With 'Nip/Tuck,' I had never even done anything before I got on that show. They created that character for me. I was reading for something else.
When I look at female characters, I want to recognize myself in them: my trials, my tribulations as a mother, as a lover, as a daughter.
The thing that intrigued me about 'Breaking Bad' from day one was the idea of taking a character and transforming him.
Yes, I certainly look for strong characters - whether that means they're strong in their vulnerability or strong in the way they might be attractive to lots of blokes.
I'd like to do something where there's a strong female character and some action. I've done a few stunts in the past.
I try to build a full personality for each of our cartoon characters - to make them personalities.
Prison makes an interesting context for so many different characters to come together. You get to see what lines get drawn between people.
It's really interesting working in television as opposed to the theater, where you know the arc of the character and you are able to create this whole backstory.
To test a man's character, give him power. Once people have power they will always reveal themselves.
You set up the story, but the characters start talking, and they go places that you didn't expect. You have to follow.
The horses are all characters, all personalities. Some you get along with, some you don't, some might take a bit longer.
In my proper character, I am an officer of the United States Army.
Ability can take you to the top, but it takes character to keep you there
I usually can find a way to do a character to make it real and work. But sometimes it's a struggle sustaining that, because there's such a level of personal involvement and personal, physical, and emotional distraughtness.
As an actor, I like to get a bit of momentum going with a character and kind of work a bit quicker. I mean, not crazy-fast, but, you know, five or six pages a day is a nice pace.
I think part of the fun of being an actor is getting to work with different directors and seeing their take on it, what they're passionate about. They all have different ideas about your character.
Making cartoons means very hard work at every step of the way, but creating a successful cartoon character is the hardest work of all.
I gradually work myself into a frenzy as the shoot approaches, while we're choosing the costumes or working with the make-up artist. I'm not so much interested in my character as the film itself.
My main worry is that after a certain point you become so identified with a character and a series that you might not be able to get work when your show goes off the air.
The structure of 'March' was laid down for me before the first line was written, because my character has to exist within Louisa May Alcott's 'Little Women' plotline.
Two phrases I hate in reference to female characters are 'strong' and 'feisty.' They really annoy me. It's the most condescending thing. You say that about a three-year-old. It infantilises women.
