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Questions tagged [acting]

For questions about the profession or techniques of acting in movies and television.

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What actor has portrayed the American president the most number of times?

Which actor has acted as president of the USA in the most distinct number of appearances?
Jason P Sallinger's user avatar
-3 votes
1 answer
438 views

How do actor-actresses avoid bacterial and viral infections?

Films and TV shows feature a lot of kisses, French kisses, and sometimes simulated sex scenes. How do actor-actresses avoid bacterial and viral infections?
user366312's user avatar
1 vote
0 answers
177 views

Which video game voice actors have reprised their roles in a live-action film or TV show adaptation?

I recently learned that Merle Dandridge, the actor who voiced Marlene in The Last of Us (2013 video game), has reprised her role in the 2023 live-action TV show adaptation of the game. Was this the ...
galacticninja's user avatar
13 votes
3 answers
6k views

Is it realistic for an actor to act in four movies in six months?

Watching Once Upon a Time in Hollywood which, as I understand it, is mostly a pretty realistic portrayal of Hollywood in 1969. One thing that doesn't feel right, though: the part where the actor is ...
rwallace's user avatar
  • 481
-8 votes
1 answer
237 views

Cases where voice actor reprises role in live-action adaptation [closed]

Aside from anime and the examples listed below, what instances have there been of voice actors reprising their roles in live-action adaptations? (For anime, see this post.) Patton Oswalt voices ...
BCLC's user avatar
  • 1,523
10 votes
1 answer
4k views

How do prescription creature contact lenses prevent an actor from falling on the ground while running?

In an article about the movie Barbarian, it says the following: Before filming began last summer, he received advice from legendary creature performer Doug Jones, including the fine line between ...
pacoverflow's user avatar
  • 1,267
0 votes
3 answers
755 views

Do actors have to take their lines written in the script and make them more natural?

I've been thinking lot about how to deal with manuscripts when being an actor. I'm training or learning the art of acting and have recently been part of a movie project (amateur). I was given a script ...
harry jansson's user avatar
-3 votes
2 answers
233 views

Why did Jennifer Lien change her accent away from her Chicago accent?

In this question and answer at scifi.stackexchange, it is shown that Jennifer Lien used an accent with features of a typical Chicago accent early in her career, in 1991 (see ...
user avatar
-2 votes
1 answer
171 views

To what extent were Jack McCoy's closing arguments ad-libbed?

Many episodes of Law & Order culminate with a passionate closing argument delivered by Jack McCoy. Often, these aren't merely dramatic speeches, nor are they just doing the work of advancing the ...
Tom's user avatar
  • 4,313
7 votes
4 answers
2k views

What is it called when an actor plays themselves in a movie?

In Oceans 13 - Julian Roberts plays a character doing an impression of Julia Roberts. There is a Nicolas Cage movie that seems to employ a similar narrative choice. I'm trying to work out the word or ...
hawkeye's user avatar
  • 927
2 votes
1 answer
488 views

Is William Shatner's acting style unique? [closed]

William Shatner's acting style is legendary. Exaggerated, and randomly pausing or emphasising words for no apparent reason. I've heard it said that his style is because he was trained in stage acting. ...
user's user avatar
  • 2,527
1 vote
1 answer
178 views

Actor reprising his character in a totally unrelated film or series [closed]

When was the first occurrence of an actor reprising his role as the same character in a totally unrelated show or movie like Bill Nye playing Patterson's father on Blindspot or Ursula Buffay appearing ...
user10191234's user avatar
5 votes
2 answers
2k views

Is Quentin Tarantino's scene in Pulp Fiction meant to feel different from the rest of the movie?

Quentin Tarantino's cameo in Pulp Fiction has been widely panned. I have rewatched his scenes and I agree that it is a jarring performance – when Tarantino is on the screen it feels like the fourth ...
feetwet's user avatar
  • 2,344
-5 votes
2 answers
480 views

Did they have a de-Britification coach for Lord of the Rings? [closed]

I notice that the actors in the film series of Lord of the Rings are mostly British, Australian or New Zealanders, but they for the most part lack the British mannerisms, accent and modes of speech ...
Tyler Durden's user avatar
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35 votes
3 answers
9k views

Why would the Actors Studio mistrust the acting technique employed by Anthony Hopkins?

Watching the Anthony Hopkins & Florian Zeller YouTube video interview (On Approaching The Heartbreaking Story Of The Father) - when asked how he prepares for a movie from the script, he states: .....
user avatar
62 votes
2 answers
8k views

Why does "No-one ever get it in the first take"?

After the myriad comments under my answer to the recent question Did Hugh Jackman really tattoo his own finger with a pen in The Fountain? I thought this may work as a separate question. So, what is ...
Tetsujin's user avatar
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9 votes
1 answer
442 views

Why were two people — a body double and a stunt double — used for a character who barely appears in “The Mandalorian?”

Season 2, episode 8 of The Mandalorian features a brief — but significant — cameo from a character well known in the Star Wars universe. While CGI technology was used to change the face of this ...
Giacomo1968's user avatar
  • 6,774
1 vote
0 answers
149 views

How do actors signal that they are not playing? [duplicate]

An actor is playing a character who is in danger. He is screaming at the top of his lungs: "Help me! Help me! I'm in danger!" Then, for whatever reason, the actor gets in actual danger, like ...
user38141's user avatar
  • 183
26 votes
4 answers
11k views

How do actors control laughter in comedy scenes?

What are the techniques (if any by the book) that actors employ to control laughter in scenes that are highly comic in nature? Are there techniques or is it out of pure willpower and self control? The ...
prc777's user avatar
  • 387
3 votes
1 answer
856 views

Was Amy Sedaris' role on Mandalorian counter to the entire Star Wars aesthetic?

It's been noted that her wardrobe and hair were from Ripley in Alien. However, my question relates to two things I also observed: Pacing: Star Wars is know for pacing--this applies not just to ...
DukeZhou's user avatar
  • 6,967
8 votes
1 answer
669 views

Do actors get paid if their digital image is used in a movie?

These day we more often see actors in their younger ages. Do they get paid for that or can companies just model whatever they want with no need to pay to the model's prototype?
R S's user avatar
  • 1,223
2 votes
0 answers
63 views

Are the voices of the younger versions of the triplets dubbed by the older actors in This is Us?

This is Us jumps backwards and forwards through the lives of three siblings, their parents and family. The teen versions of the triplets in particular sound a lot like the adult versions. Is there any ...
Darren's user avatar
  • 3,336
17 votes
1 answer
12k views

Was Rami Malek singing or lipsyncing?

In Bohemian Rhapsody Rami Malek played Freddie Mercury from Queen. In the scenes where his character was singing, was the actor really singing with his voice, or only lipsyncing to recordings of ...
TK-421's user avatar
  • 5,341
2 votes
1 answer
223 views

Is there a term for actors rehearsing lines in a different accent?

I've seen a few examples of actors rehearsing a scene, but in different accents to their own. In Shaun of the Dead, Simon Pegg and Peter Serafinowicz pretend to be John Lennon and Paul McCartney. ...
Longshanks's user avatar
  • 6,280
18 votes
3 answers
12k views

Are actors contractually obligated to certain things like going nude/ Sensual Scenes/ Gory Scenes?

When an actor is signed for a movie/show/series, they sign contracts for the working relationship of that certain movie/show/series. There is always going to be different scenes/scenarios to be shot ...
Shahsays's user avatar
  • 1,676
0 votes
1 answer
417 views

In old films, why do characters flail around when they're shot?

When characters get gunned down in old films by repetitive fire, they often flail side-to-side while standing... for a loooong time... E.g. in Robocop (videos contain "blood"): ...
minseong's user avatar
  • 577
-4 votes
2 answers
407 views

Has Scarlett Johansson ever sung well (in universe)? [closed]

In the "Lost in Translation" we can see Charlotte (Scarlet) goofing with Bob (Murray) in the karaoke bar - we can see that she is rather trying to have fun than perform well. ...
Yasskier's user avatar
  • 11.2k
23 votes
3 answers
6k views

In the Lost in Space intro why was Dr. Smith actor listed as a special guest star?

In the intro/theme song for the 1965 TV show Lost in Space the actor who played Dr. Zachary Smith (Jonathan Harris) is listed as a special guest star. How could this be if we look at the meaning of a ...
Henry WH Hack v3.0's user avatar
-3 votes
1 answer
198 views

Pairs of actors with the most movies as couple [closed]

I'm looking for the pair of actors playing as a couple or romantically involved in the most unrelated movies. For example, Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling were romantically engaged in 3 separate movies: ...
Shan-x's user avatar
  • 111
2 votes
0 answers
254 views

Are Bollywood actors actually filming 30 to 40 films at any one time?

In this interview Aamir Khan says most Bollywood actors are filming at various stages 30 to 40 films at any one time. Is this true and the norm in Bollywood?
Stupid_Intern's user avatar
2 votes
2 answers
1k views

Do actors really play musical instruments in movies?

There are a lot of movies, where characters play musical instruments professionally. I'd like to know about Whiplash and La La Land. Did actors there really learn to play musical instruments, or are ...
Ver Nick's user avatar
  • 4,043
5 votes
1 answer
1k views

What is the meaning of "crossover actress"?

I find this word in "Personal life and off-screen work" section of Actress "Mélanie Laurent" wikipedia article: In a 2009 interview, she explained that she does not have ambitions to be a ...
Purva Sandal's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
320 views

What did Cody Fern mean when he said that Ayn Rand inspired his character and acting?

Cody Fern was asked how he prepared for playing the role of the Son of Satan in American Horror Story. The actor replied: I read a lot of Ayn Rand and I read a lot of old testament... source: ...
SSimon's user avatar
  • 517
2 votes
1 answer
321 views

How do actors while doing a scene focus on their scene regardless of having a crowd in their surroundings?

I have been in the surroundings of one or two movie sets and seen that despite having so much crowd surrounding the actors they perform most of their act easily. I wonder how they focus on the scenes ...
Hamza Saif's user avatar
121 votes
6 answers
65k views

How do actors stop breathing when playing "dead"?

I saw many movies when the actor/actress (in the movie) dies. In some movies you can tell that the picture is paused when it is on the dead character. But in other movies the actor is laying still ...
asmgx's user avatar
  • 1,878
51 votes
1 answer
9k views

What accent did the actors use in Black Panther?

The people of Wakanda in Black Panther spoke with an accent. Was it invented for the movie, or is it from a particular part of the world? It sounds distinctly African, but I can't pinpoint a country ...
BrettFromLA's user avatar
  • 23.8k
4 votes
1 answer
989 views

Do stunt doubles go to movies where the actor lookalikes go? [closed]

Since stunt doubles look somewhat similar to the actors they're replacing for the dangerous stunts, does this mean they tend to gravitate to films where they know their lookalikes are going, since ...
yuritsuki's user avatar
  • 2,351
8 votes
0 answers
1k views

Whose idea was the double-meaning finger counting in JFK?

In JFK, Kevin Costner meets secretly with Donald Sutherland in a park in Washington DC. Donald discusses elements of the assassination conspiracy. Towards the end of the scene he counts off 3 points ...
BrettFromLA's user avatar
  • 23.8k
1 vote
1 answer
3k views

Why don't the Ashmore twins work on the same projects more often?

Killjoys stars Aaron Ashmore who is the identical twin of the arguably better known Shawn. Usually, twins in the acting industry end up acting together, either as twins in the same film or TV show, ...
Darren's user avatar
  • 3,336
2 votes
1 answer
38k views

Did Quentin Tarantino act in all of his movies? [closed]

So, are there any Quentin Tarantino movies in which he did not act?
GileBrt's user avatar
  • 640
6 votes
1 answer
1k views

Children actors in R-Rated films [duplicate]

When a children appear in a movie that has a scene or two depicting sexuality (R rated material), is it the norm to let these children know what kind of movie they are participating in? Or are they ...
Ahmad's user avatar
  • 6,486
1 vote
0 answers
173 views

How protected is the kid actress in Logan from the violence in the film? [duplicate]

I just saw the trailer of the movie Logan, where a female kid has the same supernatural power as Wolverine and does some pretty bad things (nasty killing etc.). I saw that and my hear squeezed, but ...
gsamaras's user avatar
  • 1,095
11 votes
1 answer
913 views

How can one be nominated for an Oscar as "Best Actor" and "Best supporting Actor" in the same Film?

In the Film "Going my Way" Barry Fitzgerald was nominated for an Oscar in both cathegories ("Best Actor" and "Best supporting Actor"). How is this possible?
Frezzley's user avatar
  • 1,267
9 votes
1 answer
3k views

When is an actor's appearence considered a cameo?

What are the "guide lines" to define an actor appearence as a cameo? Are there some specs to define it? For example, max time on screen, max scene, max lines...
MikeKeepsOnShine's user avatar
6 votes
1 answer
2k views

Why do actors often play their last scene on a movie on their first day of filming?

I am not even sure this is the case, but it did happen to Lena Headey in 300 and in this interview (9:30) Ethan Hawke and Keira Knightley agree that it is something that happens all the time, namely ...
Anguepa's user avatar
  • 163
3 votes
0 answers
169 views

How are difficult/disturbing scenes involving children dealt with during film making? [duplicate]

I always wondered about scenes in movies or tv shows that show a child dealing with some sort of a disturbing, gruesome or difficult situation. I'm talking about how the child actors are dealt with ...
A.J. Evans's user avatar
10 votes
1 answer
796 views

How were Sophie's interactions with the BFG filmed?

According to the BFG himself, he's a whoppin' 24 feet tall. For the most part, the actress that plays Sophie does a good job of keeping her eyes "on" him, wherever his head is. She also avoids ...
user avatar
34 votes
5 answers
18k views

What makes an actor an A-lister?

In this thread, someone mentioned that Vin Diesel is not an A-list actor because he is: .... a niche actor, he's not got the breadth of roles I would expect an A lister to have. With the exception of ...
David Seek's user avatar
  • 1,703
5 votes
2 answers
395 views

Which actor/actress has played the largest number of distinct actual persons in tv / cinema? [closed]

I was wondering which actors / actresses have played an unsual large number of different actual (historical) persons in during their entire career. Multiple appearances as the same character do only ...
Mimi's user avatar
  • 69
39 votes
1 answer
8k views

What does Peter Dinklage eat on camera in Game of Thrones?

I recently discovered that Peter Dinklage is a vegan, which means that he neither eats meat nor does he eat any products produced by animals, like milk and honey. So what does he eat in scenes where ...
Marv's user avatar
  • 775