Famous Quotes & Sayings

Madeleine L'Engle

The degree of talent, the size of the gift, is immaterial. All artists must listen, but not all hear great symphonies, see wide canvasses, conceive complex, character-filled novels. No matter, the creative act is the same, and it is an act of faith.

Madeleine L'Engle

The deeper and richer a personality is, the more full it is of paradox and contradiction. It is only a shallow character who offers us no problems of contrast.

Lytton Strachey

In sheer genius Pascal ranks among the very greatest writers who have lived upon this earth. And his genius was not simply artistic; it displayed itself no less in his character and in the quality of his thought.

Lynne Truss

One of the things that all authors of fiction must learn to judge is whether - and in what detail - to describe the face of a character.

Lysander Spooner

A slave government is an oligarchy; and one, too, of the most arbitrary and criminal character.

Lysander Spooner

A man's natural rights are his own, against the whole world; and any infringement of them is equally a crime, whether committed by one man, or by millions; whether committed by one man, calling himself a robber, (or by any other name indicating his true character,) or by millions, calling themselves a government.

Lucy Lawless

It's never very useful to see your character as a villain. You have to play them the way they see themselves.

Lucy Punch

I always played the ugly sister instead of Cinderella or the Wicked Witch. But those are the parts I love, and actually, to be a character actress, you have more longevity, hopefully.

Lucy Hale

I would take it to heart if people were mad about something my character did.

Lucy Liu

The lack of predictability with television is something that's constantly changing what your perception of who you think your character is.

Lucy Liu

Once you embody the language, the character comes really naturally, especially when you put the costume on.

Lucy Liu

I try to distinguish my characters from each other.

Lucy Larcom

The curse of covetousness is that it destroys manhood by substituting money for character.

Louisa May Alcott

Her beauty satisfied [his] artistic eye, her peculiarities piqued his curiosity, her vivacity lightened his ennui, and her character interested him by the unconscious hints it gave of power, pride and passion. So entirely natural and unconventional was she that he soon found himself on a familiar footing, asking all manner of unusual questions, and receiving rather piquant replies.

Lou Ferrigno

The Hulk was a unique character because of his strength and power. He doesn't have a costume like Spiderman or like Superman - The Hulk is more visual. His passion and his strength, that is what separates him from anything else.

John Fowles

It is only when our characters and events begin to disobey us that they begin to live.

Hardly a name in profane history is more august than his. Hardly another character in the world's record has made so little of its opportunities. His discovery was a blunder; his blunder was a new world; the New World is his monument.

Joan Didion

You have to make sure you have the characters you want. That's really the most complicated part.

Joel Kinnaman

I always get sort of an image of what the character is gonna look like and then I kind of go with it.

Garry Kasparov

Any experienced player knows how a change in the character of the play influences your psychological mood.

Mahatma Gandhi

No religion which is narrow and which cannot satisfy the test of reason, will survive the coming reconstruction of society in which the values will have changed and character, not possession of wealth, title or birth, will be the test of merit.

Mackenzie Crook

All the parts I get offered are character and comedy parts, and I probably wouldn't get them if I had a different face. So I'm glad I have a comedy face.

Madame de Stael

The only equitable manner in my opinion, of judging the character of a man is to examine if there are personal calculations in his conduct; if there are not, we may blame his manner of judging, but we are not the less bound to esteem him.

Haruki Murakami

Adults need more complex narratives. They have their own narratives. The main characters are themselves.

Joe Mantegna

I'm a character actor so I've jumped around to all kinds of things.

Joaquin Phoenix

I still have a hard time saying who Johnny [ Cash ] is in one sentence. He seemed so contradictory in his actions, and I think that's probably what is most fascinating about him and what made him such an interesting character to study.

Joanne Harris

Places have their own characters. . . . But the people begin to look the same.

John C. Maxwell

Good character is more to be praised than outstanding talent.

James Marsden

The more ridiculous the character is, the more sincerity you have to bring to it.

Emile Durkheim

There is no sociology worthy of the name which does not possess a historical character.

Hilary Mantel

As Danton sees it, the most bizarre aspect of Camille's character is his desire to scribble over every blank surface; he sees a guileless piece of paper, virgin and harmless, and persecutes it till it is black with words, and then besmirches its sister, and so on, through the quire.

Henry Fielding

We should not be too hasty in bestowing either our praise or censure on mankind, since we shall often find such a mixture of good and evil in the same character, that it may require a very accurate judgment and a very elaborate inquiry to determine on which side the balance turns.

Charles Dickens

"Madam," replied Mr. Micawber, "it is my intention to register such a vow on the virgin page of the future."