I was thinking how can you tell the difference from a bad actor and a good actor. It seems that the all the ones on movies, and television are good. Except for the little few that are just bad.

Like they all seem right...

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I am asking this because even though I have no training, and hardly any experience I know that I can come out in character because I attempted it a few times in the past month. Like I imagine I am this, and I can do it believably (even to the point of crying). It's like a another soul possessing me when I do it.

when you say character r you saying a specific character or that you r a "character actor" which is basically an actor who banks on getting pigeon-holed and stereotyped. In my opinion. I judge actors by their naturalness and ability to interpret and change without imitating another actor but studying the way that character truely is and becoming that person. They dont have to be overly dramatic but they are interesting and everything they do is nessecary. Charisma and intensity. Passion.

I think alot of people tend to experience getting "sucked in" to a bad actor as well as a good actor cuz you find yourelf trying to stay in tune with the story. However, in class, I always have to pull myself out of that to really observe them which is what casting directors do. Thats how you see if someone is an Angelina Jolie or a Paris Hilton.

No, I wouldn't even consider character acting, I mean like get into the role and make it yourself. I use the word character as another title for role.

If I act it's natural, and not like I control each facial expression and talk at the same pitch.

To me, a good actor is someone who can fool people and look natural, like someone who'd be hired for Candid Camera or maybe a talk show host. I hardly watch TV or movies any more, but I remember it being full of over-actors. I can act like a real person in various situations, but I'd probably have to liven it up to get a part. So don't be good by my definition if you want to get work.

I've always found it funny how real reporters sound one way and dramatizations of reporters sound all acty. That tells me that people know how to act like a normal reporter but actors do it differently anyway. Same for interviewees.

I honestly don't think there is a formula that makes a good actor good. Each person is unique.

It's almost like a light switch...your understanding of what acting is hits a critical mass, and BAM...you 'get it.'

I have been tooling around with a video camera since I was 13...I was pretty bad at a young age, but as you watch my videos in sequential order...you get to a point where there is a brief break in my home movies...and then a year later I come in and without a doubt the light switch was turned on (around 16) and there was a massive difference in believability and conviction. I can't pin-point what got me there...it just happened. Like evolution.

Bad actors are like people who aren't genuine. Some are just more easy to spot then others.

If they can move me or be realistic in their role....that's when I think, wow, they can ACT.

I don't even know if I can answer that. I tend to be hard on others... and even harder on myself. And there is so much more to acting than watching what is happening on stage/screen.

Some people "play themselves" brilliantly. By that, I mean they don't appear very multi-dimensional, but have a very natural feel and approach. They take the text and apply THEMSELVES to it.

Others play the text, the subtext, and the sub-subtext better than most. They literally create their dynamics according to the character that is written.

Neither approach is wrong (IMO). But the latter portion tends to get more respect. That's just the way it is.

And then you have to consider the director's influence (or lack thereof). I've seen many incompetent directors take a brilliant talent, and reduce him/her to someone I woulnd't watch in a million years. On the flip side, I've seen incredible directors take the most mundane talent, and raise their performaces to award-winning status. The same can be said about how the surrounding cast affects their performance.

At the end of the day, I suppose a good actor (to me) is someone who not only has the natural ability/talent, but also has the tools and the discipline to do the work involved - to be able to take what someone else has written, analyze that character, study him/her, learn what makes him/her tick, and create a entirely new person from just a comparitively few pages of dialog.