What makes someone a bad or "wooden" actor?

Question

Sorry, if this question seems obvious, but I'm being serious. All actors seem the same to me. But I've heard people say that certain actors/actresses were bad. I've heard people say Orlando Bloom was "wooden" and only an actor because of his looks. My question is: what makes someone a bad actor/actress? Or what makes an actor good or Academy Award worthy?

Answer 1

A good actor not only draws you into the story but will make you believe things that aren't happening. This is where you come up with simple "games" like fake tug-o-rope. You have two people pull on the rope, so there's steps of depth to this.

1. obviously, you both have to pull on the rope (this is basic) you have to LOOK like there's something ther
2. Is the rope the same size? I mean one person can't be pulling yarn while the other is pulling industrial sized support rope (this works with your being able to paly off of other actors and react properly)
3. synchronized actions they both can't be moving in opposite directions unless the object they're pulling is elastic right?


And once you get past the obvious stuff then you get into the things that make "real" actors flourish. The things beyond the obvious that make it all seem real. Such as a struggle. I mean while pulling a rope, your arms may bulge to show ur using muscle, but think deeper, you might start to get out of breathe, you may turn red, you may sweat. And while someone in the audience might not go, oh, they aren't really pulling because they aren't sweating.....it does take the depth of it further.

And further more, what you always hear what's your motivation? Well, this works here too. Why is this person pulling the rope. What do they have at stake if they loose? Are they gonna fail PE? Are they gonna fall into a pit of mud? Are they gonna have to jump into the camp lake naked? Are they gonna win the girl for this display of strength

And this motivation is what determines they're drive to complete the task.

So when you hear of bad actors, it's people who aren't really making the scene believable. And wooden is a person who can't really portray the proper emotions and atmosphere because they haven't tapped into the deeper things.

Like Keanu Reeves, people say he can't act because if you look at alot of his work, it's all very similar. It's Keanu Reeves, not the character that you are seeing on screen if you can get that.

But compare this to somene like johnny Depp. A very talented actor. He does alot of method acting, where he "is" that character. He will commit to that role on and off the set. This way he sees how this person will act in different everyday situations.

Hope this Helps

Answer 2

Orlando Bloom can be rather wooden. It means stiff and obviously speaking on cue. He's gotten better, but if he wasn't so good looking, he probably wouldn't have made it. He has an incredible face.

Acting is actually about having an experience as that character, you're not preforming at all. If you're trying to preform, it will look cheesy and be unbelievable. That's what makes a good actor/actress, if they truly are experiencing what's happening in the movie. Watch Pirates of the Caribbean VERY closely sometime if you want an answer. There is such a difference between Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom. They are both awesome, but one is acting and one is experiencing. That's what makes an Academy Award winner.

If all actors seem the same to you, nothing wrong with that, you're just not meant to be an acting critic :-).

Answer 3

Hi,

As someone who can't act his way out of a paper bag, this a difficult question for me to answer. But, I'm paid to try, so here goes...

The obvious answer -- a bad actor is someone an audience doesn't "believe." Another way to put it -- a wooden actor looks like their acting. A good actor looks they aren't doing anything at all. That make sense?

Several previous responders mention "emotion." Again, I'm not an expert when it comes to acting, but I don't think "emotion" necessarily equals a good performance. It comes down to being believable. If you can make an audience believe you when they know you're acting, you're a great actor. Because, as Sanford Meisner once said, "acting is lying really well."

There are dozens of schools that teach the art of acting. I've included a few links below if you're interested.

break a leg,

Mike

Answer 4

Wow.....even a Staff member bothered to chime in.


Here goes: A Bad Actor Showboats, Does Not Feel and Draws Focus to the detriment of the Show.

A Good Actor Understands, Gives, and Uses Talent.

One cannot be trained to be a good actor. The talent is inherent.

Do not be too hard on Mr Bloom as an Actor. Mr. DiCaprio had to go through the same mill.

Both of these Gentlemen are worthy Actors.

Answer 5

An actor is "wooden" when they deliver their lines in a flat, bland manner (like a plank of wood) rather than in a manner that conveys the underlying emotions well.

For a really good example, think of Kevin Costner in just about any role he's ever played, but most notably in "Dances with Wolves". This was a beautiful movie, but his acting was despicable. I never for a moment believed he cared a thing about anything that was going on around him. He delivered his lines as if he were afraid of forgetting them.

Answer 6

Well, from my point of view :) which is someone that just loves kicking it back on weekends to either rent out a good movie or go out and see the latest....
Bad actors are actors that do not move me, or make me laugh or to me convey any of theme or whatever the movie is about.
Good actors are the ones that for a moment in time, make you forget your everyday life- pull you right into the movie with them, you believe what they say, laugh at what they say- and feel for them thru their "tribulations" etc.
As to what makes an actor worthy of Academy award? it has to be someone that is just excellent in every role he plays, like for example Dustin Hoffman, consistently he kept dolling out this great performances, (just an example) just to show what I think makes a great actor.

Answer 7

^ Bad or wooden - If they don't show any emotion when they speak. No facial expressions, this has become a problem today because of drugs like botox, it doesn't let you make facial expressions, face lifts are overdone also, you can only stretch or cut the skin so much. Sometimes they are just wrong for the part. If they can't remember their lines, especially on stage. Sometimes you can tell their heart wasn't in the project.

What makes them Academy Award worthy the opposite of what I said above, also you forget that they are acting, they are totally believable in the role, they make us laugh, cry, get angry etc. in all the right places. You get totally immersed in their character, and you hate when the movie, play etc. ends.

Answer 8

Bad actors fail at one or more of the five observable qualities of acting: believability, facility, communnication, skill and charisma. Mr. Bloom has some charisma aparently since he is good looking, but if he is wooden, he lacks in believability, facility, communication and skill. The academy awards are greatly political which is to say the members push their candidateds. To be worthy, the actor need a great cameraman, a great director,and a great script besides meeting all the observable qualities of acting full on.

Answer 9

First of all, have you ever been in a play? Have you ever watched a high school play? 99.99% of the actors in them are awful.
Have you ever seen a skit at church or in a local theatre?
Most of them are lame.
The actors are clumsy, mumble, scared, drooling and hanging instead of delivering a real believable performance.

The actors you see on TV and in the movies are GOOD (mostly) because they have been in the business fer 10 years before you ever see them on TV. They work as waitresses and cab drivers and take classes and do local stuff for ages, before anyone notices them. Even REALLY GOOD aactors don't make it to TV because there are sooooo many.
There are exceptions of course.
There is the occasional Orlando, who is just barely visible because somoen thought he was cute for a while.
Only a small percentage of actors are even remotely Academy award potential. It's a tough business.

Answer 10

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