--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I always tell myself that when you're…" description: "\"I always tell myself that when you're playing a character, pretend they're on trial and you're giving the best witness of their life. You really need t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/443/pauley-perrette-20947_character_i-always-tell-myself-that-when-you-re-pl_2119734.jpg" --- # I always tell myself that when you're playing a character… ![“I always tell myself that when you're playing a character, pretend they're on trial and you're giving the best witness of their life. You really need to think about every element of the character and represent them properly, as if they were a real person. You want to give 100 percent of what…” quote by Pauley Perrette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/443/pauley-perrette-20947_character_i-always-tell-myself-that-when-you-re-pl_2119734.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/443/pauley-perrette-20947_character_i-always-tell-myself-that-when-you-re-pl_2119734.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/443/pauley-perrette-20947_character_i-always-tell-myself-that-when-you-re-pl_2119734.jpg) > “I always tell myself that when you're playing a character, pretend they're on trial and you're giving the best witness of their life. You really need to think about every element of the character and represent them properly, as if they were a real person. You want to give 100 percent of what they're worth and what they deserve as people.” [Pauley Perrette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pauley-perrette/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Treat each role as a real person on trial, giving them full, honest representation. **In simple terms:** Act as if the character were a real person, giving them full truth. Key Takeaway Give characters full, truthful portrayal. Themes acting empathy integrity Mood reflective dedicated Type inspirational instructional When to use this quote - auditions - theater performances - film roles - character workshops Key Concepts character study method acting ethical representation Questions to Reflect On - How does treating a character as a real person affect performance? - What ethical responsibilities arise in portraying fictional people? A Different Perspective May overlook practical constraints of production timelines. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Character Pretend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character-pretend-644431/) [Character Represent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character-represent-272585/) [Deserve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deserve/) [Elements](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/elements/) [Give 100 percent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/give-100-percent/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Iconic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/iconic/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Needs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/needs/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Percent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/percent/) [Persons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/persons/) [Playing Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/playing-character/) [Pretend Trial](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pretend-trial-4317832/) [Real](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real/) [Real person](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real-person/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Trials](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trials/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) [Witness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/witness/) ## Related quotes > [I remember playing with some friends and being aware that I was acting as I was playing with them - I would think of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penelope-cruz/i-remember-playing-with-some-friends-and-being-aware-that-i-was-2/) [Penelope Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penelope-cruz/) > [If you do a black character or a female character or an Asian character, then they aren't just that character. They represent that race…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwayne-mcduffie/if-you-do-a-black-character-or-a-female-character-or-an-asian/) [Dwayne McDuffie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwayne-mcduffie/) > [Character represent life and life represents our character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-dawn/character-represent-life-and-life-represents-our-character/) [Lucy Dawn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-dawn/) > [You're playing a character in a drama who happens to be based on someone who existed. It's never going to 'be' that person, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toby-jones/you-re-playing-a-character-in-a-drama-who-happens-to-be-based-on/) [Toby Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toby-jones/) > [They were unwillingly to give 100 percent if they didn't personally think it was important. What you don't understand is the champions know it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-dungy/they-were-unwillingly-to-give-100-percent-if-they-didn-t-personally/) [Tony Dungy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-dungy/) > [I want to be sure that if people are coming to a show and paying $100 that I want to give them their money's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-panaro/i-want-to-be-sure-that-if-people-are-coming-to-a-show-and-paying-100/) [Hugh Panaro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-panaro/) > [When you do your best, people notice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/when-you-do-your-best-people-notice/) [Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/) > [I'm a person who likes to give 100 percent to everything I do. I want to be the best at my job and as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gretchen-carlson/i-m-a-person-who-likes-to-give-100-percent-to-everything-i-do-i-want/) [Gretchen Carlson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gretchen-carlson/) > [All I ever wanted really, and continue to want out of life, is to give 100 percent to whatever I'm doing and to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-joyner-kersee/all-i-ever-wanted-really-and-continue-to-want-out-of-life-is-to-give/) [Jackie Joyner-Kersee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-joyner-kersee/) > [Give 100 percent to everything you do and never give up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mills/give-100-percent-to-everything-you-do-and-never-give-up/) [Mark Mills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mills/) > [When you give 100 percent to another person, two literally become one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yehuda-berg/when-you-give-100-percent-to-another-person-two-literally-become-one/) [Yehuda Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yehuda-berg/) > [Of course, you always give 100 percent, but at a home race you're always more motivated, simply because you feel at home.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/of-course-you-always-give-100-percent-but-at-a-home-race-you-re/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I think sportsmanship is knowing that it is a game, that we are only as a good as our opponents, and whether you win…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-wicks/i-think-sportsmanship-is-knowing-that-it-is-a-game-that-we-are-only/) [Sue Wicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-wicks/) > [Human kindness has no reward. You should give to others in every way you see. expect absolutely nothing from anyone. It should be your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-c-k/human-kindness-has-no-reward-you-should-give-to-others-in-every-way/) [Louis C. K](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-c-k/) > [I have to stay concentrated. I have to maintain focus and concentration. I can't get ahead of myself. I give 100 percent in training…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-santa-cruz/i-have-to-stay-concentrated-i-have-to-maintain-focus-and/) [Leo Santa Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-santa-cruz/) ## More by Pauley Perrette > [I love math. I have little secret number tattoos everywhere. I design them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pauley-perrette/i-love-math-i-have-little-secret-number-tattoos-everywhere-i-design/) [Pauley Perrette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pauley-perrette/) > [When I was in N.Y. bartending, I was in a billion music videos. I was in Madonna, George Michael, Salt-n-Pepa - it goes on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pauley-perrette/when-i-was-in-n-y-bartending-i-was-in-a-billion-music-videos-i-was-in/) [Pauley Perrette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pauley-perrette/) > [The Internet is a strange, strange place that is full of lies. I would say mostly lies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pauley-perrette/the-internet-is-a-strange-strange-place-that-is-full-of-lies-i-would/) [Pauley Perrette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pauley-perrette/) > [My absolute favorite movie of all time is Pink Floyd's 'The Wall.' Nothing compares to it. 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I love my church, my congregation; it's my favorite place to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pauley-perrette/personally-i-am-a-church-going-christian-i-love-my-church-my/) [Pauley Perrette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pauley-perrette/) > [I started out as a writer. Poetry and prose and also kind of satirical David Sedaris-esque stuff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pauley-perrette/i-started-out-as-a-writer-poetry-and-prose-and-also-kind-of-satirical/) [Pauley Perrette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pauley-perrette/) > [I have a big passion about civil rights for everyone - whoever is being downtrodden at the moment, it doesn't matter: racial discrimination or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pauley-perrette/i-have-a-big-passion-about-civil-rights-for-everyone-whoever-is-being/) [Pauley Perrette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pauley-perrette/) > [My life is about being a civil rights activist. That's my life. 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It still comes down to the character for me, but if it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pauley-perrette/i-love-working-with-new-directors-there-s-so-much-drive-and-effort-it/) [Pauley Perrette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pauley-perrette/) > [My whole goal was to be able to work in television and film and maintain a normal life, never be in a tabloid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pauley-perrette/my-whole-goal-was-to-be-able-to-work-in-television-and-film-and/) [Pauley Perrette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pauley-perrette/) > [I hated high school and got to college and realized they didn't care if I showed up because I'd already paid. So I decided,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pauley-perrette/i-hated-high-school-and-got-to-college-and-realized-they-didn-t-care/) [Pauley Perrette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pauley-perrette/) > [I've always hated criminals and crime. Life is hard enough without someone walking into your life on purpose and making it worse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pauley-perrette/i-ve-always-hated-criminals-and-crime-life-is-hard-enough-without/) [Pauley Perrette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pauley-perrette/) [Explore all 30 Pauley Perrette quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pauley-perrette/) ## 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. 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