INSIDE OUTmore than lines and how to deliver them. He or she is taught to
understand the motivation behind the character. In a broader sense,
the actor is taught to empathize, not with a real person, but with
the character in the play or film. Is the character logical in what
he or she is doing, in the speeches being delivered, in his or
her action? What makes the character say and do these things?
When the Method works and empathy with the character takes
over, the actor empathizes completely with the character for the
duration of the play or film, often to the point where there is
difficulty getting out of the part afterward. The Method is a rather
difficult approach to acting, but, if done properly, it can be very
effective and moving. Dustin Hoffman is an actor devoted to this
method, and often he lives the life of the character he portrays
before doing the role. His parts become tremendously convincing
because his subtext sensed by the audience is that of the character,
not of Hoffman.
Tim Pigott-Smith, the gifted actor who portrayed villainous po-
liceman Ronald Merrick in the British television production of
"The Jewel in the Crown," explained in a. New York Times interview
how he was able to empathize with Merrick:
"I sat in front of a mirror with my jaw thrust out so that the
lips went down and forced themselves into a sneer. By the end I
could switch this look on, and as an actor, if you can throw the
physical switch, the mental process of the character will follow,"
and the correct subtext will be projected.
SELF-EMPATHY
Sometimes the ability to empathize with yourself, in terms of what
you felt during some previous experience, will send a helpful