“But that’s really obvious, I made it so much harder for myself.” is one of the most common phrases I hear from actors along with “Louise I’m playing this character, who is she/he?”
I regularly get actors book 1:1 private tuition with me because they’ve
1. landed a role and have got in a pickle
2. have a casting but can’t make up their mind on the character or
3. Just need a fresh pair of eyes to help find clarity
WHEN CONFUSION STRIKES
What do you do? That huge cloud hovering over your brain just won’t shift no matter what you try.
I GET YOU ACTORS
I really do! I found myself in this same position maaany times at drama school. My head was so cloudy I’d feel so stupid, like everyone else “got it” and I didn’t. I’d end up in a right old tizzy and my acting would suffer.
DON’T LET YOUR ACTING SUFFER
Here’s the thing, it’s normal to feel confused. Yep, it really is and everyone does at some point. You are a good actor you just got a little stuck so what can you do?
STOP OVER THINKING EVERYTHING
1. It’s so much easier when you don’t
2. You have more energy
3. You make better choices
Here are my top 3 tips to finding clarity with characters:-
INSTINCTS
This is where the money is baby! Mother nature gifted you with these the day you were born, and no one – no matter how hard they try can take these away from you. Your instincts are ALWAYS right. Take a step back, forget the gazillion thoughts whizzing through your brain and start tuning into your gut. When something’s not right it feels clunky. Look out for the clunks – these aren’t the right choices.
READ THE SCRIPT OVER AND OVER
Stop trying to second guess everything and going off on a tangent “but my character’s complex!” you proclaim. Yeah I know but get back to basics. Your script is your bible, it contains all the evidence of your character. The writer wrote every single word for a reason and those words are your clues, your job is to investigate. Grab that fine tooth comb and pull them out.
DOCUMENT YOUR FINDINGS
I can not stress how important it is to use an actors journal. Grab an A4 plain paged book and scribble, scribble, scribble – get it out of your head and onto paper. Firstly you’ll feel much clearer, secondly you can refer back to your notes. Try making sections within your journal to get that bit clearer. Jot down the evidence you have found in the script. Your job in the early days is to be a criminal detective; your script is the crime scene, your actors journal is the report. You wouldn’t catch a criminal detective making stuff up to make the crime sound better so don’t do it yourself.
“But that’s really obvious, I made it so much harder for myself.”
I KNOW. What are you waiting for? Be the best actor you can be and get crystal clear on your method of working – the rest will follow! You can do it!
