--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you write interesting roles, you get…" description: "\"If you write interesting roles, you get interesting people to play them. If you write roles that are full of nuance and contradiction and have interest..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d04/paul-schrader-14587_actor_if-you-write-interesting-roles-you-get-i_3018132.png" --- # If you write interesting roles, you get interesting people… ![“If you write interesting roles, you get interesting people to play them. If you write roles that are full of nuance and contradiction and have interesting dialog, actors are drawn to that.” quote by Paul Schrader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d04/paul-schrader-14587_actor_if-you-write-interesting-roles-you-get-i_3018132.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d04/paul-schrader-14587_actor_if-you-write-interesting-roles-you-get-i_3018132.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d04/paul-schrader-14587_actor_if-you-write-interesting-roles-you-get-i_3018132.png) > “If you write interesting roles, you get interesting people to play them. If you write roles that are full of nuance and contradiction and have interesting dialog, actors are drawn to that.” [Paul Schrader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-schrader/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Complex, nuanced characters attract talented actors who seek depth and challenge in their roles. **In simple terms:** Interesting roles draw interesting actors. Key Takeaway Write depth, attract talent. Themes writing acting character development nuance Mood inspired analytical Type creative professional When to use this quote - screenwriting workshops - casting calls - film festivals Key Concepts storytelling psychology artistic collaboration Questions to Reflect On - What elements make a character compelling to you? - How do you balance nuance with clarity? A Different Perspective Overly complex roles may deter some performers. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Actors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actors/) [Contradiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contradiction/) [Dialog](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dialog/) [Dialog Actors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dialog-actors-4871441/) [Drawn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drawn/) [Full](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/full/) [Get](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/get/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Interesting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interesting/) [Interesting people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interesting-people/) [Interesting Roles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interesting-roles-310500/) [Nuance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nuance/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Roles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/roles/) [Roles Interesting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/roles-interesting-280731/) [Roles Nuance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/roles-nuance-4871440/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) [Them](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/them/) [Write](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/write/) [Write Roles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/write-roles-446592/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [You](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/you/) ## Related quotes > [I'm trying to mix the cool, independent stuff with the big stuff, but it's been difficult finding the right roles. It's been an interesting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orlando-bloom/i-m-trying-to-mix-the-cool-independent-stuff-with-the-big-stuff-but/) [Orlando Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orlando-bloom/) > [As an actress I take roles I find interesting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-watson/as-an-actress-i-take-roles-i-find-interesting/) [Emma Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-watson/) > [When my friends and I would act out movies as kids, we'd play the guys' roles, since they had the most interesting things to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geena-davis/when-my-friends-and-i-would-act-out-movies-as-kids-we-d-play-the-guys/) [Geena Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geena-davis/) > [I am trying to pick roles that are interesting to me and are different so that I can continue to do good work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richa-chadha/i-am-trying-to-pick-roles-that-are-interesting-to-me-and-are/) [Richa Chadha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richa-chadha/) > [You can tell when you watch a movie, usually, what the actors' experience was on the movie, because even the smallest of roles were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-eisenberg/you-can-tell-when-you-watch-a-movie-usually-what-the-actors/) [Jesse Eisenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-eisenberg/) > [There aren't many roles that are interesting if you're a 40-year-old woman, unless you're Julia Roberts or Cate Blanchett.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-peet/there-aren-t-many-roles-that-are-interesting-if-you-re-a-40-year-old/) [Amanda Peet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-peet/) > [I get told I'm too good-looking for a lot of roles. 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The great substantive roles aren't being written for women and aren't being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trudie-styler/we-need-to-encourage-more-women-to-write-roles-for-other-women-the/) [Trudie Styler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trudie-styler/) > [I think we're still learning how to write roles for women with power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-ruiz/i-think-we-re-still-learning-how-to-write-roles-for-women-with-power/) [Teresa Ruiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-ruiz/) > [If you just look at the number of roles for women versus the number of roles for men in any given film, there are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-jacobs/if-you-just-look-at-the-number-of-roles-for-women-versus-the-number/) [Gillian Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillian-jacobs/) > [I don't use my writing career as a vehicle to get me acting work or to write roles for myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-strong/i-don-t-use-my-writing-career-as-a-vehicle-to-get-me-acting-work-or/) [Danny Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-strong/) > [I only started writing in the latter days of Spandau Ballet. I didnt know I could write because all had our roles within the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-hadley/i-only-started-writing-in-the-latter-days-of-spandau-ballet-i-didnt/) [Tony Hadley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-hadley/) > [“Indonesia adlh bangsa majemuk yg berciri perbedaan. Utamakan dialog & saling menahan diri, agar benturan & kekerasan bisa diselesaikan.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sbyudhoyono/indonesia-adlh-bangsa-majemuk-yg-berciri-perbedaan-utamakan-dialog/) [SBYudhoyono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sbyudhoyono/) > [I always wanted to make big action movies as a kid, and that was my dream. In a way, 'Swingers' was the thing I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-liman/i-always-wanted-to-make-big-action-movies-as-a-kid-and-that-was-my/) [Doug Liman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-liman/) ## More by Paul Schrader > [“Twelve hours of work and I still can't sleep.Days go on and on... They don't end.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-schrader/twelve-hours-of-work-and-i-still-can-t-sleep-days-go-on-and-on-they/) [Paul Schrader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-schrader/) > [The secret of the creative life is to feel at ease with your own embarrassment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-schrader/the-secret-of-the-creative-life-is-to-feel-at-ease-with-your-own/) [Paul Schrader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-schrader/) > [People who act against their own best interests are interesting characters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-schrader/people-who-act-against-their-own-best-interests-are-interesting/) [Paul Schrader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-schrader/) > [ All these teachers and \[screenwriting\] books mean you see movies that have been worked over by more committees wielding more rules, that all originality… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-schrader/all-these-teachers-and-screenwriting-books-mean-you-see-movies-that/) [Paul Schrader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-schrader/) > [Because many of the films I've made have had an intellectualedge, it's harder for me to lie. 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I loved her so much I hit her; that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-schrader/contradiction-is-the-heart-and-soul-of-character-and-drama-you-re/) [Paul Schrader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-schrader/) > [You can't take contradiction away. Part of the fun of it is that the contradiction never really quite goes away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-schrader/you-can-t-take-contradiction-away-part-of-the-fun-of-it-is-that-the/) [Paul Schrader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-schrader/) > [I still think like a critic, and I still analyze films like a critic. 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