“In Method Acting you can’t have preconceived ideas. You have to live in the moment. You have to keep yourself open.” -Dennis Hopper
Method acting is an approach that actors employ to emotionally identify themselves with the characters they are going to depict. By following this strategy, the artist sinks into the role and carries this disposition for an extended period of time.
This method encourages actors to feel genuine as they would have felt if they were placed in real-life scenarios. Hence, this has the potential to cause changes in persona and conduct for as long as they play the role.
Emergence of Method Acting
The system of method acting can be traced back to the 1930s and 40s. This concept evolved in New York by members of The Group Theatre. Its major contributors were Lee Strasberg, Sanford Meisner, and Stella Adler.
However, Stanislavski’s system, developed by Konstantin Stanislavski for training actors laid the foundation for method acting. It primarily focused on the “art of experiencing.”
History of Method Acting
With the method gaining popularity, several actors got associated with it. To name a few, actors such as Marlon Brando and Dustin Hoffman used the method.
This acting form has evolved over the years and is different from what it represented during its initial phase. Additionally, the focus is placed on the holistic development of the actor. The actors go through changes in their body, voice, and impulses so that they can instill soul in their characters.
Talking about method acting in Indian cinema, it developed independently from its American counterpart. Dilip Kumar popularly referred to as the “Abhinay Samrat” was a pioneer of method acting in Hindi cinema. He developed his own style of method acting and was described by Satyajit Ray as “the ultimate method actor”. He has served as an inspiration to many future actors like Amitabh Bachchan, Naseeruddin Shah, and Shah Rukh Khan.
In these unprecedented times, the emergence of OTT has given a new lease of life to method acting. It has gained popularity with platforms being flooded with several popular web series exploring genres that were rarely experimented with. With these series garnering appreciation, the next cohort of method actors like Rajkumar Rao, Amit Sadh is here to stay!
In these unprecedented times, an online acting class is a blessing for beginners learning to act. To become an actor you need passion, talent besides being at the right place at the right time. So use this time to learn and watch cinema and web series on streaming platforms like Amazon Prime, Netflix, etc.
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