{"id":4263,"date":"2017-08-20T21:07:16","date_gmt":"2017-08-20T21:07:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/?p=4263"},"modified":"2017-09-26T17:58:26","modified_gmt":"2017-09-26T17:58:26","slug":"character-ideas-what-are-they-and-how-do-i-use-them-for-character-development","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/character-ideas-what-are-they-and-how-do-i-use-them-for-character-development\/","title":{"rendered":"Character Ideas: What Are They, and How Do I Use Them for Character Development?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"fusion-one-full fusion-layout-column fusion-column-last fusion-spacing-yes section-header-post\" style=\"margin-top:;margin-bottom:;\"><div class=\"fusion-column-wrapper\"><h3 style=\"text-align: left;\">Character Ideas: What Are They, and How Do I Use Them for Character Development?<\/h3>\n<font size=\"2\" color=\"grey\"><span style=\"border:1px solid ;-webkit-border-radius:50%;-moz-border-radius:50%;border-radius:50%;-moz-box-shadow: 0 0 3px rgba(0,0,0,.3);-webkit-box-shadow: 0 0 3px rgba(0,0,0,.3);box-shadow: 0 0 3px rgba(0,0,0,.3);margin-right:25px;float:left;\" class=\"fusion-imageframe imageframe-glow imageframe-1 hover-type-none author-image\"><a class=\"fusion-no-lightbox\" href=\"http:\/\/performerstuff.com\" target=\"_self\"> <img src=\"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/PandoraScooter.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"img-responsive\" style=\"-webkit-border-radius:50%;-moz-border-radius:50%;border-radius:50%;\"\/><\/a><\/span><p>Written by\u00a0Pandora Scooter<\/p>\n<p>August 16, 2017<\/p>\n<\/font><div class=\"fusion-clearfix\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fusion-clearfix\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-one-full fusion-layout-column fusion-column-last fusion-spacing-yes section-body-post\" style=\"margin-top:;margin-bottom:;\"><div class=\"fusion-column-wrapper\"><p style=\"text-align: left;\">Where do you get the best character ideas for playing a role? You get them from the script! Read on to learn about three examples of actors who took lines from the screenplays they were acting in order to create compelling and exciting character ideas.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">First off, <em>what is a character idea<\/em>? A character idea is a concept that you bring to the character in order to make it seem like a three dimensional person. It\u2019s often an idea that comes from the script. Often, too, it involves creating some kind of physical change in your behavior to really sculpt the character.<\/p>\n<h4>1.\u00a0Bobby Canavale in\u00a0<em>Blue Jasmine<\/em><\/h4>\n<br><div class=\"fusion-video fusion-youtube\" style=\"max-width:600px;max-height:350px;\"><div class=\"video-shortcode\"><iframe title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/XoC9alun3VQ?wmode=transparent&autoplay=0\" width=\"600\" height=\"350\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div><\/div><br>\r\n<br><p style=\"text-align: left;\">One great example of a character idea is Bobby Canavale\u2019s portrayal of Chili in <em>Blue Jasmine<\/em>. In this scene, you see him fighting with Ginger (Sally Hawkins, who is also doing a great job with her character) about her seeing another man. In the script it is made very clear that Chili is the opposite of what Ginger\u2019s sister Jasmine (Cate Blanchett) would consider a \u201cacceptable\u201d companion. Jasmine is a Park Avenue sophisticate-type who married a Wall Street multimillionaire, so Canavale created a white trash, completely unsophisticated character. The viewer can see this choice manifest in his choices about his speech, posture and laugh. Anyone who has seen Canavale in other films knows this character is a stretch for him, and he does a great job with it.<\/p>\n<div class=\"fusion-clearfix\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fusion-clearfix\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-one-full fusion-layout-column fusion-column-last fusion-spacing-yes section-body-post\" style=\"margin-top:;margin-bottom:;\"><div class=\"fusion-column-wrapper\"><h4>2.\u00a0Rooney Mara in\u00a0<em>Carol<\/em><\/h4>\n<br><div class=\"fusion-video fusion-youtube\" style=\"max-width:600px;max-height:350px;\"><div class=\"video-shortcode\"><iframe title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ezZilTUuzIQ?wmode=transparent&autoplay=0\" width=\"600\" height=\"350\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div><\/div><br>\r\n<br><p style=\"text-align: left;\">Another excellent example is Rooney Mara in <em>Carol<\/em>. The character, Therese Belivet, is written to be totally mesmerized with Carol (Cate Blanchett), an elegant, wealthy, graceful woman. To contrast herself from Carol, Mara chose to create a wide-eyed, innocent, curious character who seemed like a complete shift from the somewhat jaundiced Carol. In comparison, Mara\u2019s Therese comes across like an innocent child and she effectively delivers the coming of age tale that the screenplay requires.<\/p>\n<div class=\"fusion-clearfix\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fusion-clearfix\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-one-full fusion-layout-column fusion-column-last fusion-spacing-yes section-body-post\" style=\"margin-top:;margin-bottom:;\"><div class=\"fusion-column-wrapper\"><h4>3.\u00a0Steve Carrell in\u00a0<em>Foxcatcher<\/em><\/h4>\n<br><div class=\"fusion-video fusion-youtube\" style=\"max-width:600px;max-height:350px;\"><div class=\"video-shortcode\"><iframe title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/5X6YTLx_k-w?wmode=transparent&autoplay=0\" width=\"600\" height=\"350\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div><\/div><br>\r\n<br><p style=\"text-align: left;\">Finally, we&#8217;ve got Steve Carrell in the role of John du Pont in <em>Foxcatcher<\/em>. At first appearance, it seems odd that Carrell continues to look down his large (prosthetic) nose at Channing Tatum and other characters. Then, about a third of the way through the film, the character reveals that he wants to be referred to as \u201cEagle.\u201d Suddenly, at this moment, his choice to look down his nose (read: beak) at everyone is clearly a personification of this bird.\u00a0 Carrell played du Pont like a vicious, predatory eagle. It was a brilliant choice that came directly from the script.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">In conclusion, it is<em> so<\/em> important when looking for character ideas that you look to the script and don\u2019t impose ideas on the script that aren\u2019t already in the text. These three examples, and many more below, give examples of actors doing just this: relying on the script for their character ideas.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Susan Sarandon, <em>Dead Man Walking<\/em><br \/>\nMeryl Streep, <em>Devil Wears Prada<br \/>\n<\/em>Meryl Streep, <em>Julie and Julia<\/em><br \/>\nMichael Keaton, <em>Beetlejuice<\/em><br \/>\nChristopher Guest, <em>Waiting for Guffman<\/em><\/p>\n<br>\r\n<br><h3 style=\"text-align: left;\">Need some advice? We\u2019ve got you covered.<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/not-clicking-with-your-character-5-steps-for-connecting-to-your-role\/\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Not Clicking With Your Character? 5 Steps for Connecting to Your Role<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/5-vital-questions-to-ask-when-establishing-a-character\/\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">5 Vital Questions to Ask When Establishing a Character<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/creating-a-character-dossier-in-8-steps\/\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Creating a Character Dossier in 8 Steps<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/5-creative-ways-to-work-on-character-development\/\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">5 Creative Ways to Work on Character Development<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/10-basic-rules-of-stage-combat-that-keep-everyone-safe\/\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">10 Basic Rules of Stage Combat (That Keep Everyone Safe)<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/5-advantages-of-learning-stage-combat\/\">5 Advantages of Learning Stage Combat<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/dont-be-a-diva-common-pitfalls-and-how-to-avoid-them\/\">Don\u2019t Be a Diva: Common Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/9-articles-of-clothing-every-thespian-should-keep-in-their-wardrobe\/\">9 Articles of Clothing Every Thespian Should Keep In Their Wardrobe<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/what-makes-an-actor-website-wow\/\">What Makes an Actor Website WOW?<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/is-my-attitude-not-getting-me-roles-and-other-essential-questions-for-actors\/\">\u201cIs my attitude not getting me roles?\u201d And Other Essential Questions for Actors<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/6-steps-to-memorizing-shakespeare\/\">6 Steps to Memorizing Shakespeare<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/10-tricks-to-staying-healthy-all-season-long\/\">10 Tricks to Staying Healthy All Season Long<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/what-does-it-take-to-break-into-voiceovers\/\">What Does It Take to Break\u00a0Into Voiceovers?<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/5-tips-for-nailing-your-college-music-theatre-audition\/\">5 Tips for Nailing Your College Music Theatre Audition<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/10-tips-on-owning-the-room-at-competition\/\">10 Tips on Owning the Room at Competition<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/how-to-balance-theatre-and-coursework\/\">How to Balance Theatre and Coursework<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/the-10-secrets-of-great-understudying\/\">The 10 Secrets of Great Understudying<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/10-items-every-actor-should-carry-in-their-rehearsal-bag\/\">10 Items Every Actor Should Carry in Their Rehearsal Bag<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/10-items-every-dancer-should-keep-in-their-rehearsal-bag\/\">10 Items Every Dancer Should Keep in Their Rehearsal Bag<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"fusion-clearfix\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fusion-clearfix\"><\/div><hr \/>\n<h5><em><strong>Pandora Scooter<\/strong>\u00a0is a national touring performer.\u00a0 She\u2019s written and performed 13 solo shows. Most recently, she wrote, produced and starred in a feminist punk rock musical called\u00a0<\/em>wRETCH<em>\u00a0as part of the Fresh Fruit Festival.\u00a0 On the faculty of the esteemed Terry Knickerbocker studio, she has developed a methodology to script analysis about which she has written a book.\u00a0 She is a native of Washington DC and lives with her fiance and daughter in central New Jersey.<\/em><\/h5>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" [...]","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":4264,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[261,470,259,258,272,453],"tags":[6,12,126],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4263"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4263"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4263\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4264"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4263"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4263"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4263"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}