11/04/2024
Third Bell has just been rung. I’m filled with dread. I take deep breaths to relax. I run through some lines and get hung up on a word. Panic! I know these lines!
Let go I tell myself. Let my muscles think and not my brain. The word is there. Introduction ends. No escape. I have to go out there. I have to face them. The audience and they terrify me.
A tight knot in my stomach.
If you’re an actor, you’ve probably felt this way at some point.
At its core, fear is a natural response to :
-the unknown (boy do we have uncertainty)
-perceived threats (being ridiculed or laughed at)
-anticipation of failure or rejection
-any sort of change (even success will come with it’s own changes like more discipline)
Phillip Seymour Hoffman was an actor’s actor: the best, many said, of his generation. And yet, in the aftermath of his death, you realise that he was just like the rest of us, full of fears. Bennett Miller, who directed Hoffman in Capote, tells of his friend’s fears two weeks before the opening of The Seagull with Meryl Streep and Kevin Kline. Hoffman confided that he was nervous and would be found out to be a fraud. A fraud? The best actor of his generation?
Fear is a powerful and unavoidable aspect of the actor experience. However, by adopting a mindset of “stay afraid but do it anyway,” we can harness the transformative power of fear, using it as a catalyst for personal growth and self-discovery. It involves taking decisive action despite the feelings of apprehension & doubt, willingness to learn from both successes and failures & making our inner voice work FOR us.
In doing so, we can transcend our limitations, unlock our full potential, and embark on a journey of courage, resilience, and fulfilment.
