Character Actor
I usually play a certain kind of role, since I'm 6'3'', sort of skinny, and sort of goofy-looking (that's not me, in the picture at the top of the page). My characters tend to be tall, skinny, and kind-of-goofy men in their early 30's. Ten years ago they were tall, very skinny, endearing men in their early 20's. I can imagine what characters I'll tend towards in 2020. Which is not to say I can't "play" short and fat. I can. I love playing short and fat. I love playing women, old folks, dogs, ghosts, cartoon characters. Hell, I once played a ruby-necklace.
What keeps me intensely curious about all the different characters I play, year after year, is that I still don't know anything. I don't know why people do what they do. I doubt I ever will. I doubt most people know the first things about themselves, let alone their spouses, families, or co-workers. Every character is a mystery story that the actor writes for the audience. You can't make your motives completely clear, or there's no puzzle for the audience (but you can't make them opaque, or you lose the audience). You can't make a character's decisions with total ease, because who the hell does that? Part of creating the reality of a character (it seems to me) is embracing the confusion, fear, guilt, and excitement that's already in every one of us -- very close to the surface -- at all times. When you ask a kid why he's misbehaved, he says "I don't know." I think he's often telling the truth.
My first audition, in high school, was the most embarrassing, ridiculous, amazing experience of my life. I was horrible. I stuttered. I was shaking at the hands, knees, and toes. I said "bone-breaking" instead of "bone-shaking" (a small mistake, perhaps, but one that set the tone for the afternoon). And I ended it forever obsessed with acting. My first thoughts were about remembering what I was feeling, how I was breathing, what had been going through my mind. I was already preparing for some future character I might play. It occurred to me that if my audition had been filmed a certain way, it would be hilarious to the audience, in another it might be terrifying, or it might be sad. I ended the three-hour ordeal a sweating, terrified mess. But a very happy and ambitious one.
