I remember being a child and being bit by the acting bug. While I didn’t have stars in my eyes, I did want to entertain the masses through my talent. The first form of acting I ever studied, and mastered, was comedy acting. I know what you’re thinking, “How hard can being funny actually be?” Actually, very hard. Ask any actor and they will tell you it is much easier playing a dramatic role than playing a comedic one. The reason for this – in order to truly be funny, you must first find your own sense of humor…or, find your funny.
Finding your funny sounds easier than it actually is. The first step of doing so is asking yourself several questions (introspective thinking is the foundation of any actor). Ask:
“How am I funny?”
“What about me is funny?”
“What aspects of my personality make me funny?”
“Do I walk funny or talk funny?”
The first step in becoming a successful is to uncover exactly what makes your funny different from any other persons “funny.” Your own personal sense of humor is what makes you unique. It’s what sets you apart from all other comedic actors.
Take a moment to think about the great comedic actors of our time. Each of them have their own personality; their own unique way of delivering lines and moving their body. It is this uniqueness to their funny that sets them apart and makes the enjoyable to watch.
It is said that comedy is derived from drama, and drama is derived from pain. Thus, ultimately comedy is a byproduct of pain. This is evident by talking with some of the most successful comedy actors. Many of them came from a troubled childhood or were bullied in school. It is this hardship that helped cultivate their “funny” or humor.
Now this is not to say that you must come from a horrible childhood or have been bullied in school; however, it means that in order to truly find your funny, to find the aspect of your craft that makes you unique, that identifies you as a comedic actor, you must look deep inside and export items from your past that you may use to your advantage.
Finding your funny is not an easy process, nor is it one that will come quickly. While some of us were blessed to instantly have our own unique “voice” others must work at it. Delve throughout their memories and try on several “voices” until they find the one that truly makes them unique and enjoyable to watch.