Notes to the actor: Being, not seeming.
Being, not seeming…
This idea is central to my approach to acting. It forms the bedrock of what I aim for in my own performances and what I encourage my students to achieve, from auditions to actual gigs.
"Being, not seeming" is a lens through which to understand the purpose of all acting techniques, methods, and systems. Our exercises, research, and rehearsals are in pursuit of creating fully embodied and completely honest performances. We aim to simply be.
The idea might be most quickly expanded up via these synonymous phrases:
Authenticity over artifice
Embodiment rather than imitation
Living, not pretending
Inhabiting versus performing
Presence over presentation
Genuine existence over fabricated appearance
Truth in action, not illusion
Honesty of self, not mimicry
Actualising, not simulating
Essence over facade
Realness instead of representation
Sincere manifestation, not mere portrayal
Truthful presence versus feigned behaviour
Organic inhabitation, not mechanical reproduction
Existential authenticity over superficial display
This is what we’re really about, isn’t it? Dropping the masks and the fakery and creating real, living, breathing people? My favourite actors of all time are the ones that can do this. The Gena Rowlands and the Peter Falks. The ones who are just fucking there in all their messy, gutsy humanity. The cast of The Bear are obvs more recent examples of this kind of genius. Those cats aren’t faking. They’re the real fucking deal. But let me explore it with a little more actionable detail for you. When I say, “being, not seeming” I mean:
· Authenticity over imitation
The actor prioritises authentically embodying a character over imitating or pretending. They aim to inhabit the character's reality fully rather than putting on a superficial performance.
· Present-moment awareness
The actor focuses on being fully present in each moment, rather than projecting a preconceived idea of how the character should appear. They experience and react truthfully within the given circumstances.
· Emotional honesty
Instead of trying to manufacture or putting on a display of emotions, the actor allows genuine feelings to arise naturally in response to the character's situation and interactions.
· Vulnerability and openness
The actor cultivates a willingness to be vulnerable and open on stage or screen. They drop masks and defences to reveal their true self through the character.
· Deep self-awareness
The actor develops deep self-awareness and accesses all aspects of their own humanity, including parts they might normally hide or suppress.
· Embodied experience
The actor fully embodies the character physically, emotionally, and mentally, rather than just intellectually understanding or externally portraying them.
· Letting go of ego
The actor lets go of their ego's desire to be seen as a "good actor" and instead focuses on serving the truth of the character and story.
· Moment-to-moment discovery
The actor remains open to discovering the character's journey in real-time, rather than planning or predetermining how a scene will unfold.
· Imaginative integration of self and character
The actor finds the meeting point where their own humanity and the character's experiences intersect, integrating themselves and the character.
· Truthful living in imaginary circumstances
The actor recognises that the character is a human being, not a construct. They react with honesty and authenticity within the fictional world of the story, allowing themselves to experience and respond to the imaginary circumstances as if they were real.
· Focus on internal experience over external presentation
The actor prioritises their internal experience and truth over how they appear externally or how they think the character should be presented.
· Mastery of craft
The actor develops mastery of skills and techniques in order to free the voice and the body and place their instrument at the disposal of their imagination. This technical proficiency becomes second nature, allowing the actor to focus fully on authentic being rather than conscious doing.
· Transformative approach
The actor strips away artifice to reveal the essential humanity shared between themselves and the character, rather than adding arbitrary layers of characterisation.
By embracing the notion of "being, not seeming," the actor has the potential to create performances that feel authentic, immediate, and deeply human, inviting audiences into a shared experience of truth rather than presenting a facade of character. For me, this is the heart of what we do as actors and, indeed, the very reason we do it.