CHARACTER DEVELOPTMENT for ACTORS
Don't Create a Character. Understand One.
______________________________________________
A character isn't a collection of quirks.
It's a person.
They have a history. A psychology. Relationships. Wants. Fears. Contradictions. Habits. Circumstances. A particular way of seeing the world.
Good character work starts by figuring out why a person behaves the way they do.
Then you connect to it.
What Character Development Actually Means
Character development isn't about deciding that your character "walks funny" or has a particular voice and calling it a day.
Those things can be useful.
But they must be tied to an inner understanding of the character.
At BLS, character development begins with the material and asks questions.
What's going on in this person's story?
What has led them here?
What are they trying to achieve?
What are they trying to avoid?
What do they believe about themselves?
What do they believe about everyone else?
What do they need others to do in order to get where they want to go?
Start With the Circumstances
Find the Psychology
The script gives you information. Your job is to investigate it.
We examine the character's circumstances, relationships, history, environment, objectives, obstacles, and behavior to build a clear understanding of the world they're living in.
The more specific the circumstances become, the more specific your choices can become.
There isn't one correct way to build a character.
Some actors need more analysis. Some need to get physical. Some need to work from relationships. Some need to investigate the circumstances until the character suddenly makes sense.
The process should serve the actor and the material. Not the other way around.
Build the Physical Life
Build the Emotional Life
Character Development Is Different for Every Actor
Character Work for Film, Television & Theatre
People don't behave randomly. Even behavior that seems irrational usually makes sense from somewhere inside the person doing it.
We look for that logic. Not to diagnose the character. Not to write a psychological profile that never reaches the performance.
To understand what makes the character's behavior inevitable to them.
A character doesn't exist only from the neck up. The fullness of their psychology effects everything in their being:
How do they stand?
How do they move?
How do they listen?
How do they occupy space?
What changes when they're around someone they fear, love, resent, or want something from?
Physicality should come from the character rather than being pasted onto them.
The goal isn't to manufacture emotions on command.
It's to understand what the character is experiencing and develop reliable ways of connecting to the emotional circumstances of the material.
That makes emotional work specific rather than decorative.
The fundamental work is the same, but the medium changes how the character has to communicate.
Film may require greater subtlety and continuity across non-linear shooting.
Television may require speed and flexibility.
Theatre requires sustaining the character across a live performance.
Motion capture places additional demands on physical storytelling.
The character still has to be a person.
THE PROCESS OF BUILDING CHARACTER
WANT TO WORK ON YOUR CHARACTER?
Character development can be part of private acting coaching, booked-role coaching, audition preparation, or longer-term craft development at BLS.
If you've already booked a role, see Coaching for Booked Roles.
If you're developing your craft more broadly, see Craft Developtment.
FAQ
What is character development for actors?
Character development is the process of understanding and building the person you're playing through the script's circumstances, psychology, relationships, objectives, history, behavior, physicality, and emotional life.
How do actors develop a character?
There isn't one formula. The process can include script analysis, research, character psychology, relationship work, physicality, vocal choices, emotional preparation, and scene work.
Do I need to create a detailed backstory?
Not necessarily.
Backstory is useful when it helps you understand the character and affects the way you play the present circumstances. Inventing pages of biography that never affect the performance isn't automatically useful.
How do I make a character feel different from me?
You don't necessarily need to make the character completely different from you.
Instead, we look for the human logic underneath the character and then explore the specific psychology, circumstances, behavior, physicality, and relationships that make this person who they are.
Can character development help with auditions?
Yes. Even with limited material, understanding who you're playing can lead to more specific and grounded choices.
Can you help me develop a character I've already been cast as?
Yes. That's one of the primary uses of booked-role coaching.
Can character development be done online?
Yes. Much of the work can be done remotely through script analysis, discussion, scene work, and coaching via Zoom.
Is character development only for professional actors?
No. Character work is useful for actors at every level.
