Shia LaBeouf once commented on the fact that he felt he was a "lonely dude", a feeling that might not be shared by a large number in the acting community. This statement implies that his career forces him to make sacrifices. In 2006, he told The Washington Post that a true actor must be "brokenhearted". It is likely that there were several actors who took offense to LaBeouf's statement. Of course, there are those actors who would agree with his assertion as the concept of the "suffering artist" has become so popular.
As any good commercial acting class with teach you, a successful actor must consider human emotion and nature in any and every performance. However, an actor does not need to suffer in order to successfully perform in auditions and land meaningful roles. Therefore, how does an actor explore and develop characters withing becoming too emotionally invested?
Distortion is a necessary part of dealing with stereotypes and character identities. Meisner training, along with other acting methods, consider distortion to be a necessary skill. Not only is this needed in dramatic films but in reality shows as well. 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. Stereotypes play a significant role in developing characters. They cannot, however, be allowed to take over the entire personality. Even the simplest character must be more complex than a basic stereotype. For example, a good actor will be able to create a character who has a tragic aspect but also maintains a comical exterior.
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. Any character that does not demonstrate complexity at some point in the performance will quickly be dismissed as boring by the audience. In some instances, the writer may have written a character to be a stereotype as a device and, if this is case, care must be used when developing the character.
Many actors are particularly sensitive to their world and their fellow man. Actors are just like everyone else in that they can suffer from financial troubles, heartbreak, and other human occurrences. It becomes dangerous, however, when an actor believes that suffering is essential for true success. Success comes, instead, from continued study, passion, and dedication.
As any good commercial acting class with teach you, a successful actor must consider human emotion and nature in any and every performance. However, an actor does not need to suffer in order to successfully perform in auditions and land meaningful roles. Therefore, how does an actor explore and develop characters withing becoming too emotionally invested?
Distortion is a necessary part of dealing with stereotypes and character identities. Meisner training, along with other acting methods, consider distortion to be a necessary skill. Not only is this needed in dramatic films but in reality shows as well. 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. Stereotypes play a significant role in developing characters. They cannot, however, be allowed to take over the entire personality. Even the simplest character must be more complex than a basic stereotype. For example, a good actor will be able to create a character who has a tragic aspect but also maintains a comical exterior.
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. Any character that does not demonstrate complexity at some point in the performance will quickly be dismissed as boring by the audience. In some instances, the writer may have written a character to be a stereotype as a device and, if this is case, care must be used when developing the character.
Many actors are particularly sensitive to their world and their fellow man. Actors are just like everyone else in that they can suffer from financial troubles, heartbreak, and other human occurrences. It becomes dangerous, however, when an actor believes that suffering is essential for true success. Success comes, instead, from continued study, passion, and dedication.
About the Author:
The Maggie Flanigan Studio provides quality meisner instruction. Find out more about commercial acting classes by visiting the studio website.
