Elizabeth Dillon at HB Studios in NY was one of the best teachers for beginning actors in the business. Her ability to be clear about acting choices set her apart from all the other teachers. Dillon said drama is heightened reality. Not just a sigh, but the most profound sigh. Not just a tear, but the most poignant tear. Not just a laugh, but a contagious laugh.
New York agent Michael Kingman, a whirlwind personality on his own, spoke of his ideal client: an actor with contagious emotions. Look in the dictionary. It says dramatic is “vivid, startling, highly effective, striking.” Are you? It takes alot of energy to be fascinating, and it doesn’t happen by accident. It takes energy to focus your essence that much.
You better not just be pretty. You better be beautiful. Pretty is a dime a dozen in the marketplace. You can even be ugly and have a career, but you better be really ugly. Phyllis Diller is an attractive woman, yet she made a career making us think of her as horse-faced.
Whether you are extremely fat or extremely thin, you had better have or create a look for yourself that is unique and then develop a persona to match it.
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