Method Actor Character Analysis

When actors ruminate for an extended period of time, their friends and family become frustrated and often pull away leaving that actor alone and isolated. Method actors tend to forget themselves. This is due to emotional memory: otherwise known as empathy. If not trained properly, method actors will push the limits to the point where the emotional memory alters the actor’s mind. Many method actors are not trained to control emotional memory; therefore actors might experience emotional aftereffects from performing (Nolen-Hoeksema). When actors experience extreme repercussions, the people closest to them pull away. When an actor who is experiencing aftereffects is left alone, it can worsen their cognitive health thus making them unstable. In …show more content…
Technique actors learn the physical emotions of the character when method actors learn the internal emotions. Since technique actors do not become one with the character, technique actors are not impacted as negatively as method actors. Thalia Goldstein says, “Actors must be able to grasp subtle aspects of their character’s intentions, desires, motivations, beliefs, and emotions in order to create a realistic portrayal of a complex human onstage or screen. This “cold” understanding of the character’s mental states is what allows the actor to adopt the perspective of the character and see the world through the character’s eyes”. If the actor does not have control, the mental state of the actor is at risk. Fully embodying a character can be very rewarding through the quality of the performance however, it can also cause major depression episodes. Because rumination and emotional recall can cause hormonal imbalances, it can also lead to depression. The hormonal imbalances associated to depression has to do with a person’s natural reactions to stress. When an actor ruminates, they create emotional arousals that causes the release of stress hormones. Later in the night during REM sleep, the actor becomes emotionally aroused again as the REM stage causes the emotional arousal is driven out from the brain. This is the cause of imbalanced stress hormones and increased fatigue and …show more content…
Because method actors understand their character’s mental state, it can help the actor understand their limits of their own mental state. Through thorough research of the method technique, acting teachers can become more educated in the psychological effects of method acting. In doing so, injury and mental illness can be prevented in the future. Method acting has the power to convince an audience the way Stanislavski initially intended. The method technique also teaches actors how to affect themselves. All of this seems rewarding, however, it comes with a sacrifice. Given the difficulty of coping with the intricate state of the human mind, particularly by unprepared practitioners, the safety of the Method lies in uncertainty. These concerns, when coupled with potential mental illnesses, indicates that the method technique should be approached with caution (Elvis Kildow,