Shia LaBeouf once said that, as an actor, he was a "lonely dude" but there is little evidence that many other actors share this feeling. The implication in this statement is that loneliness is a price that is paid by actors. In an interview for The Washington Post, he stated that a real actor must be, at least to a certain extent, "brokenhearted". It is likely that there were several actors who took offense to LaBeouf's statement. However, due to the popularized concept of the "suffering artist", there were probably others who took his statement to heart.
As any commercial acting workshop that provides quality commercial acting techniques will teach you, it is impossible to be a good actor and to not be in tune with the plight of the human condition. However, there is no reason for an actor to himself suffer in order to be able to succeed in an audition. Is there a way for an actor to truly embrace and succeed in a role without becoming overly invested in the emotional turmoil involved?
When discussing identity and stereotypes, the term that must be discussed is distortion. The Meisner technique, along with other schools of acting, teaches that distortion is absolutely necessary for actors. Every performance, from film to reality shows, requires that actors distort the truth. Distortion, if well executed, is actually able to reveal truths previously undiscovered by the actor about himself. This is the crux of an actor's job.
The Meisner technique teaches that stereotypes are personalities that have been distorted. They do play a large role when it comes to creating a character. It is essential, however, that stereotypes not be allowed to dominate the entire role. Even the simplest character must be more complex than a basic stereotype. The best actors will create characters that have opposing layers, such as a tragic figure with a great sense of comedic timing.
Some stereotypical aspects of a character may be helpful in a performance as it will allow your audience to quickly gain at least a partial understanding of your character. Later on, the character must be given complexity or the audience will become disenchanted and bored. If the writer has written a particular character as a stereotype for a reason, this must be followed carefully in order to create a genuine performance.
A part of the actor's gift is his sensitivity to his surroundings. Actors are not immune to suffering and can sustain illnesses and endure problems just like all the rest. Suffering, however, does not need to occur for an actor to succeed in his craft. Success comes, instead, from continued study, passion, and dedication.
As any commercial acting workshop that provides quality commercial acting techniques will teach you, it is impossible to be a good actor and to not be in tune with the plight of the human condition. However, there is no reason for an actor to himself suffer in order to be able to succeed in an audition. Is there a way for an actor to truly embrace and succeed in a role without becoming overly invested in the emotional turmoil involved?
When discussing identity and stereotypes, the term that must be discussed is distortion. The Meisner technique, along with other schools of acting, teaches that distortion is absolutely necessary for actors. Every performance, from film to reality shows, requires that actors distort the truth. Distortion, if well executed, is actually able to reveal truths previously undiscovered by the actor about himself. This is the crux of an actor's job.
The Meisner technique teaches that stereotypes are personalities that have been distorted. They do play a large role when it comes to creating a character. It is essential, however, that stereotypes not be allowed to dominate the entire role. Even the simplest character must be more complex than a basic stereotype. The best actors will create characters that have opposing layers, such as a tragic figure with a great sense of comedic timing.
Some stereotypical aspects of a character may be helpful in a performance as it will allow your audience to quickly gain at least a partial understanding of your character. Later on, the character must be given complexity or the audience will become disenchanted and bored. If the writer has written a particular character as a stereotype for a reason, this must be followed carefully in order to create a genuine performance.
A part of the actor's gift is his sensitivity to his surroundings. Actors are not immune to suffering and can sustain illnesses and endure problems just like all the rest. Suffering, however, does not need to occur for an actor to succeed in his craft. Success comes, instead, from continued study, passion, and dedication.
About the Author:
The Maggie Flanigan Studio provides quality meisner acting instruction. Find out more about commercial acting class in nyc by visiting the studio website.
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