I don’t think I’ve ever met an actor that doesn’t like to play over the top characters. For many, that’s kind of the most fun part of being an actor.
Over the top characters are some of the most memorable and with good reason...
They often play out things that people in the “real world” wish they could do or say (think Ari Gold in Entourage).
Think of a series that has lasted for 7 or more seasons, you will almost always find an over the top character at the center of it.
The industry loves to greenlight projects like this and audiences are drawn to them, when those characters are played by talented actors who get it right.
Projects like this are almost always a safe bet, and with the way the industry is trending, you will see more and more of them come along.
So, if you know how to play them well you could open up many opportunities in the near future.
Building your career as a professional actor is a lot easier when you can recognize trends like this before everyone else.
The types of characters that we’re talking about are not the ones that acting class prepared you for.
The good news is that, for most of them, your reel and resume don't matter much. Casting Directors tend to look far and wide for the right actor.
It puts everyone on a level playing field and when you book one of these projects, it can send your career skyrocketing.
Here’s where to start...
First, let’s talk about the types of characters I’m referring to.
When I bring up this subject, one of the first things that comes to mind for most people is Johnny Depp in Pirates of The Caribbean.
That’s one example, but it’s not the only one. Over the top characters can also come in the form of more “common” roles. For example, Meryl Streep plays over the top characters that are often quite reserved.
See, they don’t always have to be larger than life characters but they do push the extremes of social norms.
Here’s what I mean...
Steve Carell as Michael Scott would fall into this category too, and so would Rainn Wilson as Dwight Schrute.
Neither of them would be thought of as larger than life, but they are certainly over the top.
Just like they say it’s a fine line between genius and crazy, there’s a fine line between a world class performance and one that is less than memorable, to put it mildly.
So how do you deliver a world class performance for one of these characters? It requires a different kind of preparation.
Just because a character is “over the top” doesn’t mean they’re unhinged so you have to identify the level of intensity your character should operate at.
You do this by calibrating your character. It’s actually a pretty simple process.
Start by recording yourself performing as the character at different levels of intensity. Pick a level that feels natural and record yourself performing at that level.
Then, dial it back a level and do it over again.
Watch the recordings and see which level is closest to the way you envision the character. You will typically have to do this a few times before you find a level that is just right, so what you are looking for at this stage is a direction to go in.
Do you need to dial it back or push things further?
The direction you need to go in is usually pretty obvious, so follow your instincts.
Once you find the right level to play your character at, perform the scene a few more times to “lock it in.”
You can do this whether you are preparing for an audition or preparing for a character you have already booked.
That brings me to the next point...
This strategy can be a complete game changer but it won’t do much for you if you don’t have enough auditions to go on.
If not booking often enough is something you’re dealing with, there could be a few factors.
For example, if you are going on plenty of auditions but you’re not getting very many callbacks then the exercise we just talked about could do wonders for you, because it will help you deliver phenomenal performances.
If you are getting a good number of callbacks but you’re still not booking, then the issue could be that your castability index isn’t up to the Casting Directors’ expectations. We’ll talk more about that next week, but for now get started on this because it’s one of the biggest factors.
On the other hand, if you are not going on enough auditions then it could be that you're simply getting lost in the shuffle and not standing out from the crowd.
That is one of the worst positions to be in as an actor, so you need to always make yourself visible to industry decision makers in the places where they are already looking. Here’s how I can help with that.
That way you don’t fade into the background.
It’s important that you take care of this because no one in the industry wants to work with someone who does this as a hobby, so show them you’re a true professional.
Showing up, with a stellar industry reputation, will go a long way towards making that happen.
Armed with what we went over today, you have a powerful tool at your disposal that you can use to advance your acting career and unlock opportunities to advance your acting career.
So what are you going to go after? Do you have an audition for a character like this already lined up?
Let me know in the comments below or shoot me an email. I’ll help out however I can because I truly want to...
See you at the top,
Scott