What do I do with just one line? This is an important question that beguiles many actors and has prompted many lengthy discussions. The quest for a certain answer is understandable since one-liners, or co-star roles, are how most actors start acquiring credits and building a résumé.
The answer is ultimately the same as approaching any role of any size, but somehow that often gets lost when actors feel pressure to show casting directors and producers that they are talented and qualified for the job. Nerves can kick in. It’s a lot of energy to get yourself to an audition, sign in, spend less than 10 seconds in the room, turn right around, and get back in the car and go home. It’s easy to overdo it in the room. Or the exact opposite: just “throw it away” because after all, it’s just one line and you’ve heard so many people say that’s the way to go. Maybe you should just “be yourself” and not think about it. Losing strategies.
There is no pat answer that covers how to perform all one-liners because they aren’t all written for the same reason, and are not spoken on the same projects.
Examination of context is required, just as it would be for a larger role.
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