Method Acting: By Robbie Ramirez and Garrison Stallings (10)

Method acting was created in the 1930s by Russian actor/director/instructor Konstantin Stanislavski. Method acting involves an actor completely succumbing to “emotional memory,” or using memories from the actor’s past to inform the emotions of the character’s present. Ultimately, method acting was developed further by Elia Kazan and Lee Strasberg. Using this new form of method acting, an actor can completely submerge themselves into the consciousness of the character, often leading to them thinking or acting as their character would in everyday situations, even outside of the play or film.

Some notable actors that use method acting techniques are Marlon Brando, Dustin Hoffman, Heath Ledger, Jim Carrey, Michael Caine, Anne Hathaway, Johnny Depp, and Leonardo DiCaprio. These actors use method acting to enhance their talents, giving stunning, truly authentic performances. That is why they use method acting: to give a believable performance because, for all intents and purposes, the actor becomes the character.

However, using such an intense technique can have a negative effect on the actor. In 1999, Jim Carrey starred in Man on the Moon, a biographical film about the life of comedian Andy Kaufman. In the 2017 movie Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond, Carrey talks about his performance and how he “lost himself” in the role. “I didn’t black out, but the balance was way in Andy’s corner,” said Carrey, who went on to win a Golden Globe Award for his performance in the film. “I broke a couple of times on weekends and stuff, but pretty much from when I woke up to when I went to bed, the choices were all his.” After filming was done, Carrey describes leaving his role as such: “It’s disconcerting at first because it’s a death. Like, ‘Wait a second — I worked really hard putting this thing together.'”

This type of “genuine performance” from actors can also be forced on them by directors. Several movies have actors going through intense situations just to enhance their emotions for the film. The most famous recent example of this is 1999’s The Blair Witch Project. During filming, the directors wanted their actors to feel genuine fear of the imaginary Blair Witch, so they planted actors within the town of Burkittsville, Maryland to spread rumors about the Blair Witch, telling stories about it to the unsuspecting main cast. They also put their actors through rigorous, often abusive events throughout filming, not just when the cameras were on. The actors were forced to walk through rough forest terrain for three days and were deprived of sleep and food during this time. These techniques proved profitable, though. While the budget for the movie was only $60,000, it made $248.6 million at the box office.

While method acting is a very effective way to make believable characters on stage and screen, it can take a toll on the health of the actors. Ultimately, we have to ask if it is worth having great art at the sake of these actors. Is authenticity worth the suffering of the artist?

Quiz Questions

1. Who originated method acting?

2. Who is one actor known for method acting?

3. In Man on the Moon, what comedian did Jim Carrey play?

4. What award did Jim Carrey earn for his performance?

5. What 1999 movie had its actors go on forced marches without food or sleep?

Discussion Questions

1. Do you think that actors should be expected to take on the mental labor of method acting?

2. Should directors be able to push actors to these emotional extremes for the sake of making art?

3. Do you think that, on some level, artists need to suffer in order to make great art?

4. Can we truly become another person just through acting as them? Or are we only ever able to pretend?