He is a great character.

[englishhobby]

It seems so easy and still (because of the fact that I am always confused by the words character and personality) could you explain 1) what this phrase means exactly and 2) whether the word character may be substituted with personality in this sentence (if yes, will it change the meaning?).
:?:

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

That's how we would talk about a wonderful fictional person: Indiana Jones is a great character.

If he weren't fictional, we might say:

- He has great character. (= He has integrity.)
- He is a character. (= He is eccentric.)
- He is a great personality. (= He is a wonderful celebrity.)
- He has a great personality. (= He has a very enjoyable nature.)

 

[englishhobby]

- He has a great personality. (= He has a very enjoyable nature.)

We can't substitute the word personality with character in this particular sentence, can we?

 

[englishhobby]

- He is a character. (= He is eccentric.)

What about "He is a great character."? Could it mean "He is very eccentric"? Does this sentence make sense at all?

Here's the context: He is my mother’s father and he is a great character. His name’s Shames and he is eighty-two this year.

 

[MikeNewYork]

I would not use "great" there.

 

[Tdol]

In BrE, a great character would work for someone whose eccentricities were enjoyable in some way.