Method acting is where the actor or actress tries to immerse themselves fully into the character. Problems arise when the actor takes this off the film set.
Perhaps their technique is so fully immersive that they are in that character for the whole 3 months or so while they are shooting. With some characters this is okay. The actor will just mess up their home life.
But what if they are playing a thief? Perhaps the actor can keep the thefts to just family members and “friends”. Thus they hopefully won’t be hauled before a court and lose their movie role while they are in jail.
But what if they do steal from strangers? Will their excuse be in front of a judge that they were just method acting? Or will they go straight to jail?
It could be worse. What if the actor is playing a hit man? Isn’t there that Johnny Cash song where someone shoots a man to death just to see how it would feel? Is this what the extreme method actor would do on their own time?
What if the actor were playing a serial killer? Wouldn’t they by definition have to perform multiple killings in a certain style? Imagine the headline : Copycat killings happening while a film crew shoots a serial killer’s life of crime!
What if the actor were playing a cannibal? Sure it could be the already problematic Jeffery Dahmer’s serial killer lifestyle. But it could also be a true to life story of certain explorers or a role in a remake of Alive.
For the explorers and Alive, wouldn’t the method acting cannibal want to at least try human meat? Watch out at the morgue or medical school donations.
Worst of all might be the method actor who plays Hitler. I say lock the actor up when he’s not on set. And keep him away from any weapons while doing his acting bit.
Method acting: is there any problem it can’t cause?
