How to be a great actor in 5 steps

Recently I've been doing a series of blog posts on films. I think a new and perfect addition is learning how to be great actor. As with my other posts I always mention to my readers that it's not easy to state all the tiny little details needed in order to be successful. Those are reserved for other days. Today I want to talk about acting (method acting); few steps to put you on top of others.



A mime rarely stops acting. Which makes his acting become human behavior.  

1. Realize what makes you different

And I'm not talking about things that are good, but also things that are bad. Do you have a lisp, do you limp when you walk, do you roll your tongue around your mouth?

Those are the things that make you, well you. Learn to emphasize the things that make you different, that gives your acting a character. Learn the little expressions that make you stand out from rest of the crowd.

Everyday practice expressions of different scenarios for 5-10 minutes in front of the mirror. How would you react if someone died by a car in front of you? Don't lie to your senses and over-exaggerate.

In this example, it would be over-exaggeration to say you gasped. You wouldn't gasp, you would be holding your breath in shock. You wouldn't immediately move forward to help. You would wait for other people to move forward and then move. Practice!

2. Can you even act like yourself?

For new actors and even experienced ones can you mimic what you did for the past 15 minutes exactly? You might say "I have just been sitting at the computer"

Well, what makes sitting at the computer human. Do you look around, do you massage your neck, do you put your feet up? Little things like those build your muscle memory. It teaches you what you need to complete an action and make it human.

If you were a character in a film, how would you play you?

3. Learn body language

Great now you have learned to act like yourself. But most of the times you will have to act like other people. And the only way to do that is observe and learn how people act on a day to day basis.

Did you know there are 13 ways women can try to seduce men and 2 ways men try to seduce women. What if you had a role where you had to be sexy, where you had to lean on to someone, how would you do it? The Book "The Definitive Book of Body Language" is a great start. http://www.amazon.com/The-Definitive-Book-Body-Language/dp/0553804723

4. Acting doesn't exist

What is acting? Trying to fill someone else's shoes to move towards a goal? That's wrong. Acting is the recreation of life as we know it. The people in the screenplay, are people. Real life moving beings that exist in that dimension.

You have to act like you are not acting. You have to embrace the character. Read a 5 page synopsis of the person you are supposed to be. Where was he born, why was he born, deepest fears, strengths, weaknesses, ex-girlfriends, his favorite dish, when he discovered masturbation/sex. Everything.

You won't be acting a character. You will be the character.

5. Be lucky

Seems confusing right? How can you be lucky? Well the only way you can be lucky is by being resourceful. There were 200 audition for the role of Patsey in 12 Years a Slave. Were the other women any less qualified? Most probably not. However, Lupita Nyong'o's agent connected her to the audition and she was chosen.

Now Lupita is on the cover of magazines, stores and billboards. Because she connected to the right agent, met the right people was she able to receive the right audition. There is an audition out there for you.

But here's the catch. It won't come to you. You have to go to it. So you can't miss any chances. Only then will you have the right to be lucky. I'll leave with a quote from yours truly.

"It's one thing to say that you live for art, it's quite another thing to say that you're willing to die for it."