You’re reading over the sides for your next audition when you suddenly realize that your character is a mass murder, criminal, cult leader, drug dealer, or terrorist. What now?! How do you move beyond the judgment and resistance that comes up and find a way to connect to with the character?
Without making a real connection, you risk the danger of playing to an idea, coming off as a cartoon, or feeling like a liar. As you approach your craft, here are four things to keep in mind that will help you move past your judgments of a character.
1. Every character is a human being. When we treat acting as a primary art form, one of the first things we must do is visualize the character as a three-dimensional human being. Doing this involves asking ourselves specific questions, like, Why is the character like this? and What are some specific circumstances that led the character to their current beliefs, behavior, or life path?
As actors, gaining a deeper understanding of human psychology can help us see beyond the surface and deeper into possibilities for what motivates behavior. Seeing the human side reminds us that the character had a mother and father…or maybe they didn’t have parents. Maybe they
You’re reading over the sides for your next audition when you suddenly realize that your character is a mass murder, criminal, cult leader, drug dealer, or terrorist. What now?! How do you move beyond the judgment and resistance that comes up and find a way to connect to with the character?
Without making a real connection, you risk the danger of playing to an idea, coming off as a cartoon, or feeling like a liar. As you approach your craft, here are four things to keep in mind that will help you move past your judgments of a character.
1. Every character is a human being. When we treat acting as a primary art form, one of the first things we must do is visualize the character as a three-dimensional human being. Doing this involves asking ourselves specific questions, like, Why is the character like this? and What are some specific circumstances that led the character to their current beliefs, behavior, or life path?
As actors, gaining a deeper understanding of human psychology can help us see beyond the surface and deeper into possibilities for what motivates behavior. Seeing the human side reminds us that the character had a mother and father…or maybe they didn’t have parents. Maybe they
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