Acting Tip: How To Avoid the “Memory Trap”

Hi artists, here’s my acting tip for you on a very common script scenario—

Writers love to give characters a speech to talk about their memories. 

The speech is a moment in film or TV that helps the audience understand why a character is motivated to do the things they do.

Here’s the trap for actors: 

Playing the memories with a lot of emotional upset and going sooo far that it can feel self-indulgent to watch.

When I was in my heyday as a casting director with Bernie Telsey, I would often be our casting rep at the Equity EPAs and listen to song after song, monologue after monologue.

Hundreds in a day. Memory after memory after memory after memory spilled out into these songs and speeches. In the end, after 8 hours, I would feel quite numb and unmoved watching each sentimental recalling of a lost moment in their lives.

I kinda make light of this experience, but really, when you watch thousands of songs and monologues that mull over memories (and lost love), it gets to be a bit…uninteresting. Or, self-indulgent.

So that’s why I MUST share this acting tip that just came to light in a recent conversation in a class!

My Acting Tip to Avoid the “Memory Trap”

When a character is sharing a memory, the character is being triggered by that memory.

The camera loves watching you discover your words as you speak them. This is what we call “in the  moment” acting. If you are allowing yourself to discover the memory as you tell it, you will find that you are getting triggered by reliving it. It’s becoming alive again for you at that very moment.

Remember, you have an audience—the person that you are talking to—and so you want to be clear about why you are even sharing this memory with them. For bonus points, trigger the other person that you are talking to. What do you want from the other person? This need and urgency will help you keep it activated too.

A Common Way to Apply This Acting Tip

A perfect example of how to apply this acting tip is any courtroom trial scene. The witness or victim on the stand is going to relive a memory. The actor can fall into the pit of treading emotional water and only playing it tearfully (take after take). Instead, let the memories resurface and retrigger the character. And, defend yourself to the prosecutor! Help us win the case!

The audition and performance is not about if you can cry. It is more about if you can keep the believability of the moment alive as it unfolds, plus keep the story moving forward.

I look forward to exploring acting with you. It’s always a blast. I love being curious with you about acting!

Looking forward to sharing more acting tips with you in classes, the Acting Collective + Creators Circle, and coachings.

Go forth and create, artists!
xHeidi

Image (top): ANATOMY OF A FALL (2023) via Shotdeck