Versatility
Not all dramatic actors can play comedy; not all comedic actors can play drama. Some versatile actors can play both. Again, this is not a standard by which an actor should be judged, but rather an observation of their talents. There are some marvelous dramatic actors that fall short when trying comedy. The same holds true for comedic actors.
Here is a statement that may be surprising: It is more difficult to act in comedy than in drama. When Edmund Keene, a great British actor, was on his deathbed, a fellow actor asked him how it felt to be dying. Keene said, “Dying is easy; comedy is hard.” Keene knew the pain of being on stage and giving a line that should make the audience laugh, only to have no response from the audience. Keene also knew that in order to act comedy successfully, an actor has to have “comic timing.” Comic timing is the way an actor delivers a line in order to get a laugh from the audience, and may be a gift one is born with which can’t be learned. Think about this — if comedy talent were only learned, we would have more Robin Williams on television and in the movies.
Jack Lemmon observed some irony in the movie industry. He said, “Comedy is more difficult to act, to write, and to direct, and yet it rarely wins Best Picture.” Historically, dramas have taken home the Oscar more times than a comedy.
By stating that comedy is more difficult to act should not diminish dramatic acting. Not all people who can get a laugh out of someone can bare their emotions in front of an audience. Good dramatic actors have their emotions just below the service where they can summon them at a moment’s notice.
One technique in playing a villain is to approach the character from the lighter side. In real life, most people who commit dark acts do not slink around looking guilty. During interviews, neighbors of a serial killer usually say something like, “He looked so normal — I never would have suspected him.”
In this clip from Quiz Show, Charles Van Dorn (Ralph Fiennes) is guilty. Notice how Ralph Fiennes plays the character’s lighter side. See if you can identify the one brief moment Van Dorn lets his guard down. Hint: Ralph Fiennes plays the subtext.
Watch the film clip from Quiz Show
Did you notice the dramatic build when Dick (the Rob Morrow character) pushes Van Dorn to tell the truth? It rises to a peak, and then subsides. Both actors demonstrate good dramatic acting. Dick’s lines are more direct — he wants to get to the bottom of the truth. Van Dorn’s lines are evasive — he has something to hide. Both Ralph Fiennes and Rob Morrow's acting is subtext. Fiennes’ glances in the kitchen tell us, “Why is Dick here the day after I’m off the show? I better be on my guard.” Rob’s subtext is after the dramatic build when his expression tells us that he thinks Van Dorn is lying, and is disappointed that Van Dorn cannot tell him the truth. Both actors give us excellent dramatic performances.
It is important in dramatic acting for the actor to use control. A marvelous actor who constantly demonstrates this in his acting is Al Pacino. Control is the ability to have the emotion bottled up inside without ranting. Think of a teakettle just before the steam escapes. We know the pressure is building up inside, but the kettle contains it until it can no longer hold the steam. That is Al Pacino. There is eventually an eruption, but the controlled build makes the final outburst believable.
Let’s look at an example of the versatile actor Peter O’Toole in two film clips. O'Toole was nominated for best actor (dramatic role) in Lawrence of Arabia (the first clip), and later was nominated for best actor (comedic role) in My Favorite Year (the sedocond clip). Notice how O’Toole uses control when he gets shot in the first clip. Also pay particular attention to production design, cinematography, and music in this clip to show how the filmmakers gave added meaning to the film.
Watch the film clip from Lawrence of ArabiaLawrence of Arabia was shot during the production code era, so chopping off the Turk’s head by the sword is never shown. We know what is happening by the sounds, and following the glances of the actors as the head supposedly rolls away from the body. This is a good example of how violence can be on the screen without the graphic details being shown.
Notice how Lawrence is dressed in white robes, even though he is a British officer. And when he walks on top of the train car, we see his shadow (representing the spirit) in the sand as we hear harp music (representing heaven). Then the camera shoots only his feet as he marches to music that turns to discord. The filmmakers are saying that Lawrence has become a savior to the Arab soldiers. They worship him as he walks by chanting “Lawrence, Lawrence.” The discord in the music lets us know this is not a good thing. This is when film becomes beautiful art.
My Favorite Year takes place in 1954 when television was live. This film is loosely based on Mel Brooks who worked as a television comedy writer for Sid Caesar’s Show of Shows. In the movie, the television show is King Kaiser’s Comedy Cavalcade. Benjy Stone (the Mel Brooks character, played by Mark Linn-Baker) is supposed to keep Alan Swann, a washed-up, drunken swashbuckler movie star (played by Peter O’Toole) sober.
Watch the film clip from My Favorite YearAn actor should not actually be drunk when playing a drunk on film, because it slows down the delivery of the lines too much. Peter O’Toole gives a convincing performance with his slurred speech and loss of balance as he walks. Notice that he does not stagger in a zigzag line; he tries to walk straight, loses his balance, and then tries to right himself. He researched his part well. O’Toole once told a late night television host that he and drinking buddy Richard Harris (Dumbledore in the first two Harry Potter movies) terrorized many a pub in Great Britain. His hard work paid off.