Why is it that the actors who are struggling to break through in this industry are the ones really hustling like going to workshops, studying their behinds off with every teacher from a-z, doing plays, scene studies, on camera classes, reading books etc. etc. honing their method developing their craft yet they always remain struggling to get a big break

yet the most famous actors the actors who book the most work such as people like zac efron or jennifer lawrence or chris hemsworth always talk about how they sort of just fell into acting and dont really have a method. basically they all pretty much admit to not really knowing much about acting or methods they just sort of got lucky

here is an interview golden globe winner jennifer lawrence just did about not having a method:

"In this week’s cover story, newly-minted Golden Globe best actress winner for Silver Linings Playbook Jennifer Lawrence told EW that her publicist recently turned down an offer for the 22-year-old to appear on Inside the Actors Studio. “Do you know how much that guy would hate me?” she said with her goofy chuckle about professorial host James Lipton. ‘’Tell me about your method?’ There is no method! I never know my lines! He would be horrified.”"

http://insidemovies.ew.com/201...studio/?ref=topposts


im interested to know what u guys think. it just seems like in order to book work u have to truly be free of urself and just go in and be natural and forget about any kind of thing u learned from a book or in a class. i never hear successful famous actors talking about method or anything . people like brad pitt dont even get into that stuff until way into their career when their looks fade and they have no choice but to rely on method.

Honestly, I think they got in with their looks and had some sort of "magnetism" with their personalities, like maybe some sort of "popular kids" thing. Then, there was probably a creepy manager who was attracted to them when they were younger and took them on as clients. I'll throw in "nazi-esque" managers as well--as ABC Family shows, e.g, look like they were cast by Hitleresque producers. Of course, nepotism and being connected could play a big part too.

My two cents. I know I probably sound cray-cray.

They just say that because it adds to their "mystique". Don't buy into it, it's a waste of time. I met Jennifer and she works her bum off (I met her right after Winter's Bone screened at Sundance, btw) just because she doesn't have a "method" doesn't mean she didn't work really, really hard. A lot of actors are coached to say differently to add to their public persona.

Who gives a fuck what name actors say in their interviews?

Jennifer Lawrence, Zac Effron, and Chris Hemsworth may have gotten big breaks early in their careers, but you better believe that they're working hard with top coaches to maintain their careers.

Also, actors who started young know how to use their imagination (an important ingredient in acting) and thus don't need to rely on methods. The reason for all of the different methods is for ADULTS to bring back the imagination and playing they lost while trying to grow up.

quote:

TRUTHTELLER59

TRUTHTELLER59, I applaud you for mentioning the imagination.

I know a lot of actors who are booked regularly as guest stars and they're always taking some sort of class in their downtime.

Also there are TONS of famous actors who worked their asses off and struggled before they finally got their big break.

Gene Hackman and Dustin Hoffman were voted the "least likely to succeed" in their first acting class and worked their asses off.

Morgan Freeman wasn't really known until Glory

Billy Bob Thornton wasn't known until his late 40s

Bryan Cranston wasn't working in every movie until he did Breaking Bad despite doing other stuff before.

James Franco lived in his car and worked at McDonald's before he got his break.

John Hamm wasn't a household name until way later in his career.

Same goes for Eric Stonestreet.

quote:

Originally posted by AJSmith:
im interested to know what u guys think. it just seems like in order to book work u have to truly be free of urself and just go in and be natural and forget about any kind of thing u learned from a book or in a class. i never hear successful famous actors talking about method or anything . people like brad pitt dont even get into that stuff until way into their career when their looks fade and they have no choice but to rely on method.

Methods were intended to make you "be natural and let go." Just a lot of people now teach them poorly so it gets too intellectualized.

A lot of the famous actors have studied well known methods and know to NOT intellectualize and thus come off as very natural and believable on camera.

Some of our like Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman, Tom Hanks, Meryl, Walken, etc. all talk about LISTENING. This is something people are not very good at and what some of the methods namely Meisner were designed to improve.

Because its not true

Every single one of those actors mentioned worked with an acting coach (Zach Efron to I know who it was personally but not naming the name here)

It adds to the very bad facad that Hollywood trys to portray.....that acting is this easy thing to do and sends that message out to the masses so they will keep hanging on.

Acting is not easy.....I mean we all love it or we wouldnt be doing it but you know what Im saying.

quote:

Originally posted by AJSmith:
Why is it that the actors who are struggling to break through in this industry are the ones really hustling like going to workshops, studying their behinds off with every teacher from a-z, doing plays, scene studies, on camera classes, reading books etc. etc. honing their method developing their craft yet they always remain struggling to get a big break

I think the two main answers to the question are:
- Some stars do indeed play down or even deny the training they've had just like some claim to do their own stunts or some musicians used to claim they played all the instruments on their records; people like a natural ("Nothing's so important in acting as sincerity; if you can fake that, you've got it made.")
- Some indeed are naturals, often because they started so young they learned by doing; so are some musicians for that matter. But there's not much those of us who aren't can learn from their example.

I would also like to look at another side of the opening query, the idea that people doing workshops, etc. are "working" hard at their career. It might be more accurate to say that a lot of people focus on what they THINK should be a sure path to success, "networking", taking classes, etc. Many of these people don't really seem to be driven to act for its own sake, which should be a big hint as to why they're not getting the same breaks. But maybe more to the point is: there is no sure path. That's the paradox of the creative life. While Emily Dickinson was quietly putting poems in her drawer, innumerable forgotten poets were working hard to make a name for themselves, seeking publication, etc. Both Shakespeare and Vermeer were neglected for long stretches of history, and Van Gogh had no reputation for most of his life - partially because what he worked at was his painting, not his marketing.

So wondering why various steps towards success don't work for many while others arrive with no apparent effort says way more about what people falsely expect from the profession than what it does about the specific careers in question.

I went to a workshop recently with a CD in NYC who mentioned he remembered Jennifer Lawrence from a pre-screen when she was like 13 or something.

It might seem like overnight success, but it's not. A lot of those who have fame now have been working very hard for a long time to get it.

Jon Hamm and Eric Stonestreet come to mind as examples of people who have IMDB pages a MILE long before anyone would have recognized them in a Starbucks.

I agree. I do not believe for one second that Jennifer hasn't had any training. There is no way, a humble family from Kentucky would up and move to NY on a whim because their daughter decided, just then, that she'd like to try acting out. I believe she was probably working at for a very long time (like me) and was comfortable with herself.

She graduated 2 years early just so she could pursue acting. Graduating 2 years early takes many years to to be able to do. Just ask me, I am graduating two years early, for this same reason, but I have been working at that since I was in the third grade! So, I am positive there is way more to it than just she was an over night success. If you go back to her first show the Bill Engvall Show(2007 she was 16, working as an adult) her acting was not what is is today.

That takes training, I think that was her 'natural talent, a diamond in the rough,' and now she has become polished. I also think she was handed a large portion of the gold luck gene as well, and maybe even knows someone. But this didn't just happen to her, she has been working at it, I'm sure.

I have to wonder too, if she was all just theatre or if any earlier credits were taken off of IMDb. Does anyone know of celebrities doing this? It just seems weird she has nothing on there before that.

I can tell you this, when I make it..I am not going to say it happened over night. I have worked, and hustled and I will own that!

Lots of young actors do commercials first, so you wouldn't see those on IMDb.

Check Kristin Stewart sometime though.

Well, I guess it helps that your mom is a producer. I mean, she was an extra twice, then she's pretty high up with Glenn Close? Yeah, okay!

Read Michael Caine's biography....one of my strongest inspirations as a struggling actor.

quote:

Originally posted by Brandi Alyssa:
Well, I guess it helps that your mom is a producer. I mean, she was an extra twice, then she's pretty high up with Glenn Close? Yeah, okay!

interesting.i didnt know her mom was a producer