How to Study Method Acting

Method acting is the process an actor uses to become the character she seeks to portray. It is accredited to Lee J. Cobb, the actor who played Willie Lomax in "The Death of a Salesman." He based his interpretation of the tragic everyman on an elephant locked in a local zoo.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Explore your character's past. Each person has several emotional experiences that impacts his personality. Discover what those experiences were for the character you're playing.
2. Take each experience separately and focus on the feelings and reactions of the character.
3. Recall similar experiences in your own life. Think about the room you were in, the weather, the people around you and their actions. Bring up as many of those emotions as you can, and focus on reliving the moment.
4. Use the way you feel to convey how your character feels both physically and emotionally. Portray your character with all the nuances and depths of the emotion you yourself have experienced.
5. Continue to dig through each of the experiences that altered and shaped your character. Layering these experiences will add the dimension and realism, whether you're portraying him in an acting class or on a Broadway stage.

Tips & Warnings

• Talk to other actors who successfully use method acting. Use their knowledge and insight to help develop your own skills.
• Consider taking a method acting class. The feedback you'll receive from fellow students and the instructor is invaluable when you attempt to adopt a new persona.