To regard the imagination as metaphysics is to think of it as part of life, and to think of it as part of life is to realize the extent of artifice. We live in the mind.

The most dire disaster in love is the death of imagination.

People can die of mere imagination.

I guess I'm a very keen observer, and I'd like to think I have a good imagination.

Sometimes a character is really based on research that you do. Other times it's just based on your imagination or perhaps your conversation with the director. Or sometimes all of the above. It depends on the movie and character.