Helpful Acting Tips To Getting Emotionally Connected to Your Character

It can be a real challenge for actors when it comes to connecting to the emotions of the character you are aiming to become.  

Well, rest your weary soul.  Here are some helpful acting tips to getting emotionally connected to your character. 

It's Not Just About The Character

Forget about "character" and forget about your feelings. They will come later.

Study That Script

Study the script carefully to discover the facts about your character. Are comments about you by other characters accurate? Biased? To answer, you have to study the script, not just brush through it for the story. Glean this information: age, looks, job, family, money, intelligence, education. Get as much character biography as you can from script. Try to stick with only the facts from the script.

Research The World of The Character

Research the character's world to determine where/when the events of the play occur (state, city, country, historical period). What is going on the fictitious world that the character inhabits? How do real world historical events affect the world of the script?

Research real history to give you a richer background and to see how external reality affects/invades the world of the play.

Determine The Income Level.

Determine the income level ('class') of the character. Class level is generally determined by money and partly by education. This affects your character's biography. Close behind money and education come race and religion, which also greatly affect behavior.

Research As Much As You Can

If the person is a serial killer, search for information on well-known serial killers. Substitute any word for "killer" and do the same: doctor, Indian chief, pizza man, CEO, college student.

For further tips to bettering your acting skills, be sure to come say hi at the New York Acting School for Film and Television and let us know how we can further you in your career.