You see so many earnest characters in movies all the time everyone has a purpose.

Men who are in earnest are not afraid of consequences.

Cynicism and naivety lie cheek by jowl in the American imagination if the United States is one of the most venal nations on Earth it is also one of the most earnestly idealistic.

All I try to do is as earnestly and as acutely as I can conceive a character and try to portray this character just honestly. If the humor is within the absurdity and the awfulness of situations then let it be seen that way.

Whatever I have tried to do in life I have tried with all my heart to do it well whatever I have devoted myself to I have devoted myself completely in great aims and in small I have always thoroughly been in earnest.

Things can be funny only when we are in fun. When we're 'dead earnest ' humor is the only thing that is dead.

Laurence Olivier said in an interview once that when he plays a tragedy he always aims for the funny parts and the other way around. Because in a comedy you look for what's serious. I think that's true. Sometimes things are really funny if you're absolutely earnest. If you're really serious it's hilarious.

I was writing an earnest novel about cruises in the Caribbean and I just started writing 'Bridget Jones' to get some money to finance this earnest work and then I chucked it out.

My office walls are covered with autographs of famous writers - it's what my children call my 'dead author wall.' I have signatures from Mark Twain Earnest Hemingway Jack London Harriett Beecher Stowe Pearl Buck Charles Dickens Rudyard Kipling Alfred Lord Tennyson to name a few.

The doubt of an earnest thoughtful patient and laborious mind is worthy of respect. In such doubt may be found indeed more faith than in half the creeds.