Jill Scott Quotes

Any great character is the combination of a brilliant actor and the right writing.

Every actor just wants good writing.

Theatre is the principal job of an actor. An actor's job is to tell a story to someone in a room. TV and film can be great and I really love doing it, but it is a different way of telling a story.

When you see something that is well-written, the actors can get behind it.

I like character-driven stuff. It doesn't matter, the size of the part.

What I truly get excited about is not the genre of a movie or the size of a part - it's character. I like to find characters.

To be a great actor you just need to comprehend, so that's why I became a writer.

The thing I respond to the most is just great writing, interesting characters. I like to think that there is something fun about playing a character that has a lot of authority in her own life.

Without great writing, you've got a bunch of actors bumping into each other.

I gravitate to the roles, not necessarily television or film. It's just the fact that, for me, the most interesting roles have been in television.

Every time when I start preparing my character for a movie, I always try to make up and create my own background story for the role in order to fill it with life.

In my theater work, I've had much more three-dimensional, broader-stroke characters.

As far as the creative side, the more I do this, the more I know that it's all about the writing. We don't always celebrate that enough, but without the writing, you can't do much. You got on a film sometimes, and it's sort of half-written, and they expect and think that the actor's job is to bring the extra part and the good part. It's not.

I'm just first of all looking for a part that's well written and speaks to me.

For me, it's always the script. The script which gives me the chance to do something new; that has been my prime objective ever since I started acting. There's nothing else that excites me more than that.

I don't want to be part of movies where I just sing and dance and go away.

I try to inhabit each of the characters as fully as I can, however short-lived they are. But most of my show happens offstage.

I just like to go where the material is, whether that's TV, or movies, or the stage. As long as it's great writing, it's pretty much something I can't resist.

I just try not to look at any role as a comedic role or a dramatic role. I just try to stay in the movie I'm in.

One of the greatest things about 'Continuum' is how great the writing is; our writing room is one of the most talented ones I've ever had. It really helps me as far as character development because they paint a very descriptive picture of who the characters are while still letting us have freedom to put in our own ideas.

Reading great dialogue as an actor is such a rare privilege.

And I have the support of the writers: I have a great relationship with the creative team, and they have a good hold of my character and my personality, and they come up with some great stuff, and I'm forever trying to change it up, keep it fresh.

Writing a great script - not just a good one, but a great one - is almost an impossible task.

As a writer, all you want to do is write for great actors. That's all.

I usually don't find myself reacting to my characters. I just create them ... And let the audience decide whether they're empathetic or scared or compelled to cheer me on.