Method Acting
Advanced Acting
Spring 2011
MVHS
What is Method Acting
• Method acting is
when actors try
to evoke in
themselves the
emotions and
experiences of
the character
they are
portraying.
Lee Strasberg
• 1901-1982
• American actor
and director
• “The Father of
Method Acting”
• Huge impact in
film industry
with actors
The Actor’s Studio
• Non-profit
workshop for
actors (started in
1947)
• Jack Nicholson (5
times)
• Dustin Hoffman (6
times)
• Al Pachino
• Marlon Brando
• Marilyn Monroe
Sense Memory
• Sense Memory
is when certain
senses (smell,
sounds, touch,
etc.) evoke
certain
memories
Affective Memory
• Affective Memory
(aka. Emotional
Memory) is when
the actor relives an
emotional memory
or similar situation
as the one
experienced by the
character the actor
is trying to portray.
Substitution
• Substitution is when
the actor compares
what is going on with
the character with
something that has
happened in their
personal life.
• Ex. If a character is
being blackmailed, the
actor thinks about a
time when they were
truly embarrassed and
do not want others to
know about.