Acting Profile

Method Acting is a way of portraying real emotions within a production. It is getting in touch with past emotions and building them into a character. When Method Acting is used correctly there will be no part of the production that is dead or lifeless. Each moment will be filled with a thought or an emotion.

Around the same time that Stanislavsky brought out books about Method Acting one of Stanislavsky’s students Richard Boleslawsky formed an acting school in New York teaching Stanislavsky’s basic techniques.

Method Acting grew in demand and popularity with the great work of actors such as Marlon Brando and James Dean. Other more notable Method Actor’s include Al Pacino, Paul Newman and Robert DeNiro.

Stella Adler taught Method Acting to Marlon Brando and Robert DeNiro asking them to use their creativity and imagination to get under the skin of the character and portray the emotions that the character would experience. Sometimes Method Acting can be taken too far like when Dustin Hoffman once went without washing or sleeping for two entire days in order to understand his character more deeply. Laurence Olivier who starred with him in the film asked why he didn’t just act. Some actors get so involved with Method Acting that they actually harm themselves or someone else. Method Acting is good, but only when you know how far to take it.

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