In dramatic acting, you are given a unique opportunity to uncover the hidden and dark recesses of your characters’ mind. I have found that within a dramatic acting scene, I am able to explore corners of my character’s mind that are rarely touched when performing a comedic or horror-genre style of acting. While performing to this extent is enjoyable, exciting and thrilling, you must do your homework in order to deliver a truly believable performance.
Uncovering your character is a long process, and it should never be rushed. Although it may take time to uncover the true nature and objectives behind your character, the payoff is a performance that strikingly mimics real life. When you’re playing a dramatic character, it is easy to get caught up in stereotypical ways of playing a character; however, when you truly uncover your character you’ll find that your character choices are far from stereotypical as you will be portraying a real, living and breathing person.
What Motivates Your Character
In life, we are all driven by motivation of some sort. Even those who are extreme procrastinators utilize the motivation of being lazy to do nothing. When you’re uncovering your dramatic character, it is important to dust off the core motivation of your character as well as the momentary motivation.
Discovering the motivation of your dramatic character is done by reviewing your script and analyzing his dialogue. However, you must delve deeper – look beyond the written words and into the motivation that is causing the character to speak in such a manner. There is no such thing as “fluff sentences” in a screenplay. Every word, no matter how meaningless it may seem, has a purpose. It is used as a stepping stone to guide the audience throughout the story, and it is your responsibility to discover these hidden desires.
Why is Your Character in a Situation
Think about your favorite dramatic movie and the primary character within this film. For this section, I’m going to use my favorite film, “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.” In this film, Jim Carey (the lead character) is led through a myriad of unique and strange situations. The reason why he’s in these situations is because of his love for “Clementine,” brilliantly portrayed by Kate Winslet. His desire for her caused him to undergo some strange scenarios. Your character will cause you to encounter different and strange situations; however, the main question you must ask yourself is why are you in this situation. What did your character do to put you in this situation. Is he there by his own choices, or is he there because of someone else? Discovering the answers to these questions will help you uncover the true identity and personality of your character.
What are His Hidden Desires
We all have hidden desires. These desires are never spoken of, and are rarely ever referenced through conversations; however, they are there. Much like real life, your character is full of hidden desires. These desires are not the ones spoken about in dialogue, but ones that are hinted at. They may not even be referenced, but it is these desires that drive a scene forward and add a realistic element to a dramatic performance. While you’re reading a script, try to determine the hidden desires of your character. Write them down, and don’t be afraid to change them as you get to know your character even more.