"I have friends who are leading men, and they're only ever allowed to play leading men of a certain type. But as a character actor, there's a wider variety of projects available. On the big Hollywood films, all they care about is having their lead in place, so it's actually easier for someone like me to slip in. And I'm happy to do so"
About this Quote
The subtext is a critique of constraint disguised as gratitude. Marsan points out that “leading men” are often trapped in a narrow corridor of acceptable masculinity, charisma, and type. Their supposed privilege comes with brand maintenance: you can be famous and still be hemmed in by your own packaging. The character actor, by contrast, gets to be porous. He can be disgusting, tender, forgettable, unforgettable. He can show up in one scene and tilt the whole film’s emotional weather.
“Slip in” is the key phrase: it frames casting as infiltration, a little act of smuggling texture into a high-budget product engineered for clarity. Marsan sounds genuinely content, but it’s also a professional refusal of Hollywood’s prestige hierarchy. He’s not waiting for permission to be centered; he’s choosing the margins because the margins offer range. In an era of franchise certainty, that’s not settling. It’s maneuvering.
Quote Details
| Topic | Career |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite | Cite this Quote |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Marsan, Eddie. (n.d.). I have friends who are leading men, and they're only ever allowed to play leading men of a certain type. But as a character actor, there's a wider variety of projects available. On the big Hollywood films, all they care about is having their lead in place, so it's actually easier for someone like me to slip in. And I'm happy to do so. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-have-friends-who-are-leading-men-and-theyre-145230/
Chicago Style
Marsan, Eddie. "I have friends who are leading men, and they're only ever allowed to play leading men of a certain type. But as a character actor, there's a wider variety of projects available. On the big Hollywood films, all they care about is having their lead in place, so it's actually easier for someone like me to slip in. And I'm happy to do so." FixQuotes. Accessed February 2, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-have-friends-who-are-leading-men-and-theyre-145230/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"I have friends who are leading men, and they're only ever allowed to play leading men of a certain type. But as a character actor, there's a wider variety of projects available. On the big Hollywood films, all they care about is having their lead in place, so it's actually easier for someone like me to slip in. And I'm happy to do so." FixQuotes, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-have-friends-who-are-leading-men-and-theyre-145230/. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
