Acting : Are Actors Just Really Good Liars? by Korbin Ducharme

Real true actors will find truth in the role they are asked to play. I find truth in every scene I play .. I make it real to me... no lying involved.

Major difference: the target audience for the actor wants to believe. So everyone in the seats is hoping for the same thing as the actor. They're all on the same side, and that's one of the things that makes theatrical work so beautiful and satisfying, I think. For the actor, then, how could be anything like lying? They are participating 100% in human characteristics that they may or may not have adopted in their own human journey. The fact that they have this innate understanding of why certain gestures are produced, and conversely, what gestures one would produce given the underlying motivation (the "why") never ceases to amaze me.

I was once told by someone they'd never trust me because I'm trained in the art of pretending and convincing. =p

I think the opinion came from a narrow-minded person who might just be jealous of your talents! Its a gift to be able to convincingly act or portray another character.

The great ones are better than "good liars," they're pathological. They believe what they do and say with all their heart.

Acting should really be called "living" because that's what ever actor strives to do. Liars we are not.

Thats true my mistake of words I did not know how to put it.

Well then, I have acted my way out of many a tight situation. They do send top level spies to acting classes because in many situations as a spy if you can't act, you die. When the audience is going to kill you if they don't believe the performance does it make harder or easier to act? Lie until you believe it, and who would doubt you? An actor is lying with everyone knowing that it is a deception, that is what makes it a performance instead of a lie.

We are just writing fascinating alternate lives for them - kind of like witness protection cover stories.

Its not lying if you believe it to be true.

I think lie is not the word it is more just pretending but actors do develop a lying strategy (NOT SAYING THEY ARE LAIRS) but I do think they develop a way through acting to build a certain personality (ON SCREEN)

It is not lying if the emotions are true and you "are" the character.

I have a problem with lying but if I'm playing a sociopath who lies all the time, then I can do it. I think lying is different than acting because you are yourself and probably deceiving someone for self gain

I agree with Ray, because an actor is living in the "reality" of the character. It's all truth to them (character/actor).

Wonderful comments, great perspective from everyone!

An actor isn't a liar any more than a fiction author is. It is a craft. The better one is at the craft, the more they draw the audience into what they have to say.

Are you worried about this on a moral level? If so, I wouldn't worry about it. Honestly, the only people I have found to say that are non-actors, on the outside looking in. So to them, it may appear that way. It is a craft, like Debbie says. And every craft deserves respect for what is needed to do it well ;)

to be an actor it is really irrelevant of what other people think of you as long as you are acting not for money or fame, as long as you do it because you love it that is all that matters. If you let people get to you then you will never make it i think that is one of the hardest parts of being in the industry. There is always someone who will disagree with you no matter what

A friend of mine who has worked in Hollywood for eons once said, it is an industry where people eat their young. Of course, I think Michael said that in a bit nicer way. lol.

yes that is exactly it

Actors are pathetically poor liars compared to even a novice politician.

My opinion is anyone who would say something to you about your craft that makes you feel - either less that great at it, or not positive about being it, or unhappy to continue doing it, if anyone in your space says anything to you that makes you feel anything like that - they should either not be in your circle of friends or asked - so when did someone talk you out of your dream? Or you should laugh it off and realise right then and there - you are a great actor and that person's comment has just proven it.

Correction: "steal your dream?"

You are correct sir! In fact, I' am "acting" righ now.

If you lie - the camera sees it. You will hear so many actors talking about finding the truth of the character and staying in the moment - being present. etc.... The statement you made, (if you believe) it with along with "honing' you facial expressions in a mirror shows a lack of understanding of the craft of acting.

Everything said or done for the camera is a lie. The only question is how believable is it?

@James You're right, no matter how much you want to find the truth in the character or what is being said there is no denying it is all lies. You can relate as much as you want to what is being said or done by the character but if I am standing there saying I have killed someone (while I never have) it is 100% a lie. It's all about being able to convince yourself it is a truth and delivering it as such.

@Thomas - there is no need to convince yourself. All you have to is convince your audience.

Acting = selling the audience on an imaginary reality. I said that!

Listening to the wrong person gets you nowhere.

The only god (little "g") I recognized on this earth is truth. I would rather rely on my intelligence than presume someone else knows everything and refuse to evaluate what was said.

Don't you have lines/lies to memorize?

If you don't, Meisner's not doing you much good, is he?

@james you are hostile, aggressive and narrow minded. That will certainly get you nowhere. Especially in a casting suite. Best of luck in your career- you are going to need it.

@James I know there is no need to convince myself, but it is the way I know I perform best. And to go back to the "I killed someone" line, it's not like I am convincing myself I actually killed someone, just convincing myself that the lie I am telling is true. It's a strange balance.

Acting is a craft and if you don't have a solid technique you won't get anywhere,. I directed features and I teach actors in LA and wrote the book How To Make Your Audience Fall in Love With You. I stress making exciting choices and using yourself in the role not a character. Use your own charm humor and energy. I call it looking out of your own eyes. How you react to something is different than how I will react and I want to see how you react or I won't believe it. Lying has nothing to do with it. We all play different roles in our lives and we can play the roles that are written for us. You are different when you are a mom or a boss or in sweats or in a tux. That is how we approach acting. We play different roles. Korbin, I too am worried about practicing expressions. You should be concentrating on changing your partner in some way and working so hard at it that the expressions will take care of themselves. All classes can give you something but I have to say that I have had Meisner people study with me because they have no idea how to audition to get the job. My students work all the time because they blow the casting directors away. I have auditioned many actors and too many of you are boring. There is so much competition that you have to rise above the crowd. If you are interested and you read ( love actors who read) then check out DerynWarren.com and read a chapter of my book and articles I write for Backstage and other magazines. Best of luck to all of you and - never be temperamental! :) Deryn

@Deryn - Thanks for the advertisement about your services.

@Deryn - Any time you say something that is not true, by definition, you are lying. Fiction writers tell lies - lies we like and even love - but they are still lies, because they are not true. The same is true for actors. There is nothing wrong with lying if it is done in the right context. Truth vs. Lies: http://uneed2listen2this.podbean.com/mobile/2008/12/27/voir-dire-20/

@Thomas - I have no doubt your method helps you deliver your best performance. But I don't think it is necessary for someone to believe they are lying to provide a good performance. Consider a shady car salesperson. Does he or she really believe all the crap they tell you? Having heard many of them behind the scenes, I don't think so. All they have to believe is that they are fooling the customers/audience. And in the end, the audience is the final judge of the quality of the performance: Was it believable?

Nice post, Paula. To me it is making YOURSELF believable and putting yourself, not a character, in imaginary circumstances and reacting as you would. You are unique and we want to see that unique reaction. Of course we also want to see the full you with all your energy and vulnerability and charm and humor.To do that well you need a lot of training. One reason I called my book, How to Make Yur Audience Fall in Love With You is that you have a lot of choices in acting and you should strive to make the ones that make you appealing. If the part you are playing has a lot of fed up and weary lines don't do them that way, use game playing and "I can't BELIEVE you are so awful," in an amazed way, not a fed up way. Great actor make interesting appealing choices. Look at the charm of Hannibal Lector, for example. He loved his wins and superiority. He got great pleasure from them and so did his audience.