[laura_drama_queen]

what, in your opinion, makes a good actor. What does an actor have to do to win/get nominated for a tony? and how can actors improve??

[Robinflamingo]

Joey: Good evening. I’m Mr. Tribbiani. And I will be teaching acting for soap operas. Now um, on my first day as (proudly) Dr. Drake Remoray on Days of Our Lives, (looks for a reaction from his students, and gets none.) I learned that one of the most important things in soap opera acting is reacting, this does not mean acting again, it means, you don’t have a line, but someone else just did. And it goes like this. (looks all intense for a moment and then gasps, the students cheer him) Thanks, thanks, a lot. Oh, by the way, before I forget to work in soap operas some of you will have to become much more attractive. All right, moving right along.

But seriously, I think the most important skill in acting is LISTENING. And by the way, if someone can actually look at you, and say Look At Them Act~ you aren't listening.

[Dvarg]

Oohh, tought but interresting question!

I am not positively sure, but I think it at least involves being unusually good at reading and interpreting text, and being able to pass the interpretation on to the audience - or at lwast being able to give the impression one manages to do this. The interpretation by the actor/tress ought to be coherent and sensitive.

IMO this also applies to the question of what makes a good singer in musical theatre (in addition to the obvious technical abilities required).

[Da_Dark_Dude]

a good actor becomes the person he/she is playing in the most believable way possible

Steve

[AllThatJazzHands]

A good actor is someone who can grab you from the first moment they appear on stage/screen. And from that moment on, you completely believe they are this person. They have spent so much time and effort on fleshing out this character that the line between actor and character is very vague.

That's what I think. Especially in monologues. When an actor is saying his/her lines and then they get so involved that by the time they've finished you've forgotten that you're watching a play/film.

[Salome]

a good actor has nothing to do with awards they win many undeserving actors have won awards..and many great ones have not.

being a good actor is being in tune with yuor role..making it real..feeling it and above all connecting with your fellow actors.

[Jenem]

[Jordan]

Heh, the Joey Tribbiani thing... 'Smell the fart acting!'

[Angee]

[theatrefanatic]

Characterization

[Salome]

[MaryMag]

I think it's going up there and behaving as close to how people truly behave that you can. I guess you can call that honesty or truthfulness or something. I just extremely dislike how, suddenly when someone gets on a stage, they stop behaving like real people do.

For example, they suddenly become very eloquent and don't stumble over their words like the average person does. Yes you are given specific lines you must follow, but you need to say them like people say them. And, among other things, that can sometimes mean occasionally starting before the other person is done talking - like people behave when they're not on stage.

I'm not gonna detail all the things I see some actors do that exemplify what I mean, cuz there's too many. But do you understand what I mean? Good acting to me is not acting at all, but just going on stage and dealing with the obstacles your character has been given. And I guess talking loud enough for the audience to hear you dealing with those obstacles.

[Eponine93]

^ That's a good response. I think a lot of people judge actors, especially child actors too hardly. For example, if we're doing a skit in my Literature class (which happens a lot) and I stumble over a word or two, my friends will be like "You need to memorize your lines better" ect. And then if I deliver my lines perfectly they're like "You're too perfect, you're overacting."

laura_drama_queen, are you looking for tips on becoming a better actress? The only tip I can give you is not to really anticipate a line unless a director tells you so. Try not to think about what the other actors are going to say next because then it will come through. And use the reliable Joey Tribbiani method. Reactions are important.

[Cake_in_Song]

A good actor is honest.

[LaurelDP]

A good actor is focused and relaxed. A good actor pursues an objective with high stakes.

They share their energy with the audience, their environment, and their scene partners. They aren't selfish. A good actor should be prepared to take risks and fully commit to their decisions, no matter how stupid they may be. They should also be flexible, and not at all stubborn, and open to suggestions and other visions.
A good actor strives knows everything about their character, and strives to completely understand their relationships with other characters.
A good actor knows the text and sincerely understands the author's intentions.
A good actor knows that it's not all about them.


This is why stupid people should not act. It's a million things more than just emoting an author's words and "saying them with feeling".

[gulliver]

I like this thread.

My girlfriend and I were watching a movie this past weekend and asking ourselves the same question, specific to the movie we were watching.

I agree, facial expressions and their changes really do count for a lot. But, most of the time, it's just familiarity, I think. See Mr/Ms McXYZ in 15 movies, and we know what we're getting. It's like hearing the same song on the radio 50 times over, how can't we either love it or hate it.

Really, It's the industry feeding us a product and us "pop"ularizing what we feel fits into our lives at that given time. Like cows and a favorite dog, kind of true when you think about it.

[Kaaatrina]

[star2ballie]

[Jesus]

A good actor must be the best at playing themself. They must know themselves beyond what they ordinary person knows about themselves, because in truth, all you have is yourself. Your experiences, your emotions. Watching a real human being (aka yourself) is one million times more interesting that watching a "character" which is a word thrown around far too often. The goal of an actor is to turn themself into the "character" but also the character into themself. In this way the audience is privy to truthful, honest, affecting, compelling acting. Because if you're yourself you can't lie. The more you know yourself, the more present you can be.

Also, BREATHING! People don't realize the true issues with breathing until it's pointed out. The majority of people, meaning 99.999999999999999% stop breathing the moment they start talking infront of a group, or they start talking about something that hurts or that is personal and emotional...why? Because breathing is the doorway to emotion. And in our world, we try to avoid emotion, so we take shallow, superficial breaths to avoid feeling those emotions. Think back to a time when you broke down. Something major happened and you found yourself in a fit of tears...you may not realize it, but you're HEAVING. Your breathing so deep and dropping you breath so far down...then notice that when you try to stop crying, you shallow your breath to do so...Breath is the actor's greatest tool aside from himself.

[Beagle On Stage]

I really approve of actors that aren't afraid to give a role a new take. Much too often, "everyone knows" how a certain role is "supposed to be played," and a very nice performance of it is given...but you might as well just watch the movie because it's just a carbon copy of the one everyone's seen before. A good actor knows what to do with a role and can find the balance between creating a new interpretation of it and not going too far and just scaring everyone. At the same time, they can take direction. I wouldn't say that's the only thing that defines a good actor, but for me the ability to create something of their own is very important.

They should also be versatile. It gets incredibly boring to see a certain performer do 10 different roles, but they're all exactly the same, no matter how diverse a canon they've taken on. It's inevitable that we all have our "specialties," and that's a good thing because it gives variety. But if you're known for playing "Ado Annie" roles it doesn't matter how well you do it - no one wants to see you do Reno Sweeney, Lady Larken, Evita, Mrs. Potts, Mary Magdalene and Snow White as Ado Annie. You don't have to be a complete jack of all trades, but seriously, have some range. (Of course, there are exceptions to every rule and a few people are able to make a career out of something definitive they manage to nail every time. But it's unwise to presume that you or anyone else will necessarily be able to.)

One more thing to consider. You're really not supposed to be a "diva," but I have to say that there's really an art to it, and it's sometimes quite appropriate for certain roles. It's spectacular to see a persona that the company's patrons know and love come onstage and shower in the applause while sending out a distinct vibe of "I know you love me, but shh, I'm in character," while still not crashing the show with it. Most people don't deserve to do it, and many that do can't handle it without going over the top. But don't completely discount it because it's precious when it truly works.

[what_the_heck013]

[Robinflamingo]