There’s something rotten in the state of Denmark: an unhealthy obsession with watching yourself on camera in acting classes. We live in a camera and selfie-obsessed society…it’s almost a fetish.
The way “on camera” classes are typically executed is an exercise in narcissism and can actually do more to shut an actor down than elevate a performance. It’s a convenient way to pull focus and take time away from doing the best acting you can do. It is also often the trait of a lazy teacher.
There are countless Oscar- and Emmy-winning actors who purposefully never watch their performances, auditions, or dailies: Jared Leto, Joaquin Phoenix, Reese Witherspoon, Julianne Moore, Angelina Jolie, Meryl Streep, and far too many more to count. As Javier Bardem put it: “The fact that I like to make characters doesn’t mean that I like to watch my characters being made, my performance. I can’t even watch that fucking nose, that fucking voice, those ridiculous eyes. I can’t handle that. But when I’m doing it, I don’t see my nose or hear my voice; it’s like there’s something stronger, bigger than that. And I need to express it.”
Great actors don’t need to
Leave a Reply