Assessing the Three Classes of Actors

By Yi Shu (Isabel Nee Yeh-su)

A third-rate actor will work himself into a frenzy to demonstrate meaning to the audience through expressions,poses, undulations, and screams ostensibly in an effort to spellbind the audience, but really out of fear that the audience won’t understand.

A second-rate actor knows how to be a bit more subtle and can really show his skills, which is more in line with what a famous director once said, “No playacting,no exaggerated actions, and no over-the-top expressions.” But performing like this gives the audience the feeling that he is an actor employed to act out a scene,collect his pay and go home.

What about a first-class actor?It is said that he should be like James Dean in Elia Kazan’sEast of Eden. In the 1950s, Dean went to the audition for the role of Cal Trask in Elia Kazan’sEast of Eden. Later the director asked his assistant how she felt about the young man’s performance. “He IS Cal.” she answered in a trembling voice.

One year, when I visited the movieVengeancedirected by Chang Cheh, I had the honor to observe the fascinating performance of Lady Wang Ping,and could see the animated emotions playing between her furrowed brows. But then the director stopped her and said, “Wang Ping, don’t move your eyebrows.” When I finally understood why, I was filled with the greatest admiration.

Just be real, and act no more.

(FromStill Looking for It If It Is There, Hunan Literature and Art Publishing House. Translation:Wang Xiaoke)

三流演员出场，一定弹眼落睛，做足表情，耸肩挥臂，声嘶力竭，努力演出，唯恐观众不明白他的意思。

二流演员比较含蓄，挥洒自如，像某导演吩咐的：“不要像做戏，不要多余动作，不要太多表情。”他如此做了，但他给观众一种感觉：他是演员，他会收工，稍后就回家去。

一流演员，据说是这样的：当年伊利亚·卡赞寻找《伊甸园之东》里卡尔一角，詹姆斯·迪恩去试戏，表演完毕，导演问助手：“感觉如何？”女助手声音颤抖：“导演，他就是卡尔。”

有一年，我看导演张彻拍《报仇》，女主角是风情万种的汪萍，她眉梢眼角交足功课。但导演说：“汪萍，眉毛不要动。”我在一旁听到，佩服到极点。在自然的时候，不要做戏。