Acting: Truly THAT Hard? — Page 2

But didnt Miss Caswell study at the Copacabana School of Dramatic Art?

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Exactly.

Emoting. A first exposure, feeling, reading, etc. is often one of the easiest parts. It's spontaneous and genuine. But, when you've entered an extended run following a rehearsal period of any substantial length is when acting really had to come in to play. You're saying the same words, feeling the same things, telling the same truths night after night, sometimes multiple times in one day, and yet you have to live it like it's the first time every single time.

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indeed, Miss Caswell's star rose like the sun in the east when she applied the skills she attained at the CSDA!

now... what exactly WAS Miss Caswell's star... er, ... career?

by the way, i've often done my lawyer's work for him... but i'd NEVER attempt to do an actor's job! well... maybe a soap actor's job (three reps of ten, followed by an hour on the stairmaster, then the abs... do you think i should drape the towel over my neck for the scene where edward tells the contessa he's been having an affair with jonathan?)

Updated On: 7/17/07 at 12:50 PM

I think acting is VERY hard. I know I could never do it even with all the training in the world. That said, I wonder if you really need a degree in theater to be a good actor provided you have natural talent. I just saw someone step into an off-Broadway role with no training or experience whatsoever (not even in high school plays) and do a very good job at it. Of course it's not a Shakespeare play, but still..... So, if you are a born actor, do you really need all that training ? I have no idea.

I think it is definitely that hard, but also (at times) very enjoyable. However, cetain individuals have instincts and resources that come more naturally than others (Jodie Foster).

Among other things, my favorite part is finding the specificity in each character I play (their needs, objectives, secrets, etc.). It's the detective work that is fun, making choices that get me excited and curious.

I like the "anyone can cook", obviously, you never met my Mother. For some, talent is innate but for others, it takes more perspective. Experience in life is good but you are speaking from living a full life. Very few have the real courage to do that. If you are a very nervous person, acting may not be the best route for you. Some though overcome it. It is really a choice. Whether you are enjoying yourself is truly the result of what you put into it.

I give you the "liar". Some people are so good, they fool everyone. Then there are others, who are so bad at it, you see right through them. What Acting School gives you is perspective. We are not always our best judge. Someone who has succeeded in the business and has experience does offer Actors technical skills.

It also allows those who are inexperienced to act in a environment that can be encouraging, if you have the right coach. As with all schools, you go by their success' to be your judge.

So everyone can pretend to be someone or something. The difference comes from the Actors ability to let go and be someone else. The more they allow themselves to be that character, the better the performance. That is why we give more credit to Actors who aren't afraid to cover their faces or drastically alter their appearances because it is truly the test of vanity.

Most people have their limits of what they are willing to do in front of a lot of strangers. You have to be willing to fail and work can be very random. So I would say, everyone can pretend to be some things, some won't, others can't and the rest who aren't, just don't want to.

There are so many things to do in life. I have seen people overcome so many obstacles because they really wanted to. I think those who truly want to do well, usually do. It does however take time and practice to turn into someone you have never been before. I have noticed, many Actors don't bother doing their homework or practice as much as they should and you see it on the stage. It is their Career though. Some try very hard and fail because it just isn't something they are very good at.

This is true however in all things. Some people are bad with numbers, can't write or shouldn't sing. Some can't talk, hear or listen. So, for some it is that hard, for others it is easy. Just like everything else in life.

Acting is not that hard if you're good at it - but if you are good at it, it is hard to be great at it.

Not everybody can do it and I speak as a very happy failed actor, (I knew I was Ok but I wasn't great, so why bother?).

I think 'acting' really is a natural talent, in much the same way that somebody could teach me to play the piano every day for the rest of my life and I might finally (and in my case I emphasis might) achieve competence, but I would never progress beyond that. Where as some people could become a competent piano player in a day.

But let's face it if we're being honest in terms of effort and enjoyment there are a great many professions that are a great deal harder.

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Ask Mozart if playing the piano is hard.

Some people can do it, and some can't.

Some have a natural gift, and others have to work ten times as hard to achieve the same results.

I think the problem here is you're only looking at yourself, if you've reached this conclusion.

Something that is perceived as "easy" for you... so you think it must be the same exact experience for everyone else, because you represent "all people." It's not. And you don't.

That's true with everything, not just acting.

But acting is more than just tapping into your emotions and being able to communicate them effectively. That's fine if you always want to "play yourself."

If you want to be a versatile artist, you'll need to study or practice a variety of things from accents to movement, etc. You'll need to be able to research your characters, and study history and the history of human nature, not just throw on the costume and "behave." Again, this can come easy to some, or not.

But most of the really good actors I see are aware of life, not just self-aware. The more that actors become wrapped up in themselves the less they will have to pull from as artists, and the more limited they become in their work.

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I think acting IS hard work. I know a young girl who has had natural stage presence since childhood. She lights up the stage and has the natural ability to give things life on stage. BUT because she's never had training, she's not that strong of an actress. With strong directing, she does well because she's not making the choices, but she could be amazing, if . . .

I do think that many people could be Tom Cruise or Sandra Bullock, they just don't get the breaks, aren't willing to work hard, or don't train themselves.

I don't think anyone can do the stage. There are some people who naturally get it, but that's very few and far between. If that were the case, who'd need Broadway? We could go see ANNIE at that community theatre and be wowed. But we're not. We're usually shaking our heads and wondering how the original ever made it out of previews.
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Yes. Acting is that hard. At least if you don't want to suck.

No. Not everyone needs training. But most benefit from it. For every Johnny Depp, there are ten thousand Richard Griecos.

You can learn a lot on the job, but there's no substitute for studying Ibsen and Williams and Miller and Pinter and the Greeks and Shakespeare and Chekhov. You will never do as many shows in your life as you can cover in class.

The best teacher I ever had (who used to run the grad program at Yale, so he knows of what he speaks) said that "talent is merely the willingness to live under imaginary cirumstances. All the rest is technique." I think that's genius, and I think there is a hell of a lot more to acting than just that willingness. How does the character stand? How do they speak? How do they listen? What do they see in others? What do they value?

And may I respectfully submit that in my experience, most people who don't take the time to train are not JUST THAT AMAZING. They're...well...lazy.

But by all means, if you think you've got the stuff, drop out of school and prove me wrong.

Updated On: 7/17/07 at 08:15 PM

Is acting hard? Not necessarily. Is acting well hard? Yes. As with any artistic endeavor, you don't absolutely have to go to school to be a good actor, but it helps to learn the history of your craft and to learn the many different approaches you might take. And as most working actors will tell you, what you learn in school is only a foundation. You learn most on the job. And acting isn't just doing the job once, its doing it over and over and finding ways of keeping the performance fresh both for you and your audience.

As a writer, people often ask me what it takes to be a good writer. You don't necessarily need to go to school, but it helps to have a diverse and liberal education. It helps to know about mechanics. It helps to know how to conduct research. The creativity and the passion, the original ideas, the qualities of good writing (or acting, painting, or singing) that are hard to define, are all the things that cannot be learned in the classroom.

I appreciate all of you who have given thoughtful answers to this question, but if you'd ever paid attention to the other threads Cruel_Sandwich started, you wouldn't have bothered. Great discussion anyway.

Acting is not hard.

Acting WELL is VERY hard.

I think that the main reason that acting well and acting genuine is so difficult is that you have to allow yourself to be vulnerable. And, being vulnerable is not something most humans want to do. But I think it is only through this vulnerability that emotions can be fully and truthfully tapped into. You can't be strong. You have to allow yourself to be emotionally affected by the material and your character. You can't resist, but rather allow. In addition to this, you have to remain genuine while playing something that may be completely different from your actual self. It's like being unnatural, in a completely natural way.

Point is, acting well is hard. While not everyone needs professional or college training, I think every actor who intends to act well should have as much experience as possible, both on stage (or film) and in life.

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