.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dad/oscar-isaac-4432_characters_i-really-just-like-characters-who-you-do_661854.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dad/oscar-isaac-4432_characters_i-really-just-like-characters-who-you-do_661854.jpg) > “I really just like characters who you don't know where they stand for a long while. It's like people. You hang out with them for 10 years, and then all of a sudden they do something, and you say, 'Who are you?' That's more interesting. In life and on-screen.” [Oscar Isaac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-isaac/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote highlights the intrigue of ambiguous characters whose motives remain unclear for long periods, mirroring real-life relationships where people reveal unexpected sides over time. **In simple terms:** Ambiguous characters keep us engaged because they surprise us later. Key Takeaway Embrace uncertainty and stay curious about others. Themes character development relationships storytelling psychology surprise Mood curious reflective intrigued Type analytical inspirational When to use this quote - TV series - film casting - friendships - team dynamics - creative writing Key Concepts Narrative ambiguity identity long‑term interaction Questions to Reflect On - How do you react when someone you trust changes unexpectedly? - What value does mystery add to a story? A Different Perspective Ambiguity can frustrate audiences seeking clear motivations. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Characters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/characters/) [Interesting life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interesting-life/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [On-screen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/on-screen/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) ## Related quotes > [“They say an interesting life leaves its mark on your face, and if that’s true, she’s got one hell of a story.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-aguirre/they-say-an-interesting-life-leaves-its-mark-on-your-face-and-if-that/) [Ann Aguirre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-aguirre/) > [People tell me that my appearance in real life is better than on-screen. Perhaps people think I am exactly like the characters I play…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kapil-sharma/people-tell-me-that-my-appearance-in-real-life-is-better-than-on/) [Kapil Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kapil-sharma/) > [I can't look glamorous on-screen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rimi-sen/i-can-t-look-glamorous-on-screen/) [Rimi Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rimi-sen/) > [My first on-screen kiss was lame: Nickelodeon. But my first real-life kiss was super cute and nice, but still very awkward. It was with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-serratos/my-first-on-screen-kiss-was-lame-nickelodeon-but-my-first-real-life/) [Christian Serratos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-serratos/) > [Women look really sexy doing action on-screen, and it is my favorite genre.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esha-gupta/women-look-really-sexy-doing-action-on-screen-and-it-is-my-favorite/) [Esha Gupta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esha-gupta/) > [I've actually done a lot of on-screen, live-action stuff prior to 'Adventure Time.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-shada/i-ve-actually-done-a-lot-of-on-screen-live-action-stuff-prior-to/) [Jeremy Shada](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-shada/) > [When I watch myself on-screen, I always look for the flaws.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-yeoh/when-i-watch-myself-on-screen-i-always-look-for-the-flaws/) [Michelle Yeoh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-yeoh/) > [Part of the allure of watching characters on-screen is to be able to put yourself in his or her shoes or to be able…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/issa-rae/part-of-the-allure-of-watching-characters-on-screen-is-to-be-able-to/) [Issa Rae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/issa-rae/) > [When you're in a soap, it's fantastic, and I'm really grateful for the fans who watch you and support you. For me, it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-rigby/when-you-re-in-a-soap-it-s-fantastic-and-i-m-really-grateful-for-the/) [Emma Rigby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-rigby/) > [Just because two guys are homosexual and happen to be the only two homosexuals on-screen doesn't mean they're going to be like, 'Oh yeah,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chandler-massey/just-because-two-guys-are-homosexual-and-happen-to-be-the-only-two/) Chandler Massey > [When you watch a Coen brothers movie, it is always so certain about what it is trying to portray. That is their strength. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-fellner/when-you-watch-a-coen-brothers-movie-it-is-always-so-certain-about/) [Eric Fellner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-fellner/) > [I'm enjoying being a woman on-screen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-cardellini/i-m-enjoying-being-a-woman-on-screen/) [Linda Cardellini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-cardellini/) > [I feel very strongly influenced by long-form box-set TV drama... I feel really excited that, at last, the novel has found its on-screen equivalent,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-catton/i-feel-very-strongly-influenced-by-long-form-box-set-tv-drama-i-feel/) [Eleanor Catton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-catton/) > [I have straight married friends that other friends think are gay, and I have gay friends who don't throw that vibe at all. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-walton/i-have-straight-married-friends-that-other-friends-think-are-gay-and/) [David Walton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-walton/) > [When you do Jiu Jitsu, you won't look at a bigger guy and say 'oh no', you'll look and say 'how interesting!'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rener-gracie/when-you-do-jiu-jitsu-you-won-t-look-at-a-bigger-guy-and-say-oh-no/) [Rener Gracie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rener-gracie/) ## More by Oscar Isaac > [I would always find a way to blow the deal and I'm not sure why. I think there was part of me that wasn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-isaac/i-would-always-find-a-way-to-blow-the-deal-and-i-m-not-sure-why-i/) [Oscar Isaac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-isaac/) > [I'm really sick of anthems. Every song has to be a very big singalong thing - it feels very Eighties. There are a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-isaac/i-m-really-sick-of-anthems-every-song-has-to-be-a-very-big-singalong/) [Oscar Isaac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-isaac/) > [It's nice to create a character, not just within two scenes, but within the journey of a whole movie. It's fun to do that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-isaac/it-s-nice-to-create-a-character-not-just-within-two-scenes-but-within/) [Oscar Isaac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-isaac/) > [I think for some reason we're conditioned in movies that the protagonist must be heroic or redeemable in some way, whereas in theater, that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-isaac/i-think-for-some-reason-we-re-conditioned-in-movies-that-the/) [Oscar Isaac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-isaac/) > [The idea of not getting a gun is not because I'm afraid of guns, it's not because I think guns are wrong, it's because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-isaac/the-idea-of-not-getting-a-gun-is-not-because-i-m-afraid-of-guns-it-s/) [Oscar Isaac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-isaac/) > [That first play I did in New York, Rogelio Martinez's 'When It's Cocktail Time in Cuba,' I played a young Fidel Castro.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-isaac/that-first-play-i-did-in-new-york-rogelio-martinez-s-when-it-s/) [Oscar Isaac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-isaac/) > [People resent movies that try to tell them exactly what to feel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-isaac/people-resent-movies-that-try-to-tell-them-exactly-what-to-feel/) [Oscar Isaac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-isaac/) > [Humans are mutants, everything's a mutant - things that evolve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-isaac/humans-are-mutants-everything-s-a-mutant-things-that-evolve/) [Oscar Isaac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-isaac/) > [I get attached to things: I wear the same jeans for a year.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-isaac/i-get-attached-to-things-i-wear-the-same-jeans-for-a-year/) [Oscar Isaac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-isaac/) > [You can't try to be authentic. You either are or you aren't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-isaac/you-can-t-try-to-be-authentic-you-either-are-or-you-aren-t/) [Oscar Isaac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-isaac/) > [There's nothing scarier than unlimited choices.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-isaac/there-s-nothing-scarier-than-unlimited-choices/) [Oscar Isaac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-isaac/) > [Jessica Lange was my biggest crush when I was a kid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-isaac/jessica-lange-was-my-biggest-crush-when-i-was-a-kid/) [Oscar Isaac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-isaac/) > [The hardest things to do in any art is to risk failure and put yourself out on the line.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-isaac/the-hardest-things-to-do-in-any-art-is-to-risk-failure-and-put/) [Oscar Isaac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-isaac/) > [I've never been much of a guitarist. I mean, I've played forever, but I was always more of a rhythm kind of guy. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-isaac/i-ve-never-been-much-of-a-guitarist-i-mean-i-ve-played-forever-but-i/) [Oscar Isaac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-isaac/) > [Talent is very hot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-isaac/talent-is-very-hot/) [Oscar Isaac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-isaac/) [Explore all 111 Oscar Isaac quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-isaac/) ## More Characters 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'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/) > [I am tired of our characters being so incomplete. When do we ever save the day in a film? When does a Latino actor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esai-morales/i-am-tired-of-our-characters-being-so-incomplete-when-do-we-ever-save/) [Esai Morales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esai-morales/) > [I'm writing about real things. Real people. Real characters. You have to believe what I write about is true or you wouldn't pay any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-reed/i-m-writing-about-real-things-real-people-real-characters-you-have-to/) [Lou Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-reed/) > [Since I don't outline my books very much, I feel like sometimes I don't have a choice in what the characters do; they just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-todd/since-i-don-t-outline-my-books-very-much-i-feel-like-sometimes-i-don/) [Anna Todd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-todd/) > [I'm truly, 100% guided by the characters and my Muse. If one of the characters suddenly decided to do something very different, I'd just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lori-foster/i-m-truly-100-guided-by-the-characters-and-my-muse-if-one-of-the/) [Lori Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lori-foster/) > [I have played several characters that are crabby and cranky. I don't know if I'm just not a very well-developed human being or if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judy-greer/i-have-played-several-characters-that-are-crabby-and-cranky-i-don-t/) [Judy Greer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judy-greer/) > [You do get fond of your characters. Handing them on is like giving a child to a nanny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-fellowes/you-do-get-fond-of-your-characters-handing-them-on-is-like-giving-a/) [Julian Fellowes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-fellowes/) > [Your job as a writer is to find storylines, narrative structures, and characters to show the things that you believe rather than saying them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philipp-meyer/your-job-as-a-writer-is-to-find-storylines-narrative-structures-and/) [Philipp Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philipp-meyer/) > [Being of Indian heritage is a challenge - and it's a blessing as well sometimes - because being good isn't good enough. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sacha-dhawan/being-of-indian-heritage-is-a-challenge-and-it-s-a-blessing-as-well/) [Sacha Dhawan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sacha-dhawan/) > [On the stage, the characters express themselves more through words than images. So the arguments of the characters and the tension between characters -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/on-the-stage-the-characters-express-themselves-more-through-words/) [Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/) > [I really like all of the characters in 'The Secret History' by Donna Tartt, especially Camilla, the one girl. I find her fascinating.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-murray/i-really-like-all-of-the-characters-in-the-secret-history-by-donna/) [Hannah Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-murray/) > [I've just always loved really good projects. The things that draw me into a new project have very little to do with genre and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jewel-staite/i-ve-just-always-loved-really-good-projects-the-things-that-draw-me/) [Jewel Staite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jewel-staite/) > [“Take care of your costume and your confidence will take care of itself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/take-care-of-your-costume-and-your-confidence-will-take-care-of-itself/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [I always wanted to be a fireman, a cop, an Indian chief, a doctor, a lawyer. I always wanted to be all these things,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morgan-freeman/i-always-wanted-to-be-a-fireman-a-cop-an-indian-chief-a-doctor-a/) [Morgan Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morgan-freeman/) [Browse all 3,066 Characters quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/characters/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I really just like characters who you don't know where they stand for a long while. It's like people. You hang out with them for 10 years, and then all of a sudden they do something, and you say, 'Who are you?' That's more interesting. In life and on-screen.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Oscar Isaac" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-isaac/i-really-just-like-characters-who-you-don-t-know-where-they-stand-for/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Characters" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-isaac/i-really-just-like-characters-who-you-don-t-know-where-they-stand-for/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dad/oscar-isaac-4432_characters_i-really-just-like-characters-who-you-do_661854.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dad/oscar-isaac-4432_characters_i-really-just-like-characters-who-you-do_661854.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dad/oscar-isaac-4432_characters_i-really-just-like-characters-who-you-do_661854.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I really just like characters who you don't know where they stand for a long while. It's like people. You…” — Oscar Isaac", "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": "Oscar Isaac", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-isaac/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I really just like characters who...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-isaac/i-really-just-like-characters-who-you-don-t-know-where-they-stand-for/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-isaac/i-really-just-like-characters-who-you-don-t-know-where-they-stand-for/#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 } } ] } ```