7 Habits of Highly Effective Actors
While sitting at my desk, staring off into space and contemplating what I’d like to write about today, my eyes settled on a copy of 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
I started thinking about the actors I most admire and the most effective lessons I’ve learned over the years. Pretty soon I had a list of seven and was itching to write more. So here are the top 7 Habits of Highly Effective Actors and I’m sure there will soon follow a second list of 7 MORE Habits.
Habit #1 – An Unquenchable Thirst for Knowledge – The effective actor must possess an almost ridiculously intense desire to learn more than he already knows. He reads more books than most of his friends and family. The range of his reading interests is vast, spanning non-fiction and fiction alike through many varied topics. He reads plays and scripts, knowing that they are the bread and butter of his career. The actor always feels that there is something more to find; one more morsel of information lingering in some unread book or unmet teacher. He seeks out teachers without bias or fear because he strives to learn what they know, not for their approval.
This search for knowledge must move beyond the ego and into the higher consciousness. Strive to find out as much about everything as you can. The usefulness of the information is practically irrelevant considering it is everything you know that makes you who you are. The more knowledge you have, the more growth you can achieve.
Habit #2 – Love of Language – The effective actor must get drunk off words. Her first love must be language before anything else. The effective actor is a great lover of poetry; she drinks in words like they were her life blood. The actor may even write her own works in the hopes of creating the same beauty. The actor understands that her passion for the stage stems from a love of language and that she would be rendered obsolete without words.
Language is the basis of the actor, it is the foundation upon which all of your endeavors begin and the note upon which they will all end. Embrace words and learn all of the words you can. A strong vocabulary and a passion for great communication will serve you far better than anything else.
Habit #3 – Playfulness – The effective actors knows that his craft is a serious endeavor that cannot come to fruition with a certain amount of playfulness. He knows that what he does is work, but that work involves times of fun and play. He understands that to find the depth of character he strives for he must be willing to be foolish and goofy and put aside his pride and ego. He must be willing to find his child-like side and experiment, no matter how stupid he may look, or how many times his choices may fail. He knows that his endeavors will be rewarded in the resulting performance.
Our art is a serious matter to us, but the discovery of character must be done playfully. Playing is the only way to tap into every aspect of your character and their transformation. Remember as you work that your willingness to laugh at yourself and your own foolish antics will be rewarded by your effortless performance and the fun you will have giving it.
Habit #4 – Unwavering Attention Span – The effective actor knows that she must resist distraction at all costs. She knows beyond a shadow of a doubt that her dedication is the only way to create what she knows to be possible. To be distracted from her tasks would be too detrimental to be allowed and she will go to great lengths to avoid these distractions. While working she allows nothing to get in her way. Her phone is off and she is alone in a quiet and serene place, free from the distractions that others might wish to bring to her.
Staying with one task until completion is the only means of creating greatness and the effective actor must have the patience and strength to do so. They understand that when they work, they work well and when they play they play well and ne’er the twain shall meet. Which brings us to:
Habit #5 – Knowing When to Stop – The effective actor must know when his work is done. He knows when he is prepared enough to perform and when one more minute of work will do nothing but hurt that performance. He understands that there is only so much preparation he can do and the rest is up to the skills he has honed. He is comfortable stepping back and washing his hands of his work, ready to call it complete.
Too much work is as bad as too little. The effective actor knows that there must come a point at which you cut yourself off because anymore work will only make you second guess your original choices. You must be strong in your commitment and courageous in your knowledge that you have done well and are able to Let Go.
Habit #6 – All-For-One Mentality – The effective actor knows that there is no separation between actors and audience, or actors and crew. She knows that an “us-and-them” mentality only serves to stand in the way of the greatness she seeks. She understands the synergy with which the theatre must function: with audience, crew and actor working together toward one common goal and sharing the experiences along the way. Her profession is one of celebration and sharing, not of self-promotion.
The audience, crew and actors are like travelers all going to the same destination. Any segregation of those travelers will destroy the magic of the stage. The profession of the actor is on of cooperation and connection.
Habit #7 – Celebrate Humanity – The effective actor knows that his work celebrates the human experience. He does not perform to celebrate the audience, the crew, himself, or even the playwright; his performance must transcend the celebration of the physical. He knows for certain that he celebrates humanity at its most basic and beautiful levels. He celebrates the archetypes that reside in all of us and the emotions that create the complexity of man.
The actor must celebrate all that is beyond the physical realm. You must glorify everything that humans are without bias or regret. Celebrate the wonder and tragedy; the glory and the failures; the obscene and the beautiful; the devious and the divine.
The only thing I can say to sum up this list is that as actors we must remember that what we always work for a higher good than ourselves. To please ourselves is always good, to please an audience is better, but to please a universal good is our ultimate goal. I’m sure in the future there’ll be a second list of habits, but for now I can think of no better way to sum up this list than by saying: Sin Boldly!
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a very useful website!
very benficial advice given.
i appreciate the fact that the information is accessible and accurate.
a great tool for any actor.
Brilliant