The Number One Acting Tool You’re Scared Of
“You have to be vulnerable.”
How many times have you heard that in an acting class or from a coach trying to push you and your work to that next level? I hear this more than any other obstacle that my clients face. It seems to always be that one thing that they feel they can’t really figure out and as a result they feel stuck or “not good enough” because they haven’t figured out exactly what this type of special sauce really is.
We always treat “being vulnerable” as something you can do. The number of sessions that include a client saying “I need to be more vulnerable” is crazy high. It seems like something we should just know how to do. That’s not the case.
If you notice in the phrase “I need to be more vulnerable” we have those two little words and seem to mess up actors more than any other - TO BE. Now, I know there is definitely a Hamlet joke in there somewhere, but if I want to be real with you - TO BE is not a playable verb. It’s a state.
As is discussed at length in Actor and the Target by Declan Donnellan, we cannot play a state. A state is something that happens. It is not something we can do. More often than not, a state ends up being a want or an objective far easier than it ends up being an action. I even said it in the paragraph above - “but if I want to be real with you…”
So then, why do we try so hard to be vulnerable if it is a state and not something we can actually do? How do we achieve this state?
Many times we hear teachers or coaches say that we are scared to be vulnerable. That in itself may be true. Actually, it is probably 100% correct. Being vulnerable is scary. It’s supposed to. It’s in the definition of the word. Okay, not in the definition given in the dictionary, but by a researcher who has spent years studying vulnerability and one of the leading voices on the topic - Dr. Brene Brown. Brown states in her book Braving the Wilderness:
“The definition of vulnerability is uncertainty, risk, and emotional exposure. But vulnerability is not weakness; it's our most accurate measure of courage. When the barrier is our belief about vulnerability, the question becomes: 'Are we willing to show up and be seen when we can't control the outcome?”
I LOVE that idea of showing up and being seen when we can’t control the outcome. That’s what we do as actors every single day! She goes on:
“When the barrier to vulnerability is about safety, the question becomes: 'Are we willing to create courageous spaces so we can be fully seen?”
“Courageous spaces where we can be fully seen.” WOW. If there is a better description of what happens when we are onstage, on set, or in the audition room, I’m not sure what it is. We need to let ourselves be fully seen in the role we are playing. Letting ourselves come through. Letting our actions shine through without the fear of judgement of our co stars, our directors, and most importantly our audience. If we let ourselves and our actions truly be seen - without worrying about the outcome of our work being liked or not - we have found vulnerability in our acting.
I’m sure you’re reading this going “Okay. Sure. This is great. But you said there is a tool that we are scared of. What’s the tool?” I’m glad you asked.
FEAR.
You have to use the fear you have of being judged for your work. You have to use that fear that it won’t be right. You have to use the fear that they won’t like it. If you are scared of it, there is risk. You have to ask yourself why you’re scared of the choice. If you are scared of being seen for your choice you are vulnerable. It’s the only way you can truly find that state.
Have the fear. Be scared of your choices. Be scared of what they might think. Do it any way.
If you need a coach to help you explore these choices, you know where to find me. If you have questions about this and want to know more, feel free to reach out.
You’re awesome. Be Awesome. See you soon.
Best Wishes!
- Nate
