Strong Character Quotes

You have to think about good storytelling and characters first. Then hopefully, the rest of that stuff will follow, some more than others. But if you don't have a good film and strong characters, then you don't have anything down the road. ~ Pete Docter

There is no road to success but through a clear strong purpose. Nothing can take its place. A purpose underlies character, culture, position, attainment of every part. ~ Thornton T. Munger

Women have a faith in themselves that is unpragmatic and in each other that's just emotional and f - ing strong. Both of those characters are criticized for being weak, for being subject to a man, but I think that that's a really bold and natural thing that we all want. ~ Kristen Stewart

People reveal themselves completely only when they are thrown out of the customary conditions of their life. ~ Leonardo Da Vinci

There are, of course, the people who revolve around themselves
but I agree with you, she's not one of that kind. She's totally uninterested in herself. And yet she's got a strong character
there must be something. I thought at first it was her art
but it isn't. I've never met anyone so detached from life. That's dangerous.'
'Dangerous? What do you mean?'
'Well, you see
it must mean an obsession of some kind, and obsessions are always dangerous. ~ Agatha Christie

I certainly have played a lot of strong characters, and I love playing a strong character. ~ Peter Jacobson

All men know that by sheer weight of physical force, the mass of men must in the last resort become the arbiters of human action. But reason, skill, wealth, machines and power may for long periods enable the few to control the many. But to what end? The current theory of democracy is that dictatorship is a stopgap pending the work of universal education, equitable income, and strong character. But always the temptation is to use the stopgap for narrower ends, because intelligence, thrift and goodness seem so impossibly distant for most men. We rule by junta; we turn Fascist, because we do not believe in men; yet the basis of fact in this disbelief is incredibly narrow. We know perfectly well that most human beings have never had a decent human chance to be full men. Most of us may be convinced that even with opportunity the number of utter human failures would be vast; and yet remember that this assumption kept the ancestors of present white America long in slavery and degradation.

It is then one's moral duty to see that every human being, to the extent of his capacity, escapes ignorance, poverty and crime. With this high ideal held unswervingly in view, monarchy, oligarchy, dictatorships may rule; but the end will be the rule of All, if mayhap All or Most qualify. The only unforgivable sin is dictatorship for the benefit of Fools, Voluptuaries, gilded Satraps, Prostitutes and Idiots. The rule of the famished, unlettered, stinking mob is better than this and the on ~ W.E.B. Du Bois

For example, I like using strong Greek and Roman Renaissance characters as part of my series. ~ Frank Bruno

There appears to be but two grand master passions or movers in the human mind, namely, love and pride. And what constitutes the beauty or deformity of a man's character is the choice he makes under which banner he determines to enlist himself. But there is a strong distinction between different degress in the same thing and a mixture of two contraries. ~ Sarah Fielding

Once the decision has been made, close your ear even to the best counter argument: sign of a strong character. Thus an occasional will to stupidity. ~ Friedrich Nietzsche

I think the genre of comics sometimes overtakes the medium, and people assume that they are kind of frivolous. If you have a good, strong story teller, they can be as affecting as any character in literature. Period. ~ Chip Kidd

Dulce Olivia had sharp wits and a strong character, and it was not easy to detect her madness ~ Gabriel Garcia Marquez

This is a wonderful world for women. The richness, the hope, the promise of life today, particularly for women, are exciting beyond belief. Nonetheless, we need stout hearts and strong characters; we need knowledge and training; we need organized effort to meet the future. ~ Belle S. Spafford

My mom was such a strong character. I don't want to say she was like a man, but she was tough. ~ Lance Armstrong

The one with the Strong Character is Satisfied with Everything. ~ Jan Jansen

If an author would have us feel a strong degree of compassion, his characters must not be too perfect. ~ Anna Letitia Barbauld

My character is somebody who is smaller in stature and yet who's strong, so to see the fighting situations between people who are not generally thought of being strong is in itself unusual and therefore interesting, I think. ~ Chiaki Kuriyama

I love a lot of these older actresses, like Cicely Tyson, who played Kunta Kinte's mother in 'Roots.' She was really great, and I like seeing her because every movie she plays, she plays a strong character. As a kid, she was really inspiring to me. ~ Keke Palmer

Surely the test of a novel's characters is that you feel a strong interest in them and their affairs the good to be successful, the bad to suffer failure. Well, in John Ward, you feel no divided interest, no discriminating interest you want them all to land in hell together, and right away. ~ Mark Twain

Without my attempts in natural science, I should never have learned to know mankind such as it is. In nothing else can we so closely approach pure contemplation and thought, so closely observe the errors of the senses and of the understanding, the weak and strong points of character. ~ Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

Any movie you see, if Tom Cruise is in an action movie or whatever it is, The Avengers, there's going to be a kick-ass female character. Usually one. And there's a term for this, but I don't know what it is. But someone's coined a term where there's one female character who's incredibly tough and strong and just as good as the guys at whatever it is they're doing, and usually wearing black, skin-tight clothes, and [she] has no personality whatsoever, and is not funny. ~ Geena Davis

The best leaders are apt to be found among those executives who have a strong component of unorthodoxy in their character. Instead of resisting innovation, they symbolize it. ~ David Ogilvy

I want a character to wake up one day and feel like, 'I can face it'. That, to me, is happy. I want the characters to rescue themselves, though you use the relationships you have, to make you strong enough to be able to do that. ~ Cecelia Ahern

Luckily, I have been offered the chance to play a South American, Hispanic and even a character from the Middle East in films. There are also a lot of TV series in the U.S. that have a strong presence of actors from India. ~ Madhur Mittal

I would like to be remembered as somebody who cared a great deal about people. ~ Hugh Carey

Supernatural hasn't spent a lot of time on relationship stories, and this is a really nice mechanism to do that without imposing that on the forward momentum of these other stories that we're telling. In the writers' room we tend to say, "We're never going to be able to give a hell or Purgatory as good as people's imaginations," so the instinct is normally not to go there. But, we went the other way this year and said, "We are going to go there," because there's a really, really strong character thing going on down there. ~ Jeremy Carver

He is as tough as anything. You can crack him once, but he won't let it bother him. He's back on his feet in no time and getting on with it. He is a strong character and a great sight when he's heading for goal. ~ Cristiano Ronaldo

When there is a strong woman character in a story - that always grabs me. ~ Ang Lee

We never know how much one loves till we know how much he is willing to endure and suffer for us; and it is the suffering element that measures love. The characters that are great must, of necessity, be characters that shall be willing, patient and strong to endure for others. To hold our nature in the willing service of another is the divine idea of manhood, of the human character. ~ Henry Ward Beecher

I find that in the science fiction world, you have almost more women fans than male fans and I think it's because there's been such a shortage of strong female characters. ~ Katee Sackhoff

There never was a strong character that was not made strong by discipline of the will; there never was a strong people that did not rank subordination and discipline among the signal virtues. Subjection to moods is the mark of a deteriorating morality. There is no baser servitude than that of the man whose caprices are his masters, and a nation composed of such men could not long preserve its liberties. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

You are honest enough by nature to be able to see and judge your own self clearly - and that is a great thing. Never lose that honesty, Bobby - always be honest with yourself, know your own motives for what they are, good or bad, make your own decisions firmly and justly - and you will be a fine, strong character, of some real use in this muddled world of ours! ~ Enid Blyton

When I'm looking for a strong female character, or a strong character at all, I'm looking for a character that has a purpose in that story, that has an interior life of some sort. They don't have to be physically strong; they don't have to be morally strong or ethically strong, because men and women come in a huge variety of all of those things. Emotionally, ethically - I'm less concerned with that. I just don't want them to be props. That's the only thing that offends me. ~ Kelly Sue DeConnick

What is your favorite book?" "Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen," I said. Her expression was of a pleasant surprise. She asked me why. "Elizabeth Bennett is a resilient woman. She is unapologetic about who she is, and is a strong character who does not care what others think of her. My mother is that way too. ~ Gramash Paul

Penalties put too much strain on one player. It could ruin his career if he's not a strong character. ~ Terry Venables

There is nothing better for us to do than to take ourselves as we find ourselves and make the best of ourselves. If I find myself, as I did, the daughter of an artist who has left me with broadmindedness and a conveniently strong character to resist temptation, I take myself from there and accomplish what I can… I do not even deserve praise for doing my best, for that is my duty and I deserve to be blamed for not doing my best. ~ Wanda Gág

True hope is based on energy of character. A strong mind always hopes!! ~ Karl Ludwig Von Knebel

I know that the United Kingdom is sometimes seen as an argumentative and rather strong-minded member of the family of European nations. And it's true that our geography has shaped our psychology. We have the character of an island nation - independent, forthright, passionate in defence of our sovereignty. ~ David Cameron

The resistance that you fight physically in the gym and the resistance that you fight in life can only build a strong character. ~ Arnold Schwarzenegger

Character - We describe the character of a person in reference to moral judgments about the worthiness of a person. Thus, to have a strong, great or honorable character is to be a person of merit, worthy of admiration and honor. ~ Michael Josephson

American and Vietnamese characters alike leap to life through the voice and eyes of a tenyearold girl-a protagonist so strong, loving, and vivid I longed to hand her a wedge of freshly cut papaya. ~ Mitali Perkins

Self-denial is indispensable to a strong character, and the highest kind comes from a religious stock. ~ Theodore Parker

I think there is a wonderful trend of strong female characters on television right now. ~ Amanda Schull

I certainly relate to Ygritte in the fact that she is so strong and also ruthless as well and I feel that especially within 'Game of Thrones,' I think that as a show, it is one of the frontrunners for showing dominant female characters and making sure that men answer to women rather than the other way around. ~ Rose Leslie

Love of goodness without love of learning degenerates into simple-mindedness. Love of knowledge without love of learning degenerates into utter lack of principle. Love of faithfulness without love of learning degenerates into injurious disregard of consequences. Love of uprightness without love of learning degenerates into harshness. Love of courage without love of learning degenerates into insubordination. Love of strong character without love of learning degenerates into mere recklessness. ~ Confucius

Heaven gives revelation and faith feeds on that revelation to become the backbone of a strong character that climbs and overcomes the obstacles of this world to a desired vision in life. ~ JOEL NYARANGI AKOYA

There's nothing worse than having a very strong female character and then suddenly having it go away. ~ Khandi Alexander

My character Milly in 'The Boy Who Could Fly' was a very strong part. There were dramatic moments, and there were humorous moments, too. The whole story with Eric Underwood's character was just wonderful, and the messages behind the script were very important to me. ~ Lucy Deakins

It takes a strong character for a person to say, 'I can't do it.' ~ Reese Hoffa

Few persons are made of such strong fiber that they will make a costly outlay when surface work will pass as well in the market. ~ Edward McKendree Bounds

We need to be more grateful. I think there is no true character without gratitude. It is one of the marks of a real strong character to have a feeling of thanksgiving and gratitude for blessings. We need more of that spirit in our homes, in our daily associations, in the church, everywhere. It doesn't cost anything, and it is so easy to cultivate. ~ Ezra Taft Benson

What I think is at stake in 2012, is whether the five or six strong conservatives elected to the Senate in 2010 become 10 or 12. And if that happens, it will fundamentally shift the character of the Senate. It will shift the balance. ~ Ted Cruz

I show through my movies that I can do something else. But I always play strong-minded characters. I think it's maybe because I'm like that. I love being by myself. ~ Audrey Tautou

'Deep Red' (1975) is my favorite movie. The character David Hemmings plays is very much based on my own personality. It was a very strong film, very brutal, and of course the censors were upset. It was cut by almost an hour in some countries. ~ Dario Argento

... a strong character is one that will not be unbalanced by the most powerful emotions ~ Carl Von Clausewitz

An air of fashion, which is but a badge of slavery ... proves that the soul has not a strong individual character. ~ Mary Wollstonecraft

Many of the Bible characters fell just in the things in which they were thought to be strongest. Moses failed in his humility, Abraham in his faith, Elijah in his courage, for one woman scared him away to that juniper-tree; and Peter, whose strong point was boldness, was so frightened by a maid, as to deny his Lord. ~ Dwight L. Moody

When my mother tells me to do something, I'll do my own thing. A strong character can be good, but sometimes it is not good. I hope it's good in my case. ~ Adelina Sotnikova

I read the script for 'Guncrazy' in 1985 and loved it because it was one of the few scripts I'd come across that revolved around a strong female character. ~ Tamra Davis

Strength is taking charge of your own destiny and not waiting on others to do so. You don't have to swear and drink and beat people up and slay monsters. You're allowed to cry and take care of children and cook and get your heart broken and dress up and date and get pregnant. But when decisions have to be made, a strong character makes them and doesn't wait for someone else. ~ Mur Lafferty

Great persons are great because of good, strong foundations on which they were able to build a character ... ~ Alfred Armand Montapert

I want to play a range, from victims to strong people, just as long as it's a well-rounded character. And it's not a woman who's just there for the purpose of the man. ~ Bel Powley

When you become such a strong personality in music, it's hard for people to accept you as a different character. ~ Grace Jones

Sometimes we fall, sometimes we stumble, but we can't stay down. We can't allow life to beat us down. Everything happens for a reason, and it builds character in us, and it tells us what we are about and how strong we really are when we didn't think we could be that strong. ~ Gail Devers

I am drawn to roles that are strong, intelligent, and a little edgy. With Complications, I navigate my character Samantha Ellison through some really emotionally challenging times. ~ Beth Riesgraf

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. ~ Vicky McClure

In general, I enjoy athletes who have a strong character who let their abilities speak for themselves. ~ Eric Heiden

All one needs to do is read - books, magazines, research the Internet - and pay attention to the influencers in their lives to discover the myriad people of strong moral character who have and still are making positive, meaningful contributions and differences in our world. ~ Zig Ziglar

I'm more influenced by characters than standups. I love strong, comic women because it's so hard, and I have so much respect for anyone who can do it. I'm a big fan of Tina Fey and Amy Poehler and people like that. ~ Amy Hoggart

The thing about Hitchcock which is quite extraordinary for a director of that time, he had a very strong sense of his own image and publicizing himself. Just a very strong sense of himself as the character of Hitchcock. ~ Toby Jones

I think what's fun about the Western genre is the character arcs are very strong and, arguably, more interesting and exciting than the action that is metaphorically representational of those arcs. ~ Jon Favreau

My role is Katara: in 'The Last Airbender,' I'm a water bender from the southern water tribe, and my character is really strong but also loving. ~ Nicola Peltz

By action and reaction do we become strong or weak, according to the character of our thoughts and mental states. Fear is the deadly nightshade of the mind. ~ Edward Walker

Over the ten years since she'd been born, the trees of Briary Swamp, West Virginia, had peered through May's window night after night. They had watched over her thoughtful brown eyes, the imaginative crook of her head, the strong character of her knobby knees. The trees had laughed at the jokes May told her cat. Their leaves had whispered over her wild inventions, her colorful stories, her drawings. ~ Jodi Lynn Anderson

When you've played Buffy - who's such a strong female role model - it's really hard for another female character to compare to her. ~ Sarah Michelle Gellar

As we celebrate President Reagan's remarkable career and historic legacy, we also celebrate a man of strong character, deep conviction, unforgettable charm, and wonderful wit. ~ Jim Ramstad

I don't think you could change my father; he is a very strong character. He believes totally in honesty. ~ Susan Ford

Well first of all you have to make the character strong so that people can follow that. And then hopefully that character can integrate with the background of the social situation that people can recognize. ~ Oliver Stone

I like to believe my suspense novels marry the strong characters from my romance writing past, with the twisty, clever plots of my mystery writing present. ~ Lisa Gardner

What really matters is not how well a character fits a definition, but how strongly he or she resonates. Characters with strong, resonant ideas at their core will have more of an impact on the cultural consciousness than a character who's just an empty collection of attributes. ~ Kurt Busiek

I want to do a little bit of everything. I want to play a good, strong female character. ~ Shannon Elizabeth

I do not know much about Mohammed or Mohammedanism. I do not take the Koran to bed with me every night. But, if I did on some one particular night, there is one sense at least in which I know what I should not find there. I apprehend that I should not find the work abounding in strong encouragements to the worship of idols; that the praises of polytheism would not be loudly sung; that the character of Mohammed would not be subjected to anything resembling hatred and derision; and that the great modern doctrine of the unimportance of religion would not be needlessly emphasised. ~ Gilbert K. Chesterton

I think that Hollywood misconstrues actresses saying, 'Oh I wanna play a strong female character,' like we all want to play, like, superheroes or something. ~ Bel Powley

I do really believe that all guitarists have a different character that comes through, that's a strong character, the stronger the person is. ~ Jimmy Page

Well, what if we did this in the mind as opposed to the brain? So instead of blood vessels and dendrites, what if it was consciousness and dream production? And that would allow us to have characters that represent emotions. And that felt like, man, that's exactly what animation does best - strong, opinionated, caricatured personalities. And that just got me excited. ~ Pete Docter

I just feel like I'm a part of a really cool group of ladies, really good actresses. And each of them kind of does it in their own way, but the character itself is such a great, strong lady that I like that they keep reinventing her. ~ Erica Durance

Dogs have always provided a special kind of love and companionship that I experience only some of the time with humans. They have a strong sense of character and live the way we ought to: dogs never compare you to your sister nor make judgments in her favor. Dogs never know what is coming and so live purely in the moment, savoring the good, doing their best to endure the bad
and they offer up this miraculous example so that we can learn from it. ~ Linda Gray

Sound moral principle is the only sure evidence of strength, the only firm foundation of greatness and perpetuity. Where this is lacking, no man's character is strong; no nation's life can be lasting. ~ Orson F. Whitney

I wouldn't want to play a character that knew everything and knew where to go. It is much more interesting playing a character that is vulnerable trying to be strong. It makes for better TV. ~ Missy Peregrym

In my books, women often solve the problem. Even if the woman is not the hero, she's a strong character. She does change the plot. She'll often rescue the male character from some situation. ~ Ken Follett

Beauty is a radiance that originates from within and comes from inner security and strong character. ~ Jane Seymour

I think that when you look at the great politicians, the two greatest in my view were George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, they certainly had character traits. You also know Abraham Lincoln overcame severe depression problems that he had when he was younger, which gave him the strength and the character later on. ~ John McCain

There are a lot of things that make players really good coaches. Whether you've played in the NBA or not, there are certain things you have to master and be really good at. They just have to be gifted in these areas. You've got to be competent. Secondly, you've got to be able to communicate. You can have a picture in your mind on how to score but if you can't communicate it, if you can't teach it, what good is it? You've got to be brutally honest and be a man of strong character and then you've got to have class. They've got to respect you. ~ Avery Johnson

Well, actors get very frustrated with giving control to other people. They have their own ideas and wants for their characters. Warren Beatty once told me that he thought actors ended up directing out of frustration. If you have a strong sense of how to communicate a film, you should direct. The problem is that it is a huge commitment. I'd rather direct a play than a film due to the time. A movie can tie you up for a year or more. ~ Alec Baldwin

Here in New England, the character is strong and unshakable. ~ Norman Rockwell

In a world where people are equal, I feel it's important to have strong male characters, counterparts. Equality is important. It's about compatibility and compassion. And it's amazing. ~ Haifaa Al-Mansour

I don't mind being called a "feminist," as I certainly embrace the tenets of feminism, though it does feel a little sad to me that we need to call a novel "feminist" simply because the female characters are interesting and strong. ~ Laurie Foos

My creative workday starts with strong breakfast tea and a few minutes of journaling, both of which help me get my head in the story. So much of story-building for me involves immersing myself in the character and situation I'll be working on, just the way an actor does when playing a role. ~ Therese Fowler

My character has always been important to me. That was the one thing that I knew, no matter what, I had to hold that strong. ~ Derek Fisher

People sort of accuse Tolkien of not being good with female characters, and I think that Eowyn actually proves that to be wrong to some degree. Eowyn is actually a strong female character, and she's a surprisingly modern character, considering who Tolkien actually was sort of a stuffy English professor in the 1930s and '40s. ~ Peter Jackson