An actor prepares by punching his fist through his rib cage and squeezing his heart until all the emotions spurt out, splattering the audience… Or maybe that was Wes Craven. Regardless, I had a new experience with my latest job – Criminal Minds. Forgive me if this post is a bit too “inside baseball” for some of you. I am an over-sharer.
Usually I play the A-hole Lawyer, Conservative Father, Carefree Jokster, Uptight Teacher, or Baby-faced Villain (and when I was younger, you could add “slightly gay” in front of any of them – see my 90210 episode below as an example). In my 25 years in L.A., though, I have never been asked to be the bereaved! And a good thing, too, since I always had hard time digging that deep and staying there.
But a few weeks ago, there I was, sitting in my car with the sides (script) of a character who is devastated. With 30 minutes until my audition, I should’ve been panicked. But I wasn’t, because just a few weeks before (yes, I am employing the flashback within a flashback technique never used by writers – for good reason, as it’s as confusing as throwing in a parenthetical during said double-flashback… You know?) I had spent the weekend with some long-time acting workshop friends.
In that visit, I was talking with one friend who is an excellent acting coach about how I was lucky I never got those auditions because I hadn’t mastered that acting muscle. She then shared with me the simplest notion – that all one needs to access those emotions is empathy. Throw the rest of the crap out of the window and find your compassion and empathy for the character.
Sitting in the car, reading the sides, I tried it… And voila! So deceptively simple, but effective. I walked over to the studio for my audition. As I was about to walk into the room, the casting director said, “Even though the script doesn’t say it, on that last line — let all the emotion overtake you.” Had I heard that a year ago, I would’ve locked-up. But now I was trusting in this simple thought. And I booked the gig.
Now, I probably booked it because I’m 6′ 2″ and look like the boy that was playing my son, but it still makes a good story!
The first day on set we just took “family pictures” in different locations that they would print and then place around our house. My wife was played by the lovely and talented René Hamilton and my kid was the bright and professional Justin Prentice.
Even though we just had a few scenes in the episode, they asked us to stay for the table read. Only moments after I took my seat, I saw Joe Mantegna walking over to EVERY person he didn’t know, shaking hands and introducing himself. It was one of the classiest things I’ve seen. In fact, throughout the shoot, everyone involved, from the caterers to the director and producer/writers — everyone — was very nice. It’s truly a happy set… Unlike a few I’ve worked on before.
Of course, when it came time for that scene, I did panic a little. It was after dinner and I was a bit tired. The cast (Matthew Gray Gubler and Shemar Moore) and crew were a little restless as they were about an hour behind. But as long as I stayed focused, I was still in the zone. Some “takes” more than others. Of course, I was so delighted by this discovery, that I forgot I still had close-ups to do! Had I dehydrated my eyeballs prematurely?
It took a few minutes to set-up the shot, then everyone was still. I looked over at one of the pictures of my “son” and I… And bam! I was there, ready to go! Eyes full of tears, my heart in the right place… And they called cut before they even slated. Apparently the DP needed to readjust for more coverage. By the time we went again, I was there, but not like before. The funny thing is, as precious as I was being with the scene, it probably won’t even be 1 minute of air time.
I do have to thank the director, Rob Spera, though, for being so concise and accommodating. He was gentle and respectful, which is hard to pull off with the crazed schedule of episodic directing.
The final night was spent running after a gurney in front of our house in the coldest weather Southern California has seen in a long time! It was made pleasant enough with the company we had — the episode’s writer, Jim Clemente (a real life profiler with some hair-raising stories!!!) and guest star, John Pyper-Ferguson (a expat Aussie who was confused by my admission of being a heterosexual who loves “So You Think You Can Dance?”).
[UPDATE: To see the aired scenes, go to Acting My Age]
So, no punching into my chest cavity to squeeze my beating heart anymore… However, after I finished shooting, I received a DVD of a low-budget horror film I shot a year or two ago called Poker Run. Okay, a Harley-Davidson horror film. I’m pretty sure you can find hearts being yanked out of chests, though my character’s demise is much more respectful… even though I am in happy-face boxer shorts… Produced by the lovable Bertie Higgins (“Key Largo” anyone?) and directed by his very cool son, Julian Higgins. For your convenience and blood-lust enjoyment, I’ve collected my scenes below:
Now, if only I could do those scenes again using this simple “compassion/empathy” technique…
Poker Run is available on DVD from Amazon and my Criminal Minds episode should air late January, 2010.
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aw man, too bad you didn't get to drop those dimes!
And I woulda! Really! I had one in my pocket.
DC, thank you for this post, it really got me thinking so I wanted to share some personal experiences.
I did a play I did a few years ago and one of the of the leads was a twelve year old boy. He was a very nice boy, but he really couldn't act at all and everyone was mad because he was really bringing the play down. It was hard because he was one of the central characters so the director was doing all he could to help shape the kid's performance.
In one scene, the boy has just heard the news of his grandfather's death. The stage directions said for the boy to come running on and throw himself on the couch, bury his face in a pillow and start sobbing. Which he did. But his fake crying sounded more like a donkey braying.
This was not going to work. So the director said "Son, just forget about running on. just walk on very slowly, and keep your face very still, don't frown, don't smile, then very slowly and gently, sit yourself down onto the couch and stare out just above the audience. Which he did. And it was a very touching moment. Every night the kid did it better and better as he trusted himself and let the emotion happen. It worked beautifully.
But it goes right along with what you're saying. True emotion takes the courage to know that the emotion will be there WITHOUT FORCING… You just have to prepare yourself to be in the right frame of mind for the ghost to appear. I had the same thing tonight. I did a staged reading where I was supposed to be a guy who has to tell his grown daughter that his wife's Alzheimers is getting worse. So just like you I was thinking how the hell can i do this? Well I just said the lines simply and directly and i thought I was terrible but everyone was very complimentary. This trusting yourself as an actor is a scary business….
OK last story. Back in the eighties, I was lucky enough to study acting with the great Sanford Meisner. It is kind of ironic that so many acting teachers now advertise as teaching the "Meisner Technique" but I studied from the guy himself.
Well anyway, in our class there was a young actress who was working fairly regularly in film and television, and she had just landed a part in a TV show where she is at a party getting drunk and happy, when gunshots ring out, and she sees her brother lying dead in a pool of blood. The script called for her to scream and drop to her knees over her brother's body and sob uncontrollably.
So she goes up to "Sandy" (as we called him) and said, "Sandy, can you give me some advice? I'm supposed to go from being so happy to falling on my knees and sobbing uncontrollably, I don't know if I can make that kind of emotional transition that fast. What should I do?"
So Sandy looks up at her and says "Here's a quarter. Go call the producers and tell them they hired the wrong actress" — well that straightened her out fast. BTW, A few months later I saw the episode and she did a TERRIFIC job in the role.
Well anyways, you've touched on something really important here. The very core of acting is emotional truth under imaginary circumstances and it's the hardest thing to do.
take care
Jim
I am a Voice Actor who was encouraged to train by seeking stage work – for the first time about 10 years ago. And I took to it like a duck to water. It now seems so obvious that "empathy" is the key to find emotion. It's not each but it is so true. I have been performing staged readings with a Readers Theater group and was recently asked to play the part of M'Lynn in Steel Magnolias. It was one of the toughest roles for me to play – because I am the mother of a wonderful daughter. All I had to think about was the heartbreak of even imagining the heartbreak of losing her. You don't have to find empathy, it simply overwhelms you and you become that character. I was flattered – and smugly satisfied as an actor – to be told after each performance that there wasn't a dry eye in the house. . . .both the audience and the other cast members. Thanks for sharing, Jim.
Amen! And I think all VO talent should study as actors, as well. Gives you a leg up on most others.
Excellent comment post!!! You know, I was a little nervous about revealing how I changed recipes in the kitchen , so to speak, and your reply showed me it was for not. The director you had for that play was a smart cookie. Sometimes, though, kids can surprise the hell out of ya. I did a very cheesy "end of the world" flick with no budget and mostly inexperienced actors (so why did I do it? – I'm a whore for work) and there was a cute kid playing my 9 year old son. We had a scene where I had to say good-bye forever. I was struggling just to be there emotionally, but this kid starts balling real tears in the scene. They yelled cut and he turns to his mom saying, "I cried, mommy! I really cried!" I hated him after that… Just kidding. I was reminded of how not having so many filters and concepts in the mind can be handy-dandy.
Now, the Sandy story is funny. Tough love, or did she have a penchant for over dramatizing her situation and he was tired of it… Or was he just plain tired? Still, very funny.
Anyway, thank you for sharing. It was a good read.
Beyond his obvious talents, Mr. Mantegna's known for being very gracious and professional. The ego-crazed and insecure could learn a lot from him. . but, then it somehow wouldn't really be big time show biddness. Congrats on your experience.
Though, if we follow that through, if EVERYONE was nice and egoless, then I could become a prick and gain so much attention for being unpredictable. I'd seem so cool, intense and alive! I'd be a mega-star! … The everyone else would get two stars stamped on their chests… Man, Dr. Seuss new his doo-doo.
It's nice to know that one of our great talents is such a great guy. I"ve eaten at his Italian place on Verdugo in Burbank. I keep expecting him to walk in. But no…
Well anyway, I had the privilege of seeing him on Broadway in "Speed the Plow" with the late Ron Silver and Madonna. (It took two mounted police and one squad car just to handle the crowds who gathered outside just to catch a glimpse of Madonna. Kind of funny because the two great actors could slide out and make their way without anyone even noticing. Well Ron Silver won the Tony because his part was very flashy and flamboyant and he played it to the hilt. But Joe Montagna's part was kind of like the straight man in a two man comedy team but I thought his performance was terrrific, it was just subdued, which of course it what the part called for. Well glad to know he's such a class act.
Yes, kids can surprise you, and it was surprising that this kid ever made it through as well as he did. I remember in one rehearsal the producer watched a few minutes and told the director that this is not good, the kid is just terrible and he's ruining the show, etc. etc. But the director said, "Don't worry, the last time we did this show, it was a big hit, and the kid was worse" But you're right he did surprise me by really going deeper into the part every night…
with regard to "Sandy" i guess you could call it tough love. But the thing is, if the TV show trusts you enough to cast you in the part, you better have enough confidence to know you can act the part welll, or else you're proving them wrong by hiring you!!!!
D.C. thanks for this post since it helps enhance my acting studies with the word, "empathy". Sometimes we make the search for truth so difficult when the answers are
really so evident from our living day to day. And paying attention to the moments we live.
Valuable lessons are often missed while we careen through daily episodes with friends, family and ourselves. We only pass this way once. Oh, and BTW…was that a stunt person being dragged or were you rigged to do your own? Really good performance too.
Glad you liked it, Michael. And that was me being dragged away on a skateboard!
It's nice to know that one of our great talents is such a great guy. I"ve eaten at his Italian place on Verdugo in Burbank. I keep expecting him to walk in. But no…
Well anyway, I had the privilege of seeing him on Broadway in "Speed the Plow" with the late Ron Silver and Madonna. (It took two mounted police and one squad car just to handle the crowds who gathered outside just to catch a glimpse of Madonna. Kind of funny because the two great actors could slide out and make their way without anyone even noticing. Well Ron Silver won the Tony because his part was very flashy and flamboyant and he played it to the hilt. But Joe Montagna's part was kind of like the straight man in a two man comedy team but I thought his performance was terrrific, it was just subdued, which of course it what the part called for. Well glad to know he's such a class act.
I'm glad you liked it, Michael. And that was me on a skateboard being dragged away!
D.C.
I must say, I enjoyed reading this almost aas much as I enjoyed working with you on the CM set. I was blown away by the emotion that poured out of you and the other "Parents" on our show. Since we couldn't get too graphic with kids dying on network TV, the only device we had in our quivers to demonstrate the horror of the events that took place was the emotion portrayed by you guys. Thank you so much for your performance. Thank you so much for sharing and I hope we get to work together again soon.
Take care,
Jim Clemente
Wow, Jim, very sweet of you to say! And quite jazzed you stumbled upon my post. Your scene has become the best thing on my drama reel. My manager is excited to finally have something that sells me as a more in depth actor – thanks to your writing!
Take care!