The Great Acting Blog: “In Movies, Not In Front Of Them”

The Great Acting Blog: “In Movies, Not In Front Of Them”

I am always dumbfounded whenever I come across an actor who has failed to prepare properly for a scene. It’s astonishing because it denotes a lack of interest in the project at hand and in acting generally. What else are we to conclude when you are sat at home watching movies rather than working on the script? Perhaps it’s part of the modern trend of actors just letting the director tell them what to do. Nevertheless, I  find this attitude sickening when there are so many dedicated actors out there who are champing at the bit to do good work but struggle to get any. If you are one of those who can’t be bothered to prepare, then get lost, go and do something else, your colleagues and the audience don’t need to be denigrated by your inertia.

If your are working on a production where there is no rehearsal, common in film and television, then you need to be able to be your own director, to be able to self-direct, you can’t just show up and hope the director will wipe your ass for you. Your attitude towards your work reveals an enormous amount about who you are – you might want to think about that. In any case, why would you actively seek to relinquish control of that most personal of things, your own creativity, by failing to prepare?

Show the craft of acting a little bit more respect and you might find yourself in movies rather than sat at home watching them.

Subscribe to The Great Acting Blog