Habitual Mannerisms

You are at your best, your most authentic as an actor when you are most yourself. That’s living truthfully.

But under the pressure of performance, we often damage our work as the pressure finds its way out in the form of habitual mannerisms. I have spent many years watching actors and people that want to be actors and they all demonstrate their tension in the same way. I have created a list so that you can help identify your own displays of tension and eradicate them.

1) Penguining (Flapping your arms at your sides.)
2) Waitressing (Arms out in front of you in a V shape, like a waiter carrying plates)
3) The Forklift (as above but straight out like a forklift)
4) Craning (two actors leaning in towards each other)
5) Giraffing (body standing still head leaning forwards)
6) Tug of War (two actors tugging at each other or an object from each side)
7) Theatre of Ants (looking up at the ceiling)
8) Theatre of Giants (looking down at the floor)
9) The Hollyoaks Lean (as 4 but with shouting)
10) Tissuing (playing/fiddling with any object or prop)
11) Hands in Pockets
12) Gasping (expelling air through the mouth)
13) Huffing (sighing through the mouth or nose)
14) Trotting/Mr Tumness (tiny steps forwards, backwards etc)
15) Eye Lock (every scene eye to eye)

Finally, if you do something once or twice, it’s part of your performance, if you do something habitually out of discomfort or self-consciousness, it’s a problem.

To You, the Best!

Mark