--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Let me put it this way: I definitely need…" description: "\"Let me put it this way: I definitely need to understand the villains I play. The best cause pain to anesthetize themselves against their own pain.\" — R..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/617/ron-perlman-7226_against_let-me-put-it-this-way-i-definitely-need_3065331.jpg" --- # Let me put it this way: I definitely need to understand… ![“Let me put it this way: I definitely need to understand the villains I play. The best cause pain to anesthetize themselves against their own pain.” quote by Ron Perlman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/617/ron-perlman-7226_against_let-me-put-it-this-way-i-definitely-need_3065331.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/617/ron-perlman-7226_against_let-me-put-it-this-way-i-definitely-need_3065331.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/617/ron-perlman-7226_against_let-me-put-it-this-way-i-definitely-need_3065331.jpg) > “Let me put it this way: I definitely need to understand the villains I play. The best cause pain to anesthetize themselves against their own pain.” [Ron Perlman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-perlman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He emphasizes understanding villains to portray them authentically **In simple terms:** Knowing a villain’s pain helps actors play them convincingly Key Takeaway Study the pain behind antagonists Themes acting character study empathy Mood analytical introspective Type artistic psychological When to use this quote - theatre - film - character workshops Key Concepts psychology narrative villainy Questions to Reflect On - How do you keep personal ethics separate? - What techniques help you stay objective? A Different Perspective Over‑identifying may blur moral lines ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Pain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pain/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Villains](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/villains/) ## Related quotes > [I think the trick to playing villains is that you can't play them as if they know that they're villains, otherwise it becomes some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariana-klaveno/i-think-the-trick-to-playing-villains-is-that-you-can-t-play-them-as/) [Mariana Klaveno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariana-klaveno/) > [I play disturbed people a lot, but always with a bit of distance or tongue-in-cheek. Most of the villains I play are essentially harmless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-walken/i-play-disturbed-people-a-lot-but-always-with-a-bit-of-distance-or/) [Christopher Walken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-walken/) > [You don't play villains like they are villains. You play them like you know exactly where they are coming from. Which hopefully you do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-margolis/you-don-t-play-villains-like-they-are-villains-you-play-them-like-you/) [Mark Margolis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-margolis/) > [The villains that I play, I always think that they are grounded, wonderful people with enormous intellects who are very exciting to spend an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-mcdowell/the-villains-that-i-play-i-always-think-that-they-are-grounded/) [Malcolm McDowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-mcdowell/) > [I don't play villains, I play very interesting people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-rickman/i-don-t-play-villains-i-play-very-interesting-people/) [Alan Rickman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-rickman/) > [If you want to demonise the Mughals, please base it on some research and make us understand why; why they were the villains that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kabir-khan/if-you-want-to-demonise-the-mughals-please-base-it-on-some-research/) [Kabir Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kabir-khan/) > [We cannot always control everything that happens to us in this life, but we can control how we respond. Many struggles come as problems…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-lionel-kendrick/we-cannot-always-control-everything-that-happens-to-us-in-this-life/) [L. Lionel Kendrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-lionel-kendrick/) > [The pain that we cause is the cause of our pain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leif-erikson/the-pain-that-we-cause-is-the-cause-of-our-pain/) Leif Erikson > [Also for me it was different because I play a lot of villains and in this one I play a dad and I play…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-walken/also-for-me-it-was-different-because-i-play-a-lot-of-villains-and-in/) [Christopher Walken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-walken/) > [I can be a teddy bear, but more people tend to see me as the other side of the coin, and that has to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wes-studi/i-can-be-a-teddy-bear-but-more-people-tend-to-see-me-as-the-other/) [Wes Studi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wes-studi/) > [I like to believe that everyone is born with the same skill set, and that it is the influences that one comes upon. 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When something breaks down-the plane, the boat, you just have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-kilham/you-need-to-understand-plant-chemistry-be-inured-to-discomfort-and/) [Chris Kilham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-kilham/) ## More by Ron Perlman > [I've been a professional actor for almost 40 years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-perlman/i-ve-been-a-professional-actor-for-almost-40-years/) [Ron Perlman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-perlman/) > [I just think that there are those people that their resolve is strengthened by what it is that's keeping them down, and there are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-perlman/i-just-think-that-there-are-those-people-that-their-resolve-is/) [Ron Perlman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-perlman/) > [I've always felt there were aspects of me that were monstrous, and you can either hide from it or confront it, embrace it and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-perlman/i-ve-always-felt-there-were-aspects-of-me-that-were-monstrous-and-you/) [Ron Perlman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-perlman/) > [I've never been pigeonholed and I've experienced so many different kinds of skin - what man will do and won't do, what you should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-perlman/i-ve-never-been-pigeonholed-and-i-ve-experienced-so-many-different/) [Ron Perlman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-perlman/) > [I never direct myself, because I don't like working with me. I would punch me in the mouth if I had to take my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-perlman/i-never-direct-myself-because-i-don-t-like-working-with-me-i-would/) [Ron Perlman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-perlman/) > [It's nice to get paid for therapy rather than having to pay $240 an hour for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-perlman/it-s-nice-to-get-paid-for-therapy-rather-than-having-to-pay-240-an/) [Ron Perlman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-perlman/) > [I've had biker clubs reach out to me whenever they knew I was in their city.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-perlman/i-ve-had-biker-clubs-reach-out-to-me-whenever-they-knew-i-was-in/) [Ron Perlman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-perlman/) > [Season 4 can be deadly for a show that's been a hit show.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-perlman/season-4-can-be-deadly-for-a-show-that-s-been-a-hit-show/) [Ron Perlman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-perlman/) > [I like playing interesting people, I like playing slightly twisted people. I like playing people who have large appetites who are kind of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-perlman/i-like-playing-interesting-people-i-like-playing-slightly-twisted/) [Ron Perlman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-perlman/) > [I've always wanted to have my own studio because this is a way for me to finally take all things that I've always dreamt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-perlman/i-ve-always-wanted-to-have-my-own-studio-because-this-is-a-way-for-me/) [Ron Perlman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-perlman/) > [I've never worked with a tail, that I can remember. But there's so much I can't remember.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-perlman/i-ve-never-worked-with-a-tail-that-i-can-remember-but-there-s-so-much/) [Ron Perlman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-perlman/) > [The luxury of television is that you get more than one shot at who you think the guy is that you're playing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-perlman/the-luxury-of-television-is-that-you-get-more-than-one-shot-at-who/) [Ron Perlman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-perlman/) > [I feel as though my criteria are based more on how challenging the role is, it doesn't have to fit into any particular profile,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-perlman/i-feel-as-though-my-criteria-are-based-more-on-how-challenging-the/) [Ron Perlman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-perlman/) > [I'm fully aware that things that resonate and become real hits are the exception to the rule, so much so that I've wired myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-perlman/i-m-fully-aware-that-things-that-resonate-and-become-real-hits-are/) [Ron Perlman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-perlman/) > [Each character represents a different color on the big palette of what this ultimate painting is going to look like, who your guy is,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-perlman/each-character-represents-a-different-color-on-the-big-palette-of/) [Ron Perlman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-perlman/) [Explore all 93 Ron Perlman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-perlman/) ## More Against quotes > [I love casting against type and doing things you wouldn't expect, because I think you get more interesting performances that way. 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