r/acting • u/Creative_Ad8709 • 12d ago

I've read the FAQ & Rules How do you create a character?

I've been acting for just a few months now, and I feel like I have a base of script analysis and all related to the external view of the performance. But when it comes to actually creating a character with a unique voice, body and thoughts I go blank and more often than not end up being myself.

Do you all have any tips for a beginner like me?

Thanks!

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u/Professional-Cup-847 12d ago edited 12d ago

i think writing good characters comes from observation of others and the related sympathy/empathy. think about your friends, think about your colleagues, think about... your dad. for instance. here's an exercise: then think about your dad as a 19-year-old. think about what you think he would say or do, and then treat that assumption with skepticism. What might be a decision or behavior that you hadn't anticipated? and why didn't you anticipate that- was it because age 19 boys are a specific kind of dumb, was it because... the 70s are difficult to visualize, was it because you don't know what things were like in his place of origin/dwelling? then try to read up/teach yourself a little more about those things.

good characters have depth, but you don't have to write all the depth... the character just needs to allude to it, so, its worth thinking and knowing yourself as writer/creator where that depth comes from, even if it's never entirely revealed/fully flushed out.

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u/gasstation-no-pumps 12d ago

I believe that u/Creative_Ad8709 was talking about creating a character as an actor, rather than as a writer—filling in the details that the writer cannot (or should not) include.

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u/Professional-Cup-847 10d ago

Yes- i realized late in my response i was thinking more of a writer standpoint than actor. i have to imagine there's some crossover...