What is the difference between "method acting" and "character acting"?

Question

Can anyone give me examples of film actors (past and current) who have used either of the two methods?

Answer 1

method actors are those following Lee Strasberg's school, informed by Stanislavski's techniques. its also known as internal acting, because the actors have to find inner, psychological motivations for their actions. (inside out).it relies on experience and placing yourself in your character's shoes. leonardo di caprio, marlon brando, robert de niro, are all famous method actors. brando worked at the actor's studio and de niro with strasberg. method acting involves the "what if?" you dissect your character in a step by step way thats very emotionally linked, asking yourself "what would i do if i were the character?" some view it as a weak approach because it seems to be easier. Diderot wrote "the paradox of acting" and he wrote that those who rely on real emotions to produce a character would eventually suffer an emotional breakdown lol. you can't reproduce a character if you use real emotion, night after night, in its portrayal. you must learn how to fake it, and make it seem real.The actor is both himself and character, hence the paradox. which is why method acting is not something im keen on.
character acting has been mentioned by those above, but i always thought it could also refer to personality actors, where the actors personalities are what makes their characters, such as julia roberts and so on. her persona takes over the fact that she plays different characters, so we always seem to see her instead of who shes supposed to play. but mostly character actors are usually subordinate to the lead, but stand out alot, such as Rupert Everett in my best friends wedding :) i prefer those actors belonging to the more external school, it really lives up to the true definition of acting, which is to pretend, and show untrue externalities to the audience as if it were true. if you are confused, read up works by diderot, and a truly great book called actors on acting, its absolutely necessary to understanding acting! good luck!!!

Answer 2

Two of the most famous method actors in film are Marlon Brando and Robert DeNiro. Meryl Streep falls in the same category.

Character actors, by definition, are not in leading roles, but support the leading actors. Sometimes, it's a big deal when an accomplished character actor like Paul Giamatti gets a leading role, such as "Sideways" or "Lady in the Water."

Answer 3

Method acting is when the actor truly in his/her mind becomes the character. Some of the more famous are Marlon Brando, Robert Deniro, Dustin Hoffman, Phillip Seymore Hoffman. They get so invloved they lose themselves in the role.

A charater actor is a person who plays small roles but not really a lead. But so many times a character actor can truly make the film. Some of my favorites are John Malkovich, Gary Oldman, Ihan Holm, and interestingly enough Phillip Seymore Hoffman.

Answer 4

A method actor is an actor who, more or less, follows the teachings of Stanislavsky as popularized in the US by Lee Strasberg -- it involves sense memory work, emotional recall work, in an effort to recreate in the actor the feelings that the character posesses. (Thats a real thumbnail sketch.)

A character acting has to do not with a style of acting, but with the types of parts played: a character actor is someone who does not play leading roles. Often a character actor has more interesting parts, but often it simply means they aren't the sexy beautiful and/or handsome type that plays the lead in most movies and many plays.

Answer 5

Method Acting is a technique. Actors who use it - Dustin Hoffman, Meryl Streep, Al Pacino, Marlon Brando, etc.

Character Acting is a type of actor - one that plays extreme personalities - the hippie, the bum, the old fart, the drunk, etc. They are usually secondary characters. Hardly ever the lead - although when lead actors get older they can become character actors.. Examples would be Ed Begley, Peter Boyle, Charles Durning, etc.

Answer 6

There is only one Almighty God, Jehovah. Jesus does have a very special relationship to the Father. He is the only begotten son, the son of God. 1 John 4:9 says "By this the love of God was made manifest in our case, because God sent forth his only-begotten Son into the world that we might gain life through him." Jehovah's Witnesses have always taught this. Never is Jesus' position undermined.

Answer 7

well..being a method actor I think means that you are being a type of person..and not playing the role of a character..
with the other, you are filling some one else's shoes and becoming some one in a script.

Answer 8

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Method_acting

I can't find anything on "character acting"