Hi…it’s Winnie Hiller. I’m an acting coach in LA and though I work with a celebrity actor everyday on set, I like to coach and give advice to young actors who are new in the business, too. Yesterday I read a post here by a girl who had an audition that she felt didn’t go as planned. Nerves got the better of her, and she mixed up some of her lines. She was asking advice on how to overcome the nervousness that sometimes takes over when she needs to do her best. Almost everyone has experienced this so I thought I would share my answer with everyone.
Most people get nervous. It’s normal. Nerves come from thinking about the possibility of failure. “I really need this job…I hope I don’t mess up…I want this part so much…my mouth is dry…I don’t think they are paying attention.”…all while you are supposed to be acting. These thoughts become the subtext of your text. Of course you look nervous. Your thoughts show.
But this is not what your character is thinking about. This is what YOU are thinking. You need to learn to replace your thoughts for his/hers. If you are truly playing your role you will be completely immersed in the thought life of your character. What does he/she want from the other characters? He/she is thinking about how to get it – responding to what the others are doing and saying. The scripted lines you are saying are your character’s attempt to change the situation he/she is in. This takes practice, but if you concentrate your attention to playing your character…thinking his thoughts…you will begin to have less of those self-sabotaging thoughts of your own.
Your character is not auditioning. He/she is in a very different environment and feeling very different feelings. The more you allow your character to “take over” the less likely you are to experience your own self-doubt. You need to lose yourself in the fantasy of the scene. You need to push out your own thoughts and replace them with your character’s.
When nerves take over, your problem is that YOU were trying to say the lines correctly. You weren’t allowing your character to say the lines for his/her own purpose. If you are immersed in the quest of your character, it won’t even matter if you say the lines exactly right. You are no longer a hopeful actor. You ARE your character. You know what you want. You know how you are going to try to get it. The other characters give you opposition and you respond accordingly. There is no time for your own worry and fear.
Next time you feel nervous, allow your character to take over. He or she has completely different concerns. That takes the load off you.