Acting -- just plain acting
Nathan Thomas
Greetings:
Well, it strikes me that lately we've used a fair amount of space
discussing the possible discussion of acting. Perhaps we'll move
onto other more concrete discussions -- like the number of angels
able to cha-cha on a pinhead. (Sorry, my head is occupied already
-- by three hair -- and thanks for asking ;-) .)
We've also decided that theatre is a collaborative art-form. Ahem.
Well, in the spirit of moving things along, I offer the following:
Which actors do you admire most? And why? (They need not be
*famous*.)
For myself, I admire greatly the work done by the late Sir Ralph
Richardson, Sir Derek Jacobi, and an actress named Jill Giles who
now works in the Big Apple. I admire this group because of some
common characteristics.
They all are able to combine the earthiest of realism with more
than a touch of poetry. There is great clarity in their work.
I understand them. They have great technical capacity to
communicate what they feel with great ease and with great empathy
that engages me emotionally and intellectually. They can combine
great comedy and drama seamlessly.
Perhaps to help direct the dicussion, let me say that in looking at
this list and thinking about what I've just written, that currently
I am very appreciative of *clarity* in acting. And an element of
'madness'/poetic realism/(looking for definition) that Ralph had.
Peace,
Nathan
thom...@pilot.msu.edu
Geoff Burkman
Nathan Thomas <thom...@pilot.msu.edu> wrote:
preamble snipped---
Nathan, thank you for instigating a potentially excellent thread. This is the
sort of thing that actors, be they theatre or film, should welcome....
>Which actors do you admire most? And why? (They need not be
>*famous*.)
snippage---
>Perhaps to help direct the dicussion, let me say that in looking at
>this list and thinking about what I've just written, that currently
>I am very appreciative of *clarity* in acting. And an element of
>'madness'/poetic realism/(looking for definition) that Ralph had
For those who missed the original post, Nathan refers to Sir Ralph Richardson.
Okay! My *dos centavos* worth....
Among the ranks of professionals, I greatly admire (in no particular order)
Dustin Hoffman, Meryl Streep, Emma Thompson, Vincent Price, Anthony Hopkins,
Nicholas Cage, Susan Sarandon, Tim Robbins, Laura Dern, Jack Nicholson,
and (oh,boy, here come the flames) Bruce Willis. And, yes, any and all of the
"great" actors (Olivier, Richardson, Jacobi, Holm, Hepburn,etc.)
Why?
Because they all FORCE me to pay attention to them. Not just because they have
attractive or interesting faces, but because they inhabit their characters to a
degree that makes me believe in them and WANT to pay attention. Almost all of
these people have been in at least a few really rotten movies, but almost
without exception have risen above the material and given us something that the
author(s) probably never intended....genuine character.
In my own acting, which is admittedly limited when compared to the careers of
truly *professional* actors, I always strive to inhabit the character I am
playing as fully as I can. I try to use a variety of technique that I have
picked up over the years (I have no formal training)---writing character
histories, imagining key events, playing around with physical mannerisms and
vocal idiosyncrasies, etc. etc., but mostly I seem to do best when I get as
deeply as I can into the character's emotional states within the context of the
work at hand. Every actor needs to understand the subtext of what they are
saying--the whys and wherefores--or he/she will never be able to truly
communicate *as that character* to an audience.
--
"...underneath our shiny fronts of stone, our fascination with
gadgets and our new toys that can blow the earth into a million
stars, we are still outside the doorway through which the great
answers wait. Not all the cameras in Christendom nor all the
tricky lights will move us one step closer to a better under-
standing of ourselves, but only, as it always was, the truly
written word, the profoundly felt gesture, the naked and
direct contemplation of man which is the enduring glamour of
the stage."...Arthur Miller
Patricia Foltz
Geoff Burkman (gbur...@erinet.com) wrote:
: and (oh,boy, here come the flames) Bruce Willis. And, yes, any and all of the
I liked Willis in *Twelve Monkeys* so I won't flame you, Geoff! ;) I
also have enjoyed Liam Neeson and Natasha Richardson. Those Richardsons
sure had something in the genes or the learning environment, didn't they?
Oh yes, I could watch Vanessa Redgrave almost anytime!
I am one of those few people who have only enjoyed Meryl Streep on very
rare occasions. Something, for me, about WATCHING her act, FEELING her
act and never getting much past watching her technique, but I will admit,
I am an exception to the Streep club.
Although he had also done some dumb ones, I still love to go see what
DeNiro is going to come up with and I admire Sir Anthony Hopkins.
She is not with us anymore, but my favorite was always Colleen Dewhurst.
Watching her on a stage always mesmerizd me. And yes, I always ran to see
her husband, George C. Scott.
Now, here is my secret: I see very, very few movies. I really don't care
for them much, but I could put *Little Big Man* in my VCR almost
everynight to watch Dustin Hoffman AND Chief Dan George. (We all have our
little embarrassments!)
Finally, you're right, Geoff....Susan Sarandon is pretty damn special and
I enjoy Christine Lahti a lot also.
Boy, were THOSE off the top of my head! Sorry to ramble. Blame GEoff, he
got me started! ;)
Pat