Working with actors

"Actors are good liars; writers are good liars with good memories."

I was doing a reading with a handful of actors and one of them, Barry Flatman, was a friend of mine. He opened the screenplay and started reading:

"My line, my line, bullshit, my line, bullshit, my line."

Of course we all laughed but there's more truth in that than one might think. The fact is, and I'm being nice, and I'm being nice, that many actors just read their lines when they get a part in a movie and don't really care about anyone else's lines.

A lot of smaller part actors usually count their lines as well and will often try to get a few more lines as this helps their credits and maybe an upgrade. It's not unusual for an actor with a few lines is so good that the director will ask the writer to add more lines. I've done that several times. Writers can often work with actors both before the film is shot and during the shooting.

However, if and when you get to work with actors, like every other aspect of this business, it can be fun or it can be difficult. I've always felt writers and actors are closer to each other than they know. We're always looking for a job and we both are judged by what we are. The only differences is that writers get the chance to work alone. Actors rehearse and take classes but we are alone, unless it's a writing team.

There is a dynamic that happens herre. Usually after the read everyone settles down and then, according to rank (who almost is always the Star), and wait for them to speak. After the director and producer For the supporting actors it's a wait and see situation as etiquette requires that the star goes first.

Most of the questions deal with the storyline and those are usually easy to explain. But then there's a question about the character's arc. This relates to the entire character's life on this series or movie and what it means is this; how does he/she change in this episode or movie. I was never big on arcs because I think it's just another for character development. 

I learned a great lesson from a very good Hollywood character actor, who has been in more movies and TV shows than I could count.  He was the co-lead on a series and with a lead wasn't very good. When we had our table reading (where each actor says their words). When when we had our table reading everyone at the end knew it. He was legendary in stealing scenes and when on screen and when on screen, you would watch him rather than the lead.

When the reading finished and nervous eyes moved around the table, the producer took a pause and then said, "Jack?" Jack mumbled a few word and something like "tightening". The supporting players nodded in agreement. It was over.

But it wasn't.

I was at my desk when Jack came knocking. He had just spoken to the producer/showrunner about :a "few ideas" Jack sat down and we talked about "a few ideas" for his character and I was happy to make a few changes. Jack was smart. He knew that if he started to make a few changes at the reading the lead would want "changes" and so would the other actors and the reading would go over time. 

I've seen actors compete and it can be frightening. I once had written a game show with a comedian and we invited another comedian to be a guest. As we were getting ready to start production the star came out to "warm up" the audience by doing some jokes. Then the guest comic "accidentally walked out" and started telling his jokes. 

Within 5 minutes these two guys were going at each other like sharks, each put-down becoming stronger and meaner. It was actually scary, almost like a battle to the death watching them go at each other. Actors have it the hardest and I always try to make them feel like they're important, no matter how big or small the part.