February 20, 2025 • 22 mins
It's awards season, so Anney and Samantha talk acting, and particularly, method acting. In this spicy chat, we talk about how method acting has typically been the domain of men, and is sometimes used to abuse women (and others).
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Speaker 1 (00:05):
Hey, this is Annie and Samantha, and welcome to stuff
I've never told you your production by Heart Radio, and
welcome to another edition of Happy Hour.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
As always, if you choose to drink or whatever you're doing,
please do so responsibly. What are you doing, Samantha? Are
you doing it responsibly?
Speaker 3 (00:30):
Always?
Speaker 4 (00:31):
Because I get sleepy, like I just love how I'm
now and to the point of adulthood where I'm like,
I don't party anymore. Really, I've never really parted, let's
be very honest, but I barely do any of that.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
I used to. I went to clubs like a short
spent time because I do love dancing. I do love dancing.
Speaker 4 (00:48):
And now my clubbing is Zumba classes with the other
forty fifty year olds and we get into it just say,
you know anyway, But yes, I'm drinking coffee because I
am tired and it feels groggy. And it's cold again.
Why is it cold? For the dear love of God,
it is very cold here.
Speaker 1 (01:04):
And I oh, I made the mistake of turning off
my radiator because it was hot.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
It was warm for a while.
Speaker 3 (01:14):
And now I'm really worried about that radiator.
Speaker 1 (01:19):
We have a very adversarial relationship me and this radiator.
But now it's steaming up so much. I can't see
out my windows.
Speaker 2 (01:27):
And uh.
Speaker 1 (01:28):
This morning a friend of mine texting me and she's like,
it's knowing where I am. And I was, I was
trying to look out the window. I was like, I
can't tell im too cold to go outside, so.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
We'll never know.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
I am drinking wine because today it's a good wine.
And I want to make this clear at the top,
this is my opinion. This is my personal opinion. And
I might ruffle some feathers in the acting community if
we've got any actors listening, But all right.
Speaker 4 (02:01):
We are.
Speaker 3 (02:01):
Are you really doing something? Huh?
Speaker 4 (02:03):
I feel like that that was such a big warning
because I love drama.
Speaker 3 (02:07):
Let's do this team.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
Oh my gosh.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
I've gotten into so many arguments with other actors about this.
All right, So it is award season as we record this.
And I also want to say it does feel strange.
I think my Monday mini upcoming will be about this
kind of but it feels strange to talk about this
when it feels like the world is falling apart.
Speaker 2 (02:27):
But we're going to talk about it.
Speaker 1 (02:29):
So it is a Ward season coming up, and I've
had this in my on my list of possible happy
hour topics for a while, but this was a ways back.
Natalie Portman made this comment where she said method acting
is a luxury that women can't have, and she was
mostly commenting on how women are still expected to do
(02:53):
a lot more domestic work and especially raising kids. So
she was saying, like, I can't show up at the
pickup like covered in blood or whatever. I was like,
thank you. Someone finally said right, I will get into it,
but I've got a lot of thoughts about method actors.
Some of them are very good and have produced really
good performances. I will I will break it down in
(03:16):
a minute, but I've always kind of had an issue
with it, and I know.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
For people, I think you know what method acting is.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
It's when someone like quote becomes that character and they
ask people to call them by that name. They like
a lot of stuff like that. I do want to
differentiate between that and doing your research. I think doing
the research part is good, like going to work at
a factory for a month or whatever. As long as
(03:49):
you're not a total jack about it, I think that's good.
I got a lot of thoughts about this, But that's
different than what I'm talking about. I'm talking about Jared
Leto is like one of the most famous examples of
recent times. Oh yeah, when he was in a suicide squad.
He was in there for ten minutes. By the way,
(04:10):
he basically just harassed the rest of the cast. He
had like an assistant that would sneak into their dressing
rooms and put things like rats or used condoms our
fish heads because he's playing the Joker. And he was like,
it adds a level. That's what the Joker does. It
adds a level of surprise and a lot Okay, a
(04:33):
lot of the other actors have spoken about it, and
it said it made them feel really uncomfortable, makes sense,
He's kind of said it's been over exaggerated. I am
leaning more to her. He probably did do that, but
you know, I wasn't there. I don't know, But that's
what I'm talking about. That kind of behavior is what
I was talking right. I just feel that as a
(04:57):
viewer of something I I can have the capacity to know, Okay,
you're the Joker and you're a good actor, and I'm
scared of you, but I actually appreciate this more because
I know as a human being, you're not that. You
know what I mean, right, Like, I have the capacity
to differentiate between those two things. Right, You don't have
(05:19):
to convince me you are the joker. If you do,
you've really freaked me out more than I think you
wanted to. You can be a good actor and not
convince me that, like maybe you shouldn't be allowed your people,
Like there's a different there's a difference, right.
Speaker 4 (05:37):
I think it's all comes back to the understanding that
if you're good at your craft, you don't have to
change a personality, Like it doesn't have to be that way. Like.
It also kind of comes to people who are like,
if you truly do this, then you're truly this, like
as in like you're not validated until you're boiling to
push to about me.
Speaker 3 (05:57):
That's not healthy.
Speaker 1 (06:01):
No, it's not healthy. And there have been a million
examples of how it's not healthy.
Speaker 2 (06:06):
And there is.
Speaker 1 (06:08):
A quote it's frequently attributed to Lawrence Olivier, but I
don't think it's ever been proven he was like the
one that said it. But it's you know, my dear boy,
have you tried acting like you don't have to do
these things? And it makes people, not just other actors,
it makes people on set uncomfortable. Like one time I
(06:29):
was working with somebody who said they were a method actor.
He was playing a rapist. Oh you know how uncomfortable
that made everyone?
Speaker 3 (06:40):
What does that mean? This method acting?
Speaker 1 (06:42):
Like? What are you talking about exactly? And it's just
it's one of those things where I think and I have.
When I was kind of lightly researching this, I found
a BuzzFeed list and it was like seventeen worst examples
of method actors. They were all white men, and I
(07:04):
just feel like if a woman or a person of
color did this, the set wouldn't stand for it. They'd
be like, she's crazy, get her out of here. But
instead it's like, look at this genius work.
Speaker 3 (07:21):
Right.
Speaker 4 (07:22):
What I don't know did Michael B. Jordan did he do?
He didn't do method acting for Black Panther, right. He
said he just isolated himself.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
He like went on the streets and isolated himself.
Speaker 3 (07:36):
Yeah, but not necessarily actually full method.
Speaker 1 (07:39):
Right, which is I do think there are different degrees
of method, and some of them I'm like, okay, I
get that. Yeah, that's where it sort of blurs the
line between research and method to me, right, I do.
(08:00):
I do think there are some method actors that are
not as obnoxious and frankly kind of terrifying. One example
is I know a lot of actors who use accents
all the time. Yeah, so like if they're doing an
American accent, they're not an American, they'll just start using
that accent all the time. I think that's okay. Like
(08:21):
I I would weird me out if I knew the person, right,
But that's that's I understand that, right.
Speaker 4 (08:28):
I think, uh Rene Zelleger she did that because she
couldn't go in and out really well, and she said,
if I lose it, I'm going to lose it, So
I just have to keep it the entire time, like
she would keep her English accent for Bridget Jones diary.
Speaker 1 (08:43):
Yes, which I get. That makes sense to me. Yeah,
I agree, it's still a little weird. It makes sense.
Speaker 4 (08:50):
If I knew you personally and you had an accent,
I would make fun of you the entire time. I
would have a hard time. Not like not because I'm
being mean, but I just think it's hilarious to see
you doing the switch up.
Speaker 2 (09:00):
Yeah, it is. It's just odd, but I mean.
Speaker 1 (09:05):
Another issue I have with this kind of hardcore method
acting is it has led to instances of sexual assaw
and physical abuse, largely against women because they were method
(09:25):
which I just think is ridiculous and unacceptable. And I
don't kind of going back to what you were saying,
I don't think if you had to do that as
part of a role, it almost feels.
Speaker 2 (09:39):
Like an excuse.
Speaker 4 (09:39):
To me.
Speaker 1 (09:40):
It just kind of feels like an excuse to act
like a And in some cases, I think that's what
it is. In other cases, I think that people believe
they're pursuing brilliance or whatever, like I'm really going to
capture this thing. But if that's what it takes, then
I you can go I don't need your brilliance. That's
(10:02):
what That's what it did, and I will I'm going
to say here, like actors of all schools can be.
I know this is true. It's not just method actors.
People who are just famous can be. People have liked
that I'm an artiste vibe can be. But I don't know,
there's something about like I was reading the examples in
(10:24):
that BuzzFeed article about how people have done this, this
just sounds like a check to me right right.
Speaker 4 (10:32):
I mean also there's a crossover to where they really
say this is for film, and it's so much like
the Last Tango. I was trying to remember which movie was,
which was Marlon Brando and they assault a woman on
camera and the director and Marlon Brando the director being
cause I don't want to just leave one predator name
(10:53):
out being Bernardo Bortolucci. They hadn't made this plan not
to tell her what was going to happened in order
to get her real quote reactions in order to her
essentially and the fact that that case is so infamous
that no, and the two of them are still like revered,
Marlon Brando and Bortolucci really are just still revered. I
(11:15):
think the conversation has gotten bigger about it and understanding,
but like that level of it, like it becomes it
needs to be real conversation, which takes it to the
point of like why.
Speaker 3 (11:26):
What what what for you? Why? Why does what is
it doing for you?
Speaker 4 (11:32):
That you need this to happen in this route and
it's giving you a thrill and that you really want
to have it on camera.
Speaker 3 (11:38):
And I think the same thing with like.
Speaker 4 (11:40):
The shining with the shining and how they tortured fall
like they tortured her because she wasn't.
Speaker 3 (11:46):
Quote unquote real enough in her reaction, Like.
Speaker 4 (11:48):
It's such a way that it is white men wanting
to torture women.
Speaker 1 (11:54):
Yeah, And one of the examples the BuzzFeed article gave
was I never heard of this. I've never seen this movie,
but it was Meryl Streep and Dustin Hoffman. Apparently Dustin
Hoffman slapped her in a scene and it wasn't he
wasn't supposed to, and he said he did it to
like get her in character. Meryl Streep is one more
(12:15):
Oscars than like anyone. You tell me you need to
get her in character.
Speaker 3 (12:21):
No, they hate each other, right?
Speaker 4 (12:24):
Did I feel like they really like disliked each other
and never wanted to work with each other again with
relevance to things like that, Maybe I look it up
before I'm missing I present myself here.
Speaker 1 (12:38):
But the director apparently told Meryl Streeplake, I'm sorry you
didn't need that, and she like nailed this scene, and
she nailed the scene and as she would have, right,
And so it's just so like you made it about
you and you belittled her at the same time, and
you hit her.
Speaker 4 (12:58):
Apparently he's abused her a lot. But that's a first
literal quote that I see from a headline, because it
wasn't the only time. Doesn't Hoffin allegedly abused Meryl Streep
And this was from screen rant. So like the fact
that he continue to do that to this woman, who
I think had already been nominated for things. She even
(13:18):
those is one of her earlier films.
Speaker 1 (13:21):
Yeah, well that's the thing. I don't even know if
he know he was on that list. He is a
method actor.
Speaker 2 (13:27):
I just it feels like so much of it is.
Speaker 1 (13:32):
It is causing harm to someone else, and then you're
taking credit for like I'm sure probably in private conversations
he said, you know, I made Meryl Streep who she is,
Like I was the one she complains about it, but I,
by doing this right helps her get further. And we've
even talked about it with Bridgett, like the is it
(13:53):
Evan rachel Wood the music video? And I was thinking
about it too, because I was lying awake as I
want to do, and I'm wrestling with these topics, and
I was thinking about the audition process and I was like,
did Jared leto who again was in that movie for
ten minutes. Did he start the method acting for the
(14:15):
audition or did he start it after, Because if you
did the audition you got the part, then I think
you've already proven you can do it.
Speaker 2 (14:23):
I don't think you need this method. I don't know.
Maybe he was doing it before, but like I just don't.
Speaker 3 (14:29):
Bad actor, maybe he needs it. There's a few that's
like you, genuinely good.
Speaker 2 (14:34):
He don't need this.
Speaker 3 (14:35):
Maybe Jared Letto from These Infamous.
Speaker 4 (14:38):
Times, Robby Jordan, Catilano, Catalana anyway needed can't do it
without it, especially for a thirty second like preview, because
he has that baseless in acting.
Speaker 3 (14:55):
They doesn't even about to get attacked on't I mate?
Speaker 1 (14:57):
I'm just why I tell you we're ruffling some actor
feathers right now.
Speaker 4 (15:11):
Philip Seymour Hoffmann, who was also an infamous method actor.
Speaker 3 (15:15):
He was genuinely great. He was genuinely great.
Speaker 4 (15:19):
I don't know if he needed it again like that
kind of goes to that same level.
Speaker 3 (15:25):
I don't know.
Speaker 4 (15:25):
Maybe it's that introvert thing, because he was an introvert.
I think for the most part that really felt like
his craft came from all the emotions. I'm assuming these
are like things that I've seen as at an alleged
so maybe that's the different level. But like again, there's
nothing about Jared Leto's performances and any performances that I'm like, oh, yeah,
(15:48):
he's so great unless.
Speaker 3 (15:50):
He has to be, unless he can be extreme.
Speaker 1 (15:53):
That's interesting because I wonder if I did think about
this too, because I was wondering if there's some level
of insecurity around it of like I want I when
the critics come when the awards season rolls around, I
want them to know I lived in the the winter
tundra to prepare like quote dedication I put into this
(16:18):
role and this character, which again we've talked about this before.
I think it was in our Intimacy Coordinator episode. But personally,
if you're a good actor, then that doesn't really necessarily
factor into what I'm thinking, and in fact, it might
(16:39):
take me out performance. Like I'm not sitting there thinking, oh, wow,
they definitely lived in the winter dundrum.
Speaker 2 (16:50):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (16:51):
Like so, I wonder if there's some kind of thing
I've been guilty of this too, where you want to
prove when the critics come at you like but I
did all this research though, like I at all this.
Speaker 2 (17:01):
I think research is good. It's the it's the kind
of unhingedness, unhinedness.
Speaker 1 (17:10):
Yes, I clearly have strong thoughts about this of making
everyone else uncomfortable and putting like yourself, your performance before everything,
because in a good I think in a good movie
or a good production, everyone's working together in a way,
(17:32):
and sometimes somebody is such a good actor a method
or not that you are scared of them because they're
doing so well and you don't hang out, but you
still work together really well. Right, you know this isn't
actually going to kill me.
Speaker 4 (17:46):
Well, like as I'm looking at Jared Leto's like list,
like he played a serial killer. I don't know any
of his films, and he did get several awards, so
people are probably mad at me.
Speaker 3 (17:56):
Like he is a great actor.
Speaker 4 (17:57):
I think he's a great actor when he has someplace
of extreme like that's different when it's drama drama versus
like actual minute like detailed acting, that's different, I say,
as non actor. But like, yeah, he won for Dallas
Buyers Club. I remember he played a trans woman, which
spruffled a lot of feathers because he's not a trans woman,
So how did he method act for that? You know
(18:19):
what I mean? Like there's a whole biting he there's
nowhere in life, ever, ever, ever that he can understand
what a trans woman has been, and so like there's
a lot of questions in his method and when he
wants to be method and how deep of a method
actor he wants to be. I say, this really may
really just don't like Jared Letto apparently.
Speaker 3 (18:38):
I'm sorry that.
Speaker 2 (18:40):
His autograph. I had a huge crush on him when I.
Speaker 4 (18:43):
Was when he was acting like Emo, like Emo man
young who wasn't creepy and all the other things.
Speaker 1 (18:53):
Yeah, And I want to say, like, when I think
about I've done some acting, and when I think about why,
I like it. I like imagining things and I like
but I feel like I would never ever maybe part
of his conditioning as a woman, I don't I wouldn't
want to make people so uncomfortable.
Speaker 2 (19:13):
I wouldn't want to do.
Speaker 3 (19:16):
Like that.
Speaker 1 (19:17):
And I think there's a health thing too, where you
can be like, Okay, let me turn this off for now.
It's a stressful role. I'll be better if I can
like recharge. I know some people will argue with me,
But I just don't I get the sentiment of I
want to really get in the mindset of this per se.
(19:37):
But I also don't think that's a super healthy thing
to just do it and completely erase yourself and not
think about it anybody else anyway.
Speaker 4 (19:48):
I mean again, I think I'm going back way back
to like because there has been a big conversation just
because the woman may not be enacting doesn't mean it's
not something that's questioned by society because as a person
on the outside, For me, I've heard people talking about this,
We've had people have had this conversation about it's method
acting healthy. I think again, like people like Philip Seymour
(20:08):
Hoffman who died of drug overdose. Like in general, to
be famous and to be in that world alone is stressful. Yeah,
So to like have that other layer of like you
want these deep, dark dramas that really get your name
out there, which is a lot of like conversation. I
think in the acting world, maybe I'm wrong, like big break,
(20:30):
and often that big break is something controversial and that
I can't imagine what kind of toll like just listening
to people talk about I had to listen to this
one type of music.
Speaker 3 (20:39):
In order to get me into this dark place.
Speaker 4 (20:41):
I had to think about these deaths and to get
to me get to this dark place like these things,
or I had to go through my childhood trauma to
get Like could not imagine living in that for six
months to a year saying that I can't let this
go or I'm going to fail in this and that
in my career. Like there's so many layers to that
(21:01):
that you have to have, like a real conversation about
what is worth sacrificing forum entertainment.
Speaker 1 (21:08):
Yeah, yeah, And you know, we do see a lot
of unfortunate early deaths in in celebrities, and it's just
people harmed. I mean people harmed and not just method acting.
I mean one time I did a scene once with
somebody I'm supposed to be pushing and the next day
(21:30):
I found out he had all spruce it.
Speaker 2 (21:32):
I still think about it.
Speaker 1 (21:33):
I feel so bad about But like those things, I
don't know, I just I got a lot of thoughts
about it, clearly.
Speaker 3 (21:44):
So maybe we'll come back to talk about with it,
to be honest.
Speaker 1 (21:48):
Well maybe we'll come back and do a full episode
on it and not just my rants.
Speaker 4 (21:53):
Uh, but apologies to all the Jared Leto lovers.
Speaker 3 (21:56):
Apparently I really don't like him. I don't know why
it came out. I know I did. I was like
this go bad.
Speaker 2 (22:04):
He's the joker.
Speaker 1 (22:07):
Well, listeners, if you have any thoughts about this, please
let us know. You can email us at Hello at
Stuffwenever Told You dot com.
Speaker 2 (22:14):
You can find us on.
Speaker 1 (22:14):
Blue Sky at mom stuf podcast, on Instagram and TikTok
at stuff We've Never Told You.
Speaker 2 (22:19):
We're also on YouTube.
Speaker 1 (22:20):
We have a tea Felt store, and we have a
book you can get where you get your books. Thanks
as always here a super produced Christina or executive producer
My and your contributor Joey.
Speaker 2 (22:27):
Thank you and thanks to you for listening. Stuff Will
Never Told You production by Heart Radio.
Speaker 1 (22:30):
For more podcast on my heart Radio, you can check
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listen to your favorite shows
Hey, this is Annie and Samantha, and welcome to stuff
I've never told you your production by Heart Radio, and
welcome to another edition of Happy Hour.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
As always, if you choose to drink or whatever you're doing,
please do so responsibly. What are you doing, Samantha? Are
you doing it responsibly?
Speaker 3 (00:30):
Always?
Speaker 4 (00:31):
Because I get sleepy, like I just love how I'm
now and to the point of adulthood where I'm like,
I don't party anymore. Really, I've never really parted, let's
be very honest, but I barely do any of that.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
I used to. I went to clubs like a short
spent time because I do love dancing. I do love dancing.
Speaker 4 (00:48):
And now my clubbing is Zumba classes with the other
forty fifty year olds and we get into it just say,
you know anyway, But yes, I'm drinking coffee because I
am tired and it feels groggy. And it's cold again.
Why is it cold? For the dear love of God,
it is very cold here.
Speaker 1 (01:04):
And I oh, I made the mistake of turning off
my radiator because it was hot.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
It was warm for a while.
Speaker 3 (01:14):
And now I'm really worried about that radiator.
Speaker 1 (01:19):
We have a very adversarial relationship me and this radiator.
But now it's steaming up so much. I can't see
out my windows.
Speaker 2 (01:27):
And uh.
Speaker 1 (01:28):
This morning a friend of mine texting me and she's like,
it's knowing where I am. And I was, I was
trying to look out the window. I was like, I
can't tell im too cold to go outside, so.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
We'll never know.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
I am drinking wine because today it's a good wine.
And I want to make this clear at the top,
this is my opinion. This is my personal opinion. And
I might ruffle some feathers in the acting community if
we've got any actors listening, But all right.
Speaker 4 (02:01):
We are.
Speaker 3 (02:01):
Are you really doing something? Huh?
Speaker 4 (02:03):
I feel like that that was such a big warning
because I love drama.
Speaker 3 (02:07):
Let's do this team.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
Oh my gosh.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
I've gotten into so many arguments with other actors about this.
All right, So it is award season as we record this.
And I also want to say it does feel strange.
I think my Monday mini upcoming will be about this
kind of but it feels strange to talk about this
when it feels like the world is falling apart.
Speaker 2 (02:27):
But we're going to talk about it.
Speaker 1 (02:29):
So it is a Ward season coming up, and I've
had this in my on my list of possible happy
hour topics for a while, but this was a ways back.
Natalie Portman made this comment where she said method acting
is a luxury that women can't have, and she was
mostly commenting on how women are still expected to do
(02:53):
a lot more domestic work and especially raising kids. So
she was saying, like, I can't show up at the
pickup like covered in blood or whatever. I was like,
thank you. Someone finally said right, I will get into it,
but I've got a lot of thoughts about method actors.
Some of them are very good and have produced really
good performances. I will I will break it down in
(03:16):
a minute, but I've always kind of had an issue
with it, and I know.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
For people, I think you know what method acting is.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
It's when someone like quote becomes that character and they
ask people to call them by that name. They like
a lot of stuff like that. I do want to
differentiate between that and doing your research. I think doing
the research part is good, like going to work at
a factory for a month or whatever. As long as
(03:49):
you're not a total jack about it, I think that's good.
I got a lot of thoughts about this, But that's
different than what I'm talking about. I'm talking about Jared
Leto is like one of the most famous examples of
recent times. Oh yeah, when he was in a suicide squad.
He was in there for ten minutes. By the way,
(04:10):
he basically just harassed the rest of the cast. He
had like an assistant that would sneak into their dressing
rooms and put things like rats or used condoms our
fish heads because he's playing the Joker. And he was like,
it adds a level. That's what the Joker does. It
adds a level of surprise and a lot Okay, a
(04:33):
lot of the other actors have spoken about it, and
it said it made them feel really uncomfortable, makes sense,
He's kind of said it's been over exaggerated. I am
leaning more to her. He probably did do that, but
you know, I wasn't there. I don't know, But that's
what I'm talking about. That kind of behavior is what
I was talking right. I just feel that as a
(04:57):
viewer of something I I can have the capacity to know, Okay,
you're the Joker and you're a good actor, and I'm
scared of you, but I actually appreciate this more because
I know as a human being, you're not that. You
know what I mean, right, Like, I have the capacity
to differentiate between those two things. Right, You don't have
(05:19):
to convince me you are the joker. If you do,
you've really freaked me out more than I think you
wanted to. You can be a good actor and not
convince me that, like maybe you shouldn't be allowed your people,
Like there's a different there's a difference, right.
Speaker 4 (05:37):
I think it's all comes back to the understanding that
if you're good at your craft, you don't have to
change a personality, Like it doesn't have to be that way. Like.
It also kind of comes to people who are like,
if you truly do this, then you're truly this, like
as in like you're not validated until you're boiling to
push to about me.
Speaker 3 (05:57):
That's not healthy.
Speaker 1 (06:01):
No, it's not healthy. And there have been a million
examples of how it's not healthy.
Speaker 2 (06:06):
And there is.
Speaker 1 (06:08):
A quote it's frequently attributed to Lawrence Olivier, but I
don't think it's ever been proven he was like the
one that said it. But it's you know, my dear boy,
have you tried acting like you don't have to do
these things? And it makes people, not just other actors,
it makes people on set uncomfortable. Like one time I
(06:29):
was working with somebody who said they were a method actor.
He was playing a rapist. Oh you know how uncomfortable
that made everyone?
Speaker 3 (06:40):
What does that mean? This method acting?
Speaker 1 (06:42):
Like? What are you talking about exactly? And it's just
it's one of those things where I think and I have.
When I was kind of lightly researching this, I found
a BuzzFeed list and it was like seventeen worst examples
of method actors. They were all white men, and I
(07:04):
just feel like if a woman or a person of
color did this, the set wouldn't stand for it. They'd
be like, she's crazy, get her out of here. But
instead it's like, look at this genius work.
Speaker 3 (07:21):
Right.
Speaker 4 (07:22):
What I don't know did Michael B. Jordan did he do?
He didn't do method acting for Black Panther, right. He
said he just isolated himself.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
He like went on the streets and isolated himself.
Speaker 3 (07:36):
Yeah, but not necessarily actually full method.
Speaker 1 (07:39):
Right, which is I do think there are different degrees
of method, and some of them I'm like, okay, I
get that. Yeah, that's where it sort of blurs the
line between research and method to me, right, I do.
(08:00):
I do think there are some method actors that are
not as obnoxious and frankly kind of terrifying. One example
is I know a lot of actors who use accents
all the time. Yeah, so like if they're doing an
American accent, they're not an American, they'll just start using
that accent all the time. I think that's okay. Like
(08:21):
I I would weird me out if I knew the person, right,
But that's that's I understand that, right.
Speaker 4 (08:28):
I think, uh Rene Zelleger she did that because she
couldn't go in and out really well, and she said,
if I lose it, I'm going to lose it, So
I just have to keep it the entire time, like
she would keep her English accent for Bridget Jones diary.
Speaker 1 (08:43):
Yes, which I get. That makes sense to me. Yeah,
I agree, it's still a little weird. It makes sense.
Speaker 4 (08:50):
If I knew you personally and you had an accent,
I would make fun of you the entire time. I
would have a hard time. Not like not because I'm
being mean, but I just think it's hilarious to see
you doing the switch up.
Speaker 2 (09:00):
Yeah, it is. It's just odd, but I mean.
Speaker 1 (09:05):
Another issue I have with this kind of hardcore method
acting is it has led to instances of sexual assaw
and physical abuse, largely against women because they were method
(09:25):
which I just think is ridiculous and unacceptable. And I
don't kind of going back to what you were saying,
I don't think if you had to do that as
part of a role, it almost feels.
Speaker 2 (09:39):
Like an excuse.
Speaker 4 (09:39):
To me.
Speaker 1 (09:40):
It just kind of feels like an excuse to act
like a And in some cases, I think that's what
it is. In other cases, I think that people believe
they're pursuing brilliance or whatever, like I'm really going to
capture this thing. But if that's what it takes, then
I you can go I don't need your brilliance. That's
(10:02):
what That's what it did, and I will I'm going
to say here, like actors of all schools can be.
I know this is true. It's not just method actors.
People who are just famous can be. People have liked
that I'm an artiste vibe can be. But I don't know,
there's something about like I was reading the examples in
(10:24):
that BuzzFeed article about how people have done this, this
just sounds like a check to me right right.
Speaker 4 (10:32):
I mean also there's a crossover to where they really
say this is for film, and it's so much like
the Last Tango. I was trying to remember which movie was,
which was Marlon Brando and they assault a woman on
camera and the director and Marlon Brando the director being
cause I don't want to just leave one predator name
(10:53):
out being Bernardo Bortolucci. They hadn't made this plan not
to tell her what was going to happened in order
to get her real quote reactions in order to her
essentially and the fact that that case is so infamous
that no, and the two of them are still like revered,
Marlon Brando and Bortolucci really are just still revered. I
(11:15):
think the conversation has gotten bigger about it and understanding,
but like that level of it, like it becomes it
needs to be real conversation, which takes it to the
point of like why.
Speaker 3 (11:26):
What what what for you? Why? Why does what is
it doing for you?
Speaker 4 (11:32):
That you need this to happen in this route and
it's giving you a thrill and that you really want
to have it on camera.
Speaker 3 (11:38):
And I think the same thing with like.
Speaker 4 (11:40):
The shining with the shining and how they tortured fall
like they tortured her because she wasn't.
Speaker 3 (11:46):
Quote unquote real enough in her reaction, Like.
Speaker 4 (11:48):
It's such a way that it is white men wanting
to torture women.
Speaker 1 (11:54):
Yeah, And one of the examples the BuzzFeed article gave
was I never heard of this. I've never seen this movie,
but it was Meryl Streep and Dustin Hoffman. Apparently Dustin
Hoffman slapped her in a scene and it wasn't he
wasn't supposed to, and he said he did it to
like get her in character. Meryl Streep is one more
(12:15):
Oscars than like anyone. You tell me you need to
get her in character.
Speaker 3 (12:21):
No, they hate each other, right?
Speaker 4 (12:24):
Did I feel like they really like disliked each other
and never wanted to work with each other again with
relevance to things like that, Maybe I look it up
before I'm missing I present myself here.
Speaker 1 (12:38):
But the director apparently told Meryl Streeplake, I'm sorry you
didn't need that, and she like nailed this scene, and
she nailed the scene and as she would have, right,
And so it's just so like you made it about
you and you belittled her at the same time, and
you hit her.
Speaker 4 (12:58):
Apparently he's abused her a lot. But that's a first
literal quote that I see from a headline, because it
wasn't the only time. Doesn't Hoffin allegedly abused Meryl Streep
And this was from screen rant. So like the fact
that he continue to do that to this woman, who
I think had already been nominated for things. She even
(13:18):
those is one of her earlier films.
Speaker 1 (13:21):
Yeah, well that's the thing. I don't even know if
he know he was on that list. He is a
method actor.
Speaker 2 (13:27):
I just it feels like so much of it is.
Speaker 1 (13:32):
It is causing harm to someone else, and then you're
taking credit for like I'm sure probably in private conversations
he said, you know, I made Meryl Streep who she is,
Like I was the one she complains about it, but I,
by doing this right helps her get further. And we've
even talked about it with Bridgett, like the is it
(13:53):
Evan rachel Wood the music video? And I was thinking
about it too, because I was lying awake as I
want to do, and I'm wrestling with these topics, and
I was thinking about the audition process and I was like,
did Jared leto who again was in that movie for
ten minutes. Did he start the method acting for the
(14:15):
audition or did he start it after, Because if you
did the audition you got the part, then I think
you've already proven you can do it.
Speaker 2 (14:23):
I don't think you need this method. I don't know.
Maybe he was doing it before, but like I just don't.
Speaker 3 (14:29):
Bad actor, maybe he needs it. There's a few that's
like you, genuinely good.
Speaker 2 (14:34):
He don't need this.
Speaker 3 (14:35):
Maybe Jared Letto from These Infamous.
Speaker 4 (14:38):
Times, Robby Jordan, Catilano, Catalana anyway needed can't do it
without it, especially for a thirty second like preview, because
he has that baseless in acting.
Speaker 3 (14:55):
They doesn't even about to get attacked on't I mate?
Speaker 1 (14:57):
I'm just why I tell you we're ruffling some actor
feathers right now.
Speaker 4 (15:11):
Philip Seymour Hoffmann, who was also an infamous method actor.
Speaker 3 (15:15):
He was genuinely great. He was genuinely great.
Speaker 4 (15:19):
I don't know if he needed it again like that
kind of goes to that same level.
Speaker 3 (15:25):
I don't know.
Speaker 4 (15:25):
Maybe it's that introvert thing, because he was an introvert.
I think for the most part that really felt like
his craft came from all the emotions. I'm assuming these
are like things that I've seen as at an alleged
so maybe that's the different level. But like again, there's
nothing about Jared Leto's performances and any performances that I'm like, oh, yeah,
(15:48):
he's so great unless.
Speaker 3 (15:50):
He has to be, unless he can be extreme.
Speaker 1 (15:53):
That's interesting because I wonder if I did think about
this too, because I was wondering if there's some level
of insecurity around it of like I want I when
the critics come when the awards season rolls around, I
want them to know I lived in the the winter
tundra to prepare like quote dedication I put into this
(16:18):
role and this character, which again we've talked about this before.
I think it was in our Intimacy Coordinator episode. But personally,
if you're a good actor, then that doesn't really necessarily
factor into what I'm thinking, and in fact, it might
(16:39):
take me out performance. Like I'm not sitting there thinking, oh, wow,
they definitely lived in the winter dundrum.
Speaker 2 (16:50):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (16:51):
Like so, I wonder if there's some kind of thing
I've been guilty of this too, where you want to
prove when the critics come at you like but I
did all this research though, like I at all this.
Speaker 2 (17:01):
I think research is good. It's the it's the kind
of unhingedness, unhinedness.
Speaker 1 (17:10):
Yes, I clearly have strong thoughts about this of making
everyone else uncomfortable and putting like yourself, your performance before everything,
because in a good I think in a good movie
or a good production, everyone's working together in a way,
(17:32):
and sometimes somebody is such a good actor a method
or not that you are scared of them because they're
doing so well and you don't hang out, but you
still work together really well. Right, you know this isn't
actually going to kill me.
Speaker 4 (17:46):
Well, like as I'm looking at Jared Leto's like list,
like he played a serial killer. I don't know any
of his films, and he did get several awards, so
people are probably mad at me.
Speaker 3 (17:56):
Like he is a great actor.
Speaker 4 (17:57):
I think he's a great actor when he has someplace
of extreme like that's different when it's drama drama versus
like actual minute like detailed acting, that's different, I say,
as non actor. But like, yeah, he won for Dallas
Buyers Club. I remember he played a trans woman, which
spruffled a lot of feathers because he's not a trans woman,
So how did he method act for that? You know
(18:19):
what I mean? Like there's a whole biting he there's
nowhere in life, ever, ever, ever that he can understand
what a trans woman has been, and so like there's
a lot of questions in his method and when he
wants to be method and how deep of a method
actor he wants to be. I say, this really may
really just don't like Jared Letto apparently.
Speaker 3 (18:38):
I'm sorry that.
Speaker 2 (18:40):
His autograph. I had a huge crush on him when I.
Speaker 4 (18:43):
Was when he was acting like Emo, like Emo man
young who wasn't creepy and all the other things.
Speaker 1 (18:53):
Yeah, And I want to say, like, when I think
about I've done some acting, and when I think about why,
I like it. I like imagining things and I like
but I feel like I would never ever maybe part
of his conditioning as a woman, I don't I wouldn't
want to make people so uncomfortable.
Speaker 2 (19:13):
I wouldn't want to do.
Speaker 3 (19:16):
Like that.
Speaker 1 (19:17):
And I think there's a health thing too, where you
can be like, Okay, let me turn this off for now.
It's a stressful role. I'll be better if I can
like recharge. I know some people will argue with me,
But I just don't I get the sentiment of I
want to really get in the mindset of this per se.
(19:37):
But I also don't think that's a super healthy thing
to just do it and completely erase yourself and not
think about it anybody else anyway.
Speaker 4 (19:48):
I mean again, I think I'm going back way back
to like because there has been a big conversation just
because the woman may not be enacting doesn't mean it's
not something that's questioned by society because as a person
on the outside, For me, I've heard people talking about this,
We've had people have had this conversation about it's method
acting healthy. I think again, like people like Philip Seymour
(20:08):
Hoffman who died of drug overdose. Like in general, to
be famous and to be in that world alone is stressful. Yeah,
So to like have that other layer of like you
want these deep, dark dramas that really get your name
out there, which is a lot of like conversation. I
think in the acting world, maybe I'm wrong, like big break,
(20:30):
and often that big break is something controversial and that
I can't imagine what kind of toll like just listening
to people talk about I had to listen to this
one type of music.
Speaker 3 (20:39):
In order to get me into this dark place.
Speaker 4 (20:41):
I had to think about these deaths and to get
to me get to this dark place like these things,
or I had to go through my childhood trauma to
get Like could not imagine living in that for six
months to a year saying that I can't let this
go or I'm going to fail in this and that
in my career. Like there's so many layers to that
(21:01):
that you have to have, like a real conversation about
what is worth sacrificing forum entertainment.
Speaker 1 (21:08):
Yeah, yeah, And you know, we do see a lot
of unfortunate early deaths in in celebrities, and it's just
people harmed. I mean people harmed and not just method acting.
I mean one time I did a scene once with
somebody I'm supposed to be pushing and the next day
(21:30):
I found out he had all spruce it.
Speaker 2 (21:32):
I still think about it.
Speaker 1 (21:33):
I feel so bad about But like those things, I
don't know, I just I got a lot of thoughts
about it, clearly.
Speaker 3 (21:44):
So maybe we'll come back to talk about with it,
to be honest.
Speaker 1 (21:48):
Well maybe we'll come back and do a full episode
on it and not just my rants.
Speaker 4 (21:53):
Uh, but apologies to all the Jared Leto lovers.
Speaker 3 (21:56):
Apparently I really don't like him. I don't know why
it came out. I know I did. I was like
this go bad.
Speaker 2 (22:04):
He's the joker.
Speaker 1 (22:07):
Well, listeners, if you have any thoughts about this, please
let us know. You can email us at Hello at
Stuffwenever Told You dot com.
Speaker 2 (22:14):
You can find us on.
Speaker 1 (22:14):
Blue Sky at mom stuf podcast, on Instagram and TikTok
at stuff We've Never Told You.
Speaker 2 (22:19):
We're also on YouTube.
Speaker 1 (22:20):
We have a tea Felt store, and we have a
book you can get where you get your books. Thanks
as always here a super produced Christina or executive producer
My and your contributor Joey.
Speaker 2 (22:27):
Thank you and thanks to you for listening. Stuff Will
Never Told You production by Heart Radio.
Speaker 1 (22:30):
For more podcast on my heart Radio, you can check
out the heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or where you
listen to your favorite shows
Stuff Mom Never Told You News
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Anney Reese
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