How to Act Realistically

Summary

In this video, Kurt from Small-Market Actor discusses the key to acting authentically—stopping the act of 'pretending.' He explains that acting should not resemble a performance but rather real-life actions. Drawing on Sanford Meisner's philosophy, Kurt encourages actors to truly engage with their actions, like counting or writing, as their character would. He emphasizes the importance of bringing a personal, truthful interpretation to the role, rather than mimicking other actors. Ultimately, the goal is to live the role authentically, making the performance feel real and relatable, not staged or fake.

Takeaways

• 😀 The goal of acting is to make the performance feel real and believable, so much so that the audience forgets the actor is acting.
• 😀 Acting is different from other professions because, in acting, the goal is to not look like an actor but to appear as a real person living out a scenario.
• 😀 Acting is often misunderstood as the grown-up version of playing pretend, but pretending is fake and staged, which is not the essence of acting.
• 😀 Great acting involves truly doing the actions of your character in the scene, not just pretending to do them.
• 😀 Sanford Meisner, a prominent acting teacher, emphasized the importance of the reality of doing—actors should really do things in their scenes, not pretend.
• 😀 Meisner’s exercise of counting skin creases on your hand shows the importance of doing real actions in acting, as opposed to pretending.
• 😀 When acting, if you're going to perform an action like counting, writing, or interacting with an object, you should really do it instead of pretending.
• 😀 The key to authentic acting is to avoid mimicking other actors and focus on finding yourself in the role, bringing a truthful version of yourself to the character.
• 😀 Instead of copying your favorite Hollywood stars, great actors find themselves in the role and create a personal, authentic interpretation of the character.
• 😀 Just like a painter interprets mountains in their own style, actors should approach a script with their personal interpretation rather than mimicking someone else's performance.

Q & A

What is the main goal of acting, according to the script?

The main goal of acting is to be so real and believable that the audience forgets the actor is performing and sees a real person living out a real-life scenario.

How does acting differ from other professions, like plumbing, according to the script?

Unlike acting, where the goal is to make the performance seem natural, in professions like plumbing, you can't expect people to forget that someone is a plumber while performing their job.

What does the phrase 'stop acting' mean in the context of the video?

'Stop acting' means to stop pretending or putting on a staged performance. The focus is on doing things authentically, not faking actions or emotions.

Why is pretending in acting considered problematic?

Pretending in acting is problematic because it looks fake and staged. Acting is about being real and authentic, not about pretending to do something.

What did Sanford Meisner emphasize about the foundation of acting?

Sanford Meisner emphasized that the foundation of acting is the reality of doing. An actor should truly do what their character is doing in the moment, rather than pretending.

What exercise does the script mention to illustrate authentic acting?

The script mentions an exercise where the actor looks at the palm of their hand and counts the creases on their middle finger. The key is to really do it, not pretend.

What does the script suggest about the authenticity of actions in acting?

The script suggests that actors should always perform actions authentically—if the character is counting, the actor should truly count; if writing, they should really write. The actions should come from a place of truth.

How does the script describe beginner actors' common mistake with roles?

Beginner actors often try to mimic their favorite Hollywood stars when playing a role, but this approach is not effective because it lacks authenticity and truth.

How is acting compared to painting in the script?

Acting is compared to painting in the sense that just as a painter creates her own personal interpretation of a scene, an actor should bring their own true self to the role instead of imitating someone else.

What is the ultimate advice for actors to avoid 'acting' in the traditional sense?

The ultimate advice is for actors to stop pretending and to find themselves within the role. By doing so, they will be living the character's truth and not just performing.