"If you're playing the character, you could say to yourself in 16 different ways, What if that didn't bother me? What if I knew exactly what he was talking about? What if I didn't get excited?"

This quote by Judd Hirsch encourages us to believe outside the box when it comes to playing a character. He recommends that instead of merely reacting to a scenario, we should put in the time to think about how the character would react in various ways. By asking ourselves concerns such as "What if that didn't trouble me?" and "What if I understood precisely what he was talking about?", we can check out the character's motivations and responses in a more meaningful way. This can help us to develop a more nuanced and practical representation of the character. Eventually, this quote motivates us to believe beyond the surface level and to consider the character's inner thoughts and feelings.