Today we will be going to discuss versatility and how to be a versatile actor. Actors are typically required to be adaptable enough to perform any role.
Or at least that’s the opinion of the majority of people who pursue acting as a career, not just actors and their trainers.
For the mere fact that none of these jobs are particularly simple, very few people have the ability to reach such lofty heights.
Most people agree that being versatile means having the ability to perform well in any medium and doing so with the appearance of ease.
Being a flexible actor is challenging, at least in part because of this. If you want to be a respected professional, every genre requires expertise, perseverance, and ongoing upkeep.
Maybe I’m preaching to the choir, but these words are often used to describe versatility:
- learning how to use different mediums. You’ll grow more capable and assured of performing in each of these media types the more you familiarise yourself with the requirements of commercial work, TV, film, and voiceover. Additionally, one of your goals as an actor should be to give yourself the best chance for success.
- Possessing the ability to play a role that is significantly different from who you are or the characters you usually play.
- offering suitable performance alternatives, take after take with agility and skill. Regardless of the project, genre, or setting, this sums up our creative prowess. What makes us creatively important could be the fact that we can give a different performance with each take.
There is no doubt that in the theatre, you usually have around two weeks of rehearsal time before a piece goes on stage, giving you plenty of opportunity to develop and play.
On the other hand, when it comes to recorded media like voiceover, film, and TV, you must present viable alternatives both at the initial stages and after each take.
(Unlike a live performance, where you would be required to give one take only, this is uncommon.) For this reason, what is continually required of you in recorded media is that you surprise yourself, take after take, with a range of inflections.
