Madonna remains the most visible performer on the planet as well as one of the wealthiest but would anyone seriously say that artistic self-development is her primary motivating principle? She is too busy with Kabbalah fashion merchandising adoption melodramas the gym and ill-starred horseback riding to study art.
You want to try and bring a character to life in an honest a way as you possibly can. It doesn't matter whether he's a doctor an actor a car salesman or a captain of a starship. If you can bring truth and honesty to that character then your audience will believe you.