We often hear stories of actors going a bit overboard behind the scenes with how they treat their fellow actors or actresses. A lot of times we will hear the reason being the actor or actress is deep into their method acting and have become their character. In reality this often use to excuse shitty behavior behind the scenes, and actors such as Robert Pattinson, Samuel L. Jackson, Mads Mikkelsen, and Will Poulter. This form of acting can spawn some pretty incredibly performances, but at what cost? Hopefully the practice of method acting is turned around, and no longer used as an excuse to lash out at people on the set. In separate interviews the aforementioned stars have spoken out against method acting.
In an interview with Collider, Samuel L. Jackson said “Sometimes, when you’re working with people who invest like that, it doesn’t feel like they’re having a good time, to me, It’s a job of playing make-believe. You do it effectively and you do it in a way that’s not harmful to you because it’s a safe space. You’re supposed to be able to safely come into this space, work and give emotionally, and not be harmed by it.”
Will Poulter stated to The Independent “When it comes to an actor’s process, whatever that is, so long as it doesn’t infringe on other people’s and you’re being considerate, then fine. But if your process creates an inhospitable environment, then to me you’ve lost sight of what’s important. Method acting shouldn’t be used as an excuse for inappropriate behavior—and it definitely has.”
Jake Gyllenhaal once admitted on SNL he considered himself a method actor, he then realized how his job should be “fun and filled with joy”. Jake went on to say “But honestly, I wasn’t even that good at method acting,” he explained. “I remember for this movie Nightcrawler, I went to the director and I was like, ‘Get ready for me to lose 48 pounds and win the Oscar.’ And then a week later I was like, ‘How would you like to see an actor lose 36 pounds and win the Golden Globe? And then I showed up on set and I was like, ‘You’re looking at a guy who gained 10 pounds and doesn’t care about awards!'”
