If you are aiming to have a successful acting career, you have to be versatile. But what does being a versatile actor actually require?
Versatility can be seen in different forms among actors. Essentially, it is the actor’s ability to transform themselves into contrasting moods within minutes. It is often observed that several actors restrict themselves to a particular niche of acting. This mainly occurs because those actors are aware that their best performances might happen solely in those genres.
However, the career of an actor reaches new heights when they prove to be versatile. While many believe that this is usually an inborn talent, the world has seen otherwise. Hard work has been the key to several actors’ versatility and success. We bring to you a few tips that will help you become a versatile actor.
Practising in front of a mirror: A textbook method of learning how to act is doing it in front of the mirror. When you face a mirror, you get to see exactly what your audience would see. It is as if a show is going on in front of you. When you are satisfied with the sudden change of emotions while looking at yourself, it will assure you that the audience will appreciate it too. As an additional benefit, looking at yourself raises your self-esteem too. Who would not want to kill two birds with one stone?
Start Experimenting: Whoever said practice makes a man perfect was certainly not wrong. To be able to jump from one mood to another, you need to ensure that you experiment with it enough times. Sometimes, the more you understand the kind of character you need to portray, the easier it becomes to do so.
A successful versatile actor should be able to change their emotions quickly. Thus, experimenting with tough scenes with multiple emotions should be a part of your to-do list.
Watch different actors: Multiple actors have mastered the technique of versatility. Constantly observing them is another way in which you can make your process of becoming versatile simpler. While there will rarely ever be a similarity in their performances, it is the transformation that you need to observe the most.
What is the change in muscles that come along with a change in mood? How does the face transform into a contrasting emotion? These are questions that you will be able to answer after observing experts in the field.
Improvise with friends: The next step in becoming a versatile actor is understanding the audience’s reactions. It is always best to start trying scenes among friends who can give you trusted feedback. To be successful on the screen, you need to know how well you are doing from the audience itself.
The next time you are hanging around a few friends, try and pull out a scene with multiple emotions, you will not regret it.
Live your part: An actor lives the life of others when playing a part in a movie or show. Thus, in order to do this well, diving into the skin of the character is necessary. Famous actors have gone on record to say that they gave up on their habits because the character they were playing required it.
It is during times like these that you will understand how much dedication this field requires. However, a tough day will always lead to a seamless future. It is a general rule, if you believe you are the character, then so will everyone else.
Focus on your body: When we say ‘focus’, it includes articulation, movement, and body language. Can you imagine a good actor with stiff hands that are always inside his pockets? Of course not. The importance of movements and gestures forms a major part of versatility. The more you can do to make the audience understand the change of emotion, the easier this will be for you. Do not shy away from using them at the right time and for the right scene.
Remember, hard work will definitely get you up the ladder, but consistency will help you reach the top. While these are our top tips on how to become a versatile actor, we are also offering online acting classes from one of the best actors in Hindu cinema – Manoj Bajpayee. Understand and process the art of acting by the legend himself and we are certain that it will give you a head start in the future. Visit our website for more information on this online acting course.