Character Building or Ego Building
In many ways, I teach the same basics as almost any methodology of acting. However, there are some fundamental differences. Some of my students can attest to that; besides my dirty mind and mouth, I curse a lot. One thing I focus on, is truth. That may sound pretty normal to all actors and coaches; however, most of you don’t realize that the truth has to start with you, not your character. You have to be truthful with yourself. What are our core beliefs, because that will affect our work the most.
Something I repeat often to my students is that the past, your past, is no longer real unless you allow it to be. This allows us to change our past/memories. Don’t think of it as building a character, but rather as affecting your own personal story. Based on the facts you pull from the script, your essence, your being, your soul, your light, will never leave or change. That is you. You are not your past or your future. You are the director of your past. Our job as actors is to live through our “past circumstances” one story at a time (imagination) to allow it to affect us. Therefore, we can have a first person understanding of what it must have been like growing up with that reality that our character has gone through. We will take on a new ego, not a character, a new personality because of these memories and attachments. This is the beginning of the creation of real life built from the imaginary circumstances we found; and then, after all the work is done, we let ourselves go, free to live moment to moment as this current human being that has gone through all those new circumstances.
It is not about the dialogue. Truthful dialogue should be an after effect of living truthfully focused on that objective that you are after. We should be free, in the moment, not thinking of all of the character work, just letting ourselves be a conduit to the emotional truth. We have to first let go of it all so that we and the scene can live on its own.
Stop controlling your scenes and stop all the “acting”. Unless it’s 22 minute comedy, in which case we have a different deal to talk about. We will save that for a new blog! 🙂
Also, know that depending on the audition (especially if you are just starting off in this career) you may be working on, there is a good chance that the audition is very likely just you being you without any affects or character, or ego or anything! Most of the time, for auditions, you will just be you with the current circumstances given. KISS – Keep It Simple, Stupid!