Facebook Twitter Instagram
    • Services
    • Aircheck for Actors
    • Demo Reels
    • Audition Prep/Self-Tape Reader
    • Mailing Labels
    • Contribute
    • Industry Links
    • Advertise
    Daily Actor
    • Acting Tips
      • Actors on Acting
      • Advice Columns
      • Acting Quotes
      • Audition Tapes
      • How To Become An Actor
      • How to Memorize Lines
    • Monologues
      • Monologues from Plays
      • Monologues from Movies
      • Monologues from Musicals
      • Comedic Monologues
      • Dramatic Monologues
      • One Minute Monologues
      • Monologues for Women
      • Monologues for Men
      • Monologues for Teens
      • Monologues for Kids
      • All Monologues
    • Acting Resources
      • Acting Resume
        • Acting Resume Template
      • Acting Classes
        • Los Angeles Acting Classes
        • Las Vegas Acting Classes
        • San Diego Acting Classes
      • Acting Schools and Colleges
        • Los Angeles
        • New York
        • BFA Acting Schools
      • Casting Websites
      • Headshot Photographers
        • Los Angeles
        • New York City
        • Headshot Printing
      • Acting Techniques
        • What is Method Acting?
      • Stage Directions
      • Demo Reels: Everything You Need to Know
    • Interviews
      Featured
      Casting Director Interview - Brett Benner and Debby Romano

      Interview: Casting Directors Brett Benner and Debby Romano Talk ‘Shrinking’, Finding Actors and More

      Recent
      Casting Director Interview - Brett Benner and Debby Romano

      Interview: Casting Directors Brett Benner and Debby Romano Talk ‘Shrinking’, Finding Actors and More

      March 6, 2023
      Jeremy Davis Olaf in Frozen Interview

      Interview: Jeremy Davis on Playing Olaf in ‘Frozen’, Costume Mishaps and Making the Role His Own

      January 19, 2023
      Casting Director Kim Coleman Interview

      Interview: Casting Director Kim Coleman on ‘Five Days at Memorial’, Self-Tape Tips and Portraying Real People

      January 11, 2023
    • Actor Blogs
    • Reviews
      • Movies
      • Theater
      • Books
      • Products
    • Actor Services
      • Airchecks
      • Demo Reels
      • Website Design
      • Mailing Labels
    Daily Actor
    Home » Film » Ben Kingsley: “The lesson I learned is that every aspect of the character has to be bigger than me”
    Film

    Ben Kingsley: “The lesson I learned is that every aspect of the character has to be bigger than me”

    Chris McKittrickBy Chris McKittrickJanuary 4, 2012Updated:September 26, 20151 Comment2 Mins Read
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email

    Oscar winner Ben Kingsley might have turned in one his finest performances in Hugo, but the award-winner admits he wasn’t always the acclaimed actor he’s often praised for being.

    In a piece from The Daily Beast, Kingsley reveals that what made him the actor he is today was actually an insult.

    “My philosophy in life is that everything happens for a reason. There are very few things I’d categorize as a mistake,” Kingsley begins, relating a story from his past as a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company.  During rehearsals for what he calls the company’s “world-famous” 1970 production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Kingsley and his co-stars were working with “the world’s greatest theater director, Peter Brook. We were rehearsing the section called ‘the lovers’ quarrel’… Peter said, ‘OK, let’s run the scene.’ We did, and I thought I’d impressed him with some funny, charming, witty acting.”  But Kingsley was mistaken.  Brook stood up, walked across the theatre, put his hand on Kingsley’s shoulder, stared him in the eye and said, “‘Dear Ben, that was absolutely suburban.’ There was a long pause after the word ‘suburban.’ And he said, ‘If we want to watch suburban, we’ll stick our heads over our neighbor’s fence.'”

    However, Brook didn’t intend to just insult Kingsley.  He followed up his criticism with some necessary advice.  Kingsley recalls Brook telling him, “look at the words you just skimmed over. Give them their weight. Give them their value. He infused us with a sense of urgency, what was profoundly lacking in our mistaken reenactment of the scene.”

    As a result, Kingsley looks at that exchange as an incredible moment of growth.  “I’m not being pompous, but I know that my work and my career turned a corner when he said the word ‘suburban.’ It shocked me. Perversely, I thank God we were so bad. Without me having to transcend the word ‘suburban,’ I don’t think I would have been able to play the amazing characters I have onscreen. The lesson I learned is that every aspect of the character has to be bigger than me. For example, let’s say I’m playing anger. My anger has limits; my character’s anger has to go beyond my limits.  You have to stretch yourself beyond the everyday, beyond the suburban, and offer audiences something heroic and magnificent. It’s not enough to be cute.”

    Related

    Previous ArticleAngelina Jolie: “As a director, I hoped that I was able to help the actors by giving them the space and the respect they need and the trust”
    Next Article A New Year’s Message For All Of Us To Live By

    Related Posts

    David Harbour Black Widow

    David Harbour on Building a Character, Finding Contradictions and Mastering an Accent

    September 3, 2021
    Nicolas Cage in Pig

    Nicolas Cage on Using a “More Quiet and Measured Performance Style” in ‘Pig’

    August 17, 2021
    Aubrey Plaza in Black Bear

    Aubrey Plaza on Auditioning and Why UCB Was the “Best Time” of Her Life

    August 12, 2021
    View 1 Comment

    1 Comment

    1. Trudi Goodman via Facebook on January 4, 2012 4:27 pm

      Otay sound right.

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Daily Actor Facebook Daily Actor Twitter Daily Actor Instagram Daily Actor Pinterest Daily Actor YouTube Page
    Popular Pages
    Become An Actor | Acting Tips | Acting Quotes
    Acting Resume | Resume Template
    Headshot Photographers
    Los Angeles | New York
    Print Your Headshots
    Acting Schools & Colleges
    Los Angeles | New York
    Monologues
    Movies | Plays | Comedic | Dramatic
    Men | Women | Teens | Kids
    • Contact
    • About
    • Advertise
    • Resource Listings
    • Write A Column
    • Contribute
    • Privacy Policy

    Disclaimer: Daily Actor at times uses affiliate links to sites like Amazon.com, streaming services, and others. Affiliate links provides compensation to Daily Actor which helps us remain online, giving you the resources and information actors like you are looking for.

    © 2023 Daily Actor

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.