I often see scenes in which an actor is performing in front of a large number of people, and yet they look totally comfortable whilst doing so (well duh, they’re acting like the person they are portraying)…
But inside - are they bricking it like most normal people, or does the training, experience and role playing negate these instinctual feelings?
I’m talking about situations like;
An actor playing the President, addressing a large room full of people.
Courtroom scenes where an actor playing a lawyer is giving a speech.
Political scenes where the actor is giving a public address to a large crowd.
I’ve seen an interview where Idris Elba is talking about the insecurity he felt giving a speech as Nelson Mandela in front of 100’s of South African extras, all of whom are obviously familiar with the real Nelson Mandela - but is this typical?
Anyone with experience in acting or performing in public would be appreciated, or even links to interviews where an A lister talks about this sort of thing would be welcome too.
Or just any kind of insight really… this sort of thing fascinates me.
There are plenty of actors who will say they get the jitters before any performance. They wouldn’t be acting for long if they don’t get over it once the action starts. Also, just because you see them appear to be addressing a large crown on the big or small screen doesn’t mean those people are actually there as the actor reads his lines. That’s a lot of what acting is about, the actors perform out of the context you see on the screen. Even actors appearing to be engaged in dialogue may not be there together.
Speaking in front of people is a common fear, and easily overcome for most folks with even marginal training and experience. IME once you’re good with being the focus of 5-10 people, it’s no more dreadful when addressing 100+ in an auditorium. An audience of regular folks or industry peers will mirror your bearing–if you’re tense, they pick it up and everyone in the room is uncomfortable; but if you’re at ease, they chill out and share your interest or humor and a productive time is had by all. I’d guess a movie set is even more friendly because your audience is composed of actors. Everyone is on the clock and focused on their own performance, which will be predictably hostile or supportive, depending on the scene.
Of course - there are scenes whereby an actor is addressing a crowd of 5,000 when in reality it’s just 50, and the rest is done by CGI. But there are still scenes where we clearly see actors standing in front of large groups of people.
Funny you say that last bit… as conspiracy theorists (if that’s a thing in movies) are adamant that the famous scene in Heat between De Niro and Pacino in the cafe, is just camera trickery, and they were never together. De Niro recently alluded that he was indeed there with Pacino on a recent talk show, but didn’t say it explicitly.
Acting is not for introverts. I would imagine they’re creaming themselves at the chance to strut in front of hundreds of people.
And certainly on the stage, where that is the entire point of choosing an acting career.
There certainly are actors and performers who are nervous about going on in front of a crowd. I seem to remember on big name (Olivier?) who always had an attack of nerves beforehand, and who dealt with it by wiggling his toes. Until the time he was wearing sandals…
Barbra Streisand admits that she’s very nervous whenever she performs. I think she even stopped touring for a time because of it.
But once the show begins, the actor can concentrate on his or her lines, so the nervousness goes away.
I’d imagine there are quite a few Hollywood actors who are quite shy in real life. Some don’t interview well at all, as they are insecure being themselves in the spotlight. I read somewhere that Bruce Willis hates the spotlight - but he seems extremely confident in his movies.
Stage acting, like public speaking in general is a very specific skill set. Speaking for myself, crowds don’t bother me a bit. 16 or 60 (or 6000), it really doesn’t make a difference. I’ll get a few butterflies waiting to go on, but once the class starts or the ceremony begins, or whatever, I’m in the zone.