Whether it be in the spotlight of the theatre or the intimate frames of a movie screen, we have witnessed actors create characters who are beloved, admired and even despised. And although we (the audience) fall head over heels for these fictional characters, the reality of their existence is only an illusion developed by a well-seasoned actor. Roles such as Forrest Gump, Mrs. Doubtfire and the infamous Joker all began with a writer’s foundation and were built with the imagination and interpretation of a single individual. Developing a character is a struggle all actors face, no matter how experienced; it’s a process that takes time to make those emotional connections and physical quirks. The journey to truly becoming your character is frustrating and just plain hard at times, but at the moment when you finally make that connection to your character, you feel simply unstoppable.
People develop characters using different acting methods and techniques that they have felt benefit them the most. For example, a close friend of mine is fond of Method Acting; in this case, actors are totally devoted to relating to their characters in a physical and emotional way both on and off camera/stage. During her experience, she began prepping for a “homeless character” by rubbing dirt and sand on her hands to develop a rougher, unclean feeling. When our school performed Urinetown (a wonderful show by the way), my director’s wife had me put in headphones and listen to voices on full blast to experience the mind of a schizophrenic (this was for an ensemble role).
I listened to them before every rehearsal, and its effects soon began to develop a crazy, schizophrenic who really needed to pee (at some points during rehearsal, I would sometimes hear my name being called or a voice, but it was all in my head). Method acting can be very effective and beneficial to actors, but also very dangerous if you are not cautious and set rules to take care of yourself and others.
My personal favorite when it comes to acting methods and techniques is developing a complete background story for a character. I fell in love with this technique when I was first introduced to it by one of my fabulous directors, Mrs. Smithwick. While prepping for our first monologue Freshmen year, Mrs. Smithwick (Smitty) gave each of us a list of 100 basic questions to answer about our character. These simple questions included “How old are you?”, “Are you married or single?”, “What is your character’s occupation?”, and even more philosophical ones like “What is your character’s purpose?”. This technique covers every inch of a character’s background from their childhood to their purpose in the show to their internal quirks, feelings, and thoughts. For every show and audition I’ve prepared for, this technique has never failed me (thank you, Smitty J!).
Another popular acting method that is commonly used involves tapping into one’s emotions through reflection and remembrance of one’s memories. For example, you would take your own personal experiences (death in the family, a breakup, acceptance in college/school, getting hired), remember how you felt and the actions you inflicted during that time, and bring all that energy and emotion into your character. Again, this method is quite popular and frequently used due to its relatability to all actors. Even so, developing a character takes more than remembering a memory and crying on stage.
Improv is another wonderful technique that allows actors to get out of their heads and work on natural reaction to a scene. A close friend of mine has been practicing the art of Improv for years and strongly believes in its power to strengthen an actor’s ability to…well act. Improv pushes the actor to think on-the-spot and react to the situation they are placed in without the comforts of stage direction and lines (everyone loves to call for line). The benefits build an actor’s performance by allowing an actor to become comfortable in whatever role and scene they are handed and giving them the confidence to make bold character choices (thank you, Mr. Grizzle J).
One common struggle several actors face when developing character is their chemistry with other actors; this includes acting as a couple, best friends, sworn enemies, the list goes on. If having believable chemistry is not the backbone of a production, then it’s the spline or a kidney cause it’s SO important. Developing chemistry between characters involves becoming comfortable with your partnered actor and developing a strong trust. There are some cases where you are casted with actors whom you have known for a long time and have already established trust and a natural chemistry on stage (I was once cast with my boyfriend, long-time friend and two best friends for a show). And if that happens, great, good for you. But more often (especially in real world acting occupations) you will know little about your partner. Depending on what kind of relationship you are attempting to develop (parent and child, husband and wife, boyfriend and girlfriend, best friends or brother and sister), you start to take the steps to begin combining your character and personality and blending it with your partner’s. The better the chemistry, the better the performance.
Character development is a mountain for all performers to climb. It’s not supposed to easy, in fact, if you develop the “perfect” character in a week, even TWO weeks, you’re wrong. Remember actors, you are creating a full, original individual using only the ten words underneath the “description of character” in the script and your imagination. You get to bring a character to life…it’s a pretty big deal. And even though you must eventually end up breaking that character and tucking it away, remember that when someone else gets that same role, a little piece of you is still attached.
Act on, fellow actors.
