Hey everyone. I'm trying to find a new scene to do with my acting coach that's different from any I've done so far.

Basically, I'm looking for a character that is pure evil. I can't think of anything specific, but what comes to mind first is a suspect on a Law and Order type show who is psychotic with no conscience. Obviously there are many variations on this type of character, but I'm looking for a scene from a movie or tv show that will really challenge me.

Anyone have ideas, or remember shows or movies with this type of character/scene? Thanks!

You already messed up by asking for an "evil" character. You can't judge a character, or else it comes off as looking really fake.

If you want a woman who does things that the audience may not agree with, try Lady Macbeth, or Nurse Ratched in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest". "Monster" is a great movie, and Charlize Theron plays a serial killer, but you never see her once judge her character. If you want someone who could be characterized as "evil", I guess that could be your best bet. However, evil is a very generalized word, so try to eliminate it from your acting vocabulary.

Prospective, I'd respectfully like to disagree with your dismissal of the word "evil".

There are "evil" characters, just as much as there are "evil" human beings (especially considering characters are supposed to be pulled from real emotions or lack there of). I would characterize someone with no regard for human-kind as evil, among many other types of personality traits. Does this mean I'm judging? No, just giving a fitting description to a behavior.

Evil manifests itself in many ways, and I will continue to use it as an actor. But thanks for your concern.

What do you mean is evil? I don't know what evil is? Evil as the devil and mean things.

Yea you don't judge characters. There is a famous saying: We all have evil in us. Some know how to stay away from it, or a dip of it or some us don't know how to control our reaction to society.

Example:

A kid plays video games. He plays them so much that he love guns. He loves playing that evil character. So he grows up and he got his daddy gun. He decided to take his daddy's gun and go walk down the city. He does this behind his parents. He pulls out his gun thinking he is in that game.


Now is that evil?

If Hitler was alive. Ask him if he is evil? I bet you know what he will say.

I will give some examples of things I'm looking for:

I just watched an episode of SVU where the kid had psychotic tendancies. He killed his neighbor, because he felt like it, had no remorse, and kept changing his emotions to try and fool the courts.

The character Ludacris played, also in SVU.

Things like that where I could really dig deep into the psyche of the character. A character that isn't who they seem.

I've been watching a lot of SVU recently, so that's where my ideas are coming from, but I'm curious to see if there are other movies/shows out there with characters/scenes like this that I haven't seen.

I think you can play the concept of evil. Especially someone who actually embraces their own evil. This can be done for comedy or satire (for example the aptly named Dr. Evil), for realism (Frank Booth in Blue Velvet) and all manner of in between.

Now, the more realistic you go, the less judgemental you should be. there is definatly some sort of sadness under Frank Booth. Same as Henry in "Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer"...no remorse for human life, but there is some overwhelming dread to him.

But when you go into absurdity (which it doesn't sound like thats what you are doing with this scene, but just for discussions sake) judge all you want. Who cares. The weirder the better! Spread anarchy with your work...not predicatable pathos!

Anyway, there are a million scenes like the one you described. Whole genres actually. Plays as well. Shouldn't be too hard to find.

Look at doing something as Col. Hans Landa from Inglorious Basterds. Playing that character is an excercise in exceptional acting, his dialog only works if the menace and intent to harm carry through the words. studying the character is to understand how a villain approaches other characters, how they think, and what they say in the subtext.

I would argue that Blue Velvet is not the most realistic of movies...stylized realism.

But anywho...Frozen by Bryony Lavery has a serial killer in it.

quote:

Originally posted by Prospective:
I would argue that Blue Velvet is not the most realistic of movies...stylized realism.

Oh yeah...I know...but since when does everything have to be realism?

I always find it striking how Americans divide so much into "good" and "evil".

I like to think in terms of protagonist. Everyone is a protagonist. At least according to themselves.

I've forgotten her name, but the character in Stephen King's "Misery" is pretty damn wicked if you look at it from an audience's perspective.

quote:

I've forgotten her name, but the character in Stephen King's "Misery" is pretty damn wicked if you look at it from an audience's perspective.

That's such an awesome character. She's doing terrible, unforgiveable things to this poor writer, yet there's depth to the character, sadness and loneliness. As others have pointed out, a character like that doesn't SEE herself as "evil" - in her mind, everything she does makes perfect sense and is completely justified. That's the key to acting: being in the character's head and seeing things from his/her point of view, regardless of what anyone outside the character would think.

Hey unc37 - you still looking for this scene? I have some ideas but the post is old and I might be late to the party. Would also be able to hone it done to choices that are age appropriate - what's the age range you're looking for?

quote:

Originally posted by uncgirl37:
Hey everyone. I'm trying to find a new scene to do with my acting coach that's different from any I've done so far.

Basically, I'm looking for a character that is pure evil. I can't think of anything specific, but what comes to mind first is a suspect on a Law and Order type show who is psychotic with no conscience. Obviously there are many variations on this type of character, but I'm looking for a scene from a movie or tv show that will really challenge me.

Anyone have ideas, or remember shows or movies with this type of character/scene? Thanks!

The character you are referring to is pretty much a sociopath aka psychopath and I'm shore there are many more "personalty disorders" you will find in the character you chose. The character dose not feel that he is evil. they often feel like they are the victim and there doing the world favor. "The dark knight" The Joker, "The Talented Mr reply" Tom Reply, "The devil Wear Prada" Miranda Priestly, "The Good Son" Henry Evans, Even the Grinch (him self) who Stole Christmas carry the same traits. They are all build differently and they all tell a unique back story.

Villains are simply heroes living in their own myths.

Many forget that people like Hitler and Stalin cared very deeply about the world. They just had a demented view on how to fix its problems.

If you "really want to challenge yourself" I wouldn't recommend anything from Law & Order. The writing isn't very good, and any work you do on it will probably seem caricature and melodramatic. Someone mentioned Lady Macbeth, and I think that's an excellent suggestion.

Celebration Jones,

I'm always looking. I do scenes weekly with my acting coach, and am always looking for good characters to play. My age range is 18-25.

Any scenes you can recommend would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

I just love the American way of categorizing things like "good" and "evil". As if it's a coin with only two sides.

"This person treated people badly!"

"Oh, how horrible! What an evil (wo)man!"

No. There's more to it than meets the eye.

I'm surprised no one suggested Iago or Richard III or any modern adaptation thereof.

quote:

Originally posted by uncgirl37:
Hey everyone. I'm trying to find a new scene to do with my acting coach that's different from any I've done so far.

Basically, I'm looking for a character that is pure evil. I can't think of anything specific, but what comes to mind first is a suspect on a Law and Order type show who is psychotic with no conscience. Obviously there are many variations on this type of character, but I'm looking for a scene from a movie or tv show that will really challenge me.

Anyone have ideas, or remember shows or movies with this type of character/scene? Thanks!