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You will not achieve this by merely practicing acting, as odd as that may sound. The work you have to do is to make yourself more compelling as a person and that will translate to your acting. I am not saying try to be interesting, like saying interesting things, maybe adopting an interesting hobby, or trying to be funny. 

It is something much more fundamental than that. We all have what is called an inner spark. The more you light that inner fire, the more you’ll light up as a person, and thus light up the screen. In ancient Greece this force was called your daimon (see Plato, Republic), I’ll call it your inner fire for the purpose of this article.

Just like you would build a relationship to a friend, you’d build a relationship to this inner strength. The deeper that relationship, the more magnetic you become. As in a relationship, the more you show up and the more you keep your word, the stronger the relationship. 

I suggest you do a weekly ritual to get in contact with this inner flame and to do whatever it asks you to do or not to do. Sound scary? It might be, because it might ask you to do exactly what you least want to do, like stop eating ice cream, get out of a toxic relationship, call your mother, or be kind to your boss. That’s why so few people walk through the world on fire. 

You do not make a commitment beyond a week at a time. How many of us had New Year’s resolutions that we never kept. Instead, you build this relationship week by week, but, like a solid relationship with a friend, it will take some time to mature. There are actors who show this kind of commitment in their acting, but not in their lives. They might become famous, but they seldomly end well.

The most well known example of this would be probably Marilyn Monroe, arguably the most famous movie star of all time. My point isn’t as obvious as her drug and alcohol addiction, though that is certainly part of it. I think the following story might best illustrate it:  At the height of her fame, she walked in the streets of Manhattan with Truman Capote, but nobody recognized her. This struck Capote as odd, so he asked her what was going on. She responded: “Oh, you want to see her?” The next moment, without Monroe changing her appearance in any way, people started to recognize her. While it is possible to switch off and on the magic one has created for the screen (Catherine Hepburn called her version “The Creature”), the daimon doesn’t work that way. It is not possible to turn it off and on at will, as you cannot cut off a friendship at will and expect it to continue at your leisure. In other words, if you do the hard work to connect to your inner fire only in acting and not in your life, you might become famous, but your insecurities won’t go away.

Toward the end of her life, Katherine Hepburn, the most accomplished actor of all time (4 Oscars and 12 nominations), said about herself: “I believed if people knew the person I really am they wouldn’t have been very interested in me.” My suggestion would be to do the hard work to overcome your shortcomings in life through the above mentioned process. It will translate into your acting and, more importantly, you will no longer act to run from yourself. If you do become famous, you’ll be that rare person who is both famous and happy. 

Learn Acting at one of the Best Acting Schools in Los Angeles2437 Main Street Santa Monica, CA 90405
You can reach our ACTING SCHOOL IN LA, for information about the in-person classes in Los Angeles, online course, THE MEISNER TECHNIQUE ACTING CLASS., by calling 310.392.0815 or email us at actingclass@michelledanner.com

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Having taught hundreds of actors, it still amazes me when they cannot answer the following question even though the answer is vital for a compelling performance. They may have learned their lines, done their blocking, maybe even worked on a dialect.

When I ask them that question, I get sentence upon sentence about the qualities of their character, the given circumstances of the play or movie, the plot, what they felt or didn’t feel, but not an answer to this seemingly simple question: What do you want from the other person?  Some call it the objective, the intention, or the goal of the scene. 

I assume you’ve heard this question before, but my experience shows me that very few actors, even experienced ones, can answer this in one short sentence on a gut level. What do you want the other person to know, realize, or do? Each line you speak is to be delivered with that goal in mind. Each line has a different action to realize that goal — to persuade, to threaten, to plead, etc —  otherwise the performance is one note.

Each line the other actor(s) utters is to be perceived through that same perspective: Are you getting what you want and what is at stake if you don’t. Acting is about winning (that’s why great actors are often Type A personalities). The more you stand to lose, the harder you will fight to win and it is that struggle that makes your performance compelling.

Figure out what you want, know the stakes, and win. Unless the writer has the audacity to have your character loose. In that case, shoot the writer.

Learn Acting at one of the Best Acting Schools in Los Angeles2437 Main Street Santa Monica, CA 90405
You can reach our ACTING SCHOOL IN LA, for information about the in-person classes in Los Angeles, online course, THE MEISNER TECHNIQUE ACTING CLASS., by calling 310.392.0815 or email us at actingclass@michelledanner.com
CLICK HERE FOR ONLINE ACTING CLASSES 
CLICK HERE FOR ONLINE ACTING CLASSES FOR KIDS AND TEENS 
LEARN ACTING AT ONE OF THE BEST ACTING SCHOOLS IN LOS ANGELES.

LOOKING FOR ACTING CLASSES IN LA? Learn the best acting techniques for film and TV. Book your next role. Schedule a one on one interview with Michelle Danner to be considered for enrollment and to learn about all the acting classes and acting courses we offer in Los Angeles. *Learn how to stand out in the audition room.The Michelle Danner Acting Studio’s philosophy is that artists can draw upon all different acting techniques and form an individual toolbox, their own Golden Box. We will help you to develop your own “Golden Box” of techniques and tools that you can use when approaching a role or a scene, whether it be for film, television, or theater. The Acting School’s acting techniques are based on Meisner, Strasberg, Adler, Hagen, Chekhov, & the Stanislavsky Technique.   LEARN ACTING FOR FILM BY ACTING IN FILMS

If acting is your passion, attending our acting school will help put your dream into practice. Our performing arts school in Los Angeles trains actors to become professional working actors in theatre, film. An actor or model wanting to prepare for auditions should take on camera auditioning classes: After an 8 week acting workshop  you should be ready to look for and apply to Auditions | Casting calls | Open casting calls | Casting call | Open casting call, auditions and roles on Backstage. Click here to read acting tips for actors. Our acting school in America, training actors to become professional working actors in theatre, film.