How The Best Method Actors Prepare For Their Roles

Method acting is a technique or type of acting in which an actor aspires to encourage sincere and emotionally expressive performances by ... Skiptocontent typeinyoursearchandpressenter We’veallseenactorslosethemselvesinrolessodeeply,theytransportustoadifferenttimeandplace,andforsomeofus,that’swhywegotothemovies.Buthowdotheydoit?Thispostexploresoneparticularactingtechniquethatcandriveactorstolife-alteringperformances.Weseektoanswerwhatismethodactingbydefiningitandgivingsomeexamplesofthemethodactorsofourtime. Watch:ABeginner'sGuidetoMethodActing Subscribeformorefilmmakingvideoslikethis. SubscribeonYouTube DefineMethodActingWhat’sthemethodactingtechniqueTherearemanytypesofactingandallhavedifferenthistoriesandorigins.Butsomerequiremoreworkthanothers.Whatkindofwork?Well,thepreparationbehindsomeofthemostastoundingactingperformanceswe’veseen,comesfromtheMethodtechnique.MethodActingDefinitionWhatismethodacting?Methodactingisatechniqueortypeofactinginwhichanactoraspirestoencouragesincereandemotionallyexpressiveperformancesbyfullyinhabitingtheroleofthecharacter.Itisanemotion-orientedtechniqueinsteadofclassicalactingthatisprimarilyaction-based.ItwasfurtherdevelopedandbroughttoAmericanactingstudiosinthe1930sbyLeeStrasbergandEliaKazan.However,KonstantinStanislavski,aRussianactorandtheatredirectorinventedthetechniqueintheearly1900s.Stanislavskididnotcallitmethodactingbackthen,buthisideascreatedamodeltohelpactorsbuildbelievablecharacters.Stanislavski’sapproachwastoencouragetheactorstodrawfrompersonalexperiencesandmemoriesinordertogarnerrealemotions,andtoconnectwiththecharacters.Thisstoodinstarkcontrasttothemoretraditional,theatricalandclassicalactingofthattime.FamousmethodactorsMarlonBrandoRobertDeNiroHeathLedgerDustinHoffmanHilarySwankMichelleWilliamsAdrianBrodyDanielDay-LewisKateWinsletAQuickDistinctionMethodactingvscharacteracting ​Characteractingreferstothetypeofactingthatincludeeccentric,stylizedroles.Methodactingisrealismbasedpreparationapplicabletoallroles.Characteractorscanusethemethodactingtechniqueaspartoftheirpreparation,howeveritismostlyassociatedwithrealistic,dramaticperformances.LeeStrasbergfurtherdevelopedthetechniqueeffectivelycreating“methodacting.”Hisoperatingtheoryisthattheactorshouldlivethecharacterheorsheisplayingevenwhennotonstageorinfrontofthecamera.Thisiswhymanymethodactorsrefusetobreakcharacteruntilfilmingisover.Thelengthstheygotoembodytheroleoftenbecomeobsessiveinvolvingseriousweightloss,achangeinsleepinghabitsanddietarynorms,andmore.Beforewejumpintotheactorsandsomemethodactingexamples,watchthisquickcliponwhatismethodactingthathighlightssomeofthemorerecentandextremeexamples. AbriefoverviewofMethodactingNow,let’slooktosomeoftheseexamplesingreaterdetail.MethodActorMeaningFamousmethodactorswithexamplesMethodactingisatypeofactingthatyieldssuchincredibleperformances,theaudiencegetscompletelylostintheworldsofthecharacter.Howdoesanactorprepareforthislevelofperformance,forsomeactors,theperformanceoftheirentirelife?AnOscarwinisalwaysanicereward,butofcourse,nottheonly.Andthemadnessthatsurroundsmethodactingisrealandoftenfrightening.Belowareafewexamplesofactorswhopreparedsoextensively,theirperformanceshelpdefinethetechniqueitself.MarlonBrandoOneoftheoriginalmethodactors.ToprepareforTheMen,Brandostayedinahospitalbedforanentiremonthtogetinthemindsetfortheinjuredveteranhe’dbeplaying.InBrando'sbestfilms,hedoesn'tseemtobeactingatallbutembodyingthecharacter.  MarlonBrandoexplainswhyactingisnecessaryRobertDeNiroDeNiroisknowntodowhateverisnecessarytotruthfullyconveyhischaracter.He’sfaithfultothemethodandwecanseethatinmanyofhisfilms.ForTaxiDriver, DeNiroworked12-hourshiftsandwouldpickuppassengersinNewYorkCityduringbreaksonset.ItisthiskindofdedicationthatcomesacrossinthebestDeNiromovies.For RagingBull,DeNirowentthroughasignificantphysicaltransformationforthefilm'slastact.ProductiononthefilmshutdownformonthswhileDeNirogainedcloseto70pounds.Inthisclip,heexplainswhyitwasimportanttohimtoactuallygaintheweight. DeNiroonwhygainingweightforRagingBullwasimportantPlayingterrifyingMaxCadyinthe1991remake,CapeFear,DeNiroreportedlypaid$20,000fordentalwork.Hepaidtohavehisteethgrounddowninordertolookmoreterrifying.Thatinitself,terrifiesme. PacinoandDeNirosharestoriesfromdecadesinactingHilarySwankHilarySwankpreparedforherroleinBoysDon’tCry,playingatransgendermale,byspendingafullmonthlivingasboy.Shelostatonofweightsohercheekswouldlookhollow,wrappedherchest,andstuffedsocksinherpantstofeelmorelikeaboy. HilarySwankdiscusseshercareerandactingtechniquesDustinHoffmanWhileshootingMarathonMan,Hoffmandeprivedhimselfofsomuchsleep,heapparentlystayedawakefortwowholedaysbeforefilmingafewscenes.Hewasinsuchbadshape,fellowactor,LaurenceOlivierallegedlyasked,“Whynottryacting?It’smucheasier.” HoffmanwasactuallyexhaustedfilmingMarathonManAdrianBrodyTheOscar-winforThePianistwasprobablymoreofareliefthananythingelse.AdrianBrodydidn’tjustdropweighttoplaytheHolocaustsurvivor,nordidjustlearnthepiano,practicingforfourhourseachday.Hegaveuphisentirelifeanddisconnectedhimselffromsociety.Hegaveuphisapartment,car,hedisconnectedhisphone,andleftforEuropetoembodyhischaracter.Heinturn,alsolosthisgirlfriend. WhatisMethodactingaccordingtoAdrienBrody?KateWinsletInordertoplayaformerNaziguardinTheReader,WinsletspokeinaGermanaccentathomewithherfamily.Ittookherseveralmonthsafterfilmingtogetbacktoherself. WatchKateWinsletdiscussheractingtechniquesDanielDay-LewisDanielDay-Lewis’commitmenttothecharactersheportraysencapsulatetheentireconceptofwhatitmeanstobeamethodactor.InTheCrucible,hedecidedtoliveonset.Thesetwasareplicaofacolonialvillagewithnorunningwaterorelectricity.Usingonlythetoolssettlershadin17thcenturyAmerica,Day-Lewisbuilthisownhouseonset. Furtherembodyingthetimeperiodofthecharacter,herefusedtowearacontemporarywintercoatontheGangsofNewYorkset,whichnearlycosthimhishealth,catchingpneumonia.Healsohadabutcherflownintoteachhimhowtocutupcarcasses—afairlycasualdecision. Andofcoursefor Lincoln,hedidn’tbreakcharacterfromsevenmonthsbeforeshootinguntilthelastday.Heeventextedwithco-star,SallyField,onlyincharacter. Day-LewismightbethemostconsistentmethodactorHeathLedgerHeathLedgerdescendedintomadnessinordertopreparefortheroleoftheJokerinTheDarkKnight,lockinghimselfinhisapartmentforanentiremonth.Inhisself-imposedisolation,hepracticedhislaughandscribbledhisJoker-likeramblingsintoanotebook.Afterall,everyactorwhoplayedtheJokerhastobringalevelofmadnesstotherole.Heunnervedeveryoneonsetwithhisstrangedemeanorandhiscompleteavoidancetoanyonewhodidn’taddresshimastheJoker.WatchsomeclipsofLedgeronandoffset. WatchLedgeraroundthesetalongwithsomeextrafootageMethodpreparationandcompleteimmersionservedthecharacterandthefilmwellinhisnearperfectperformance,butsadly,nottheactor.HisposthumousOscar-winsomehowchampionsthetechniquewhileasking‘wasitworthit?’Belowisaquickclipfromthedocumentary,“TooYoungtoDie,”asLedger’sfathergoesthroughhisnotebook. Ledger'sdadgoesthroughhisnotebookTherearesomanymoremethodactors—JackNicholson,ChristianBale,RooneyMara,MichelleWilliams,ValKilmer,ShiaLeBeouf. All,atsomepointoranother,havelostthemselvesentirelyintheircharacterstogivethemostauthenticperformancepossible. Whetherornotit’salwaysworthit,remainsupfordebate,butthere’snodenyingthecourage,skillset,andtruththeactorsbreatheintothecharacterswhentheychoosetoworkinthistechnique.UPNEXTMarlonBrando'sbestperformancesBrandoisknownastheposterboyformethodacting,andforgoodreason.Ifhehadmadejustoneortwogreatfilms,thatwouldhavebeenenough—buthemademany.OurlistcovershisbestperformancesfromacareerthatdefinedMethodactingandactingingeneral.UpNext:Brando'sbest→  Projectmanagementforvideocreatives.Tasks,filesharing,calendarsandmore.Managevideoproductiontimelines,tasks,storyboards,shotlists,breakdowns,callsheets.Madeforvideocreatives,newmediaandfilm.LearnMore➜GETSTARTEDFORFREE 1comment Methodactingisactuallythebestforme.Yougettoexpresswholeheartedly LeaveacommentCancelreplyYouremailaddresswillnotbepublished.CommentName Email Website Δ Postnavigation PreviousPostWhatisaShowrunner?WhatitMeanstoLiterallyRuntheShowNextPostTheRackFocus:CreativeExamplesofCameraMovements&Angles About LearnMore FeaturedBlogPosts Compare FREEMasterClasses Latest 3TypesofIronyEveryStorytellerShouldKnow(withExamples) BestDSLRCamera—TopPicksforPhotography&Video WhatisToneinLiterature&Film—AGuideforStorytellers WhatisDialogue—AWriter’sGuidetoSpokenWords WhatisSlapstickComedy—MovieGenresExplained Design+CodebyLeanometryInc©2021STUDIOBINDERINC. 1.3K Shares 1.2K Facebook 0 Pinterest 0 Reddit 46 LinkedIn 0 Twitter 1.3K Shares 1.2K 0 0 46 0 Copylink CopyCopied DirectingOpenmenu AuteurDirectors Cinematography FilmTheory Movies VideoGear ProducingOpenmenu Breakdowns Budgeting Development Distribution Marketing ProductionHacks Scheduling ScriptwritingOpenmenu Brainstorming Writing Post-ProductionOpenmenu MotionGraphics Music&SoundEffects EditingTechniques VideoEffects ResourcesOpenmenu BooksandGuides VideoCourses FIlmmakingTemplates ProductVideoTutorials CareersatStudioBinder SupportDesk MenuItem