Masochism

My friend and colleague Tom recently posted a link on Facebook to a set of imgur images about the Insane Ways Actors Got into Character.

It really upsets me that actors feel they have to undergo suffering like this for their acting career.

But why do actors do this?

Actors that ‘suffer for their art’ are often lauded and rewarded and the public and the media have come to accept as common sense that serious actors do this type of thing.

An expectation has been established, people actually believe that these extreme acts of masochism are expected of good actors. Good actors would suffer physically or emotionally, whereas poor or lazy actors would not.

When the industry reinforces this, it stops being optional.

When Oscar rewards that suffering with a statuette, actors associate suffering with award winning performances. Great actors suffer.

Now add the hype that this suffering creates around the film and the next film needs stories of suffering to create more hype.

Actors are out-suffering each other all the way to the next award ceremony.

Actors support and endorse this behaviour by talking about it in their interviews. They want to be taken seriously (as well you should!) and if they talk of their deep research, their commitment to authenticity, their suffering, they are taken seriously.

It is unnecessary to suffer for the role. If they want an overweight actor they should hire one. There are plenty of actors, but the system is perverse.

When it is expected by producers, directors or studios, it becomes authorised by the industry’s hierarchy. It is a form of abuse, in what other job would this be considered acceptable?

It isn’t acceptable.

There are alternatives.