2007 Oscar Roundtable: Getting Into Character

[11msmarish]

Leo is a legend

[779142525]

leo, i love you so much~~

[mecagoenlaleche98]

Is it just me or does every actor have like 3 bottles of water?

[leorocksmyworld5]

LEO is so talented and brilliant .... he just blows my mind, he is such a fine actor.

[mjkingofmusic]

Brad Pitt!!!!

a legend

[lmcgee]

leo god damn nardo. DI FUCKING CAPRIO.

[Cineman513]

its cool seein all these guys together

[ForeverNeverland100]

Leo DiCaprio.

[HelloSignHere]

Odd looking round table. haha

[amandaabbyx3]

I LOVE LEOOO!!

[jackerooskie]

LEO IS LEGEND.

[luhole]

i love leonardo's honesty - i doubt many actors of his calibre would admit that they only have 1 or 2 moments every film in which they really lose themselves in the moment - because that is the goal of every actor

[theQuest88]

Brad and Leo together.....<3 <3

[jujuheels]

get a pitcher of water and some glasses, shocked leo is drinking out of plastic

[PaintedMaypole26]

The worst thing is when you are onstage, which - unlike Leonardo Dicaprio said for movies - doesn't have the camera on you and you are completely in the moment. In my theatre we are doing Othello, and I am playing Desdemona. I love this play and adore being Desi, but I'm having issues being unable to break character when I step offstage. Yesterday we did two high intensity scenes in which my character falls apart, and I was a detatched mess for hours after. Today we did the smothering scene,

[PaintedMaypole26]

@PaintedMaypole26 and I was an emotional wreck. I was shaking and crying and losing my mind - much like my character was at that point in time. Whenever a line from one of these scenes comes into my head, or I see my Othello looking at me or talking to me in my mind, I begin shaking and tearing up again. I wonder how it feels for film actors to go through this.

It's gotten so bad that I need to find my director to talk me out of character, because this is psychological torture for me.

[SupernaturalLover67]

@PaintedMaypole26 Quit with the method acting then, mate.

[PaintedMaypole26]

@SupernaturalLover67 I DON'T method act, and you clearly misunderstand me when you say that. I had gotten into character in a moment on stage and I couldn't break it offstage. My director does not encourage and frowns upon method actors, and we as actors in the theater never attempt it. You insult me by suggesting that I would purposely do that. I (and a few others) simply focused into character right before getting onstage and needed help getting out - it was a mistake and scary for all of us.

[SupernaturalLover67]

@PaintedMaypole26 Didn't mean to offend. Sorry.

I just assumed, seemingly incorrectly, that you were method based on the way you spoke of your experience. "I was shaking and crying and losing my mind - much like my character was at that point in time." You also mentioned De Niro, who is method, so you got me going on that one. Good day.

[PaintedMaypole26]

@PaintedMaypole26 I'm only 15 as well, so to go through this is hell. Being in character when you shouldn't be is like being possessed by someone who doesn't exist - you still think like yourself, you (sometimes) move and understand things like yourself, but at the same time there's this other part of you that is reacting to everything the same way your character would be, and it can affect your emotions, attitude, and even movement. Getting in and out of character should not be taken lightly.

[PaintedMaypole26]

@PaintedMaypole26 So sorry for the long post(s), but I wanted to end saying that it's great to be able to get in character quickly, but you need to get out when the camera stops rolling or the scene ends. This happened to a friend of mine when she played Desi in the spring homeschool production at my theatre, and she had a ton of stress to go along with. Learning how to get out of character is one of the tools of the trade, because getting stuck can cause a lot of psychological harm.

[MegaDontbestupid]

@PaintedMaypole26 you're comments are interesting, i mean obviously i feel bad for you that you have to go through that but i've always been interested in what you're saying. i mean i'm 15 as well and i'm no where near becoming an actor but i've never understood how some actors can become so in character that they actually feel like an emotional wreck. i don't understand how some actors can make it so real for themselves, that they actually become that emotional. i've always found it intriguing

[PaintedMaypole26]

@MegaDontbestupid It really is a psychological thing. Desdemona is nowhere near my personality, but my directors way of getting us into character is putting us in a meditative state where we can completely meld with the character, but are able to separate on a moments notice. I've always been able to, but with Desi a fear of smothering connected me to her from the beginning, and when we got to the high-intensity scenes I really just lost control. It's incredibly hard to explain, because I don't

[PaintedMaypole26]

@PaintedMaypole26 fully understand it myself; it's something you really need to go through to take it more seriously (eg. Robert De Niro don't understand it [many Hollywood actors have stories about it that you could look up]). For me it really was just emotional control brought on by an unconcious connection made to my character. For me it was a deep phobia of smothering, and I needed help for that to help the 'stuck'.

haha I'm rambling, but I really can't describe it - other than terrifying

[pazzmatt]

Leonardo is one-of-a-kind, so of course no one can relate to what he's talking about. I'm willing to bet it happens to him more than he's letting on. He's truly gifted. I mean, he is literally possessed by the characters he plays. Or maybe he possess them. Either way, what he accomplishes onscreen is absolute righteousness.

[2505994]

dicaprio is the best actor here

[KayWildcat]

@2505994 an INCREDIBLE actor, but far from being the best....

[TheGreatZurEnRaah]

Well that was enjoyable until the snotty pretentious self absorbed Helen "Bitch" Miren tuned in with her idiotic statement of dogs and children. I really can't stand that woman.

[lilrollz]

dam i wish i was penelope right now

sitting in the middle of brad and leo!!!

wooooweeee

[Carrie3840]

What is Brad saying at 3:20?

[kay5313]

I think he says.. "I find alcohol helps" or something like that.

[kevin1a1b]

I find alcohol helps.

[TeerrBeearr]

It's really funny and interesting that Helen Mirren said that, because as a young director, you are taught to never work with children and animals because they are impossible.

[jennifarrah]

please stop at 3:19 and look the way Leo and Penelope are looking at each other, cute! Leo's is a great actor, love him!

[TheGreatZurEnRaah]

@jennifarrah how about we don't and say we did and pay attention to much more intelligent matters like what DiCaprio is saying,....Ok.......Good. Now enough from the little girls who haven't learned how to appreciate anything other than how good looking someone is yet.

[jennifarrah]

@TheGreatZurEnRaah: oh darling I pay attention, don't worry honey and I'am not a little girl, you don't know me to say nothing about me... I love Leo in everyway, his talent, his intelegence, and yes, I admire his beauty, what's the big deal?

[TheGreatZurEnRaah]

@jennifarrah hey first off let me apologize and hope that you understand. that wasn't me that left that comment, it was my little brother he's 18 and hates the world. he likes to go on youtube under my user name and make me deal with all the feed back from his shitty comments. once again a thousand sorries. hope you understand

[jennifarrah]

@TheGreatZurEnRaah: ok, Sorry too, I don't even imagine!

[Flamingrivers]

glad these are on here, thanks. Love hearing actors speak about their craft.

[MyMemorableScenes]

Hellen Mirren is the ultimate GILF.

[alexman24893]

@MyMemorableScenes whats that

[lumpyloks]

were u talking to me when you said what do you mean?

[KulaAShaker]

brad pitt - what is he talking about? - make a joke

[lumpyloks]

leo is such a natural at acting

[waiting4smtin]

leo ohhhooooooooooooooooooo he is kwl