Menu
On this Independence Day, celebrated in my native country, I’m joining everyone all over my adopted island as we celebrate England’s football victory last night over Colombia. And no…I ain’t calling it soccer anymore.
Last night was the UK’s Day of Independence from the bondage of fear, self-doubt and pessimism. It all came down to a ‘penalty shootout’ – and for my American friends let me describe it: the score was tied 1-1 (it’s stinking hard to even score one point!), and England and Colombia had to break the tie by playing a highly ritualized, solo performance where each team selects five players who then each get one attempt to kick the ball into the net from 12 yards, while the goalie is trying to block their efforts. A simple task.
Reframe this through the acting lens: you’re playing a ‘do-or-die’ scene with one other person…to an audience of several hundred million people spread out over five continents.
Going into it, we all new that England had before never won at penalty shootouts in the World Cup. So how did they do it this time?
And what does this have to do with acting?
It may sound like a contradiction, but you achieve spontaneity on the set through preparation of the dialogue. The film actor must be sufficiently in charge of his material and in tune with the life of his character to think his character’s most private thoughts as though no on were watching him – no camera spying on him. The camera just happens to be there. Michael Caine, Acting in Film, page 3
Bryan Bounds is an award-winning US-born, UK-based actor, teacher, writer and creator of the Neuro Acting System of actor training. He began his professional career began in 1984 and received an MFA in Acting in 1991.
Get in touch HERE if you need help with an upcoming audition, American accent training or questions about a NEURO ACTING course.