acting: teen/young adult : page 2........
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acting: teen/young adult : page 2........
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I don't mean to criticize anyone in any way that I wouldn't criticize myself. I think people should have fun, and have a good time, and enjoy the luck we have to be lazy...
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..But it's a balance. Our job as actors is empathy. Our job is to imagine what someone else's life is like. If you can't do that in your life, if you can't do that as a human being, then good luck as an actor. ...
It's an important thing to engage in the world, and it's just too easy not to in our society.
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..Natalie Portman / Inside the Actors Studio [site] /
above : as exotic dancer Alice in "Closer" [DVD] (2004) [Sony site]
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When someone says something nice, I wonder about their real motive. It's a horrible way to be, but if you're a hundred percent innocent in this business, you're going to be eaten alive. ... Whenever I hear that I'm on the brink of stardom, I feel like I want to run into a cave. It's a scary place to be, the pinnacle.
Kate Bosworth... [Associated Press, Jul 31 2003]
**related pages:....fame / celebrity..........social reactions / interactions: teen/young adult.~ ~ ~ ~
The twenty-year-old chorus girl had just been hired for her first dramatic role on Broadway, "But I can't act," she told the director. "Good," he replied. "Just act naturally." Somehow that chorus girl managed to take those three simple words and turn them into a lifetime and a career unparalleled in its emotional honesty, diversity and skill. This is the achievement of Barbara Stanwyck. [AFI Life Achievement Award 1987 afi.com]
photo at right from article: SPIRITUAL ANCESTORS TO XENA - BARBARA STANWYCK: WARRIOR WOMAN IN HOLLYWOOD'S GENDER WARS -
By Torey L. King~ ~ ~ ~
Isaac Mizrahi: I mean, like somewhere... the smarter you are the harder it is to act. Do you know what I mean? Natalie Portman: That's true, it's true... I mean not to be like yeah I'm so smart or anything. But I think.. the more your head gets into it, it can really mess with emotions... And sometimes with your head you get subconscious - you get all these things sort of interfering. Sometimes the most important thing is just.. not thinking and just letting go completely, and just...
IM: Turning your brain off. ...NP: Exactly..........[The Isaac Mizrahi Show, August 28th, 2002]
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I had to throw up take after take. And I was crying on set all day, because the character was so intense. I like a challenge. I don't mind emotionally draining roles; I think they're kinda fun. Mischa Barton- about her role in The Sixth Sense
[Paper Magazine, Oct 2001 - posted on mischabarton.net]
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"I
was always a little ham, but I was way more dramatic when I was 4,"
says Katie
Boland. ... Boland plays the
daughter
of Kirstie Alley in tv series "Salem Witch Trials." "Kirstie inspired
me,"
she says fondly. "Kirstie really mentored me. The best advice I got
from
her was just to be natural, not to overact." ...
"It was the most exhausting job, but exhausting in a good way," she says. "It's everything I've wanted to do. I want to go all the way in acting, to be an actor forever." She'd like to do something edgy, something like Brittany Murphy's role in 8 Mile. "I like her career," she concedes. "I'd love to do a role like that; I want to do edgy, but there are not many edgy roles for girls my age, especially in Canada." ... [from article by Rita Zekas, Toronto Star thestar.com Mar. 1, 2003] |
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| Because
of the
roles I've played, people see me as the sweet girl-next-door. I
wanted
to kill that image at least for a while. I am no more the wild,
self-destructive
girl I play in crazy/beautiful than I am all sweetness. I'm an actress
who can play both types of girls and hopefully with as much
credibility.
That's what I set out to do with crazy/beautiful and what I had to convince (director) John Stockwell I could do. John admitted he didn't think I could play a slob which I translated as meaning he didn't think I could handle the emotional range of the role. I gave him a piece of my mind and it worked because I got the part. ... I am so proud of those two films: The Virgin Suicides showed I could nail a very difficult character, while Bring It On brought a great deal of joy to young girls. These are the beautiful rewards of being an actress. Kirsten Dunst [Calgary Sun, June 27, 2001] [links: Amazon.com videos] |
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**related page:......identity.......~ ~ ~ ~
| When
I was younger I thought it was important to go after things that I
loved,
but recently, since I've been fully in control of what I'm doing, I've
been making decisions [about roles] based upon writers and directors;
I'm
taking parts to work with people that I can learn from.
I'll read a script and if I can imagine being able to strip myself down and learn something new about myself through the character, then I'll take it. ... It's not really self-growth. It's more like growth through experience. As an actress. I find that you learn a lot about yourself through acting, but it's not like travel or other self-seeking things. With acting it's like stepping back from yourself and seeing what you can learn by trying on different perspectives. ... |
 .. .. Jena Malone...[Interview mag., March, 2002] |
**interview with Jena Malone on making "Contact" - working with Jodie Foster etc [by this site author Douglas Eby]*related pages:......awareness / thinking..........identity..........On Fear
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[What
is your strongest quality?]
I think that I'm a pain in the ass. I think that being from New Jersey, even though I may not feel confident on the inside all the time, I try my hardest to project myself in a certain way and I just really - I love what I do and the thought of someone getting something over on me or making me do something that I don't believe in is just appalling. So, for me it's just like standing up for myself is the biggest thing in this business being a woman, being this blonde actress who's been in a lot of teen films, it's just about finding confidence within myself and knowing that I'm in control of my life. That's a big thing for me. ....Ali
Larter.. [imdb]
.. [beatboxbetty.com interview about her film Final Destination 2 - imdb]
....Ali Larter .... [Calgary Sun, Jan 31, 2003] |
*related pages:**courage............self-esteem / self concept..........sexuality : teen/young adult~ ~ ~ ~
There's
such
a structure and discipline that goes along with being a professional
athlete
and you take that with you wherever you go. In acting they don't hand
you
that structure. You have to make it yourself and, because I had it
before,
I know that I have to get my sleep and be mentally and physically
prepared
for those 14-hour days.
Estella Warren .. [She was a National Champion synchronized swimmer and World Bronze Medallist before starting a modeling career.] [from celebritycastle.com interview] |
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Nicolas Cage: I was impressed by the intensity of your research process for "Sonny." I might even say you put yourself in danger when you were meeting those gigolos. Did you ever feel fear? James Franco: A little bit. When I research a role it does get a little crazy and maybe even a little stupid. I never want to say, "I held back here," or "I could have done that but I didn't." Nothing bad happened to me [researching "Sonny"]... [Interview mag., Feb 2003]
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| "The
business
has become so global, so competitive and so youth-oriented, an actor
must
pay a premium, and most do so happily, in order to hire a team of
experts
to help them get the next job and to make sure that job fits their
long-term
objectives," explains Joan Hyler,
a strategic thinker who has no time for the caricature of the manager
as
a glorified hand-holder.
"Managers who spend their time saying, `More blush, dear,' aren't going to be around for long," she laughs. "But a lot of these kids get rich very quick and do need a lot of attention. Because they're often massively inexperienced, it's a manager's job to look after the serious marketing job that's involved. It's absolutely essential that someone starting out learn right away what's classy, what's not. So a manager is also there to be protective." ... [Los Angeles Magazine March, 1999] Joan Hyler's clients include Robert Patrick, Alyssa Milano, Portia de Rossi, and Diane Lane, Annabeth Gish [right] |
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| At the end of filming [My
First Mister] I got really depressed and for a little while I kind
of became like [my character J/Jennifer] at the beginning of the film.
I went a little bit too deep into her character and I was really sad at
the end of the filming.
I didn't choose to do that. I didn't say, "I'm going to be a method actress and jump into this character." But I ended up doing that. I really like her a lot. I don't mean I really like me a lot, but I feel she's an interesting person. Like Joan of Arc was interesting to play because she's an interesting person.***Leelee Sobieski **[Venice september 2001] |
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*related pages:**depression***emotion****// more about "My First Mister" : sexuality*: teen/young adult~ ~ ~ ~
When we were done shooting [Ghost World], I was ready to be finished. I was like, "Whoa, [laughs] that was a lot of... I don't know what, exactly, but I know I have to move on from it!" Whereas with Jane [Birch's character in American Beauty], she didn't leave me for a while. I was stuck in that world because it was so composed, because I wanted to continue to see the world through that perspective. I wanted to be in that hyper-alert, hyper-observant, vaguely judgmental place. Thora Birch****[Interview, March, 2002]
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The most important thing I got from James Dean was his approach to his parts and the away he made them so personal. I don't know if it's appreciated so much now, but (Marlon) Brando and Dean brought a sense of reality to their parts. And Dean tapped into this sensitivity and pain that had almost never been seen before. You try to emulate that when you act because it's so much more real. James Franco*****[CNN, Sep 9, 2002]
*Boulevard of Broken Dreams: The Life, Times, and Legend of James Dean
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More and more there's a sense that the best performances I can give are the ones that are the truest to who I am. The further I move away from who I am, the worse they are. ... And I think the closer I get to myself, the wider the spectrum of what I can play.
***Jake Gyllenhaal*****[Interview mag. Aug. 2002]
related pages:**self-esteem / self concept***courage
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Acting challenges me everyday to step-up. I think I'll progress as an actor the more I work on myself as a person. [Queen of the Damned co-star] Aaliyah's faith gave me a lot of perspective on the opportunities I have. That I must take them with fierce, unapologetic confidence because, this is all the time we've got. Marguerite Moreau******from venicemag.com interview by christopher phillips
photo: as Charlene "Charlie" McGee in "Firestarter: Rekindled" / scifi.com~ ~ ~ ~
 .. .. I would want to create an atmosphere where actors are free to feel vulnerable and take chances, where they are able to do their absolute best work... not worry about anything, at all, except showing me their take on the character. Oh, I'm so living in a dream world. That is just not how it is. Four out of five times, I go into an audition and the people I'm reading for don't even stand up and thank me for coming in. Most of the time, I'm lucky if anyone other than the casting director even says hello, or shows a remote interest in my being there. I have experienced people taking calls on their cell phones and talking during my audition.. leaving the room while I’m doing my audition... it goes on and on. Good acting comes from an actor who is not afraid to stand there naked in front of a room and bare their soul to the camera. You'd think that the uncreative philistines who run this bullshit industry would.. try to create an atmosphere where actors can relax and do their best work.// |
Now maybe I'm insane, but wouldn't it be better, and easier,
and more cost-effective, for the studios to put actors at ease and make
us feel like they do, in fact, give a shit about us being there?
If they'd do that, actors would be able to do much better work, because they wouldn't feel nervous and overly scrutinized. Shows would be cast much more quickly and everyone would go home happy. But, as I said, I am so living in a dream world. Thought for today : "If imagination is not set to the task of building a
creative life, it busies itself with weaving a web of inner fears and
doubts, blame and excuse." Wil Wheaton
[site/blog WIL WHEATON DOT NET]
Zen
and the Art of Making a Living |
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The pressures to be an actress are insane. To hold up your image and meet everyone's expectations while still being true to yourself is extremely difficult. To anyone going into acting I wish them luck because it is definitely one of the most difficult professions. Allison Mack*****[from teenhollywood.com interview - posted on Pretty in Pink site:theperfectdiem.com/pip/allison.shtml
photo from allisonmack.com
*related article:**Hollywood Balancing Act by Lynell George**/ related page:**mental health
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Most people don't get a chance to do what they have a passion for. [Acting] is an amazing job. I'm very blessed. The major thing was that I started when I was 13, and I wanted to do this so bad. When I came to LA, the words "logistics' or 'competition' meant nothing to me. I went through it with blinders on and never thought of the other things that I've seen cloud other people's minds. A lot of times those things get in the way.
Brittany Murphy [Flaunt Magazine June/July 2000]
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[You seem fairly grounded.] "It's my family. We're a Christian family, and that is the most important thing in my life. There has to be more to life than acting, and although I'm extremely passionate about what I do and want to continue this, I also enjoy other things. I think it's important to be focused, but you can't be completely absorbed by this."
Lacey Chabert [E! Online Interview, March.98] *dvd:**Lost in Space
related page: spirituality
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"Too many actresses have too many attitudes, and the same with actors. They want to become movie stars and they can't wait. I think the problem is that people are taking it too far. ... Fame isn't important to me. I think it's important to too many people today. You know, my mother was a wonderful movie star, but that's not who she is."
****Kate Hudson****[wenn.com Jan5.01]"My parents gave me a year to make it as an actress, and if I wasn't working I had to go back [to college] or I was cut off. But [acting] is so much a better education than college, let me tell you. If I went to college, I would be the most miserable being you'd ever spoken to in your life." Kate Hudson***[wenn.com Jan.18.01]
***dvd: Almost Famous
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One of the biggest edges that good child actors have on adult actors is that the young ones are blessedly free of guile or indirection. Usually the child actor's true personality is more likely to come through his or her work, especially under the all-seeing eye of the camera. Daveigh Chase's mother says the highest compliment she receives is when her child is praised for her work and for maintaining her childlike innocence: "People say, 'Your daughter is such a natural and she's still a child.' She's not into all the craziness like a lot of children her age who have grown up in this business."
from article Young at Art - by Lori Talley, backstage.com April 06, 2004
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It's not as easy as you think [being in the business], especially when you're young. There is a lot that comes with having to go to school and keeping up your grades, and you want to have time to do your extracurricular stuff. For me it's gymnastics and piano -- that's kind of hard because I compete. So it's hard to get in practice and just scheduling the hours. Sometimes you'll be here at 7 a.m. or the next day you'll be in at 12. So you can't, like, do things, because it changes from day to day. It's not a set schedule.
Camille Winbush - who stars as Bernie Mac's eldest niece, Vanessa ("Nessa") Thomkins,
on The Bernie Mac Showfrom article Young at Art - by Lori Talley, backstage.com April 06, 2004
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