The Great Acting Blog: “Actors Are Happy In The Land Of Make Believe”
“In front of camera, I feel solid, satisfied. Away from it I am empty, confused.” – Marcello Mastroianni
It’s an interesting statement from Mastroianni. Many actors feel this way though, they are more at ease when performing than when not. It’s curious because most people are terrified of public speaking, and will do almost anything to avoid it. They don’t want the glare to be on them, they don’t want to reveal themselves. We know that it takes a certain kind of person to act, and to do it well.
But why are so many actors unhappy when they are not working? Perhaps it’s because when they are on stage or in front of camera their task is clear, there is a specific structure that they are operating within (the script). Whereas ordinary life is murky, it’s messy, it’s not so clear-cut, unexpected nasty things may rear themselves. My theory is that actors are more comfortable performing because that’s when they know what they’re doing and they’re good at it. They may not be so good at doing everyday life, they may not know what they are supposed to do, and consequently, to return to Mastroianni, they feel “empty and confused.”
What to do? Some actors stage-manage their life, plotting it all out, trying to give it the structure and intensity of a script, so that in effect, they are permanently performing. This must be exhausting and time consuming, and I’m not even sure it’s desirable. The other option of course, is simply to muddle through life, and strive to spend as much time as possible in the land of make believe.
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