You can't afford for there to be gaps in your pool of knowledge when it comes to a character; otherwise, what ends up onscreen is generalized and unspecific.
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
The more you are known, the more difficult it is to hide behind characters.
You rely on a lot of things about learning to play a particular character.
Obviously, any time you're closer in terms of what your knowledge is to a character, you can add something. But an actor's job is not to play only people he can identify with.
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.
Knowledge is sometimes superfluous: when we need it, we have it not.
If you have a very good concept of your character, you can snap into it.
The important thing for me when I look at characters is to consider the kind of constraints placed upon them. Now, me personally, I don't like to have a lot of constraints placed upon me.
Most writers are drawn to what is unknown, rather than what is clear in any tale.
Knowledge will give you power, but character respect.
Character is determined more by the lack of certain experiences than by those one has had.