--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: 'My character wouldn't do that.' That was…" description: "\"'My character wouldn't do that.' That was always my favorite thing people say: 'My character wouldn't do that.' I said, 'Well, it says right here in th..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7eb/richard-jenkins-16529_always_my-character-wouldn-t-do-that-that-was-a_390828.jpg" --- # 'My character wouldn't do that.' That was always my… ![“'My character wouldn't do that.' That was always my favorite thing people say: 'My character wouldn't do that.' I said, 'Well, it says right here in this script your character does that.'” quote by Richard Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7eb/richard-jenkins-16529_always_my-character-wouldn-t-do-that-that-was-a_390828.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7eb/richard-jenkins-16529_always_my-character-wouldn-t-do-that-that-was-a_390828.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7eb/richard-jenkins-16529_always_my-character-wouldn-t-do-that-that-was-a_390828.jpg) > “'My character wouldn't do that.' That was always my favorite thing people say: 'My character wouldn't do that.' I said, 'Well, it says right here in this script your character does that.'” [Richard Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-jenkins/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker highlights a common excuse of blaming character, then turns it on its head by pointing out that the script itself dictates the character’s actions. **In simple terms:** People often use “character” as an excuse, but actions are scripted. Key Takeaway Question your excuses. Themes self-awareness responsibility authenticity narrative psychology Mood critical insightful analytical Type ethical psychological When to use this quote - personal accountability - creative writing - conflict resolution - team dynamics Key Concepts behavioral economics identity theory literary criticism Questions to Reflect On - When do you use “character” to avoid responsibility? - How can you own your actions? A Different Perspective May overlook deeper motivations or systemic factors. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) ## Related quotes > [That's always my ambition is to create a character out of what will help tell the story. I've never been an actor to say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harrison-ford/that-s-always-my-ambition-is-to-create-a-character-out-of-what-will/) [Harrison Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harrison-ford/) > [Actually, I get a little say in what my character would or wouldn't do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-burton/actually-i-get-a-little-say-in-what-my-character-would-or-wouldn-t-do/) [Steve Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-burton/) > [Actors will say, 'My character wouldn't say that.' Who said it was your character?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gandolfini/actors-will-say-my-character-wouldn-t-say-that-who-said-it-was-your/) [James Gandolfini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gandolfini/) > [I've never fooled anyone. I've let people fool themselves. They didn't bother to find out who and what I was. Instead they would invent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-monroe/i-ve-never-fooled-anyone-i-ve-let-people-fool-themselves-they-didn-t/) [Marilyn Monroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-monroe/) > [For sheer strength of character, I wouldn't have dared to cross swords with Callas. I would rather have gone six rounds with Jack Dempsey.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-huston/for-sheer-strength-of-character-i-wouldn-t-have-dared-to-cross-swords/) [John Huston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-huston/) > [I have never been one of those actors who say, 'Oh, my character wouldn't do this,' or 'My character never wears an orange shirt,'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-b-sweeney/i-have-never-been-one-of-those-actors-who-say-oh-my-character-wouldn/) [D. B. Sweeney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-b-sweeney/) > [You can't make a character do something they wouldn't do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/you-can-t-make-a-character-do-something-they-wouldn-t-do/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) > [We work with every one of them to see if their character wouldn't say a certain thing or if something is worded awkwardly -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-pegg/we-work-with-every-one-of-them-to-see-if-their-character-wouldn-t-say/) [Simon Pegg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-pegg/) > [A lot of actors are like, 'Why do I do this? My character wouldn't do this? This doesn't make sense.' And in a comedy,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-hahn/a-lot-of-actors-are-like-why-do-i-do-this-my-character-wouldn-t-do/) [Kathryn Hahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-hahn/) > [“He didn't say "that's weird". He wouldn't have said "that's weird" if a flock of sheep had cycled past playing violins. It wasn't the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman-and-terry-pratchett/he-didn-t-say-that-s-weird-he-wouldn-t-have-said-that-s-weird-if-a/) Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett > [“Okay. You got a point," I said. "But it doesn't prove that I'm in love because I'm not." "Really?" "Really. I'm not in love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kia-amazona/okay-you-got-a-point-i-said-but-it-doesn-t-prove-that-i-m-in-love/) Kia Amazona > [“Sorry. You know I'm winging all of this, but even if I'd been through a dozen prior relationships... I don't know if any of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeaniene-frost/sorry-you-know-i-m-winging-all-of-this-but-even-if-i-d-been-through-a/) [Jeaniene Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeaniene-frost/) > [If I knew that you were going to let go that easy, I wouldn't have said bye.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-i-knew-that-you-were-going-to-let-go-that-easy-i-wouldn-t-have/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If people wouldn't have said the shit they said, my body wouldn't be like this.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patience/if-people-wouldn-t-have-said-the-shit-they-said-my-body-wouldn-t-be/) Patience > [“I wouldn’t,” said Sierra.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-grabenstein/i-wouldn-t-said-sierra/) [Chris Grabenstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-grabenstein/) ## More by Richard Jenkins > [I always loved movies. I wanted to be in them! I always saw them and said, 'How do you do that?' It seemed like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-jenkins/i-always-loved-movies-i-wanted-to-be-in-them-i-always-saw-them-and/) [Richard Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-jenkins/) > [The end comes, no matter what. The only thing that matters is, how do you want to go out, on your feet or on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-jenkins/the-end-comes-no-matter-what-the-only-thing-that-matters-is-how-do/) [Richard Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-jenkins/) > [Any time you die in a film, it's not real, so it's all kind of fun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-jenkins/any-time-you-die-in-a-film-it-s-not-real-so-it-s-all-kind-of-fun/) [Richard Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-jenkins/) > [A Western would be good. I'd love to do a Western.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-jenkins/a-western-would-be-good-i-d-love-to-do-a-western/) [Richard Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-jenkins/) > [When there is tension, arguments and money problems, it's tough to do your work. Some people thrive on that. I don't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-jenkins/when-there-is-tension-arguments-and-money-problems-it-s-tough-to-do/) [Richard Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-jenkins/) > [Nobody feels like an adult. It's the world's dirty secret.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-jenkins/nobody-feels-like-an-adult-it-s-the-world-s-dirty-secret/) [Richard Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-jenkins/) > [When I go to the movies, I want to see a human being dealing with their lives. That's all I ask.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-jenkins/when-i-go-to-the-movies-i-want-to-see-a-human-being-dealing-with/) [Richard Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-jenkins/) > [Losing a parent makes you realize how temporary everything is - you're looking through someone's whole life in a drawer, and they're very simply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-jenkins/losing-a-parent-makes-you-realize-how-temporary-everything-is-you-re/) [Richard Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-jenkins/) > [I worked with Mike Nichols. First time I worked with Mike Nichols, I just really loved this man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-jenkins/i-worked-with-mike-nichols-first-time-i-worked-with-mike-nichols-i/) [Richard Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-jenkins/) > [I was an only child, and I spent a lot of time alone. My dad was an only child, too, so we didn't have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-jenkins/i-was-an-only-child-and-i-spent-a-lot-of-time-alone-my-dad-was-an/) [Richard Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-jenkins/) > [I don't watch the dailies. You want to just turn in your resignation when you watch the dailies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-jenkins/i-don-t-watch-the-dailies-you-want-to-just-turn-in-your-resignation/) [Richard Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-jenkins/) > [You never know if it's any good until people respond to it. You know how it feels when you do it, but there's so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-jenkins/you-never-know-if-it-s-any-good-until-people-respond-to-it-you-know/) [Richard Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-jenkins/) > [It's like, in movies where you talk to the audience 90 percent of the time, it's - you kind of want to stay away…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-jenkins/it-s-like-in-movies-where-you-talk-to-the-audience-90-percent-of-the/) [Richard Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-jenkins/) > [But I loved making Eat Pray Love, and I loved working with Julia Roberts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-jenkins/but-i-loved-making-eat-pray-love-and-i-loved-working-with-julia/) [Richard Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-jenkins/) > [If I'm playing a bad guy, and I'm playing him evilly - I'm making him evil; I'm being evil because I want the audience…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-jenkins/if-i-m-playing-a-bad-guy-and-i-m-playing-him-evilly-i-m-making-him/) [Richard Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-jenkins/) [Explore all 39 Richard Jenkins quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-jenkins/) ## 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 ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "'My character wouldn't do that.' That was always my favorite thing people say: 'My character wouldn't do that.' I said, 'Well, it says right here in this script your character does that.'", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Richard Jenkins" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-jenkins/my-character-wouldn-t-do-that-that-was-always-my-favorite-thing/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Always" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-jenkins/my-character-wouldn-t-do-that-that-was-always-my-favorite-thing/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7eb/richard-jenkins-16529_always_my-character-wouldn-t-do-that-that-was-a_390828.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7eb/richard-jenkins-16529_always_my-character-wouldn-t-do-that-that-was-a_390828.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7eb/richard-jenkins-16529_always_my-character-wouldn-t-do-that-that-was-a_390828.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“'My character wouldn't do that.' That was always my favorite thing people say: 'My character wouldn't do…” — Richard Jenkins", "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": "Richard Jenkins", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-jenkins/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "'My character wouldn't do that.' That...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-jenkins/my-character-wouldn-t-do-that-that-was-always-my-favorite-thing/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-jenkins/my-character-wouldn-t-do-that-that-was-always-my-favorite-thing/#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 } } ] } ```