At Parramatta Actors Centre, we believe in providing our students with a nurturing and supportive class environment where they can grow as actors. And we understand that if you decide to pursue a career in acting, it can be challenging, even overwhelming at times. So here are 10 motivational insights, tips, and fun, from this year’s Academy Award Best Lead Acting Nominees.
1 – “I started acting when I was about 13 years old. I stumbled into doing extra work, so that got me onto sets in a very low-pressure way.” – Austin Butler (Elvis)
Published in Interview Magazine
Sourced here.
Extra work can be a great way to develop experience as a beginner with being on a professional set, without the pressure of being the main actor.
2 – “Pain seems to be easier, or melancholy seems to be easier to portray in a character. I don’t know if that’s because I’m a human being or because I’m an Irishman or both.” – Colin Farrell (The Banshees of Inisherin)
Sourced here.
This is self-deprecation, but also speaks to the emotional exploration and growth that takes place when exploring scene work in acting classes.
3 – “All you have to do is just believe in what’s there; then, the audience will, too.” – Brendan Fraser (The Whale)
Sourced here.
We put so much pressure on what technique we think we should be doing and if we’re believable as actors. But this hurts us. How can we come back to playing make-believe, just like we did as kids?
4 – “I definitely want to subvert any preconceived ideas about what you assume you may or may not get from me as an actor.” – Paul Mescal (Aftersun)
Published in A.Frame
Sourced here.
Freedom to be yourself and to explore characters is an amazing gift that comes with pursuing acting.
5 – “When I was younger…hanging out in bars with other actors, and it would get to that part of the conversation where actors discuss their process, I would go to the men’s room or just go quiet because my dreadful secret was that I didn’t have a process. And I still don’t have a process. I just never got around to having a process.” – Bill Nighy (Living)
Published in Acting Magazine
Sourced here.
There is exploring the human condition and telling story. And that looks like different things to different actors. There is no one way or perfect with what we do in acting.
6 – “If you know you are going to fail, then fail gloriously!” – Cate Blanchett (“Tár”)
Sourced here.
We don’t know how anything will turn out. It’s scary. But even if we believe it won’t work, why not go down in flames, by trying what we find fun and interesting in scene work?
7 – “This business – the auditions, the anxiety – it’s all so, aaah, crazy! But I can always call my mom in Cuba to be reminded of what real life is.” – Ana de Armas (“Blonde”)
Sourced here.
No matter what happens with acing, whether it’s in class, or on set, or wherever, it’s doesn’t determine our worth as people.
8 – “As an actor, you want to know if you’re keeping a secret or telling the truth.” – Andrea Riseborough (“To Leslie”)
Sourced here.
To give yourself power as an actor, to have clear objective, helps us to pop in any scene.
9 – “I want to be like water. I want to slip through fingers, but hold up a ship.” – Michelle Williams (“The Fabelmans”)
Sourced here.
Bruce Lee said, “Be like water.” I love this variation. You can be flexible and incredibly strong at the same time, especially with character work. Don’t be afraid to explore, switch things up, play!
10 – “As an actor, you hope to find roles that are challenging to you as an artist. Then if you are truly blessed, you will find that it also carries a message that you can impart to your audience.” – Michelle Yeoh (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”)
Sourced here.
They can be fun, sad, scary, interesting, wild… But there is always change, with the characters in a movie, and the audience watching. We tell stories. What a beautiful thing to be part of.
