Method acting is something with a certain amount of cachet in Hollywood, particularly among male actors, as this video discusses.
I may get some pushback on this one, and that’s okay. You don’t have to agree here, this is just my advice based on my experience, and that of others whose opinion I respect.
Here it is: “Method” acting is baloney.
A warning about “Method” acting
With apologies to James Dean, Marlon Brando and Jared Leto, in my experience Method as it is commonly understood is unsafe for the actor, for the people in the actor’s life, and does not improve the performance.
In short, “Method” acting is when the actor gets so deep into the character, they start to believe it is real. Method actors do not let the character go when they go home at night. Method actors go out of their way to experience things their character might have experienced.
There is value in preparation and in dedication to a role. Method actors — or those who think they are doing Method — take it too far.
For haunt actors, the first problem with Method is obvious: we portray killers, monsters, victims: kinds of character it would not be healthy to actually be. Haunt actors have brought their character home before, and it goes poorly.
Safety is another reason Method can be a problem for us: we need actors to be able to pop out of character at need, in case of emergencies, or to work with the leadership or trainers. Even on breaks, keeping in character can be annoying or confusing to people tracking breaks, giving out food, or just trying to relax on their own break.
And Method was developed for stage and screen. Even if it does work to produce better performance (in my estimation it really does not), it’s a show you do once a night, or a movie you do multiple takes on but go back to a trailer at the end of the day and you never have to interact with the real world until the end of the shoot. We perform our bit hundreds of times a night, then go home to our loved ones. Not the sort of thing Method was developed for.
That said, if it helps you to keep in character to do deep preparation, that’s great. Research, try things out, spend time imagining things from the character’s viewpoint. We want you to be in character during the show — as long as you can switch it off enough to handle emergencies or take direction. If you have a hard time getting into character, you may try putting it on early, or keeping it through breaks — but be aware, you still have to deal with human beings, and they have not paid for the show, they are your coworkers. Let the character slip enough that you can do the business required of you.
And please, do what you need to to shake that character off at the end of the night. It’s not healthy to hang onto. Your safety is more important than the performance.
Like anything, a process can be useful, but when taken to extremes it can become pathological. Method is not an excuse to escape your life. It is not an excuse to be cruel to the people around you without consequences. And it is not an excuse to put anyone’s safety or health in jeopardy, including your own.
Ultimately, develop what works best for you. But don’t believe the hype. Extreme Hollywood Method men are not the best actors because of the Method. Acotrs of all sexes become good through dedication, work, insight, and a willingness to develop. If you believe in natural talent, fine, but good actors don’t rely upon it.
They work for it.
Haunted Spoons 