Because I’m touch with so many actors on a daily basis, I have a unique perspective of which way sentiments of the industry are going. 

Recently it seems that many actors are becoming increasingly concerned with not being “good enough” to land the roles they desire. 

Last week, we talked about how being a successful actor has little to do with talent. However, part of the insecurity of not being “good enough” stems from not being totally confident in your ability to perform. 

It’s been a while since we’ve done a case study and I watched a film a few days ago that was really impactful. Not only was the acting great, there were several lessons that if you apply them to your acting career will send your career skyrocketing. 

I’ve compiled a couple of my favorite scenes from the movie so we can breakdown what makes the performance stellar. 

Fair warning! It will not be what you think…

The film I’m referring to is “The Founder” starring Michael Keaton. If you have watched the movie, watch the following scene as if you are watching for the first time. 

It’s about 1 minute long. I don’t want to steer you in any direction so watch it first and then, let’s break it down.

What was the first thing that came to mind after watching the scene. It probably wasn’t “wow, that was great acting” and that’s the point! 

Great acting is meant to suspend reality and blend with the real world. You should feel as though you are the fourth person in the room listening to his impassioned speech. 

Notice how he made several exaggerated movements with his hands? This is something most actors shy away from because they feel that it will look too unnatural in the scene. 

It depends on the character and in this case, Ray Kroc is a salesman and sales people talk a lot with their hands, to put emphasis on what they are saying. Because things play differently on screen than they do 

in the 3 dimensional world, you have to do some calibration on this and find a level that works for your character. 

You typically have to amp up your movement for the screen but you have to find the sweet spot so as to not over do it. Michael Keaton does that masterfully in this scene and that’s why it blends into the background. 

As for what was said about the golden arches, it 100% applies to your acting career. You must have a symbol for yourself so everybody you come across anchors that little symbol and thus, remembers you. 

It could be something as simple as always wearing teal sunglasses on your head. That’s a real life example by the way, and she became known as the girl with the sunglasses before they remembered her by name. 

Think about it. What can your “golden arches” be? 

The following scene is actually the final one in the film and I want you to pay particular attention to the words being spoken. There are a couple of golden nuggets in this one. Let’s unpack them after you watch.

The cadence of the speech is impeccable. It flows naturally and there is a meticulously planned out rhythm and even a slight tremble of the voice at the point in which he says $700 million dollars. Even the way his eyes darted down and to the right, was spot on. 

His character, had a history of exaggerating or misrepresenting facts, and sometimes just downright lying about things throughout the film. In this case though, the eyes darted down and to the right, which signifies that he is remembering facts. 

Now that he “made it” he was finally telling the truth. 

Had his eyes gone up and to the left, that would have been a sign of digging through his memory to come up with something and that would have been broken the rapport with the audience. 

It’s these small details that really add layers and depth to your performance. Think of how differently this would have played out if his eyes were locked in death stare rather than taking that small break and looking down. 

It also plays to the power dynamics, which fit this character. Dominating personalities will eye contact for much longer periods of time than someone who is insecure. Consider how this fits the character you are preparing for. 

As for the message in that speech that actors can use…Never give up. He was down and out, and when anyone else thought he was done for was when he swung for the fences and hit it out of the park in a much bigger way than even he (Ray Kroc) had ever imagined. 

The final clip is in my opinion the most powerful. Let’s watch and then breakdown why. It starts about the 56 second mark. Watch until the 2 minute mark.

This is something that, without an ounce of exaggeration, nearly all actors suffer from. 

Ask yourself, “What business are you really in.” 

You are in the entertainment business, and that comes a whole set of implications beyond acting. You are an entertainer first and foremost. That’s your golden ticket. 

McDonald’s didn’t take off until Ray Kroc, shifted into focusing on real estate and your career will not reach it’s potential until you make the shift into being a part of the entertainment business. 

Not acting. 

It’s no secret that McDonald’s didn’t thrive because they served the best burgers ever. It was the experience. They served fast food at a time when the thing to do was stop by the drive in if you wanted some food to go. 

They focused on the entire package rather than just making a good burger. In the same way, your acting career goes way beyond just delivering a good performance. 

You also have to build a following, here’s something that will help you with that, and you have to connect with them so that they support you in whatever you do. 

You must be in charge of your destiny. Agents, managers, etc. may have your best interest at heart but no one will ever care more than you about making yourself a success. It’s an inherently flawed model. 

If your career fails to take off, your agent can simply sign another client and try again, then again, then again. 

You get one shot at this, so take charge of your own destiny. Give your agent tools to work with. This one, is a fantastic one that will help your industry reputation and credibility match your goals, while giving your reps another tool to work with when trying to book you.

Lastly, think outside the box like Ray did. Team up with people that have a different perspective than you. If you are going on auditions for small scale independent films and having mixed success, what about getting outside the box and producing your own films? 

It’s not difficult and you will meet tons of like minded people that will support your mission. Remember, the acting business does not exist. You are in the entertainment business and to succeed in this business takes a certain amount of doing whatever it takes.

So what will you do first grasshopper? Let me know in the comments below or shoot me an email. I always read and respond to every one that comes through because my goal is to… 

See you at the top,
Scott