--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I was never an ingenue, thank God; always…" description: "\"I was never an ingenue, thank God; always character.\" — Patricia Routledge" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da4/patricia-routledge-44766_always_i-was-never-an-ingenue-thank-god-always_3152608.jpg" --- # I was never an ingenue, thank God; always character. ![“I was never an ingenue, thank God; always character.” quote by Patricia Routledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da4/patricia-routledge-44766_always_i-was-never-an-ingenue-thank-god-always_3152608.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da4/patricia-routledge-44766_always_i-was-never-an-ingenue-thank-god-always_3152608.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da4/patricia-routledge-44766_always_i-was-never-an-ingenue-thank-god-always_3152608.jpg) > “I was never an ingenue, thank God; always character.” [Patricia Routledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-routledge/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. She sees herself as a seasoned performer rather than a naive newcomer, emphasizing experience over innocence. **In simple terms:** Experienced, not naive. Key Takeaway Embrace your role and expertise. Themes experience identity performance Mood confident reflective Type personal career When to use this quote - theatre - career growth - public speaking Key Concepts character development self-awareness Questions to Reflect On - How does experience shape your self‑image? - What risks come with rejecting the 'ingenue' label? A Different Perspective May overlook humility or overconfidence. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Always](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/always/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god/) [God Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god-character-778964/) [Ingenue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ingenue/) [Ingenue Thank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ingenue-thank-5665261/) [Never](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/never/) [Thank god](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thank-god/) ## Related quotes > [I love playing an ingenue, and I love doing revivals, and I will continue to do that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/i-love-playing-an-ingenue-and-i-love-doing-revivals-and-i-will/) [Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/) > [I could never play the ingenue, the girl next door or the very successful young doctor. That would be a bore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-jason-leigh/i-could-never-play-the-ingenue-the-girl-next-door-or-the-very/) [Jennifer Jason Leigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-jason-leigh/) > [I never played an ingenue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/latanya-richardson/i-never-played-an-ingenue/) [LaTanya Richardson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/latanya-richardson/) > [I saw I wasn't an ingenue like Debbie Reynolds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-rae/i-saw-i-wasn-t-an-ingenue-like-debbie-reynolds/) [Charlotte Rae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-rae/) > [I was never an ingenue. I've traveled the globe, I've backpacked through South America, I've done conservation work in Africa. I was never the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annabelle-wallis/i-was-never-an-ingenue-i-ve-traveled-the-globe-i-ve-backpacked/) [Annabelle Wallis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annabelle-wallis/) > [I've never wanted to be the ingenue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debi-mazar/i-ve-never-wanted-to-be-the-ingenue/) [Debi Mazar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debi-mazar/) > [“She wished she had eyes like her sister, huge and bright, constantly straddling the line between terrified child and ingénue.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomm-quackenbush/she-wished-she-had-eyes-like-her-sister-huge-and-bright-constantly/) [Thomm Quackenbush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomm-quackenbush/) > [I'm certainly not 10 pounds away from being an ingenue! Of course I would love to lose 10 pounds. I would never lie and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marissa-jaret-winokur/i-m-certainly-not-10-pounds-away-from-being-an-ingenue-of-course-i/) [Marissa Jaret Winokur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marissa-jaret-winokur/) > [I can't be an ingenue forever, and I wouldn't want to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lea-salonga/i-can-t-be-an-ingenue-forever-and-i-wouldn-t-want-to-be/) [Lea Salonga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lea-salonga/) > [I've never wanted to be the ingenue. Now that I'm getting into my forties, I think my time as a woman has arrived; I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debi-mazar/i-ve-never-wanted-to-be-the-ingenue-now-that-i-m-getting-into-my/) [Debi Mazar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debi-mazar/) > [I would not want to go back to playing the ingenue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winona-ryder/i-would-not-want-to-go-back-to-playing-the-ingenue/) [Winona Ryder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winona-ryder/) > [Onstage, I was never the ingenue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-johnston/onstage-i-was-never-the-ingenue/) [Kristen Johnston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-johnston/) > [I was never one of those actors who believed, 'I'm so gonna be an ingenue.' I already knew that wasn't gonna happen, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keala-settle/i-was-never-one-of-those-actors-who-believed-i-m-so-gonna-be-an/) [Keala Settle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keala-settle/) > [I know the fact I've worked continuously since drama school means I fit a stereotype - the ingenue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phoebe-fox/i-know-the-fact-i-ve-worked-continuously-since-drama-school-means-i/) [Phoebe Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phoebe-fox/) > [I've always wanted my characters to have more dimension and realistic cores than the ingenue material often provides. It's been a challenge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/i-ve-always-wanted-my-characters-to-have-more-dimension-and-realistic/) [Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/) ## More by Patricia Routledge > [I've only done what I've really wanted to burn up energy on. If you can't wake up in the morning and look forward to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-routledge/i-ve-only-done-what-i-ve-really-wanted-to-burn-up-energy-on-if-you/) [Patricia Routledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-routledge/) > [I didn't make a decision not to be married and not to be a mother - life just turned out like that because my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-routledge/i-didn-t-make-a-decision-not-to-be-married-and-not-to-be-a-mother/) [Patricia Routledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-routledge/) > [But it would be churlish of me not to appreciate what it's brought me. If a good number of people come into a theatre…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-routledge/but-it-would-be-churlish-of-me-not-to-appreciate-what-it-s-brought-me/) [Patricia Routledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-routledge/) > [There's a fashion abroad generally to speak the language as badly as possible. I'm of a mind to start a society for the reinstatement…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-routledge/there-s-a-fashion-abroad-generally-to-speak-the-language-as-badly-as/) [Patricia Routledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-routledge/) > [We finished series four of 'Hetty Wainthropp', we were told there was going to be series five.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-routledge/we-finished-series-four-of-hetty-wainthropp-we-were-told-there-was/) [Patricia Routledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-routledge/) > [I had a voice - I had an instrument - I loved singing and I had an inspired singing teacher, Miss Sleigh. I went…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-routledge/i-had-a-voice-i-had-an-instrument-i-loved-singing-and-i-had-an/) [Patricia Routledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-routledge/) > [It wasn't rich, it was hard-working, but I give thanks daily for the kind of upbringing I had, and for the values my parents…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-routledge/it-wasn-t-rich-it-was-hard-working-but-i-give-thanks-daily-for-the/) [Patricia Routledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-routledge/) > [People have always pitied spinsters. We have been derided, as if we had missed out on life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-routledge/people-have-always-pitied-spinsters-we-have-been-derided-as-if-we-had/) [Patricia Routledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-routledge/) [Explore all 9 Patricia Routledge quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-routledge/) ## More Always quotes > [I think performing has pretty much always been a part of me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isa-briones/i-think-performing-has-pretty-much-always-been-a-part-of-me/) [Isa Briones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isa-briones/) > [I always thought if I was born 2000 years earlier, I would be a monk, probably carving a monastery or some giant pantheon buildings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenova-chen/i-always-thought-if-i-was-born-2000-years-earlier-i-would-be-a-monk/) [Jenova Chen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenova-chen/) > [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/) > [It's always great to see old friends, especially those I have not been able to see in 15 months.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-regal/it-s-always-great-to-see-old-friends-especially-those-i-have-not-been/) [William Regal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-regal/) > [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/) [Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/) > [I have really good lateral movement. I've always had quick lateral movement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-rivers/i-have-really-good-lateral-movement-i-ve-always-had-quick-lateral/) [Austin Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-rivers/) > [There is something magical about being able to feel somebody. And that is something that has always moved me with music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-brink/there-is-something-magical-about-being-able-to-feel-somebody-and-that/) [Maria Brink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-brink/) > [Mythology is something that always has opportunities to explore. 'It' has been on Earth for millions of years. He's been in contact with humans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-muschietti/mythology-is-something-that-always-has-opportunities-to-explore-it/) [Andy Muschietti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-muschietti/) > [It's not writing in the traditional sense, but I've always said that the writing process continues on the set and even into the editing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-b-weide/it-s-not-writing-in-the-traditional-sense-but-i-ve-always-said-that/) [Robert B. Weide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-b-weide/) > [I always watch my matches back 100 times afterwards because that's how I improve. This is something I've always done, even in NXT.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-rose/i-always-watch-my-matches-back-100-times-afterwards-because-that-s/) [Mandy Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-rose/) > [I've always been of the idea that is doesn't really matter where you are geographically - with 'Lonerism,' we made half the album in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-parker/i-ve-always-been-of-the-idea-that-is-doesn-t-really-matter-where-you/) [Kevin Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-parker/) > [It's very easy to fool yourself that you're working, you know, when you're really not working very hard. I mean, I'm very lazy. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-caro/it-s-very-easy-to-fool-yourself-that-you-re-working-you-know-when-you/) [Robert Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-caro/) > [Whether it was Little League or playing with your brothers or sisters, that was always a problem. If I would lose - because I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-ripken-jr/whether-it-was-little-league-or-playing-with-your-brothers-or-sisters/) [Cal Ripken, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-ripken-jr/) > [I always say if you put someone from a small town into a big city for ten years, then when they go back, they'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/i-always-say-if-you-put-someone-from-a-small-town-into-a-big-city-for/) [Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/) > [Bayern is always a team that can win the Champions League title in Europe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lothar-matthaus/bayern-is-always-a-team-that-can-win-the-champions-league-title-in/) [Lothar Matthaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lothar-matthaus/) [Browse all 36,048 Always quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/always/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I was never an ingenue, thank God; always character.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Patricia Routledge" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-routledge/i-was-never-an-ingenue-thank-god-always-character/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Always" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-routledge/i-was-never-an-ingenue-thank-god-always-character/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da4/patricia-routledge-44766_always_i-was-never-an-ingenue-thank-god-always_3152608.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da4/patricia-routledge-44766_always_i-was-never-an-ingenue-thank-god-always_3152608.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da4/patricia-routledge-44766_always_i-was-never-an-ingenue-thank-god-always_3152608.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I was never an ingenue, thank God; always character.” — Patricia Routledge", "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": "Patricia Routledge", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-routledge/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I was never an ingenue, thank...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-routledge/i-was-never-an-ingenue-thank-god-always-character/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-routledge/i-was-never-an-ingenue-thank-god-always-character/#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 } } ] } ```