I'm in a play and my character is male. What are some tips for pulling off a convincing guy?

Answer 1

One of the best ways to learn to walk like a guy is practice with a rolled up sock stuffed down your pants. You may feel silly at first, but you'll quickly realize how much male posture is dictated by the need to protect your penis. A key point: the hips do not move independently from the rest of the torso. To achieve this you need to widen your stance, tip your pelvis forward, and bend your knees. Also, watch your gestures: women tend to use their wrists a lot and men use the whole arm.

Here's a link to a biomotion walker (http://www.biomotionlab.ca/Demos/BMLwalker.html), which I've used in the past to help explain movement differences to actors playing cross-gendered roles. When you go to the site turn on the "lines" feature and you'll see a human figure walking. As you manipulate the male-female slider you can visualize a simplified version of stereotypical male and female walking stances. Notice how the relative position and movement of the different joints (especially the hips and elbows) changes.

As for your voice, don't over do it! Try to shift your head resonance into your chest. If you get a chance to observe some guys notice how they use inflection for emphasis differently than women.

Good luck and have fun!

Answer 2

There's lots of stuff. First of all, you should start observing any of your guy friends just to get down some of their random, inexplicable little idiosyncrasies (those habits that are just part of their behavior)
Next, I disagree. Wear make-up. On stage, you will almost always need make-up.. However, you can use make-up to your advantage. Make your nose appear longer and more masculine by shading it dark on the sides, with a strip of white on the top. Blend. Also, you can darken and thicken your eyebrows.
For hair, you can either tie it into a ponytail, and just be a guy with long hair, cut it, or do the ever popular hair in the cap trick (or a wig, if its fancy enough)
If you are busty, bind your boobs. It doesn't hurt too much, and it can help a lot if they aren't getting in your way!
Lastly, remember: Guys are people. Play him as you'd play any roll. Learn what he wants, learn how he ticks, learn how he is going to try to get what he wants and then be him. Given, you'll have to use a lower voice and make-up, but essentially he is still going to be a three-dimensional character, just like any woman you might play. Look into the subtext and all that juicy stuff and just... be your inner guy! ^^

Answer 3

With all due respect to the above posters. It is acting, acting starts in the head. Think, what were you doing before the scene started. Create a full character in your mind. Also use what you bring. You are just playing another part of your self. If the character is developed in your mind, and you understand the character then your walk and body posture will naturaly follow. Do not concentrate on the physical, understand the mind set of your character, and the rest will just flow.
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Answer 4

It depends on the play and how MALE you need to be. Real men don't act MANLY unless they have a confidence problem. In other words spitting and scratching your balls is pretty cliche behavior and if you observe most men you'll find they don't do it much (in public)
I think I would just start with not acting like a girl. Try to remember what it was like to be a child when you didn't care about boys, or hair, or shoes. Remember that Men don't move as much as women. They don't talk with their hands as much as women.
For inspiration try Hillary Swank in "Boys don't cry"
OR
Michelle Rodriquez in "Lost"
OR
Sigourny Weaver in Aliens "2, 3, 4"
OR
Felicity Huffman In "TransAmerica" (this is actually a woman playing the part of a man who wants to be a woman but I think it might give you some idea of the things that men think are feminine traits)
Break a Leg

Answer 5

As an acting teacher, I once had said, observe! Go to a mall or other public place where there are a lot of guys.

Watch how they move, their body language. What do they do with their hands. How do they stand, walk?

If you have already taken acting, think about character development.

After you have developed your charter, go to a public place, Burger King, Sonic, whatever is in your area, or where you typically go - and "get into character as a guy." See how you feel. Watch your body language. Don't imitate - just "become" a guy. Have fun.

Answer 6

If your hair is long, you can pull you hair back into a ponytail at the base of your neck, or you can brush it back then let it fall back. (It looks more mascline) Also, you can a bit of dark make-up on to sharpen your chin and other facial features (The chin, and a bit of dark make-up under your brow and a bit of eye liner to emphaisze your eye brows, not to much, but some) Keep your shoulders squared and keep your voice a bit lower than normal and just make sure the way you wear your costume doesn't appear overly femine (Use shoulder pads, try and make your hips and bust not too noticable) You'll probably great no matter what, break a leg out there!

Answer 7

You can try to lower your voice and octave. Many women make the mistake of speaking in an exaggerated lowered voice when just an octave will do it for the most part. You should also experiment with stage makeup to make your features look thicker. Try drawing an adam's apple on your throat.

Answer 8

Deep Voice

Answer 9

walk with your elbows out.

turn out your toes, and strut, stepping first a little to the right, then to the left, as you walk. lead with your pelvis. When you step, let your heels hit the floor hard. Stick out your chin. Stand with your knees bent. Look around and try to dominate the other characters with your eyes. Take up as much space as possible. Sprawl carelessly in your chair when you sit.

When you talk, use short, choppy sentences. snort. hock up a good lugie. spit. You're ugly and proud of it, and you smell like a goat. Hygiene is for wimps! If you stand upstage from the other characters you will look bigger, and they won't mind your smell so much..

Answer 10

ok girl what u do is 4 like a whole day it might sound silly but u need to talk in a mans tone of voice. believe me it works i had to play a girl in our last production. i've been in Drama club 4 5 years now.