"Actually, I get a little say in what my character would or wouldn't do"
About this Quote
The phrasing matters. "A little say" is strategically small. He’s not claiming auteur control, he’s claiming dignity - the right to veto behavior that would betray the character’s internal logic. That’s the subtext: after years of inhabiting the same role, the actor becomes a continuity engine, a living archive of motivations, rhythms, and limits. Soap operas and serialized dramas thrive on shock, reversals, and ratings-friendly pivots; the actor’s job is often to sell the turn even when it feels like a cheat. Burton’s comment signals a negotiation with that machine.
Contextually, it reads as an inside-baseball glimpse of how character integrity gets maintained in industrial storytelling. Fans like to argue about "out of character" moments as if they’re purely artistic failures; Burton reminds us they’re also production decisions, competing priorities, and time pressure. His intent isn’t to undermine writers, but to legitimize performance as authorship in miniature: not inventing the plot, but protecting the person inside it.
Quote Details
| Topic | Movie |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Burton, Steve. (2026, January 16). Actually, I get a little say in what my character would or wouldn't do. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/actually-i-get-a-little-say-in-what-my-character-107167/
Chicago Style
Burton, Steve. "Actually, I get a little say in what my character would or wouldn't do." FixQuotes. January 16, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/actually-i-get-a-little-say-in-what-my-character-107167/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"Actually, I get a little say in what my character would or wouldn't do." FixQuotes, 16 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/actually-i-get-a-little-say-in-what-my-character-107167/. Accessed 13 Feb. 2026.





