10 Reasons Why I Hate Method Acting

Acting Coach Scotland Mark Westbrook explains why he hates Method Acting - visit www.acting-blog.com for more.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Acting
• ActingCoachScotland
• Lee
• Mark
• Method
• Stanislavski
• Strasberg
• Westbrook

[ActingCoachScotland]

Curz, its okay I wasn't asking for a list, it's just people seem to have very differing opinions on which actors are actually method actors are. I think I am asking how much school or technique does help and how much it confuses and disables actors.

[xrisp]

I respect your opinion but you sound misinformed. I don't actually know where to begin structuring a response to the points made in this video. It would be to lengthy for the word count I have available here. I will say this, The Method is designed to do away with itself and in return makes it the most selfless technique whilst providing a compelling and spontaneous performance. You cannot get by with Talent alone, plain and simple. I would love a deeper discussion on this, I'm from the UK too.

[ActingCoachScotland]

@xrisp I would be happy to have that conversation with you sometime.

[curzmg]

Your arguments are rational but how do you then explain the multitude of great method actors. There are so many that you can't possibly say they are the exceptions that prove the rule. I love your passion and I'm not for a moment suggesting you change your view, I would just like to know how you reconcile that?

[ActingCoachScotland]

@curzmg who are the great method actors in your opinion? I would be interested to hear that. I would suggest that if Method was the dominant ideology for the past 70 years, of course the famous actors will be Method actors. My provocation would ask, would they be just as good without their Method, in my opinion, they probably would.

[NFShakespeare]

Wow, that certainly gives me something to think about. I agree with a number of your points, especially sense memory for emotion. I always thought that was a crock. If you can't cry about the scene you are in, why should you cry about a scene you aren't. How disingenuous is that? Some of the things you say I've only come to realize as a result of training in method acting, so at least I got that out of it. I may not agree with all you say, but at least I'll think about it. Thanks.

[ActingCoachScotland]

@NFShakespeare all I want to do is make people think, if I'm wrong, then I'm wrong, but if it makes people question assumptions about acting, I'm a happy man.

[alfiejames8]

systemizing and being techinical with something that should be so raw and natural is weird, almost oxymoron.

[rmpeete]

I totally agree with the ActingCoachScotland! Keep doing what you do. The TRUTH is hard to swallow. Method Acting is totally self indulgent. So much passioin and hostility toward your opinions, obviously you touched a nerve. I think IF the "haters" were truly secure in their technique they'd be able to dismiss your perspective as rubbish and move on -- without all the emotional backlash.

[curzmg]

@ActingCoachScotland However, surely this line may rule out the importance of technique and school altogether. Doesn't it imply rather strongly that good actors will be good actors with little relation to the route they take to get there? At least it implies that method has no negative influence on your development as an actor.

[curzmg]

@ActingCoachScotland I don't really feel there is much point in giving you a list, I tend to agree with the critics. Then I suppose the question is one of causation: is it the case that the method became popular and thus exponents too became popular, or is that actors became popular because of their technique, and when their technique was revealed to be method then the method itself gained popularity. The former would be a fair reconciliation.

[CurzonRoad]

Interesting... and provocative!

[jsterninmoser]

This is just... so painfully misinformed.