---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Instead of playing heroes and righteous…"
description: "\"Instead of playing heroes and righteous people, I'd rather portray characters with problems of conscience who have to lie, to betray, and then have to ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/599/vincent-cassel-3917_character_instead-of-playing-heroes-and-righteous_567753.jpg"
---

#  Instead of playing heroes and righteous people, I'd rather…

![“Instead of playing heroes and righteous people, I'd rather portray characters with problems of conscience who have to lie, to betray, and then have to cope with that. They feel more true to me.” quote by Vincent Cassel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/599/vincent-cassel-3917_character_instead-of-playing-heroes-and-righteous_567753.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/599/vincent-cassel-3917_character_instead-of-playing-heroes-and-righteous_567753.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/599/vincent-cassel-3917_character_instead-of-playing-heroes-and-righteous_567753.jpg)

> “Instead of playing heroes and righteous people, I'd rather portray characters with problems of conscience who have to lie, to betray, and then have to cope with that. They feel more true to me.”

[Vincent Cassel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-cassel/)

## 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 prefers portraying morally ambiguous characters who face ethical dilemmas, believing such flawed figures feel more authentic than idealized heroes.

**In simple terms:** Choosing flawed characters feels more real.

Key Takeaway

Explore complex moral narratives.

Themes

morality authenticity character complexity human flaw

Mood

introspective serious

Type

dramatic psychological

When to use this quote

- acting
- screenwriting
- novel writing
- ethical debates

Key Concepts

psychology ethical ambiguity storytelling

Questions to Reflect On

- What makes a morally ambiguous character compelling?
- How do you balance empathy and condemnation for such characters?

A Different Perspective

Audiences may reject characters who betray trust.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Characters Problems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/characters-problems-720844/) [Conscience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conscience/) [Conscience Lie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conscience-lie-4692624/) [Ethics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ethics/) [Heroes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heroes/) [Lie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lie/) [Lie Betray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lie-betray-3512394/) [Portray Characters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/portray-characters-1252861/) [Problems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problems/) [Problems Conscience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problems-conscience-4692625/) [True](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/true/)

## Related quotes

> [I like characters with problems. I like to understand them... To play alcoholics, fetishists, strange girls, you have to dig deep within yourself. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-trintignant/i-like-characters-with-problems-i-like-to-understand-them-to-play/)

[Marie Trintignant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-trintignant/)

> [In movies and TV, we tend to fall into tropes about how characters might get out of problems. But when you look at real…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-weiner/in-movies-and-tv-we-tend-to-fall-into-tropes-about-how-characters/)

[Matthew Weiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-weiner/)

> [“The beastliness of human nature is always pretty normal. We lie and betray and are wanting in imagination and deceive ourselves, always, at about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ford-madox-ford/the-beastliness-of-human-nature-is-always-pretty-normal-we-lie-and/)

[Ford Madox Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ford-madox-ford/)

> [Why do people do that? Why do they cheat ,lie ,betray ? Is it fun? does it bring pleasure ? to break hearts? It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlet-kim/why-do-people-do-that-why-do-they-cheat-lie-betray-is-it-fun-does-it/)

[Scarlet Kim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlet-kim/)

> [I have been lucky enough to portray many, many characters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohanlal/i-have-been-lucky-enough-to-portray-many-many-characters/)

[Mohanlal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohanlal/)

> [I'm portraying out characters, I'm portraying femme characters, characters that are really outside of the box. I never thought I would get that opportunity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nico-santos/i-m-portraying-out-characters-i-m-portraying-femme-characters/)

[Nico Santos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nico-santos/)

> [I always wanted to live the lives of different people, portray characters that are different from me. But I could have done that in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vidya-balan/i-always-wanted-to-live-the-lives-of-different-people-portray/)

[Vidya Balan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vidya-balan/)

> [Wrestling doesn't know what it is. I feel that wrestling has an identity crisis and what I mean by that is, we're almost meant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eli-drake/wrestling-doesn-t-know-what-it-is-i-feel-that-wrestling-has-an/)

[Eli Drake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eli-drake/)

> [I personally like sitcom TV to be able to portray characters that I can relate to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dania-ramirez/i-personally-like-sitcom-tv-to-be-able-to-portray-characters-that-i/)

[Dania Ramirez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dania-ramirez/)

> [I don't intend to be insensitive to the victims and their families but, at the same time, as an actor, it's our job, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-wahlberg/i-don-t-intend-to-be-insensitive-to-the-victims-and-their-families/)

[Mark Wahlberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-wahlberg/)

> [I want to make movies - and I want to portray characters - that make people think. I want to make movies that have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-waters/i-want-to-make-movies-and-i-want-to-portray-characters-that-make/)

[Drew Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-waters/)

> [Anything that forces the human soul to scream out and fight really brings out the best in us, and to have an opportunity to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-parsons/anything-that-forces-the-human-soul-to-scream-out-and-fight-really/)

[Nathan Parsons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-parsons/)

> [How wonderful it would be to scatter words as they rise to consciousness, to let them lie where they fall.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanna-scott/how-wonderful-it-would-be-to-scatter-words-as-they-rise-to/)

[Joanna Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanna-scott/)

> [Often in my game as an actor, someone else pays for your travel and there's nothing like being able to lie flat on a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ioan-gruffudd/often-in-my-game-as-an-actor-someone-else-pays-for-your-travel-and/)

[Ioan Gruffudd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ioan-gruffudd/)

> [I'm not the sort of person who would want to just lie on the sofa watching TV.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/petra-kvitova/i-m-not-the-sort-of-person-who-would-want-to-just-lie-on-the-sofa/)

[Petra Kvitova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/petra-kvitova/)

## More by Vincent Cassel

> [My problem is I can't show any of my movies to my daughters. It's tough. 'Beauty and the Beast'... they liked it. But that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-cassel/my-problem-is-i-can-t-show-any-of-my-movies-to-my-daughters-it-s/)

[Vincent Cassel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-cassel/)

> [Good guys need to be a little dirty otherwise they're just boring.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-cassel/good-guys-need-to-be-a-little-dirty-otherwise-they-re-just-boring/)

[Vincent Cassel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-cassel/)

> [I'm actually beginning to believe that there is something in common among all of my characters. I'm not sure what it is exactly. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-cassel/i-m-actually-beginning-to-believe-that-there-is-something-in-common/)

[Vincent Cassel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-cassel/)

> [Many times, I have heard people saying that they don't like to work with their wife or husband, but to me, it is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-cassel/many-times-i-have-heard-people-saying-that-they-don-t-like-to-work/)

[Vincent Cassel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-cassel/)

> [If I have to pretend to be anything else than French, then I know it's work for me. It's not that it scares me,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-cassel/if-i-have-to-pretend-to-be-anything-else-than-french-then-i-know-it-s/)

[Vincent Cassel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-cassel/)

> [I wear a lot of wigs as Jacques Mesrine. He'd wear multiple wigs and take them off one at a time to rob three…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-cassel/i-wear-a-lot-of-wigs-as-jacques-mesrine-he-d-wear-multiple-wigs-and/)

[Vincent Cassel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-cassel/)

> [I always had the sense of being in the spotlight, being on stage, being looked at.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-cassel/i-always-had-the-sense-of-being-in-the-spotlight-being-on-stage-being/)

[Vincent Cassel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-cassel/)

> [I was much more interested by clothes when I was younger. I'm about being discreet. What they call the French touch, whatever that means.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-cassel/i-was-much-more-interested-by-clothes-when-i-was-younger-i-m-about/)

[Vincent Cassel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-cassel/)

> [Cronenberg's a lot of fun, and that a lot of people don't know watching his movies. He doesn't take himself seriously. He's still reinventing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-cassel/cronenberg-s-a-lot-of-fun-and-that-a-lot-of-people-don-t-know/)

[Vincent Cassel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-cassel/)

> [My father is best known for his light comedies, and Im best known for crazy bad guys with short tempers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-cassel/my-father-is-best-known-for-his-light-comedies-and-im-best-known-for/)

[Vincent Cassel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-cassel/)

> ['Brotherhood of the Wolf' is a very important movie because it represents something new. The director Christophe Gans came up with the idea of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-cassel/brotherhood-of-the-wolf-is-a-very-important-movie-because-it/)

[Vincent Cassel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-cassel/)

> [To me, Sheitan movie is the answer to all the problems we have in France concerning immigration. That is a fake problem; people can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-cassel/to-me-sheitan-movie-is-the-answer-to-all-the-problems-we-have-in/)

[Vincent Cassel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-cassel/)

> [I have learned that acting is not about beauty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-cassel/i-have-learned-that-acting-is-not-about-beauty/)

[Vincent Cassel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-cassel/)

> [I think I'm actually more vulnerable than people imagine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-cassel/i-think-i-m-actually-more-vulnerable-than-people-imagine/)

[Vincent Cassel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-cassel/)

> [Actually, I never work in movies for money. I'm glad when I get well-paid, but it's not always the case - trust me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-cassel/actually-i-never-work-in-movies-for-money-i-m-glad-when-i-get-well/)

[Vincent Cassel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-cassel/)

[Explore all 119 Vincent Cassel quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-cassel/)

## 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. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/)

> [In the fight between biology and morality, biology has commonly won in the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/semir-zeki/in-the-fight-between-biology-and-morality-biology-has-commonly-won-in/)

[Semir Zeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/semir-zeki/)

> [Your looks don't make you pretty, it's the person inside who makes you pretty!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-chan/your-looks-don-t-make-you-pretty-it-s-the-person-inside-who-makes-you/)

[Aaron Chan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-chan/)

> [I'm not a huge social media kind of guy, so I don't really know, I don't really ever get... at least in real life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freddie-stroma/i-m-not-a-huge-social-media-kind-of-guy-so-i-don-t-really-know-i-don/)

[Freddie Stroma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freddie-stroma/)

> [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/)

> [Courage: the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can't practice any other virtue consistently](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/courage-the-most-important-of-all-the-virtues-because-without-courage/)

[Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/)

> [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/)

[Browse all 32,707 Character quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Instead of playing heroes and righteous people, I'd rather portray characters with problems of conscience who have to lie, to betray, and then have to cope with that. They feel more true to me.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Vincent Cassel"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-cassel/instead-of-playing-heroes-and-righteous-people-i-d-rather-portray/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Character"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-cassel/instead-of-playing-heroes-and-righteous-people-i-d-rather-portray/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/599/vincent-cassel-3917_character_instead-of-playing-heroes-and-righteous_567753.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/599/vincent-cassel-3917_character_instead-of-playing-heroes-and-righteous_567753.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/599/vincent-cassel-3917_character_instead-of-playing-heroes-and-righteous_567753.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Instead of playing heroes and righteous people, I'd rather portray characters with problems of conscience…” — Vincent Cassel",
                "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": "Vincent Cassel",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-cassel/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Instead of playing heroes and righteous...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-cassel/instead-of-playing-heroes-and-righteous-people-i-d-rather-portray/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-cassel/instead-of-playing-heroes-and-righteous-people-i-d-rather-portray/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
