Comments by "Morgan King" (@MorganKing95) on "Top 10 Method Actors" video.

  1. +Ben Lister Al Pacino is one of the current chairmen of Actors Studio and was personally trained by Lee Strasberg. You don't get much more Method than that
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  2. Meryl Streep is classically trained. also, Method Acting is more than just doing research, and its core is almost the complete opposite of classical acting
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  3. +doombuggy123 Oh yeah, because "The Graduate", "Midnight Cowboy", "Marathon Man", "All the president's men", and "Rain Man" were SO shitty
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  4. 1. Method Acting is not about gaining/losing weight 2. Female method actors include Ellen Burstyn (currently head of Actors Studio with Al Pacino and Harvey Keitel), Marilyn Monroe, Anne Bancroft, Sally Field, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Angelina Jolie, Jane Fonda, Halle Berry, and Suzanne Pleshette
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  5. Brando was actually trained by Adler and Kazan before Strasberg tried to train him. Other than that, I TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU! I am so sick and tired of people confusing method acting with dedication and research, and I'm even more sick and tired of conservative acting teachers criticizing method acting on the basis of these false rumors and misconceptions. I hope that some day the impression of Method Acting from the general audience will be what you've talked about
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  6. The video is very misleading. A method actor is someone who "substitutes" the given circumstances (everything you see physically) with his own personal memories and experiences, and also draws his emotions from them. He also does a lot of sensory work and tries to get an almost emotional chemistry with his partner That's what the definition is according to Lee Strasberg (its founder), but for some reason, the definition from today's generation is an actor who completely changes his appearance and physiques and does a lot of research for his roles. I say that this "new" definition is a misconception
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  7. He also said "We are all Brando's children"
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  8. Terry Gascay The 3 films James Dean appeared in were more than influential enough for him to be considered an iconic method actor. Quality over quantity
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  9. +Walter Frith He stated in his autobiography that he thought little of the Method, and that he despised Strasberg
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  10. GiantSandles That's only because journalists and modern film audiences have no idea what method acting is. They just look at an actor having unorthodox approaches to acting and say "Yup, that's method acting". This pisses me off so much!
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  11. Joseph Morris​​ Suicide would be that he went on overdose with the intention of dying; most sources suggest that he had troubles sleeping and took sleeping pills, but lost control over himself and eventually overdosed
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  12. Dynamiklol why would he be cast as a representation of himself in "Birdman" if he was not a method actor? Mike Shiner was clearly one
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  13. Lee Strasberg invented it (or technically Stanislavski since he introduced much of the techniques but eventually abandoned them, which Strasberg developed further)
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  14. Method acting was developed by Lee Strasberg, and based on emotional memory that Stanislavski introduced, but later abandoned in favor of given circumstances and the magic "if". The core of Method Acting is personal memories and experiences, and substituting the given circumstances with them. Character work is only a small part of it
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  15. ARTHURCBR He introduced emotional memory, but Lee Strasberg was the one who fully developed it into "Method Acting". Stanislavski later abandoned emotional memory and focused more on given circumstances and the magic "if". Both he and Stella Adler highly disagreed with Strasberg's works
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  16. That's not method acting, that's keeping your head cool. Method Acting is to draw your emotions from your own memories and experiences, and substituting the given circumstances with your own personal experiences, as well as making the situations as realistic as possible
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  17. 15 pounds is nothing; even I have done it. 50 pounds however is quite a lot
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  18. He only did some acting (most notably in "The Godfather part II"). He was mainly known as an acting teacher and theorist
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  19. I may not be over 35, but I have seen at least over 400 movies and agree with you that this list was not the best, but that was mostly because I think WatchMojo has misunderstood what Method Acting is. I do agree however that actors like James Dean and Montgomery Clift should be on this list. However, Meryl Streep is actually classically trained, and it's very debatable if Marlon Brando really was a method actor; he never considered himself to be one, neither did Elia Kazan, and Brando spoke highly negative about the method and Lee Strasberg, and I trust his own words better than Wikipedia
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  20. performing your own stunts makes you a method actor? What's the logic in that?
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  21. Isn't this the story about Laurence Olivier and Dustin Hoffman?
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  22. Could be. It's just that your description is exactly the same as the anecdote when Hoffman and Olivier starred in "Marathon Man" together, and it has been told in numerous acting circles
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  23. +Zo_e178 The criteria for this list is way off, but a method actor is someone who uses his own personal memories and experiences as motivations and impulses for their acting, as opposed to imagination and direct physical exercises. When method actors do all these research, it's to get enough experiences and emotional impulses so that their acting seem genuine and believable
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  24. +Jaw Knee Plato, is that you?
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  25. Anteye LaVey Of course Strasberg never met DDL; he died in 1982. I know DDL is insane, but method actors can make it simple and still deliver iconic performances; Strasberg himself played Hyman Roth in "The Godfather part II" for example and said he wanted to make it simple as possible, and he got an Oscar nod. Dustin Hoffman, Robert de Niro, and Al Pacino have also made performances simple yet very effective
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  26. WHATEVER GOES FOR ME A character actor is someone who plays quite eccentric characters with very clear and distinctive personalities, and often try to look like him/her instead of looking like himself/herself. A method actor is someone who uses his own memories and personal experiences as a motivation for his character's actions, emotions, and reactions, so he/she is basically reacting to the other actors and the setting as if they were from his/her own life. This is a contrast to "traditional actors" who prefer using imagination, physical action, and rhetorical techniques, and are more distanced from the situations rather than immersing themselves in them.
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  27. Joseph Morris He didn't directly commit suicide; it was an accidental overdose
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  28. They are so annoying! And I'm so tired of hearing conservative acting teachers criticize method acting just because they believe in these false rumors and misconceptions
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  29. Me too; I'll never get tired of movies like "The Graduate" and "Marathon Man"
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  30. Sir Patrick Stewart is classically trained
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  31. ***** There is a book called "The Lee Strasberg Notes", that's how I know. My user name is just because in my country (Norway), 80 % of the actors and drama teachers don't even know what Method Acting is, and others criticize it without having enough knowledge about it. I seemed to be the only student (or at least one of the few) at my drama school who knew what it was. Even my teachers admitted that I knew more than them, and I even reported a teacher to my principal once for claiming that method actors are living like schizophrenic rapists. I was also asked to have a short lecture on Method Acting once. In addition, I feel a much stronger sense of belonging to Method Acting than Classical Acting, so my user name is just a mild exaggeration
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  32. Tom Hanks only lost weight and grew lots of hair. Method Acting is to substitute the given circumstances with your own personal memories and experiences
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  33. Muttley Gutierrez He is at least considered to be the father of Method Acting, and if you read my entire comment, I said that Stanislavski introduced much of the techniques and exercises method acting consists of, but eventually abandoned them You should also know that Stella Adler objected to Method Acting and that her theories are considered to be a different acting style
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  34. The father of Method Acting would actually be Lee Strasberg since he developed it (based on emotional and sense memory, which Stanislavski introduced, but later abandoned in favor of given circumstances and "the magic if") It's also debatable if Marlon Brando really was a method actor since he never considered himself to be one, and was primarily taught by Stella Adler and Elia Kazan, the latter also being unsure if Brando could be considered to be a method actor since he had something method actors didn't
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  35. benmcfee​ I definitely agree that Watchmojo has confused Method Acting with dedication. I also believe that becoming the character and staying in character the whole time is a misconception (well, you kinda become the character, but more because of the substitution I mentioned)
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  36. Various techniques where the actor uses his own memories and experiences to substitute the given circumstances with them, as well as to strengthen his emotions, reaction, and senses with them. Simply put, the actor reacts to the setting and his co-actors as if they were places and people from his own life WatchMojo however seems to have completely misinterpreted the Method
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  37. Agreed, WatchMojo doesn't even understand what method acting is
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  38. Losing and gaining weight are not what Method Acting is about
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  39. Ahmed Ali Ali​​ Method Acting is to substitute the given circumstances with your own personal memories and experiences, and drawing your emotions from it Usually, an actor interacts with another actor and discovers the setting around him, and uses his imagination to find out how the character would act and react to it. A method actor however would look at his partner and react as if he/she was someone from his own life (for example a family member or former lover) and pretend that the setting of the story is a place the actor has been before and is affected by. When a method actor does all that research, it's to get those experiences and sharpen his senses and emotions. The method acting part of it comes when the actor uses the techniques to take advantage of his experiences
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  40.  @samkresil6011  Forget about IMDB; I stick to "The Lee Strasberg Notes" (you know, the man who developed and coined the term "method acting"?), "Method Acting Re-Considered" by David Krasner, Actors Studio's sites, and actual method acting workshops I've attended
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  41.  @icegloves7777  Oh yeah, because Montgomery Clift, James Dean, Karl Malden, Paul Newman, Burgess Meredith, Harvey Keitel, and Al Pacino are/were DEFINITELY known for constantly changing their weights, and if you look up the first page of "The Lee Strasberg Notes" you will ABSOLUTELY see that it says "Step 1: change your weight". Seriously! Method acting is as much of a personal and psychological approach as you can get, without anything in its core having to do with your physique. The only physical aspect of Strasberg's method acting is to base a character's attitude, movements, and posture on animals, and even that's very subtle compared to Commedia Dell'Arte and Grotowski's physical work. Also also, incorporating your voice, emotions, gestures, and movements to your character, as well as finding out your character's motivations, has been an convention since David Garrick's acting days in the 18th century. It's not anything unique to method acting. Next time, try to do a bit more research on the topic
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  42. +Sam Kresil Meryl Streep is classically trained
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  43. +Sam Kresil Also, you can't "method act"; it's process-based work and something that takes a lifetime, you idiot!
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  44. Someone who uses his personal experiences and memories as direct motivations and impulses for his character's actions rather than just imagining, live in the moment, or projecting
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  45. +Sam Kresil James Dean was personally trained by Lee Strasberg and discovered by Elia Kazan. You don't get much more method than that.
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  46. No, it just means that you prefer to relate to and connect with your character rather than using your imagination.
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  47. Paul Muni? Method acting had not even been taught to students yet when he had his prime
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  48. Maldini88 So what? Method actors are adherents of the acting approach that was developed by Lee Strasberg, based on the earliest theories of Stanislavski. Before Actors Studio was established in 1947, only those who were at Group Theatre (not including Muni) knew about that new approach
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  49. Maldini88 First of all, it's "Strasberg" Second of all, there are many acting approaches, but method acting refers to Lee Strasberg's theories. The other acting approaches have different names
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  50. Maldini88​ Do you read the internet while replying to me here? If you do, then you should know that it's highly unreliable. I stick to books, articles, and academic texts, and they all state that Strasberg based his theories on Stanislavski's earliest theories, but he was the one who coined the term "method acting" Many acting approaches are based on Stanislavski, only one of them is called "method acting"
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  51. Streep is classically trained
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  52. reading the comments section is depressing to me as well, because most of the people here and WatchMojo have completely misunderstood the definition
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  53. He had his prime before method acting was even developed
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  54. I also really like him, but I don't think it's right to use accolades as a basis for the praise since they have proven to be very political
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  55. nice to hear that somebody respect method actors for once. Usually, I only hear "method actors are schizophrenic!" from those who don't practice the method
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  56. you can learn it on your own through books and videos; it's actually more of an acting style or ideology than a technique
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  57. Robert Boshears JR Duvall was trained by Sanford Meisner. Even though some people consider the Meisner technique to be a variant of Method Acting, Meisner himself criticized Strasberg and meant that his technique was not method acting
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  58. Technically yes unless the character is like you only with a different name
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  59. Zelda Rudzitsky Stanislavski's early development of the system is the basis of Method Acting, but Lee Strasberg's method acting and Stanislavski's system have now been called two different acting styles since Stanislavski abandoned most of the techniques and exercises Method Acting consists of My acting school definitely said that Method Acting and "the system" are not the same
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  60. Zelda Rudzitsky​ It's just that Lee Strasberg first introduced the term "Method Acting" as his development of Stanislavski's early theories, and it is his name that actors, directors, and acting schools mostly associate with the term Stanislavski abandoned virtually everything Strasberg developed into Method Acting, and since Stella Adler personally worked with Stanislavski to create an acting style that would be more close to the latter's visions, Stella's approach seems more like a further development of "The System" I also cannot imagine that Stanislavski, Stella Adler, or Sanford Meisner would call their acting approaches "Method Acting" because of their disdain for Strasberg As for me, I usually stick to Lee Strasberg and cannot stand Stanislavski (or at least adherents of him today), but I have occasionally used the Meisner technique 
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  61. VicViper There is of course no right or wrong, but if you go by the "traditional" method acting definition (the one developed by Lee Strasberg), then method acting is more about substitution and emotional memory: You draw your emotions from your own personal memories and experiences, and you react to your partner and the given circumstances as if they were someone/something from your own life. The definition you describe here is a more "modern" definition, but I personally think that is a misconception or a new "method" that just happens to go by the same name. Of course, most acting teachers would say that the actor needs to have much of the same experiences, but Daniel Day-Lewis takes that statement a bit too seriously, while most method actors would use analogies instead On a side note, DDL is amazing, but he lacks spontaneity and is quite over-the-top compared to many other actors
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  62. VicViper That's the thing; he needs so much time to adopt the role and make his performances amazing, while actors like Marlon Brando and James Dean could just jump right into it and still deliver iconic performances. Another difference is that it's what Daniel does himself that makes his performances great (physical action, emotional delivery, gestures etc.), so he probably could have overshadowed a mediocre script. Brando however, as well as actors like Robert de Niro, Jack Nicholson, and Dustin Hoffman, has/had a subtlety in the sense that the situation becomes clear and relatable because of their presence and subtext, so they didn't/don't need to do so much themselves when it comes to emotions and characters
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  63. Zelda Rudzitsky Stella Adler's method and Meisner's technique are often called variants of Method Acting, but Adler and Meisner both despised Strasberg and therefore claimed that their acting styles are not Method Acting
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  64. Joseph Morris It was accidental overdose
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  65. +G Ryan Jack Nicholson is considered to be a method actor by most sources. And in case you're gonna say that he plays himself in every movie (which many would do), that is irrelevant
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  66. wouldn't that be "One-hit acting wonders"? They got a list for that
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  67. England is a part of Britain
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  68. BimBimSalabim3 Scratch "he is British" and replace it with just "He is Welsh", and your statement makes sense Your original statement implies that Englishmen are not British
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  69. ***** Must be a new variant, because Lee Strasberg's notes and the Actors Studio curriculum never mention that
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  70. ***** Yes, I'm aware of that. I just got carried away because Method Acting has been misunderstood and misinterpreted for so long, and it provokes me
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  71. Wales is a part of Britain
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  72. There is a big difference between Stanislavski's system and Lee Strasberg's method acting even though the latter is based on the former's early theories
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  73. Meryl Streep is classically trained. Just because you do research doesn't mean you're Method
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  74. Yes, but Nicholson won 2 for lead and 1 for supporting. DDL is the only one who has won 3 Oscars for lead
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  75. Miss S.​ Yes, of course, but Meryl Streep is considered classically trained
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  76. +MMM3D12 Check what Method Acting actually is before criticizing him; changing your voice and appearance have nothing to do with it Source: the notes by Lee Strasberg (aka. the man who developed the acting style)
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  77. Streep is classically trained
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  78. he commented on his life style, not his acting style. Many people misunderstand this anecdote
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  79. Who was the first one is like asking what came first out of chicken and the egg; method acting was developed already in the late 20's, but it's based on the early theories of Stanislavski, which again has similarities to classical acting before that again. I agree that Monty should be here though
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  80. Meryl Streep is classically trained
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  81. Actors from RADA are virtually the polar opposites of method actors. Laurence Olivier even said "What method? I thought all actors were supposed to find their OWN method"
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  82. He said "Why don't you just try acting?" because Dustin Hoffman had stayed up for 3 days drinking at various pubs after being depressed. Olivier thought acting sounded like a better life style. There are so many people who misinterpret this anecdote as Olivier claiming method acting is not acting
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  83. It's spelled Vivien Leigh, and she was classically trained actress who happened to suffer from bipolar disorder in real life and having been through much of the same situations as Blanche, but she never tried to become like her, and she actually thought the similarities was unpleasant. And I'm not completely sure, but I have a feeling that Elia Kazan made her dig into her personal life You can even see and hear it in her line delivery and physical action that she was classically trained, especially when compared with Marlon Brando
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  84. one more than him
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  85. Duvall was trained by Sanford Meisner, who objected to method acting
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  86. Ellen Burstyn, Marilyn Monroe (a bit debatable though since she didn't like Strasberg), Anne Bancroft, Jane Fonda, Sally Field, and Jennifer Jason Leigh are considered to be that by various sources
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  87. Orson Welles was classically trained
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  88. sounds like a good acting style, but it would of course help to develop some spontaneity too (just a recommendation)
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  89. Yes, WatchMojo cannot even get the definition right
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  90. She's classically trained
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  91. It also takes quite a while to just learn what it consists of
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  92. The list seems to be more based on devotion and research, which seems to be the definition of Method Acting for today's audiences, although it's clearly a misconception
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  93. Technically, he introduced the basis for method acting (Emotional- and sense memory), but later abandoned it in favor of given circumstances and the magic "if". Lee Strasberg however took emotional- and sense memory and developed it into method acting
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  94. +Toursiveu G technically, method acting can be playing yourself since you're substituting the given circumstances with your own personal memories and experiences. the opposite of Method Acting would be to just focus on storytelling, given circumstances, physical action, and the magic if
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  95. 1. Laurence Olivier was commenting on his (Hoffman's) life style, not his acting. Dustin Hoffman stayed up for almost 3 days, drinking at various pubs because he was depressed, and many people misunderstand the quote and think that Hoffman did those things for his character and that Olivier said that Method Acting is not acting. 2. A different acting style automatically makes a British actor better than an American one?
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  96. trained by Sanford Meisner
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  97. Strasberg is the creator of Method Acting, based on the early development of Stanislavski's system
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  98. It isn't always easy to notice, but the main difference between Method Acting and Classical Acting is that method actors focus on putting themselves in the thoughts and feelings of their characters. Their emotions are mostly drawn from their own memories and experiences, and through emotional and sense memory. Of course, today we have method actors who stay in character the whole time and try to live as the character, but it hasn't always been that, and Lee Strasberg doesn't mention such things in his notes. Classically trained actors take more distance from the situations and focus on storytelling and the given circumstances, as well as the magic if
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  99. Josef Hautala To try to become or live like your character is a common misconception, and it can often become too internal and like trying to put a beggar onstage and expect him to act If you read "The Lee Strasberg Notes", then you will see that it's more about substituting the given circumstances with your own personal experiences, as well as drawing your emotions from your own memories and experiences through affective and emotional memory
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  100. Josef Hautala partly disagree, because you don't do to yourself what your character do, it's more that the story and your character become you and your personal life I agree with you however that method acting is not all about devotion, insanity, and intensity
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  101. Most sources say she is classically trained
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  102. Method Acting has been so misunderstood and misinterpreted these days that it makes me sick. And the worse thing is that the misconceptions spread to conservative acting teachers like a virus so that they start criticizing method acting for something it's not
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  103. She is classically trained
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  104. and what are your reasons for that? they better be good
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  105. Not all method actors do the same as DDL. In fact, the majority of method actors don't do it, and it's certainly not the core of Method Acting. Your reason is not good enough
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  106. killboggins Then your original statement is invalid
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  107. killboggins​ You said "method acting is a load of bollocks" before using Hoskins' quote as support for your statement You don't even know me, so your judgement of my acting abilities is invalid as well
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  108. He grew up in England and says that he considers himself an Englishman
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  109. I will try to give my best explanation: With Stanislavski's system (the traditional acting style), you act through storytelling, the magic if ("What would I have done if I were in the same situation), physical action, and the given circumstances (the information that you are given). With method acting however, you draw your emotions through your own memories and experiences; you start feeling and reminiscing the senses you felt in a specific memory (how it looked, how it smelled, how you felt etc.), then you bring it to the story and get affected by it Another important aspect of method acting is substitution; instead of simply reacting to your partner, you react as if he/she was a person from your own life that you have a relationship with (for example a parent or a girlfriend/boyfriend). It can also be that you're using your prop like it was a personal object that has a sentimental value to you Method Acting needs practice to fully understand, and Watchmojo has clearly confused it with character work and dedication. Many other people in my generation do it as well, and conservative acting teachers love to use those misconceptions and false rumors to argument against method acting (which has annoyed me and provoked me for a long time). Sure, method acting talks about thinking what your character would have done and thought in the situation, but that's only a small part of it. Many people also believe that you have to live like your character to gain the same experiences, but that's also a misconception. As long as your memories and experiences will bring the same emotions and reactions and you understand your character's mindset, it doesn't matter if you have the exact same experiences.
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  110. Method actors like James Dean, Montgomery Clift, and Paul Newman were around long before Harvey Keitel even debuted (Marlon Brando too even though he actually didn't considered himself to be a method actor) Btw, if you really are James Joyce, shouldn't you have been dead for 74 years now, or be 133 years old?
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  111. Method Acting is about emotional and sense memory and substituting the given circumstances with your own personal memories and experiences. Character work is only a small part of it. Also, the principal of a Method Acting school in my country said they were looking for students who were being themselves and were true to their own experiences
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  112. Marlon Brando made it well-known to the general audience (despite not considering himself to be a method actor), but Lee Strasberg developed it based on Stanislavski's early developments of his acting system
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  113. Chameleonic actor =/= Method Actor
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  114. He was trained by both Stella Adler and Lee Strasberg
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  115. Streep and Leigh is/was classically trained
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  116. +Dan Grant And like many other people, you confuse method acting with dedication and research
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  117. Dan Grant​ I'm not joking. If you read Lee Strasberg's notes (the founder of Method Acting), you will notice that he talks about the following (in a very simplied presentation here): - Sense memory: you focus on a place you have been, and all the senses from that place (how it looked, how it smelled etc.). It can also just be how you are using daily objects like a coffee cup or drinking glass. - Emotional memory: you think of a memory that affects you a lot emotionally, and then draw your emotions in the play/film from it. - Personal object: you react to the props as if it was an object from your own life that has a sentimental value to you - Animal work: you compare your character with an animal and study its behavior and movements, and then bring it to your character - Substitution: instead of acting based on the given circumstances, you react to the setting as if it was a place from your own life that you have strong memories from, and you react to your partner as if he/she was someone from your own life (like a lover, sibling, or parent). In general, you cannot see what acting techniques an actor is using unless you talk with him with about it or is the one teaching him. Method Acting is a lot of internal and mental work, and about sharpening your senses and emotions based on personal memories and experiences, as well as substituting the given circumstances; it's not about changing your physiques and staying in character the whole time. Yes, Daniel Day-Lewis did all that research to probably gain the experiences, but in most cases, it wouldn't be necessary because your emotions and the experiences you already have should make you capable of playing any character. Lee Strasberg himself played Hyman Roth in "The Godfather part II", and he did it as simple as possible: he knew that he was not a Mafia figure, but he was as smart as him, he ran an organization like Hyman, and he was as confident in his actions as he was. He also put some personal experiences into his character like his love for football.
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  118. Dan Grant​ those things I mentioned are still the things I was taught and learned about when I attended a Method Acting workshop, and it's still part of the curriculum on Actors Studio And saying that Strasberg is irrelevant is like saying that given circumstances and "the magic if" is irrelevant for Stanislavski's system because that also has changed a lot over the years I also found this in a dictionary online "Method actors are often characterized as immersing themselves so totally in their characters that they continue to portray them even offstage or off-camera for the duration of a project. However, this is a popular misconception. While some actors, notably Danie, Day-Lewis, have employed this approach, it is generally not taught as part of the Method"
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  119. Dan Grant I’m aware that the definition has basically changed, and that your impression of method acting will fit that new definition, but I find it so provocative that things have become like this: almost nobody knows about the core or foundation of method acting anymore, and those who do mostly misunderstand it. Everything nowadays is about gaining or losing weight, doing research, being in character the whole time, learning a new accent, and transform physically. I am not completely sure, but I cannot imagine that this was what Lee Strasberg had intended. It’s like an entirely new acting style has been invented that people just happen to call method acting, and the definition of method acting that existed while Lee Strasberg was alive has basically been ignored by the general audience. Stanislavski’s system, even though it was developed between 1890 and 1938 or something, has still been able to preserve its original core and definition today, and is part of the curriculum on most Western acting schools. When it comes to the two method acting definitions, method acting schools would not have taught their students the things that people now consider method acting, because that would have been risky for the health or generally unnecessary. Because of that, I don’t know where the general audience gets their information from. It seems like the logic is this: “Since some actors that are considered method actors do these exercises, it has to be a part of method acting”  What’s even worse and provokes me a lot is that conservative acting teachers love to criticize method acting based on this new definition, or they completely misunderstand emotional- and sense memory. The time between October, 2013 and October, 2014 was painful and made my drama year suck because I always had to hear these stupid statements from my acting teachers: - “We cannot ask our students to gain or lose weight” - “The character work will only make you lose control over yourself and become mentally ill” - “I cannot live a life like a rapist just to act a rape scene very good” - “Method acting is just schizophrenic” - “What? Emotions and character work? Back in my day, acting was about storytelling” - “You shouldn’t do method acting because it’s not part of the curriculum. You should stick to Stanislavski, he is very good” (Little did they know that only knowledge about Stanislavski was part of the curriculum. The other parts, which has to with acting abilities in general, can be accomplished with any acting style) I usually don’t bring my personal life into discussions, but I felt for it. I also choose to not believe in WatchMojo (whom has screwed up definitions before, for example with their “Top 10 Movie Anti-Heroes” list) or articles on the internet written by the general audience, because I find them unreliable compared to the notes of the man who basically invented method acting (Lee Strasberg) and method acting schools that teach the techniques and exercises I’ve been mentioning in my first comment; it all has to do with ethos.   
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  120. He was trained by Lee Strasberg at the Actors Studio (where he is now chairman along with Ellen Burstyn and Harvey Keitel). Looking completely different in every role has nothing to do with Method Acting
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  121. No, it's not about losing and gaining weight. Watchmojo just know nothing about method acting
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  122. She was never considered to be a method actress, and her eventual problems and disorders were most likely a result of Kazan's direction rather than her own will
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  123. Close to, but I would not say the greatest of all time
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  124. He only has 2, though he has 5 nominations. He also doesn't always play the lead ("Catch Me If You Can" being a great example)
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  125. Brando actually thought very little of Method Acting; he claimed Strasberg taught him nothing, while Stella Adler and Elia Kazan were those who taught him how to act
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  126. mohammad inamdar Stella Adler thought Method Acting was schizophrenic; she virtually lost her motivation as an actress after hearing Strasberg talking about the Method at Group Theatre. She later met Stanislavski and worked with him to develop an acting approach that was more similar to how Stanislavski wanted it As for Strasberg, I've read his notes and he was very emotional as well. The acting teacher that was almost completely physical was Sanford Meisner
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  127. A method actor uses Lee Strasberg's method. Stella Adler worked with Stanislavski to create an acting style that would be practixal and more close to the latter's theories (Stella Adler thought Method Acting was schizophrenic)
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  128. practical*
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  129. Well, Duvall was trained by Sanford Meisner, whom highly objected to method acting
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  130. I've read that Sir Anthony Hopkins is classically trained. When it comes to Spencer Tracy, I kinda enjoyed his reason for not getting into method acting; "I'm too old, I'm too tired, and I'm too talented to care"
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  131. Ander Pendragon they don't have to remain in character the whole time. It's just that method actors like Daniel Day-Lewis and Jared Leto prefer to do it. Method Acting is mostly to put yourself in the thoughts and feelings of your character, and drawing the emotions from your own memories and experiences, and through affective and sense memory, and substituting the given circumstances with your own personal experiences. There is also emphasis on character work
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  132. same with James Dean
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  133. He was the complete opposite of it. He even said something like "What method? I thought all actors were supposed to find their OWN method"
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  134. There would be no Brando without Stella Adler and Elia Kazan actually
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  135. I think his good acting periods would be 1950-1960, 1972-1973, and 1989-1990
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  136. so what? it doesn't make him Method
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  137. You both have missed the point of method acting
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  138. What's that got to do with it?
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  139. Yes you can, because staying in character the whole time is a misconception that is not supported by Strasberg's theories or Method Acting schools
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  140. IMDB is rarely a reliable source, at least when it comes to reviews and top 10 lists
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  141. possibly, but he is generally considered classically trained
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  142. Definitely not, but I guess the weight gain and loss do something mentally with the actor that makes his acting look more believable
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  143. Because he is probably able to use emotional and sense memory effectively, and has background in Actors Studio. Changing your physiques and voice for each character is just a misconception
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  144. Doing your own stunts is not what method acting is about, and it (MA) had not even been developed yet when Buster Keaton had his prime
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  145. +Keith Reynolds Acting is not about playing multiple characters, it's about storytelling and making situations clear and relatable
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  146. ***** No, I'm not. It doesn't matter if the script is a masterpiece if the actor's line delivery lacks subtext and intention or his actions lack motivation. When a character enters the scene, he has an objective, and it's up to the actor to find strategies to achieve it. He also has an inner conflict and something important he wants to say the audience, and if the actor doesn't bring it out and instead makes it too unclear and obscure, the audience doesn't get moved It also doesn't matter if the director is a genius if the actor doesn't follow his "instructions" good enough, even if he gets told exactly what he's going to do
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  147. Lee Strasberg developed Method Acting, and based it on Stanislavski's early theories in his system (which was developed from the late 19th century to the early 20th century) Stella Adler and Elia Kazan taught Marlon Brando, and Stanislavski had already passed away when they started teaching
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  148. He is definitely not the same in every movie, although that concept has nothing to do with Method Acting
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  149. Brando didn't invent method acting, and he didn't even consider himself to be a method actor
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  150. Yup, he definitely needed a mention
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  151. You said it. Misconceptions around method acting have provoked me so much over the years
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  152. 1. Method Acting is not about dedication and research even though Robert de Niro is considered to be a method actor for other reasons 2. Lee Strasberg is a better definition of Mehod Acting since he is the one who developed it, based on the earliest theories of Stanislavski 3. Heath Ledger was also hugely acclaimed for "Brokeback Mountain"
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  153. Hydro Cannons Yes, but the thing is that method acting is not the same as dedication. Method Acting is about emotional memory and substituting the given circumstances with your own personal experiences, as well as drawing your emotions from them
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  154. He's considered classically trained
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  155. Meryl Streep is classically trained
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  156. both are considered classically trained
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  157. Meryl Streep is classically trained
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  158. Bale was only born in Wales; he grew up in England
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  159. You have a fair point, but most acting teachers I've come across have called method acting the theories of Lee Strasberg while Stanislavski's method is called "The System". Or at least, many of those teachers loved Stanislavski and loathed method acting and called them polar opposites
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  160. Stephen Daugherty Yes, I agree that emotions should come from within to not look so forced and "fake", but also that affective memory may lose its effectiveness over time. It's just that I have read and been taught that Stanislavski abandoned emotional memory to focus on the magic "as if" and the given circumstances because it became too internal and lifeless. I have mostly read about Lee Strasberg however, and what I've read is that he focused a lot on emotional and sense memory, as well as substitution (and character work of course). He also said that you should choose your memory carefully and not let it be too recent and not too old. To be honest, it's mostly just those specific acting teachers I came across that called them polar opposites, and I rarely agreed with their statements
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  161. Somebody doesn't know what method acting really is about. (but who really does? There's a reason why I chose to write about misconceptions around method acting on my bachelor thesis)
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  162. Instead of simply imagining how a character would react to a situation, you use various techniques on your spare time to trigger a genuine reaction to it. (so no, method acting is not something you use in the performance itself like many people falsely believe). For example, if I was to play a social activist, then I would on my spare time research the topic and immerse myself so much in it that when my character gets provoked, then it's actually me being genuinely provoked rather than pretending to be that. And if I was to play a lover, then I would figure out a way to feel genuinely love for my partner rather than pretending to love her.
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  163. He's classically trained
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  164.  @royalekrishan7694  If any of your Indian actors and movies were so amazing, then most of them would be famous worldwide by now. You Indians are such delusional nationalists who always have to rely on the White Man to become relevant
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  165.  @anshulmadavi8854  1. Lee Strasberg is the one who coined the term "method acting" and developed it based on Stanislavskij's theories, and this happened when your precious Kumar (fortunately dead) was just a toddler, and guess what? There was a collective in the US called "The Group Theatre" in the 30's dedicated to new acting merhods, and Strasberg was one of the most prominent members there. 2. No, I haven't heard about the actor you mentioned, because guess what? He's irrelevant to any major filmgoer who isn't from India. And if your Indian movies are so famous and amazing, why aren't any of the highest-grossing movies from India, and why have no Indian movie apart from "Slumdog Millionaire" been a favorite at the Oscars? It's easy for you nationalists to praise Indian movies, but if we're looking at the bigger picture, then India is just an ant compared to the US and Europe. I'm not even from the US, so I notice which movies get highlighted and not. It's a good thing that India is a developing country and has so many nationalists, because then I can smile and celebrate every time someone dies there. They also deserve it when they're responsible for the Delta-variant
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  166.  @anshulmadavi8854  Also, do your research. Jami Gertz, Oprah Winfrey, and even Tyler Perry, are richer than Khan
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  167.  @anshulmadavi8854  If you're not rich and powerful, then you're not famous. Simple as that! Go woke, go broke, as they say! And Brando wasn't even a method actor, just saying! If we're talking about the Oscars, then guess what movie won in 2019? "Parasite" (a South-Korean movie, and it was up against the British movie "1917"). "Roma" was nominated for Best Picture the year before, and "The Artist" won in 2011. If you actually made great movies, then you'd be able to get nominated as well Also, I'm 26.
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  168.  @anshulmadavi8854  The fact remains that money and power make someone or something famous, and there are statistics to prove that. You talk as if it's a fact that Indian movies are better in terms of quality, but how can you prove that it is a fact and not a subjective opinion? How do you also know that my mind isn't developed? I haven't undergone brain surgery with you. We're also talking about fame here, and you only talk about artistic quality and try to explain away that Hollywood is richer, more powerful, and more famous Also, Brando was a great actor, but he was not a method actor
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  169.  @anshulmadavi8854  The variant originated in India and it spread to the rest of the world because infected workers from your country travelled to Europe and the US and refused to be quarantining. Ergo you're responsible! China on the other hand is responsible for the virus in general
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  170.  @anshulmadavi8854  "Toxic" things I say has nothing to do with mind stuff; that's you being easily offended despite being a nationalist and your country being responsible for the Delta-variant. Also, don't try to deny that you've been trying to prove that Indian cinema is the best
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  171.  @anshulmadavi8854  It's not neuroscience that determines whether something you say or do is toxic; that's entirely based on someone else's ethics and moral standards. Also, you have been bragging about Indian cinema and tried to make a point that Hollywood is overrated and that Indian cinema is superior in terms of artistic quality
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  172.  @anshulmadavi8854  Don't know anything about world cinema, eh? And how are you going to prove artistic quality without resorting to subjective assessments? Oh wait! You can't!
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  173.  @anshulmadavi8854  You said "But definititely not (smaller) when it comes to acting, talent, and artistic movies". How is that not trying to prove Indian cinema is the best?
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  174.  @anshulmadavi8854  You didn't say "lesser"; you said "smaller", which indicates artistic quality. Your exact words are this: "Indian cinema might be smaller than Hollywood in terms of budget and scale, but not in terms of acting, talent, and artistic movies" That means Hollywood are worse when it comes to those aspects. As for your last point, everybody was happy when Voldemort died in Harry Potter, weren't they? In terms of real-life, then I don't think anyone is going to miss Hitler or Stalin
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  175.  @anshulmadavi8854  The opposite of "small" is "big" or "great", and thus "smaller" is the opposite of "greater", so you think Indian cinema is greater (superior to) than Hollywood. And of course you're a Hollywood hater; you haven't spoken anything favorable about it and instead have tried to make the point that Hollywood is for people who don't know anything about world cinema, while one-sidedly praising Indian cinema. You were intentionally travelling to other countries and spreading the virus as a result. Also, HIV originated in Congo and were found on chimps, so that's their fault. No, I'm not saying Indians are on par with Hitler and Stalin; I'm just saying that it's possible to be happy about someone's death, and that whether it's toxic or not depends on ethics and morals. And no, I'm not from England. However, them gaining power because of your country's resources just proves how powerful the UK is and how weak and inferior the latter are, and conquering a land has been common practice since Ancient Times.
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  176.  @anshulmadavi8854  Nationalism is a bad word, and if you speak favorably of the industry from your own country, and also defend your own country when it gets insulted, then you're a nationalist. If you don't say anything positive about Hollywood, then you hate it. Speaking negatively about Indian cinema or your own country is the only way you can convince me that you're not a nationalist
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  177.  @anshulmadavi8854  A virus can't spread to another country without someone actually travelling there. Are you saying that the Delta-variant just flew itself out to the rest of the world? Also, you're making a false equivalence since the US is a superior country to India and have a superior people
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  178.  @anshulmadavi8854  You're really salty about India being inferior to the UK, aren't you? There are winners and there are losers in this world, and there are also some people who are superior to others, and your country is the inferior one. If you defend your country, then you're a nationalist
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  179.  @anshulmadavi8854  Another false equivalence since Germany and India are not on the same level. Neither are England and India
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  180.  @anshulmadavi8854  Yes, I'm waiting for you to admit defeat. And again, you haven't performed surgery on me, so you can't prove that my brain isn't working properly
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  181.  @anshulmadavi8854  Yeah, yeah, yeah, just don't let the door hit you on the way out!
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  182. +Dipak Roy No, that was Lee Strasberg (and he was influenced by Stanislavskij)
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  183. +Sebastian Figueroa Hopkins, Neeson, and Fiennes are all classically trained. Norton could maybe get a mention
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  184. Brando technically shouldn't be here since "method acting" refers to Lee Strasberg's theories and Brando was trained by Stella Adler. Even a method acting teacher like Elia Kazan recognized that Brando was more influenced by Adler than Strasberg
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  185. You definitely need to do some more research; method acting is about using your personal memories and experiences as impulses and analogies, as well as using exercises to strengthen your senses and reactions, to gain a full understanding of the context and your character's mindset and motivations to such a degree that you can break out of character and easily get back in afterwards. Always being in character would be a sign of insecurity and unreliability according to Lee Strasberg. And seriously? Al Pacino who was personally trained by Lee Strasberg and is now one of the chairmen of Actors Studio is not a method actor? How dense are you?
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  186.  @w0bbl3r  Yup, I stand by my word that you haven't done any real research on the topic, and there's no way that you've read "The Lee Strasberg Notes" or taken any method acting classes, because you've completely missed the point and just talk about all the misconceptions that was adressed in David Krasner's "Method Acting re-considered". I've even done a 20-page bachelor thesis on the topic. Method acting is not about completely becoming your character in the sense that you're completely unrecognizeable and have no traces of your own identity left; the core is actually to substitute the given circumstances with your own personal memories and experiences and develop a personal consciousness of the context and the character motivations so that the impulses you're giving the character can produce a reaction that's viewed as completely genuine and spontaneous. You're basically living through the character and the context as if they were you and your real life, though with enough creativity so that your performance captures the essence of your character and carries the aesthetics of an acting performance. That's what made Al Pacino so acclaimed in the 70's: he perfectly captured the essence of Michael Corleone, Serpico, and Sonny to convey the context and emotions and carry the movies, but he still highlighted his own personal essence that's unique to him and him alone. And again, do some more research before claiming that Al Pacino isn't a method actor: https://newyork.methodactingstrasberg.com/portfolio_page/strasbergtalks-al-pacino/ https://www.toledoblade.com/a-e/tv-radio/2006/10/02/Al-Pacino-talks-about-his-life-and-career-on-Actors-Studio/stories/200610020022 https://www.123helpme.com/view.asp?id=132062 Ignorant people like you on this topic makes me sick!
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  187. You take it as if everything is based purely on talent like all the condescending acting teachers and theorists in the pre-20th century
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  188. +Brian O'Neil Character actor =/= method actor
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  189. +Janet Aldrich A method actor is not the same as a character actor
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  190. +Elie Habib Hopkins is classically trained
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  191. You can do some method acting, but still not identify yourself with it. I began with classical acting and despised it
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  192. +syju taj Lee Strasberg is the father of method acting (and Stanislavskij is the grandfather)
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  193. That's not what method acting is about
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  194. +jams and kookie Classically trained
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  195. Stella Adler was actually against method acting, and she worked with Stanislavski personally to develop an acting style that was more like the latter had envisioned in his original works
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  196. Who?
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  197.  @VinothKumar-ho3lm  Which movie?
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  198.  @VinothKumar-ho3lm  Never heard of it
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  199.  @VinothKumar-ho3lm  If it was so great, then I would have heard about it. There are millions of movies out there to choose from, so why should I pick a cult movie that hasn't made any impact worldwide?
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  200.  @VinothKumar-ho3lm  You have two type of cult movies; one of them is a movie that's practically made an impact for its cult status and has slowly become more mainstream as a result (think "Fight Club" and "Rocky Horror Picture Show"), while the other one is really only well-known in a very small environment isolated from anyone that isn't part of it (your movie). I do care about Asian movies if they've actually made an impact like with Seven Samurai, Godzilla, Battle Royale, or 36th Chambers of Shaolin, but only saying "Just watch it. It's really one of the greatest" isn't very persuasive
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  201.  @VinothKumar-ho3lm  If I'm going to believe that it's worth a shot, then you need to persuade me
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  202. +Ben Stevens Meryl and Cate are classically trained.
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  203. +Val T Monty Clift was actually before Marlon Brando in the film world, and Group Theatre and its members was the first collective where method acting started to take form
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  204. +World Peace You mentioned a lot of non-method actors
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  205. The process is different; you use your own personal memories and experiences as impulses so that you make the character and context more a part of yourself, making it easier for you to think like your character. This differs from other actors who just use their imagination or actors who simply react to impulses that occur in the moment
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  206. +Joe Simon You think?! Seems like nobody knows what it is nowadays
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  207. +flash Your source?
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  208. +flash A method actor is not the same as a character actor. Seriously, have you never read "The Lee Strasberg Notes" or "Method Acting reconsidered"?
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  209. +flash I don't have a problem with Jackman, but I do have a problem with your ignorance and you disgracing Strasberg's name
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  210. +Imdor If you're talking about Brando, then you've got a lot to learn about him
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  211. You mentioned a handful of classically trained actors there
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  212.  @samkresil6011  Method acting =/= dedication or never breaking character
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  213.  @samkresil6011  You really don't know what method acting is just like that Jordan Peterson doesn't know what post-modernism is
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  214.  @samkresil6011  I took drama programs in high school and was sick and tired of hearing misconceptions about method acting (especially when people use them to look down on method acting)
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  215.  @samkresil6011  First of all, Brando wasn't the first to embrace it. Lee Strasberg developed and coined the term "method acting" based on the earliest theories of Stanislavsky, and later presented it to The Group Theatre in the 30's. Elia Kazan and 3 others founded Actors Studio in 1947 and were chairmen of it before Strasberg took over in 1951. Even before Marlon Brando had his debut Montgomery Clift introduced method acting for real in "The Search" from 1948. Method acting has nothing to do with staying in character all the time and letting go of yourself. In fact, method acting is about using your own personal memories and experiences as impulses and motivations for your character. Before this acting was either about imagination or just having the talent to use your voice, gestures, and full body, wheras method acting techniques include training your senses and becoming genuinely passionate about the story and conflict that your actions and reactions happen instinctively
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  216. +dave g An actor who uses his memories and personal experiences as impulses and motivations for his actions rather than simply imagining how his character would react. For example, a "regular" actor would pretend to be angry, while a method actor would find something from his personal life to REALLY make him angry.
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  217.  @StudBangTheory  You Indians and your nationalism. If someone hasn't made any impact outside of your own country, then that person isn't really legendary
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  218.  @StudBangTheory  No
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  219. +Sunrit Roy Karmakar No, that was Lee Strasberg (and if we're gonna talk about roots, then Stanislavskij probably invented it)
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  220. +Nauman Khawaja She's classically trained
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  221. In your own nationalist and self-absorbed country
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  222. +Joseph Higgs A method actor is not the same as a character actor
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  223. +Shot Bro Do you even know what method acting is?
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  224. +Ryan Kay Definitely agree!
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  225.  @icegloves7777  Weight gain/loss has NOTHING to do with method acting. It's about developing a personal attachment to your character and the story's given circumstances by using personal experiences as impulses for character motivations
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  226.  @icegloves7777  "Extra mile" is a marketing tool filmmaker tell journalists to write about to attract movie audiences, and the journalists just call the dedication "method acting" because they don't have anything else appealing to call it. Real method acting is psychological. Also, I have no idea why you think getting emotional and using ad-hominem makes you look any smarter. What are you? 5?
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  227.  @icegloves7777  What a rebuttal. "You know nothing simply because you don't, and I'm not going to read anything you write either" Great argumentation, kid!
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  228.  @icegloves7777  Oh yeah, because my life consists of only a couple of minutes. Writing a YouTube comment is a HUGE waste of time and energy, isn't it? In all seriousness, I'm already busy preparing a lecture on "Death of the Author" before having a talk with someone who's set to buy stocks from me (someone who should have bought them from me in March, but I gave him 3 months tops to pay). It was also stressful enough this semester to give feedback on 4 minor theatre projects, planning 2 theatre trips, and partly being the arranger of a study trip to Berlin, so writing YouTube comments here and there is just a minor activity
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  229.  @icegloves7777  Nope. Norwegian
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  230. Orson Welles was a well-established actor before method acting had even been introduced to American actors
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  231.  @elonearth2600  I agree that with the skill part, but not that he was a method actor
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  232. +Huzaifa Khan Classically trained
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  233. +Sam Kresil You don't know what method acting is
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  234. +Sam Kresil NO, you fucking moron!!! Method acting is to substitute the given circumstances with your own personal memories and experiences, and use them as impulses to understand your character's motivation and reactions! It's also an process to strengthen your senses and emotional capabilities. Seriously! Haven't you read "The Lee Strasberg Notes" or "Method Acting reconsidered"?!
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  235. +Sam Kresil This is YouTube, not some knitting class, and it's because of ignorant people like you that conservative snobs always patronize Lee Strasberg!
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  236. +Sam Kresil Don't you have anything to say? You disgraced Lee Strasberg's name and just stay silent? You should be ashamed of yourself!
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  237. What does Daniel Day-Lewis got to do with cinematography? Cinematography refers to film photography such as angles and shots in a scene. FYI, Spencer Tracy was classically trained openly said that he was too talented to care about the "newer method acting". James Stewart was also classically trained
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  238. +Sam Kresil Jared Leto and Heath Ledger took the Method way too far with the Joker, and Daniel Day-Lewis does it in general. And no, method acting doesn't automatically mean that you never break character. The way I see it is that you use your own memories and experiences to relate to your character, and then use them as impulses to bring out the same reaction as your character even though the latter's situation and your memory may be different. However, all of this is just in the researching process and when you're working on your spare time, so when you're standing on the stage or are on the movie set, you use the same acting techniques as everyone else, but you at least understand your character's motivations better.
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