The toughest thing about creating a compelling character is making them believable. Three-dimensional. Even conflicting in their behaviors. To achieve this, you have to be careful with absolutes.
To be human is to be inconsistent. What we believed at age 10 is different than what we believe at 20, & different from what we’ll think at 40. Experience, maturity & taste drive this evolution. These are what shape character.
We change our minds all the time. About frivolous, every day minutiae, the more significant decisions & even life-changing events (think marriage, relocation or switching careers). This boils down to one of humankind’s rudimentary philosophies: good versus evil. These concepts –good & evil — are little more than an ideology employed to help define our roles in society. It’s embedded in our politics, laws & yes, our stories. Cops, criminals, religious leaders, rock stars, drug addicts, mothers… go down the list & you’ll find there’s a generalized assertion of good or evil for most everyone in our world view.
I do not own this image, no copyright infringement is intended
But is anyone implicitly good or evil? Although a seemingly ‘normal’ individual’s uncovered deeds may be perceived as horrific, they may have been a loving parent or perfect neighbor. To be human is to be an anomaly in terms of character. None of us fits neatly into one box or another. We defy labels depending on the day or the circumstances or our mood. This reality is never more apparent than when we make a decision that surprises those who know us best. Hell, sometimes we surprise ourselves with our decisions! It’s one of the greatest paradoxes & gifts of this living experience we are so fortunate to partake in.
Deep, flawed, struggling characters touch us because they remind us of ourselves. We can relate on some level to what they’re going through. We want to know, given their situation, what they will do next because this being human is never a sure thing. That’s why the anti-hero has become so interesting & celebrated in our TV/film entertainment. Because despite how we feel about a character’s actions, we recognize what drives them & can see that those actions don’t define them, they’re merely a choice. The choice is only right or wrong by interpretation. The character is but the selector who will have to recon with their own decision.
The ‘father’ of the modern acting technique, Konstantin Stanislavski said “when you play an evil man, look to see where he is good”. Isn’t that the truth. For every time I’ve been petty or cruel or self-serving or righteous, I’ve also been virtuous, truthful, forgiving or kind too.
That’s who intrigues us. The character who is the mirror for us; The character who makes us think “yeah, I can see where they’re coming from”.