In my limited experience in acting Jason Raymaker, I actually received a piece of advice from someone right here on Stage 32. I had sent her a reel to critique and she encouraged me to rely more on facial expression than be concerned about the lines. She said I had a very expressive face that required few lines.
Bobby Lewis once said to me, "Don't" Postpone." Once you've done all the hard work as an actor, rely on instincts and live in that moment. "Don't" Postpone."
Especially in film - maintain eye contact, listen, listen, listen and react. Don't get all busy with unnecessary acting; find a small bit of business to channel your energy and maintain focus.
If you can remember the details of every audition and booking, you have not auditioned and booked enough work. Circa 2013 - NYU Professor I befriended. He overheard newbies discussing (he felt bragging) their careers during a lunch break while on set.
"Go out and be bad. The next time you won't be quite as bad. The time after that, you will have learned a bit more. One day you will go out and be good." It was the fear of what people would think of my performance that was holding me back. Once I gave myself permission to give all I could, good or bad, I was free. To this day, I don't care about reviews and just do my best at what I love to do.
Years ago as I was preparing to play Oscar Madison in a production of The Odd Couple, I had the privilege of asking the great Walter Matthau for advice on how to play Oscar since he had starred in the movie with Jack Lemmon as Felix. Mr. Matthau grinned and said "Acting is simple. Learn your lines and don't bump into the furniture." Best advice I ever received.
I've got a few pearls of wisdom, mostly centered around improv, that I will be highlighting in another post. But, one that is evergreen no matter what type of acting you do is "Acting is reacting." Always listen to what your scene partner is saying. React to what they're giving you. Focus less on what you're saying, and more on what they're saying. And make sure to stay present in the scene.
There is so much I've heard over the years that has helped me. A songwriting friend told me that it's not so much about what you know, but it's about who you know. I've also heard others say that acting is living truthfully under imaginary circumstances. Another one I've heard about scripts is that it isn't about the text, but about the subtext.
Become the role, creep inside the character's very heart and soul when you do or get the makeup and the dressing done. It you have to play and evil character remember that there are many forms of evilness - the outside, but highly intelligent evilness like Scarpia in Giacomo Puccini & Luigi Illica's historical Verismo opera drama Tosca, versus the inside hiten most intelligent evilness as Jago in Verdi's Otello inspired by William Shakespeare's play Othello - there is also the ambitious evilness, which covers over that the character is unsure like Macbeth - we have the character, who's evilness is driven by a steady believe in that it is the will of God - and God is on his side always. The problem here is that the other part believes the same. This is my modest advice from having played and sung many evil characters on stage - and for us as opera singers - the evilness must also be in the voice.
At the very beginning of my career I had a very wise working actor tell me that there will always be someone prettier and younger than you. Don't worry about it. He also said that I was the "girl next door" type. I was so green I barely knew what types were and it was all very helpful.
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6 people like this
Acting is living truthfully in imaginary circumstances.
3 people like this
In my limited experience in acting Jason Raymaker, I actually received a piece of advice from someone right here on Stage 32. I had sent her a reel to critique and she encouraged me to rely more on facial expression than be concerned about the lines. She said I had a very expressive face that required few lines.
3 people like this
Bobby Lewis once said to me, "Don't" Postpone." Once you've done all the hard work as an actor, rely on instincts and live in that moment. "Don't" Postpone."
5 people like this
Especially in film - maintain eye contact, listen, listen, listen and react. Don't get all busy with unnecessary acting; find a small bit of business to channel your energy and maintain focus.
4 people like this
Don't act. Do.
2 people like this
If you can remember the details of every audition and booking, you have not auditioned and booked enough work. Circa 2013 - NYU Professor I befriended. He overheard newbies discussing (he felt bragging) their careers during a lunch break while on set.
4 people like this
"Go out and be bad. The next time you won't be quite as bad. The time after that, you will have learned a bit more. One day you will go out and be good." It was the fear of what people would think of my performance that was holding me back. Once I gave myself permission to give all I could, good or bad, I was free. To this day, I don't care about reviews and just do my best at what I love to do.
3 people like this
Years ago as I was preparing to play Oscar Madison in a production of The Odd Couple, I had the privilege of asking the great Walter Matthau for advice on how to play Oscar since he had starred in the movie with Jack Lemmon as Felix. Mr. Matthau grinned and said "Acting is simple. Learn your lines and don't bump into the furniture." Best advice I ever received.
2 people like this
Put your focus on the other person and off yourself. Know what you want from them and try and get it.
1 person likes this
I've got a few pearls of wisdom, mostly centered around improv, that I will be highlighting in another post. But, one that is evergreen no matter what type of acting you do is "Acting is reacting." Always listen to what your scene partner is saying. React to what they're giving you. Focus less on what you're saying, and more on what they're saying. And make sure to stay present in the scene.
There is so much I've heard over the years that has helped me. A songwriting friend told me that it's not so much about what you know, but it's about who you know. I've also heard others say that acting is living truthfully under imaginary circumstances. Another one I've heard about scripts is that it isn't about the text, but about the subtext.
Become the role, creep inside the character's very heart and soul when you do or get the makeup and the dressing done. It you have to play and evil character remember that there are many forms of evilness - the outside, but highly intelligent evilness like Scarpia in Giacomo Puccini & Luigi Illica's historical Verismo opera drama Tosca, versus the inside hiten most intelligent evilness as Jago in Verdi's Otello inspired by William Shakespeare's play Othello - there is also the ambitious evilness, which covers over that the character is unsure like Macbeth - we have the character, who's evilness is driven by a steady believe in that it is the will of God - and God is on his side always. The problem here is that the other part believes the same. This is my modest advice from having played and sung many evil characters on stage - and for us as opera singers - the evilness must also be in the voice.
At the very beginning of my career I had a very wise working actor tell me that there will always be someone prettier and younger than you. Don't worry about it. He also said that I was the "girl next door" type. I was so green I barely knew what types were and it was all very helpful.