Martin Freeman calls Method Acting "F*cking B*llocks"

[trekkiepetrelli]

Martin Freeman calls method acting “the most self-aggrandizing, selfish, narcissistic f**king bollocks I have ever seen.”

(via: https://t.co/vixxn5LEJI) pic.twitter.com/VToYvB1E1Y
- DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) May 31, 2021

• In a recent appearance on the Off Menu podcast (via The Telegraph), Martin Freeman criticized the practice of method acting

Comments

[weighty_ghost]

the only sort of method acting i can accept is those who stay in an accent while filming because i can't imagine the struggle to switch back and forth in between takes.

[vibeology_e]

Yes, I get this. Once you've got the placement right, I get not changing it between takes. And people doing very emotional scenes staying in that headspace between takes makes sense to me too provided they don't project that emotion out in a shitty way.

[bttrsondaughter]

Chadwick Boseman did this when he played T’Challa. There are some bloopers from either BP or IW and he’s trying to shoo a fly away and he’s still using T’Challa’s accent

[aristobrit]

You don't have to be method to simply stay in your accent all day while you're on set. Lots of actors find that easier to do than switch back and forth during lunch breaks, etc. But they are still themselves on breaks, just speaking with their character's voice.

That's a voice-acting thing more than a method actor thing.

[la_petite_singe]

First of all, method acting is so misunderstood, it's really not about ~being~ the character for weeks on end and being a dick to people, it's literally just about using your own experiences and memories. Just because d-bags like Leto do it wrong doesn't make that what it is!

[yeezy]

mte! robert de niro comes to mind, he's always used as an example of method acting esp his taxi driver performance and all i've ever read about it is that he worked as a taxi driver to get experience, he didn't go around telling people to call him travis or being a porn obsessed psycho lmao

[curdlesnoots]

Nah, De Niro’s definitely done some extreme things. He’s notoriously introverted on and off-set as well but people don’t have a go at him for being rude or standoffish because he’s De Niro....

[yeezy]

idk how being an introverted has anything to do with being method, and like i said i've never read any account of him being an asshole to other people in the name of method like jared leto sending a dead rat to margot bc he was being the joker.
like i've read about the taxi driver job, p much becoming a pro boxer, learning italian and the sax, etc. he might have done some extreme things but afaik he hasn't done it to other people nor he is pretending to be a character 24/7 which is what everyone hates abt other method actors

[spankmypirate]

Jim getting into method acting is weird because he's so naturally talented. You could even argue he's one of the most talented people in Hollywood

[peddlestools]

Is he tho

[spankmypirate]

Yes, he is.

[peddlestools]

Is he tho

[clarkkentlite]

I generally don't have many thoughts on method acting--but if you're being a dick because you're method acting as a rude character, you can gtfo of here. Like your job isn't an excuse to behave in a way that otherwise should get you punched in the face.

[deja_vu822]

“I always say about people who do method acting, you only ever see people do the method when they’re playing an a-holes,” Pattinson admitted. “You never see someone being lovely to everyone while they’re really deep in character.”

Truly my fave thing R.Pattz has ever said. It always makes me think of Shia Labeouf, just because he's the most recent, dramatic example of this.

[blazingeternity]

Psychos like Shia probably believe they're already the nicest and most generous people ever, so there's no ~challenge in playing wonderful characters, but want everyone acknowledging how much effort they put into playing assholes.

If I was an actor, I'd probably only take an accent off set, to be able to really get into it. That's annoying but doesn't hurt anyone.