Playing Roles Opposite of Yourself

Posted on June 14, 2013 by Casting Frontier

Christopher Walken in A Late Quartet

When you think of Christopher Walken‘s repertoire of characters do visions of quirky, haunted, or psychotic miscreants come to mind? With such a prolific career portraying such convincing characters, one might jump to the conclusion that Christopher Walken, the man, shares some of these attributes. Ironically, according to Walken himself, he is not like the madman roles he plays. “Well, my life is really quite conservative. I’ve been married nearly 50 years. I don’t have hobbies or children. I don’t much care to travel. I’ve never had a big social life. I really just stay home, except when I go to work. So in that sense, I suppose I’m a regular guy,” Walken reflects. When asked why he believes he was consistently asked to portray roles so unlike himself, Walken explains, “Well, movies are so expensive to make that if something works you get asked to do it again. And when I started, I did well with these eccentric people. Troubled. Often villains. And that’s fine.” Walken expresses gratitude for this acting career which started in early childhood. “I can’t imagine anything else I could have done that would have given me such a nice life.” Breaking the pattern of his type-cast past, Walken was glad to be given the opportunity to star in A Late Quartet in which he portrays a gentle cellist with Parkinson’s disease. ”Yes, it was different for me,” he says. “I don’t usually get to play fathers or grandfathers or uncles. Now that I’m older, maybe I can play people closer to myself. I’d like that.”

Louise Fletcher as Nurse Ratched in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

Similarly, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest actress, Louise Fletcher–who so convincingly played the merciless Nurse Ratched character–is now 78 years old. With the passing of time, she finds she can no longer bear to watch this performance anymore as she finds the character too cruel–even though she won an Academy Award for Best Actress for the performance back in the 1970s. Indeed, Nurse Ratched has become the stereotype of a formidably aggressive woman, as well as a metaphor for the corrupting influence of power and authority that can occur in various institutions–mental and otherwise. But the superintendent of the hospital used on the set, Dr. Dean Brooks, has described Louise Fletcher as being nothing like Nurse Ratched in real life. In fact, Brooks insists, “I have found her to be angelic.” According to Brooks, Fletcher, whose parents are deaf, took time out from filming to visit students at the Oregon School for the Deaf. Also, she was devoted to her parents, tending to them lovingly as they aged, and when her friend was dying in London, Fletcher dropped everything to be there for this friend. Not exactly the ruthless qualities we immediately associate with Fletcher’s performance!

One might argue that actors should be able to portray characters unlike their true selves; that’s what acting is, after all. But, to pull them off so convincingly especially when you’re so unlike the characters is a true feat! Have you ever been asked to perform a role completely unlike yourself? If so, was it more difficult or was it liberating perhaps to be released of your true nature?

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“Play Your Life with All You Have”

Posted on June 3, 2013 by Casting Frontier

Ji-Hae Park, Violinist

One never knows when inspiration is going to hit or what form it will take. Inspiration could come from a mountaintop view, a well-written book, an unexpected conversation with a stranger, or an uplifting movie to name just a few sources. It could also come from music, as in Ji-Hae Park’s case.

Ji-Hae Park‘s goal was to become the best violin player in the world. In pursuit of prestigious concert-hall dreams she developed some of the most exceptional skills in the world of classical music. But while she was on the fast track to achieving violin stardom, her dream burst like a balloon. Consumed with the thought that her goal was one-dimensional, Park wondered if there was anything more fulfilling that music could ever give her. As a result, she fell into the depths of a severe depression, and just as she was “about to give everything up,” she discovered that the only thing that could reach her in that dark state–and indeed, restore her soul–was music. Certain musical pieces seemed to understand her pain and sense of isolation more than anyone in her life, and in doing so, these pieces gave her great comfort. Reinvigorated by the sheer emotion and poetry of the music, Park began to consider a new and deeper approach to her career as well as her life in general.

Park desired to share her musical talent with those who might be in the depths of despair hoping to comfort them in their loneliness. That is, she poured her heart out on the violin to audiences at hospitals, prisons, charities, and even among those suffering from leprosy. By doing this, she found the meaning in her life that she had hoped for all along. Now Park continues in this newfound approach–and indeed plays grand concert halls as well.

As artists, actors are in a position to seek what inspires them, to dig deeper, and revitalize their work and sense of purpose. Park puts it this way:

“I think, while I’m enjoying my life as a happy musician, I’m earning a lot more recognition than I’ve ever imagined. But it’s now your turn. Changing your perspectives will not only transform you but also the whole world. Just play your life with all you have, and share it with the world. I really look forward to witnessing a transforming world by you…”

So, here’s to you aspiring actors to find what inspires you, and to project all you’ve got out to the world–which will, in turn, certainly inspire many others. Please share with us your source of inspiration for your acting dreams.

To hear Ji-Hae Park’s “jaw-dropping” violin playing on her Ted Talk, click here.

What Villain Would You Love to Play?

Posted on May 31, 2013 by Casting Frontier

Javier Bardem as Anton Chigurh in No Country for Old Men

When thinking of characters we all love to hate, is there one in particular you are convinced you’d be the best man or woman for the job? Are you burning to play Lady Macbeth and recite the lines, “Yet who would have thought the old man to have had so much blood in him?” Or is it Cape Fear‘s Max Cady that has you aspiring to chant, “Come out, come out wherever you are!!” Or how about Anton Chigurh from No Country for Old Men asking, “What business is it of yours where I’m from…friendo?” What with having to work hard every day and be a responsible citizen, isn’t it fun to let loose the darkness every now and then? Here are a few bad boys and girls that you may aspire to play:

The clean-cut, hunky but psychotic Patrick Bateman in American Psycho asking, “Do you like Huey Lewis and the News?”
Lord Voldemort, the mutilated soul and sworn enemy of Harry Potter declaring, “I have seen your heart, and it is mine!”
The corrupted Detective Sergeant, Alonzo Harris in Training Day. “You think you can do this to me?!…King Kong ain’t got — on me!”
The Wizard of Oz‘s Wicked Witch of the West as well as Miss Gulch. “I’ll get you, my pretty!” and the classic, “I’m melting!”
Descending into madness in an isolated hotel, writer Jack Torrance announcing, “Here’s Johnny!” in The Shining.
Renegade Colonel Kurtz in Coppola’s Apocalypse Now uttering, “I watched a snail crawl along the edge of a straight razor…”
Faye Dunaway’s portrayal of Joan Crawford in Mommy Dearest insisting, “No wire hangers!!”
The volatile Tommy DeVito in Scorsese’s Goodfellas. “You think I’m funny?!…Why am I funny to you?!”
The cruel Nurse Ratched in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, saying, “You know, Billy, what worries me is how your mother is going to take this.”
The frightening Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs reminiscing, “I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice chianti…(slurpslurpslurp).”
Norman Bates seemed like a gentleman until his mother was brought up in polite conversation in Hitchcock’s Psycho. “We all go a little mad sometimes…Haven’t you?”
Angel of death, Annie Wilkes, in Misery crying out, “He didn’t get out of the cockadoodee car!!”
Kubrick’s anti-hero and psychopath, Alex, in A Clockwork Orange narrating, “It had been a wonderful evening and what I needed now, to give it the perfect ending, was a little of the Ludwig Van.”

As you know, this list of unsavory characters could go on and on. Which of your favorite villains did we forget to mention? We want to hear which movie malefactor you aspire to play. Please share your nefarious picks–and don’t forget the quotes!

How Skilled Are You as an Actor?

Posted on May 19, 2013 by Casting Frontier

“He who knows best knows how little he knows.” –Thomas Jefferson

Imagine your were given an acting-skill performance test with a group of other actors, but you were not given the opportunity to observe the performances of the other actors participating in the test. If you were asked to estimate where your acting abilities ranked among others in the study with 100% representing those with the most talent, at what percentile would you rank your skills? If you’re like the vast majority of people who are asked to rate themselves in a wide variety of abilities, virtually no one reading this article would rank him or herself below average in abilities, even though it would be statistically impossible for everyone to rate in the top 50%.

Scientists have discovered overconfidence is indeed common. Dr. David A. Dunning, professor of psychology at Cornell University concluded after a series of studies that people who do things poorly are often supremely confident of their competence level and are, in fact, more confident than those who actually are competent.

Click here to see a line up of overly confident American Idol contestants.

Those who “grossly overestimated” their abilities in Dunning’s studies were blind to their own lack of skills largely because the self-monitoring abilities required to achieve a competent skill level are likewise required to recognize competence.

“I began to think that there were probably lots of things that I was bad at, and I didn’t know it,” Dunning said.

On the other hand, those in the studies displaying high-level skills were likely to underestimate how well they performed, as they often assumed others taking the test would be doing as well as they were.

With all the mix ups in perceived and actual skill levels, Dunning set out to discover if training confident-but-incapable subjects would help their ability to properly assess their own skill levels. Thankfully, yes, it did!

So what can an aspiring actor conclude from these studies? Don’t be so confident? Wrong! In no way, shape, or form should you allow anything to mitigate your confidence level! In acting, confidence in your abilities ranks supreme and allows you to show your best no matter what your skill level at any given time. But, this study can serve as an inspiration to likewise be humble, and energize your training efforts. Never assume you now know it all. There is always room for improvement no matter what your skill level. When you remain open to learning, you can build on your communication skills, acting mastery, auditioning expertise, or on-camera technique, to name just a few examples. Following a sense of intrigue, wonder, and curiosity will serve you well over the years, and reaching out for more knowledge and skill can lead you the next level of the game and make all the difference in your acting career.

Please share what aspect of your career you’re currently working on. Inquiring minds want to know!

What Does Your Mother Think of Your Acting Dream?

Posted on May 13, 2013 by Casting Frontier

Jennifer Lawrence and her mom

Indian spiritual leader, Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, once said, “The moment a child is born, the mother is also born.” All the infinite varieties of children are as vast as the shades and hues of the mothers who brought them into this world. And as every actor has a unique personal journey that leads him or her to the entertainment industry, likewise, every actor’s mother responds to his or her dream in her own way.

First off, there are the incredibly supportive moms like Hilary Swank’s mother who was determined to do all she could to encourage her daughter’s acting dream. She even moved with Hilary to Los Angeles virtually penniless, where they lived out of a car until she saved enough money to rent an apartment. Now there’s a mother who believed in her daughter’s potential!

Then there was Jennifer Lawrence’s parents who initially felt conflicted when their daughter quit school at age 14 to move to New York. Jennifer’s older brothers, Ben and Blaine, had to persuade their mother and father to allow Jennifer to risk failure in her attempts at following her heart. Jennifer said, “My brothers called them and said: ‘You’ve traveled all over the country with us, for baseball, football and basketball. This is her baseball game. You have to support her.’ So they were forced to, at that point.” So, even though they were reticent, they pushed all their chips to the middle of the table.

Jessica Alba, who signed with her acting agent at the age of 11, plans to encourage her own children to avoid the business altogether during their formative years. She would like them to finish college, live their lives, and then, “…if they want to get into the arts, that’s fine…I wouldn’t encourage them to work in this type of environment as children.” Similarly, Britney Spears was a Disney Mouseketeer at the age of 11, and has stated that if her sons desired to participate in the entertainment industry, she would, “lock them up in their rooms until they turn 30.”

What about your mom? When you first shared your desire to pursue acting, how did she respond? Did she remind you of her aspiration for you to become a doctor or lawyer? Did she start reciting the drawbacks like ruthless competition, loss of privacy, and the financial pressure commonly associated with the field? Or was she elated because, after all, she’d already spent thousands of dollars in pushing you to become famous–something along the lines of the moms featured in Toddlers and Tiaras? Or maybe your mom was genuinely excited that you had found something you’re passionate about and set out to support you in any way she could.

Please share how your mom encouraged or discouraged you in your acting dream.