Method acting, explained: What is it and what are its dangers?
"Method acting" is a term that's been highly talked about on social media since the cheating controversy of Anthony Jennings and Maris Racal erupted.
It started when the actor's ex-girlfriend, Jam Villanueva, exposed the love team by posting photos of their alleged flirty conversations that implied they had an intimate affair in the latter part of Anthony and Jam’s relationship, which lasted for almost seven years. The viral posts also showed that the two stars had hour-long video calls and text exchanges where the actor seemed to have been a source of comfort for his onscreen partner in times of need.
In one of the screenshots, Anthony allegedly told Jam that he was having a hard time completing his method acting session, but noted he still had to do it for work. According to Jam, Anthony kept emphasizing to her that what he and Maris were doing off-cam were all part of their training as co-actors.
“He explained that he needed to make [Maris] feel loved and appreciated because she was going through something as well,” Jam said. (The photo showed they had the conversation on June 29, just a few weeks before Maris announced her breakup with her then-boyfriend Rico Blanco.)
“He believed that showing her care was the only way to make their work go smoothly and for his partner to function well,” she said. “I fully supported him because I believed in him and trusted him at the time.”
What is method acting?
According to acting coach and award-winning film, stage, and TV director Emmanuel Dela Cruz, method acting is a system that centers on the psychological, sociological, and behavioral aspects of the craft. It's attributed to Russian theater practitioner Stanislavski, who formulated it in the 1900s, and was then developed by theater experts Lee Strasberg, Stella Adler, Sanford Meisner, and Elia Kazan, who brought it to Hollywood Studios. It was later modified by acting experts and practiced by actors in different parts of the world, including the Philippines.
“As opposed to classical training, which is focused more on speech and presentation, method acting is the creation of emotional authenticity,” said Dela Cruz, who learned the technique from American theater teacher Maria Horne—a protegee of Strasberg.
Method acting “encourages the actor to draw from their own personal experiences and memories,” he explained.
Its fundamentals take years and even decades to learn, although it can also be taught short-term when needed. "It ranges for how long the production of the film or stage play go," Dela Cruz said. "Rehearsals can go from a week to three months or even much more."
"You can teach the essentials within a few weeks, but the real work is in scene studies for the film, with the script on one hand, and the director available for that," he added.
Dangers of method acting
While method acting is "supposed to make actors emphatic, non-judgmental, and more humane," Dela Cruz pointed out how it can be "mistakenly used or abused to condone bad behavior."
This is because in this system, actors are taught how to "fully immerse" in their characters, making them "unable to detach and even become obsessed with their character studies."
Citing an example other than cheating on their partner, the industry expert said, "You play a wife beater on set, then you go home and beat your wife, and say it's part of your research."
One of the known instances where method acting went too far was when Dustin Hoffman allegedly insulted his co-star Meryl Streep while filming Kramer vs Kramer, where they play a divorced couple, to bring their tension onscreen and make it seem more real. "Dustin didn't tell Meryl he will really slap her in a scene," Dela Cruz added.
"The acting profession is very respectable, ethical, and developmental," he noted. "It's the misuse and abuse of these theory and techniques, or being used as an excuse for misconduct, that is giving the wrong impression on this honorable profession."
'Healthy' approach to method acting
In an interview with ABS-CBN, Kathryn Bernardo said she was used to method acting until she learned from her A Very Good Girl co-star Dolly de Leon that there are "healthier" approaches to it. "There are other techniques and they are healthier because after doing a scene, you can easily let go of it and you don't have to bring it with you all the time," she said, without specifying what they were.
Dela Cruz told L!fe that he adheres more with veteran acting coach Judith Weston's method acting style, which is "after authenticity, organic delivery, and truth."
"Once the objective is attained or you hear your director say 'cut,' you can step out of the character. I think it's a gentler and practical approach, and by that we can safeguard our mental and emotional health as performers," he said.
The acting coach used this technique to train the likes of James Reid and Nadine Lustre for their hit teleserye On the Wings of Love, as well as Gabbi Garcia, Khalil Ramos, Elijah Canlas, and the entire Ben&Ben band for their musical drama film LSS (Last Song Syndrome).
For Dela Cruz, the Weston method is a good approach as it's "created to aid the actor in discernment and practice."
"It helps them get out of themselves and their inhibitions, and create a moment of truth with their co-actors in the 'imagined scene, role, or story,' and it can be contained there, in the fictive world," he told L!fe. "That's where professionalism is needed—how to distinguish the actor's self from their role, their job, and, most importantly, their boundaries."
Dela Cruz is holding regular UFO "Weston" workshops based on influential Hollywood guru Judith Weston. For inquiries, contact [email protected] or 09926721244.
