Is the Method ‘Madness’?
I was having an in-depth conversation with a septuagenarian I am quite fond of, when we got on the subject of my hobbies. “I still paint…sculpt…write poetry and short stories- then there’s the occasional community acting bit.-“ “ACTING?! Really…I always thought- “ she paused selectively. “What is it Gigi?” “Well, I have this way of thinking about actors and the way they train themselves to be other people- realistically…” “What is it?” “Well,…just that…I always thought if you could deceive people in that way, you might be a little bonkers.” I laughed heartily. “GiGI! How can you say that?!” “Oh, now I don’t think YOU are crazy, per se…it’s just that…I’ve heard some things…” We began expounding on the information she’d received concerning the Method- some erroneous, some with a semblance of truth. Once we cleared the air, she asked me “Don’t you feel wrong being so false? Make-believe as a child is one thing…but pretending so thoroughly as an adult seems wrong.” “Gigi, it is only to relate the story from the script; it is a creative endeavor.” Her jaw tightened just so as it does when she feels she is being talked down to. “I grew up believing that lying was wrong! You lie when you act- all those actresses acting so unlady-like on the soap operas- it is just scandalous!”
I graciously ended our conversation, and later wondered about actors who get lost in The Method and sometimes the pursuit of avenues for their creativity. Like Margot Kidder, the actress that played Lois Lane in the Superman films (1987, 1980, 1983, 1987). Her 1996 breakdown was sad to most, comedic to others. She had a skill and didn’t feel she was able to use it as thoroughly or as often as she needed, so her creativity- it seems- turned against her. This sometimes has happened to other actors in the past and recently, but Ms. Kidder’s breakdown just seemed to scream “My Method is oozing!” I wasn’t as sympathetic toward Sean Young. Probably because the grapevine is short in Ohio and we know what other aspects provoked her strangeness (some people really lose themselves in La-La land!). We more or less expect this ‘drama’ from actors of the caliber of A Nicholson, Weaver, D’Onofrio or Bancroft. Why is it that the ones who ‘shoot’ to fame on a breakout role, tend to ‘lose it”?
Perhaps it is the ‘shooting star’ complex: so much, so soon, without preparation…no struggling through almost invisible roles that give one definition. Or maybe it’s like Gigi stated, you have to be ‘bonkers’ to act that out of character.
As the recipient of writing, painting, dancing and singing genes, I know that the muse of creativity brings with it the vices of moodiness and insecurity. Here are links to more information concerning these parallels. http://www.namiscc.org/Research/2002/Creativity.htm
http://www.apa.org/monitor/nov03/plath.html
I graciously ended our conversation, and later wondered about actors who get lost in The Method and sometimes the pursuit of avenues for their creativity. Like Margot Kidder, the actress that played Lois Lane in the Superman films (1987, 1980, 1983, 1987). Her 1996 breakdown was sad to most, comedic to others. She had a skill and didn’t feel she was able to use it as thoroughly or as often as she needed, so her creativity- it seems- turned against her. This sometimes has happened to other actors in the past and recently, but Ms. Kidder’s breakdown just seemed to scream “My Method is oozing!” I wasn’t as sympathetic toward Sean Young. Probably because the grapevine is short in Ohio and we know what other aspects provoked her strangeness (some people really lose themselves in La-La land!). We more or less expect this ‘drama’ from actors of the caliber of A Nicholson, Weaver, D’Onofrio or Bancroft. Why is it that the ones who ‘shoot’ to fame on a breakout role, tend to ‘lose it”?
Perhaps it is the ‘shooting star’ complex: so much, so soon, without preparation…no struggling through almost invisible roles that give one definition. Or maybe it’s like Gigi stated, you have to be ‘bonkers’ to act that out of character.
As the recipient of writing, painting, dancing and singing genes, I know that the muse of creativity brings with it the vices of moodiness and insecurity. Here are links to more information concerning these parallels. http://www.namiscc.org/Research/2002/Creativity.htm
http://www.apa.org/monitor/nov03/plath.html
Labels: crazy actors, Non-actors and acting, The Method
posted by ScreenGoddessComplex at 2:32 PM
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