--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think you should identify with your…" description: "\"I think you should identify with your character, but plenty of people like themselves and hate themselves. You just have to find out what's truthful fo..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e7/peter-vack-25857_actor_i-think-you-should-identify-with-your-ch_2606540.jpg" --- # I think you should identify with your character, but… ![“I think you should identify with your character, but plenty of people like themselves and hate themselves. You just have to find out what's truthful for the person you're playing. When people talk about that, I think what they're saying is that as an actor, as Peter, you don't want to make a…” quote by Peter Vack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e7/peter-vack-25857_actor_i-think-you-should-identify-with-your-ch_2606540.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e7/peter-vack-25857_actor_i-think-you-should-identify-with-your-ch_2606540.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e7/peter-vack-25857_actor_i-think-you-should-identify-with-your-ch_2606540.jpg) > “I think you should identify with your character, but plenty of people like themselves and hate themselves. You just have to find out what's truthful for the person you're playing. When people talk about that, I think what they're saying is that as an actor, as Peter, you don't want to make a judgment that comes from your worldview about the character. Your judgments should be coming from the place of the character, and within that space, sure, you could love or hate yourself or whatever you think is most appropriate.” [Peter Vack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-vack/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Actors must separate personal judgments from characters, embodying truthfully rather than imposing personal bias. **In simple terms:** Play characters without personal bias. Key Takeaway Act from the character’s truth. Themes acting authenticity self‑awareness Mood thoughtful analytical Type artistic personal When to use this quote - method acting - role preparation - self‑reflection Key Concepts theatre psychology Questions to Reflect On - How do you maintain personal boundaries? - What techniques help authentic portrayal? A Different Perspective May blur personal identity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Hate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hate/) [Judgment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judgment/) [Love or hate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-or-hate/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Truthful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truthful/) [Worldview](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worldview/) ## Related quotes > [I live with someone, actor Peter Krause, who didn't find an interest in being an actor until the very end of college. So my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-graham/i-live-with-someone-actor-peter-krause-who-didn-t-find-an-interest-in/) [Lauren Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-graham/) > [I'd always seen that people who had a piece of paper saying they were an actor as people who are definitely sort of above…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-crowe/i-d-always-seen-that-people-who-had-a-piece-of-paper-saying-they-were/) [Russell Crowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-crowe/) > [I'm not entirely comfortable saying I'm an actor, because it seems like a very weird, almost dorky thing to say you are. I laugh…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-rogen/i-m-not-entirely-comfortable-saying-i-m-an-actor-because-it-seems-2/) [Seth Rogen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-rogen/) > [Even as a child, I would get film offers, and all my friends would tease me saying, 'You will also be an actor like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiger-shroff/even-as-a-child-i-would-get-film-offers-and-all-my-friends-would/) [Tiger Shroff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiger-shroff/) > [If you do a film with a studio, agents step in, they start saying, 'My actor has to get this amount of money', and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-rodriguez/if-you-do-a-film-with-a-studio-agents-step-in-they-start-saying-my/) [Robert Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-rodriguez/) > [I'm not entirely comfortable saying I'm an actor, because it seems like a very weird, almost dorky thing to say you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-rogen/i-m-not-entirely-comfortable-saying-i-m-an-actor-because-it-seems/) [Seth Rogen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-rogen/) > [I was working in computers when this stranger approached me out of the blue, saying I should become an actor. I took it as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nate-parker/i-was-working-in-computers-when-this-stranger-approached-me-out-of/) [Nate Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nate-parker/) > [When I'm in Los Angeles, sometimes I hesitate saying that I'm an actor because people are like, "Of course you are." And I'm like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/condola-rashad/when-i-m-in-los-angeles-sometimes-i-hesitate-saying-that-i-m-an-actor/) [Condola Rashad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/condola-rashad/) > [If you catch me saying 'I am a serious actor,' I beg you to slap me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-depp/if-you-catch-me-saying-i-am-a-serious-actor-i-beg-you-to-slap-me/) [Johnny Depp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-depp/) > [I would say it wasn't until my fourth season on 'SNL' where people or my agent was saying, 'You're an actor.' I never thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hader/i-would-say-it-wasn-t-until-my-fourth-season-on-snl-where-people-or/) [Bill Hader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hader/) > [“They lived in such a deep state of feeling for each other, whether love or hate, that it surrounded them like the weather.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anita-amirrezvani/they-lived-in-such-a-deep-state-of-feeling-for-each-other-whether/) [Anita Amirrezvani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anita-amirrezvani/) > [I thought math, especially when I was younger, is something you either love or hate. I had been blessed to be able to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cris-carter/i-thought-math-especially-when-i-was-younger-is-something-you-either/) [Cris Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cris-carter/) > [“I didn't understand how someone could be both God and the devil. How the same person could destroy you and save you. When everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-stiefvater/i-didn-t-understand-how-someone-could-be-both-god-and-the-devil-how/) [Maggie Stiefvater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-stiefvater/) > [“If someone slaps you, be matured enough to learn whether it's love or hate, and that maturity shall make you a champion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-s-jagadeesh-kumar/if-someone-slaps-you-be-matured-enough-to-learn-whether-it-s-love-or/) [P.S. Jagadeesh Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-s-jagadeesh-kumar/) > [“How long did it take her? People usually react to her fairly swiftly—either love or hate, there’s rarely an emotion between. A day? A…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/courtney-milan/how-long-did-it-take-her-people-usually-react-to-her-fairly-swiftly/) [Courtney Milan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/courtney-milan/) ## More by Peter Vack > [I took ballet for two years in high school and then in college on and off, and I went back into class. I'm nowhere…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-vack/i-took-ballet-for-two-years-in-high-school-and-then-in-college-on-and/) [Peter Vack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-vack/) > [I was born in the West Village in New York, and then when I was about four my family moved to what they joke…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-vack/i-was-born-in-the-west-village-in-new-york-and-then-when-i-was-about/) [Peter Vack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-vack/) > [When you're watching yourself work, you're not really an audience member for yourself. Even being confronted by your own image can be jarring sometimes.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-vack/when-you-re-watching-yourself-work-you-re-not-really-an-audience/) [Peter Vack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-vack/) > [It's always nice to have a large role, but if it's a great small part, those can be so much fun. Size is less…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-vack/it-s-always-nice-to-have-a-large-role-but-if-it-s-a-great-small-part/) [Peter Vack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-vack/) > [My feeling was, "This is the future." And what's great about a place like Amazon is they really give the creators of their shows…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-vack/my-feeling-was-this-is-the-future-and-what-s-great-about-a-place-like/) [Peter Vack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-vack/) > [If you're in something and you feel like it's not going well, what can you do about that? It's out of your hands. No…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-vack/if-you-re-in-something-and-you-feel-like-it-s-not-going-well-what-can/) [Peter Vack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-vack/) > [You would almost think it would be the opposite, but making a film sort of made me freer in my acting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-vack/you-would-almost-think-it-would-be-the-opposite-but-making-a-film/) [Peter Vack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-vack/) > [When I step back from any moment of crisis that I've ever had, I'm always struck by how humor and tragedy can kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-vack/when-i-step-back-from-any-moment-of-crisis-that-i-ve-ever-had-i-m/) [Peter Vack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-vack/) > [I did my friend's film - this guy Harrison Atkins who's a great filmmaker. He just makes movies with all his friends, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-vack/i-did-my-friend-s-film-this-guy-harrison-atkins-who-s-a-great/) [Peter Vack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-vack/) > [Sometimes it's nice to think, "Oh, I can only do this one thing." Instead of feeling like, "I could theoretically, maybe, if I applied…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-vack/sometimes-it-s-nice-to-think-oh-i-can-only-do-this-one-thing-instead/) [Peter Vack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-vack/) > [When father was younger than me he came to New York to be in musicals and was in a number of them. But he,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-vack/when-father-was-younger-than-me-he-came-to-new-york-to-be-in-musicals/) [Peter Vack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-vack/) > [My parents are actually very hip. They're way hipper than me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-vack/my-parents-are-actually-very-hip-they-re-way-hipper-than-me/) [Peter Vack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-vack/) > [My father is also gifted at business, which is a blessing and a curse, because if you have the kind of mind that he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-vack/my-father-is-also-gifted-at-business-which-is-a-blessing-and-a-curse/) [Peter Vack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-vack/) > [I've always known that I wanted to be an actor. My family kind of was a theatrically inclined family. My father came to New…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-vack/i-ve-always-known-that-i-wanted-to-be-an-actor-my-family-kind-of-was/) [Peter Vack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-vack/) > [I have done much more dramatic work than comedic work, but I think comedy is harder than drama in a way. I think it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-vack/i-have-done-much-more-dramatic-work-than-comedic-work-but-i-think/) [Peter Vack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-vack/) [Explore all 22 Peter Vack quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-vack/) ## More Actor 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/) > [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 once told someone I could act. They totally bought it. I've been getting away with it ever since.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akshay-kumar/i-once-told-someone-i-could-act-they-totally-bought-it-i-ve-been/) [Akshay Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akshay-kumar/) > [There has got to be a way for me to have a role on TV or in film that is just as normal as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adeel-akhtar/there-has-got-to-be-a-way-for-me-to-have-a-role-on-tv-or-in-film-that/) [Adeel Akhtar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adeel-akhtar/) > [I love casting against type and doing things you wouldn't expect, because I think you get more interesting performances that way. Hollywood loves to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-s-goyer/i-love-casting-against-type-and-doing-things-you-wouldn-t-expect/) [David S. Goyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-s-goyer/) > [I'm an actor, so I'm never going to feel like I've done enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/italia-ricci/i-m-an-actor-so-i-m-never-going-to-feel-like-i-ve-done-enough/) [Italia Ricci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/italia-ricci/) > [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/) > [When I was 13, I auditioned for the theater school, and I was there for four years. In the meantime, I did my first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ana-de-armas/when-i-was-13-i-auditioned-for-the-theater-school-and-i-was-there-for/) [Ana de Armas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ana-de-armas/) > [If you stood me in a costume next to a computer graphic of the same-looking character, I think there would be a difference. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warwick-davis/if-you-stood-me-in-a-costume-next-to-a-computer-graphic-of-the-same/) [Warwick Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warwick-davis/) > [failure in the theater is more public, more brilliant, more unreal than in any other field.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lillian-hellman/failure-in-the-theater-is-more-public-more-brilliant-more-unreal-than/) [Lillian Hellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lillian-hellman/) > [I'm a character actor - always have been, always will be - and historically, character actors don't come into their own until later in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-potts/i-m-a-character-actor-always-have-been-always-will-be-and/) [Annie Potts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-potts/) > [Actors don't hate acting. Most people don't hate acting! Whether you're a child mucking around with your friends or a grown up being paid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liv-hewson/actors-don-t-hate-acting-most-people-don-t-hate-acting-whether-you-re/) [Liv Hewson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liv-hewson/) > [It was only when I went to acting school that I was like, "You are absolutely such a pigheaded freak show that you thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giles-matthey/it-was-only-when-i-went-to-acting-school-that-i-was-like-you-are/) [Giles Matthey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giles-matthey/) > [I never planned to do female roles. It just happened. I was typecast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divine/i-never-planned-to-do-female-roles-it-just-happened-i-was-typecast/) [Divine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divine/) > [Once I committed to acting, this has been it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernie-hudson/once-i-committed-to-acting-this-has-been-it/) [Ernie Hudson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernie-hudson/) [Browse all 21,590 Actor quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I think you should identify with your character, but plenty of people like themselves and hate themselves. You just have to find out what's truthful for the person you're playing. When people talk about that, I think what they're saying is that as an actor, as Peter, you don't want to make a judgment that comes from your worldview about the character. Your judgments should be coming from the place of the character, and within that space, sure, you could love or hate yourself or whatever you think is most appropriate.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Peter Vack" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-vack/i-think-you-should-identify-with-your-character-but-plenty-of-people/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Actor" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-vack/i-think-you-should-identify-with-your-character-but-plenty-of-people/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e7/peter-vack-25857_actor_i-think-you-should-identify-with-your-ch_2606540.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e7/peter-vack-25857_actor_i-think-you-should-identify-with-your-ch_2606540.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e7/peter-vack-25857_actor_i-think-you-should-identify-with-your-ch_2606540.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I think you should identify with your character, but plenty of people like themselves and hate themselves…” — Peter Vack", "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": "Peter Vack", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-vack/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I think you should identify with...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-vack/i-think-you-should-identify-with-your-character-but-plenty-of-people/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-vack/i-think-you-should-identify-with-your-character-but-plenty-of-people/#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 } } ] } ```