I've learned through experience of playing different characters some of whom were jerks that when you play a character who is pretentious or obnoxious in any way it's important to knock them down a peg.

No characters in 'Stay Close ' including the leads are black and white. I want them to be grey. I think that makes for a much more interesting reading experience something that will stay with you a little bit longer.

In my books I never portray violence as a reasonable solution to a problem. If the lead characters in the story are driven to it it's at the extreme end of their experience.

There's a remarkable amount of sexism on TV. When male characters are flawed they're interesting deep and complex. But when female characters are flawed they're just a mess. It's good to put more flawed but interesting female characters out there because it promotes equality.

Human education is concerned with certain changes in the intellects characters and behavior of men its problems being roughly included under these four topics: Aims materials means and methods.

I'm a good son a good father a good husband - I've been married to the same woman for 30 years. I'm a good friend. I finished college I have my education I donate money anonymously. So when people criticize the kind of characters that I play on screen I go 'You know that's part of history.'

We can bring to characters dark and bright sides that nobody even dreams about.

Perhaps all writers walk such a line. In general - as we all do in our dreams - I believe I put something of myself into all the characters in my novels male as well as female.

All the characters in my books are imagined but all have a bit of who I am in them - much like the characters in your dreams are all formed by who you are.

Summer blockbusters are very expensive to make. They have things that have to be expensive such as 600 effects shots or CG characters that have to go a certain way or a film design that is different but expensive.

I often talk with other actors about that time when you've just finished a job because I think you do take on the characteristics of some of the characters you play. Sometimes it can be a great thing and sometimes it's a bit haunting because you're not quite sure how to leave it on set. My dad talks about it as being 'de-personalised.'

When I was little we had a Golden Book that had all these Disney characters in one portrait on the first page. My dad used to read from it every night. We'd play this game of find Pluto or find Donald Duck. He'd read us stories and do all the voices. Those are great memories.

That's what acting is - it's about... having the courage to allow your audience into the private moments of your characters' lives.

One of the things that makes Hamlet unique among Shakespeare's characters is his courage to face up to the darker elements of his personality.

I don't mind what the role is at all I just want to play cool characters.

My role in 'Legally Blonde' was really rewarding because I had so much fun working on the movie. I've had really rewarding experiences on tiny low budget films that you'll never see but where I had a cool time creating characters as well. I love almost all of the characters I've played.

Sometimes the other characters are too normal and then you start to be brought back to reality but then Luna shows up and she is just so funny and cool and honest and slightly mad and she's all that matters. She is 100% true. She puts on no shows because she is so comfortable with herself.

I think I'm drawn to more villain-type characters because it's so cool to get to say all the things you want to say. In Hollywood you get to this position where you have to bite your tongue so much. You take all your experiences of not being able to say what you really want to say and channel that through your character.

I would like to do a musical if I could find a cool one. A song-and-dance role is closer to me personally than other characters I play.

I'm a geeky toy collector and to have toys of your own characters is unbelievably cool.

When characters change on screen it makes you feel better about yourself. You think 'Oh I change too I'm constantly becoming a better person.'

I like to change characters and then slowly I believe the audience treat me as like an actor who can fight. It's not like an action star.

Strong characters are brought out by change of situation and gentle ones by permanence.

My play Safe Sex was picked apart because critics thought it was untrue. It was a play in which no one had AIDS but the characters talked about how it was going to change their lives.