Paul Dano Quotes

The great thing about writing is that you always put yourself in the shoes of the character. If you're doing it right, you can see into the heart of all your characters. Usually, when there's a writing problem, it's because you aren't doing that.

Somebody said something really smart: It's like you end up being the defense attorney for your role. Your job is to defend their point of view. You're fighting for what they want. You learn that in acting school - it's Acting 1A: 'What do you want? What's in the way?'

My job is to see the world through the character's eyes.

With any role I play, I find out what the human problem is first.

When I approach any script, I always try to find what I would relate to most in it.

I try to begin with a strong grasp of my characters. Even if it's schematic, I need it clear in my head who these people are.

I try mainly to just focus on character and what my character's point of view is, with each person, and try to figure out story.

There are technical tricks that may help you create more effective characters. My approach to characterization is not at all technical. I can't really analyze how I do it, but I am sure of one thing. To write convincing characters, you must possess the ability to think yourself into someone else's skin.

As a writer, you have to put yourself in service to the character, get behind their eyes by delineating the world where the character develops. You have to listen to the character and see him inside his certain world to know what conclusions he would draw.

Part of being a fiction writer is being able to imagine how someone else is thinking and feeling. I think I've always been good at that.

When I act, I try to understand the character, why she's behaving like that.

As an actor, you have to find reasons why your character made her decisions, and you have to empathise with her.

If I wasn't an actor, I never would have known who Debbie Gallagher was. I never would know how her feelings are or how her emotions are, or her family.

There's some of me in all my characters.

I think you've got to understand your character and where they're coming from.

In all my characters, I try to find an iota of myself, and in Castle, I found a lot. He gets away with a lot, so that's fun.

I've written short stories from male perspectives before, and I've never had a problem with it as long as I've understood the character's emotions and motivations.

I feel like there are things I can relate to in every character. But I feel like when you read a script, you don't get to see the definition behind someone, you just get to read what the person goes through and find a place to come from to make it real.

I like all my characters in one way or another, or at least I understand them.

The more I love the character, the harder it is to get it wrong. I have to get to a point that I can speak for them.

It always helps me connect with characters, to think about what music they respond to.

I think it's important that a director be able to know his characters inside and out.

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.

Often, writer's block will occur when I don't understand a character or his/her motivations. So I will make notes analysing characters.

To play any character, you have to have a total understanding of why they do what they do.