Dedicated method actors
February 22nd 2010 09:32
Method acting, or as it is sometimes known, the Method is a technique where actors rely on using their own emotions for a role. It is believed to be one of the most difficult techniques to learn as there are no technical forms or lessons that can be practised to learn it. The initial approach is to recall a past experience and immerse oneself in the emotion of that experience so as to apply it to the scene presently being undertaken. Thus, this creates a new depth to a part.
The method is thought to have revolutionised acting as we know it today. It is often perceived as the antithesis of the ‘wooden actor’ by using techniques such as sense and memory to achieve realism in acting. Actors often also use vocal intonation or facial expressions to add authenticity. Alternatively, some actors choose to use their imagination to get into the mind of the character and adopt the emotions that the character would have. In both of these approaches, actors can harness real emotions in portraying their characters.
The ‘Method’ is often seen as being an American form of acting, but it was the Russian theatre director Stanislavski who wrote books on the subject in the 1930s. Its popularity grew with the work of actors such as Marlon Brando. Their style of acting, or non-acting, was considered a breakthrough in the acting world. When compared to old style actors such as Clark Gable, theirs was an acting of previously unseen raw emotion and sensitivity. Other actors who have studied the Method are Al Pacino, Paul Newman and Robert DeNiro.
Apparently the approach can sometimes present a minor irritation to other actors. For example, Dustin Hoffman once went without bathing and sleeping for two days in order to immerse himself in a role. On seeing Hoffman’s condition, Laurence Olivier his co-star in the film, famously asked him, "Why don’t you just act?"
Here is a list in no real order of some impressive roles that I can think of:
Marlon Brando
The Men – Brando spent a month in bed at a veterans' hospital in preparation. He also lived in a Veterans Administration hospital with disabled veterans, and confined himself to a wheelchair for weeks.
Robert De Niro
Raging Bull – Gained 60lbs and learned how to box.
Cape Fear – Asked his dentist to ground his teeth.
Taxi Driver – Worked as a cab driver doing twelve-hour days for a month. Additionally, he studied mental illness.
New York, New York – Learned to play the saxophone.
Deer Hunter – Lived amongst steel workers in Ohio for months.
Edward Norton
American History X – Gained 30lbs of muscle and shaved his head bald.
Rounders – Competed in the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas.
The Score – Trained with the LAPD to learn about cracking safes.
Adrien Brody
The Jacket – To prepare for scenes in a mortuary drawer, Brody spent hours on end in a 'sensory deprivation chamber', taking on quadruple sessions at a time, then during filming breaks he asked the director to keep him locked in the actual drawer on set. He also kept on the straightjacket as often as possible in between takes and refused to speak to anyone.
Oxygen – Demanded that real braces attached to his teeth rather than prosthetic ones for his role. They later needed to be ripped off.
The Pianist – Brody sold his apartment and car, got rid of his mobile phone and learnt to play Chopin on the piano perfectly. He also shed 30lbs.
Forest Whitaker
Ghost Dog – Studied eastern philosophy intensively and meditated at every opportunity.
Bird – Isolated himself in a Los Angeles apartment with only a bed, couch and saxophone until he mastered the instrument.
The Last King of Scotland – Whitaker studied all of Amin’s recorded speeches, put on 50lbs, met and lived with Amin’s family, colleagues and victims in Uganda, learnt to speak Swahili fluently and mastered the accordion.
Meryl Streep
Music of the Heart – Learned to play the violin, by practising six hours a day for four weeks.
Matt Damon
Courage Under Fire – Lost 40lbs and consequently damaged his health so much that he needed medical supervision for months afterwards. For three and a half months, his diet consisted only of baked potatoes, coffee and cigarettes.
Hilary Swank
Boys Don't Cry – Reduced her body fat to seven percent. She also lived life as a man for at least a month, including wrapping her chest in tension bandages and putting socks down the front of her pants.
Million Dollar Baby – She gained nearly 20lbs and became so buff some of her former clothes are still too small for her. She also contracted a bacterial infection from a blister on her foot during training. The infection was so serious that she almost had to be hospitalized for three weeks. Luckily the infection was caught in time and even though she had to take a week of to recuperate, she didn't tell Clint Eastwood or the producers of the film about the injury, because she didn't believe it was in character.
Christian Bale
American Psycho – Spent months tanning and exercising rigorously in order to achieve Bateman's Olympian physique, even going so far as to distance himself from the cast and crew in order to preserve the darker side of Bateman's character.
The Machinist – Lost over 60 lbs, forfeited proper rest for prolonged periods, and maintained a crash diet of coffee and apples.
Batman Begins – Gained muscle, increasing from about 130lbs to 230lbs in 6 months.
Daniel Day Lewis
The Boxer – Trained for 18 months with former world champion Barry McGuigan who later said that Lewis could definitely have been a professional boxer.
The Crucible – Etched his own tattoos onto his body.
Gangs of New York – Completed an apprenticeship as a butcher and during filming breaks frequently sharpened his butcher’s knives. He was also diagnosed with pneumonia on set after continuously refusing to wear warm coats as they ‘wouldn’t have existed in the 19th century’.
My Left Foot – during filming as paralysed Christie brown, Lewis refused to leave his wheelchair between scenes in order to truly experience the problems associated with the character’s condition even though he suffered two broken ribs.
Last of the Mohicans – Lived in the wild for six months, learning to survive on the absolute basics.
In the Name of the Father – For his part of a prisoner, Lewis lived in solitary confinement at a disused prison.
The method is thought to have revolutionised acting as we know it today. It is often perceived as the antithesis of the ‘wooden actor’ by using techniques such as sense and memory to achieve realism in acting. Actors often also use vocal intonation or facial expressions to add authenticity. Alternatively, some actors choose to use their imagination to get into the mind of the character and adopt the emotions that the character would have. In both of these approaches, actors can harness real emotions in portraying their characters.
The ‘Method’ is often seen as being an American form of acting, but it was the Russian theatre director Stanislavski who wrote books on the subject in the 1930s. Its popularity grew with the work of actors such as Marlon Brando. Their style of acting, or non-acting, was considered a breakthrough in the acting world. When compared to old style actors such as Clark Gable, theirs was an acting of previously unseen raw emotion and sensitivity. Other actors who have studied the Method are Al Pacino, Paul Newman and Robert DeNiro.
Apparently the approach can sometimes present a minor irritation to other actors. For example, Dustin Hoffman once went without bathing and sleeping for two days in order to immerse himself in a role. On seeing Hoffman’s condition, Laurence Olivier his co-star in the film, famously asked him, "Why don’t you just act?"
Here is a list in no real order of some impressive roles that I can think of:
Marlon Brando
The Men – Brando spent a month in bed at a veterans' hospital in preparation. He also lived in a Veterans Administration hospital with disabled veterans, and confined himself to a wheelchair for weeks.
Robert De Niro
Raging Bull – Gained 60lbs and learned how to box.
Cape Fear – Asked his dentist to ground his teeth.
Taxi Driver – Worked as a cab driver doing twelve-hour days for a month. Additionally, he studied mental illness.
New York, New York – Learned to play the saxophone.
Deer Hunter – Lived amongst steel workers in Ohio for months.
Edward Norton
American History X – Gained 30lbs of muscle and shaved his head bald.
Rounders – Competed in the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas.
The Score – Trained with the LAPD to learn about cracking safes.
Adrien Brody
The Jacket – To prepare for scenes in a mortuary drawer, Brody spent hours on end in a 'sensory deprivation chamber', taking on quadruple sessions at a time, then during filming breaks he asked the director to keep him locked in the actual drawer on set. He also kept on the straightjacket as often as possible in between takes and refused to speak to anyone.
Oxygen – Demanded that real braces attached to his teeth rather than prosthetic ones for his role. They later needed to be ripped off.
The Pianist – Brody sold his apartment and car, got rid of his mobile phone and learnt to play Chopin on the piano perfectly. He also shed 30lbs.
Forest Whitaker
Ghost Dog – Studied eastern philosophy intensively and meditated at every opportunity.
Bird – Isolated himself in a Los Angeles apartment with only a bed, couch and saxophone until he mastered the instrument.
The Last King of Scotland – Whitaker studied all of Amin’s recorded speeches, put on 50lbs, met and lived with Amin’s family, colleagues and victims in Uganda, learnt to speak Swahili fluently and mastered the accordion.
Meryl Streep
Music of the Heart – Learned to play the violin, by practising six hours a day for four weeks.
Matt Damon
Courage Under Fire – Lost 40lbs and consequently damaged his health so much that he needed medical supervision for months afterwards. For three and a half months, his diet consisted only of baked potatoes, coffee and cigarettes.
Hilary Swank
Boys Don't Cry – Reduced her body fat to seven percent. She also lived life as a man for at least a month, including wrapping her chest in tension bandages and putting socks down the front of her pants.
Million Dollar Baby – She gained nearly 20lbs and became so buff some of her former clothes are still too small for her. She also contracted a bacterial infection from a blister on her foot during training. The infection was so serious that she almost had to be hospitalized for three weeks. Luckily the infection was caught in time and even though she had to take a week of to recuperate, she didn't tell Clint Eastwood or the producers of the film about the injury, because she didn't believe it was in character.
Christian Bale
American Psycho – Spent months tanning and exercising rigorously in order to achieve Bateman's Olympian physique, even going so far as to distance himself from the cast and crew in order to preserve the darker side of Bateman's character.
The Machinist – Lost over 60 lbs, forfeited proper rest for prolonged periods, and maintained a crash diet of coffee and apples.
Batman Begins – Gained muscle, increasing from about 130lbs to 230lbs in 6 months.
Daniel Day Lewis
The Boxer – Trained for 18 months with former world champion Barry McGuigan who later said that Lewis could definitely have been a professional boxer.
The Crucible – Etched his own tattoos onto his body.
Gangs of New York – Completed an apprenticeship as a butcher and during filming breaks frequently sharpened his butcher’s knives. He was also diagnosed with pneumonia on set after continuously refusing to wear warm coats as they ‘wouldn’t have existed in the 19th century’.
My Left Foot – during filming as paralysed Christie brown, Lewis refused to leave his wheelchair between scenes in order to truly experience the problems associated with the character’s condition even though he suffered two broken ribs.
Last of the Mohicans – Lived in the wild for six months, learning to survive on the absolute basics.
In the Name of the Father – For his part of a prisoner, Lewis lived in solitary confinement at a disused prison.
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