--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I never saw myself as a character actor…" description: "\"I never saw myself as a character actor or a lead actor; I've only seen myself as just an actor.\" — Swara Bhaskar" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f17/swara-bhaskar-16841_actor_i-never-saw-myself-as-a-character-actor_209758.jpg" --- # I never saw myself as a character actor or a lead actor… ![“I never saw myself as a character actor or a lead actor; I've only seen myself as just an actor.” quote by Swara Bhaskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f17/swara-bhaskar-16841_actor_i-never-saw-myself-as-a-character-actor_209758.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f17/swara-bhaskar-16841_actor_i-never-saw-myself-as-a-character-actor_209758.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f17/swara-bhaskar-16841_actor_i-never-saw-myself-as-a-character-actor_209758.jpg) > “I never saw myself as a character actor or a lead actor; I've only seen myself as just an actor.” [Swara Bhaskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swara-bhaskar/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. She views acting as a unified craft, not divided by role prestige. **In simple terms:** Acting is acting, regardless of part. Key Takeaway Embrace every role equally. Themes identity craft humility Mood reflective grounded Type professional inspirational When to use this quote - theatre auditions - film casting - career transitions - role preparation Key Concepts acting philosophy self‑perception Questions to Reflect On - How does seeing yourself as 'just an actor' affect your career choices? - What benefits arise from rejecting hierarchical role labels? A Different Perspective May limit opportunities for type‑casting but can reduce ambition for lead roles. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Character actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character-actor/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) ## Related quotes > [I think it would be amazing to be a character actor and still be a lead now and then in movies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/britt-robertson/i-think-it-would-be-amazing-to-be-a-character-actor-and-still-be-a/) [Britt Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/britt-robertson/) > [I like Edward G. Robinson - he started as a character actor and became a lead, which is probably why I like him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-sanderson/i-like-edward-g-robinson-he-started-as-a-character-actor-and-became-a/) [William Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-sanderson/) > [I'm so excited about 'Shattered;' it's something I've really enjoyed working in, and it's very different from anything I've done before. I've always been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/callum-keith-rennie/i-m-so-excited-about-shattered-it-s-something-i-ve-really-enjoyed/) [Callum Keith Rennie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/callum-keith-rennie/) > [I find it very invigorating having Ken Lonergan, who's an established, Pulitzer-nominated playwright doing Howards End, or Chris Hampton who's won an Oscar writing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-callender/i-find-it-very-invigorating-having-ken-lonergan-who-s-an-established/) [Colin Callender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-callender/) > [I guess it's a kind of a goal for any actor to be the lead of a movie. Not for ego reasons, but because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-rogen/i-guess-it-s-a-kind-of-a-goal-for-any-actor-to-be-the-lead-of-a-movie/) [Seth Rogen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-rogen/) > [A big fear of working with an actor that's never been a lead in a film before is that you're going to have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-durkin/a-big-fear-of-working-with-an-actor-that-s-never-been-a-lead-in-a/) [Sean Durkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-durkin/) > [Growing up, I didn't see anybody with my skin color or my background. I didn't know it was possible to have a Middle Eastern…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mena-massoud/growing-up-i-didn-t-see-anybody-with-my-skin-color-or-my-background-i/) [Mena Massoud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mena-massoud/) > [I don't want to be just considered a breakout comedic supporting actor. I want to be a breakout actor in anything that's a lead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-faison/i-don-t-want-to-be-just-considered-a-breakout-comedic-supporting/) [Donald Faison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-faison/) > [I think - in general, I don't think I've been involved in a single movie that turned out the way I anticipated it to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-franco/i-think-in-general-i-don-t-think-i-ve-been-involved-in-a-single-movie/) [Dave Franco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-franco/) > [I never really thought of myself as being an action hero or a leading man or any of that. I'm a character actor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-paul/i-never-really-thought-of-myself-as-being-an-action-hero-or-a-leading/) [Aaron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-paul/) > [When you change a lead actor, everything's going to change - but you can rest assured he's going to absolutely smash it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-riley/when-you-change-a-lead-actor-everything-s-going-to-change-but-you-can/) [Tom Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-riley/) > [I'm never going to be the lead actor guy. I'm real quiet and real happy and real fortunate to keep working. It's what I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ironside/i-m-never-going-to-be-the-lead-actor-guy-i-m-real-quiet-and-real/) [Michael Ironside](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ironside/) > [I've never had any illusions about being a lead actor in films, because lead actors have to be of a certain kind. Apart from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/i-ve-never-had-any-illusions-about-being-a-lead-actor-in-films/) [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) > [I try to treat every job with the exact same level of respect. When I go into it, it doesn't matter what the budget…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaya-scodelario/i-try-to-treat-every-job-with-the-exact-same-level-of-respect-when-i/) [Kaya Scodelario](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaya-scodelario/) > [If a movie requires the lead actor to spend a good chunk of his onscreen time talking to himself, and Popeye is unavailable because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-mitchell/if-a-movie-requires-the-lead-actor-to-spend-a-good-chunk-of-his/) [Elvis Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-mitchell/) ## More by Swara Bhaskar > [Honestly, and seriously, I know I have to do a Telugu film. It was my grandmother's dream to see me in a Telugu film…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swara-bhaskar/honestly-and-seriously-i-know-i-have-to-do-a-telugu-film-it-was-my/) [Swara Bhaskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swara-bhaskar/) > [There have been instances when people have told me that I look too intelligent to be an actress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swara-bhaskar/there-have-been-instances-when-people-have-told-me-that-i-look-too/) [Swara Bhaskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swara-bhaskar/) > [I've been propositioned by men who were in a position to cast me. I lost a few roles because I didn't give in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swara-bhaskar/i-ve-been-propositioned-by-men-who-were-in-a-position-to-cast-me-i/) [Swara Bhaskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swara-bhaskar/) > [Frankly, Indian women inherit this collective cultural unconscious - this sense of guilt, shame, and dishonour. I think Indian girls need to become shameless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swara-bhaskar/frankly-indian-women-inherit-this-collective-cultural-unconscious/) [Swara Bhaskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swara-bhaskar/) > [I am an extremely laidback person when it comes to 'looking hot.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swara-bhaskar/i-am-an-extremely-laidback-person-when-it-comes-to-looking-hot/) [Swara Bhaskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swara-bhaskar/) > [I love acting, though I don't like the frills around it - red-carpet appearances, dressing up to look a certain way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swara-bhaskar/i-love-acting-though-i-don-t-like-the-frills-around-it-red-carpet/) [Swara Bhaskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swara-bhaskar/) > [I was once caught climbing out of the classroom window while bunking a class. I lied that I had to go to the bathroom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swara-bhaskar/i-was-once-caught-climbing-out-of-the-classroom-window-while-bunking/) [Swara Bhaskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swara-bhaskar/) > [Let me be honest - I might do a franchise film like 'Golmaal' if it comes my way. Eventually, we are all in Mumbai…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swara-bhaskar/let-me-be-honest-i-might-do-a-franchise-film-like-golmaal-if-it-comes/) [Swara Bhaskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swara-bhaskar/) > [Once, I had a huge fight on a film set with an actor who threw tea on a spot boy's face. I refused to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swara-bhaskar/once-i-had-a-huge-fight-on-a-film-set-with-an-actor-who-threw-tea-on/) [Swara Bhaskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swara-bhaskar/) > [You have to look beyond your known limited experience. Politics should be based on compassion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swara-bhaskar/you-have-to-look-beyond-your-known-limited-experience-politics-should/) [Swara Bhaskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swara-bhaskar/) > [Being unapologetic about my body, my sexuality, my life's decisions is a political belief that, as a feminist, I strongly espouse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swara-bhaskar/being-unapologetic-about-my-body-my-sexuality-my-life-s-decisions-is/) [Swara Bhaskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swara-bhaskar/) > [Bollywood, as an industry, is based on relationships. It has always been star-driven, and it has an element of feudalism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swara-bhaskar/bollywood-as-an-industry-is-based-on-relationships-it-has-always-been/) [Swara Bhaskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swara-bhaskar/) > [I am a self-destructive idiot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swara-bhaskar/i-am-a-self-destructive-idiot/) [Swara Bhaskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swara-bhaskar/) > [I was an avid 'Chitrahaar' and 'Superhit Muqqabala' watcher. We did not have cable TV for a long time, so that was my only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swara-bhaskar/i-was-an-avid-chitrahaar-and-superhit-muqqabala-watcher-we-did-not/) [Swara Bhaskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swara-bhaskar/) > [I feel that where I came from made me the actor that I am, and I wouldn't want to trade that with anything else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swara-bhaskar/i-feel-that-where-i-came-from-made-me-the-actor-that-i-am-and-i/) [Swara Bhaskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swara-bhaskar/) [Explore all 38 Swara Bhaskar quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swara-bhaskar/) ## 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 never saw myself as a character actor or a lead actor; I've only seen myself as just an actor.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Swara Bhaskar" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swara-bhaskar/i-never-saw-myself-as-a-character-actor-or-a-lead-actor-i-ve-only/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Actor" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swara-bhaskar/i-never-saw-myself-as-a-character-actor-or-a-lead-actor-i-ve-only/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f17/swara-bhaskar-16841_actor_i-never-saw-myself-as-a-character-actor_209758.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f17/swara-bhaskar-16841_actor_i-never-saw-myself-as-a-character-actor_209758.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f17/swara-bhaskar-16841_actor_i-never-saw-myself-as-a-character-actor_209758.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I never saw myself as a character actor or a lead actor; I've only seen myself as just an actor.” — Swara Bhaskar", "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": "Swara Bhaskar", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swara-bhaskar/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I never saw myself as a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swara-bhaskar/i-never-saw-myself-as-a-character-actor-or-a-lead-actor-i-ve-only/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swara-bhaskar/i-never-saw-myself-as-a-character-actor-or-a-lead-actor-i-ve-only/#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 } } ] } ```