Relationship = Believable Characters

For my wonderful students in Hong Kong:  Yes Yes I am returning to Hong Kong to teach. Jason and I are working on a schedule and working out the details.  Until that is announced I understand you would love some reminders of what to do to create believable exciting characters.  So here is a reminder of what is important when making your role exciting and believable. 

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It’s All About Relationship.

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Today I want you to look at the relationship between your character and the other person in the scene.  Have you taken the time to determine who is the other person to your character?   I am sure you are going to tell me that you did that already.  But did you go far enough?

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You say to me, “She is my wife.”  That is just the place you should start not stop.  You need more details, than just she is my wife. Is she your wife who has just done something you hate?  Is she your wife who is hurt or injured?  Is she your wife who you trusted yesterday but now in this moment you don’t trust?  You must add details.  Exactly how are you feeling about her at this moment?  

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Take some time, grab a notebook and write down how you are feeling about her before the scene begins.  Pretend you are talking to your closest friend and confide in him about her.  Tell him everything you are thinking and feeling at this very moment.  Tell him about her as if he has never met her, describe her and your relationship to her.   Yes, your feelings and opinions may change but fill yourself up with how you feel about her at the beginning of the scene.  Once you have actually done the work, it is there in the back of your mind, so when you see that person you will see her through this filter.   If you do, the scene will start in a very believable moment.  

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Why is this so important?  I cannot tell you how many times I have seen an actor start a scene without knowing this information.  It is as if he is starting in “neutral”.  Well that is not believable because real people, believable people, always have opinions about the other person even a stranger.   That is your goal, to be believable, so believable that your listener, the audience, is driven to watch you.  Can’t take their eyes off you!  

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In real life we have all this information in our mind and memory.  We are not aware of it but as an actor you need to make sure you have filled up the “memory disc” of your character with everything you need to make me believe you are this character and a very important part of this information is the  relationship you have with the other person.  

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Don’t forget this.  Until the next blog, remember your bottom line is believability.  

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Jeanne Hartman has been a professional acting coach in Hollywood for over 20 years.  She also teaches in Hong Kong and has a new book called “The Right Questions for Actors”.  EndFragment