Every once in a while the industry releases a project that exceeds all expectations and becomes a cultural staple.
It’s usually the result of a few factors, key among them being the actors that brought it to life.
Speaking with a few actors about this a couple nights ago, the topic of Hamilton came up. It goes without saying that Hamilton kick started an industry wide movement that is really picking up steam.
More on that in a sec.
First, I want to discuss your acting career and how you can be a part of projects that stick around for generations.
I know what you might be thinking, but it’s actually a pretty simple process.
Here’s where to start...
First you have to be able to recognize the projects that stand out and are uniquely different.
Going back to Hamilton for a moment, that project would have been pretty easy to spot if you came across it.
A musical about a founding father most people never give a second thought about after leaving grade school, that mixes in some hip hop flavor...that’s about as obvious as it gets.
When something is “different” there really isn’t much room for mediocrity. It will either be fantastic or fantastically awful.
We’ll get to how to actually find these projects in a moment...
When you’re looking at a project, study the storyline. Breakdown the characters and examine whether it has enough depth to be something special or if it’s just another shallow project that tries too hard to be different.
The difference is pretty obvious and you will get a gut feeling when you find the “special ones.”
A simple way to identify the right projects is to look for elements that you wouldn’t typically find in similar projects, but that simply work in the one you are evaluating.
For example, the hip hop element in Hamilton was a work of genius that you wouldn’t have found in other revolutionary period pieces.
The synergy that was created by mixing very different styles is difficult to pull off, but when done properly it's legendary.
Building a character is the same way.
Often, the characters that leap off the screen and stick with the audience are the characters that possess traits you wouldn’t have expected.
It’s a delicate balance and everything must flow or you risk going too far in one direction or another.
Take Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Carribean. It could have flopped miserably but he succeeded in creating a phenomenal character that was just enough of a bumbling mess to not detract from the events being plausible.
He didn’t go the traditional pirate route when building the character. There was a lot less “argh matey” cartoony type of pirate and a lot more borderline heat stroke in the mix.
The greatest characters are often a counterbalance of traits like this.
Your character could laugh when she was supposed to cry, jarring the audience and keeping them on the edge of their seats.
She could whisper when raising her voice would be the most appropriate thing to do, and when it would be what any other actor would do.
It often comes down to doing the unexpected, in a way that doesn’t feel out of place to the audience.
There’s no one way to accomplish this and every character is a bit different, but doing the opposite of what the audience would expect is a great place to start.
When working on your character, test things out and see if it feels right, especially at pivotal moments.
Most actors think it's the director's job to help you make these choices but a director can only build on the foundation you create.
In other words they help polish your performance, but you have to build your character on a strong foundation. This requires you to be a true professional and not just another actor for hire.
This is how you stand out from the crowd when it comes to sharing your talent.
Of course that doesn't matter if you don't have enough auditions and opportunities coming your way. You have to focus on generating opportunities to showcase your talent, so you can get booked and get on set.
You have to be sure that you can be found where Casting Directors are searching for talent.
The truth is, Casting Directors and industry decision makers are always looking for the next big thing.
They all want to be the one to discover you and putting your unique spin on the characters you play is a great way to build your reputation as an actor who can deliver.
When your industry reputation matches your goals, it becomes that much easier for industry decision makers to move forward with you. Get started on that right away.
It’s even a great way to get your foot in the door, because everyone will want to see what you can bring to the table on whatever they are working on.
You just have to make sure that you are visible to the industry. This is a simple way to get on their radar.
So what do you think grasshopper? Are you confident enough in your abilities to go against the grain or do you feel more comfortable playing it safe.
Does the idea of going against the grain sound appealing but you’re not quite sure where to start?
Let me know in the comments below or shoot me an email. I’d be happy to bounce ideas with you and help however I can because I truly would like to...
See you at the top,
Scott