4 Common On-Set Problems and How to Solve Them

They say the hardest part of acting is actually booking the job—but what happens when you make it to set and even bigger hurdles come up? From disagreements with your colleagues to personal problems that could send you into a spiral, here are four common on-set issues and how to fix them.

You don’t like your costar

Feuds may make for good gossip fodder, but they can also make working on set awkward. There are a few ways you can try to fix this, starting with direct communication. Pull your costar aside and talk about your concerns, spelling out your desire to collaborate on a solution. As broadcaster Arda Ocal told Backstage, “Chances are they may just feel the same way.” If you go this route, keep the conversation respectful and avoid using triggering or accusatory language, such as “stubborn” and “uncooperative.” 

If the grievance is minor and you want to avoid any confrontation, you can choose to grin and bear it, and then commit to not working with that person in the future. As Ocal noted, the worst-case scenario is that you leave a project or resign yourself to the fact that you just aren’t able to get along with them. “If nothing else will change with your fellow talent and you see no solution, it’s better to make an amicable split, wish them well, and focus on the next challenge,” he said.

You’re struggling to memorize your lines

If you’re concerned about remembering your lines, start by reading them aloud. “The first time you run through, just listen to the words,” said acting coach Matt Newton in an interview with Backstage. Let the dialogue sit, pausing between each line. It’s not about acting out the lines—instead, it’s about reading them straightforwardly to notice what you’re saying as you say it. 

Repetition is the name of the game. “Repeat, repeat, repeat. This is the best way to condition your brain quickly,” acting coach Denise Simon told us. Actors Sarah Paulson and Reese Witherspoon agree that three is the magic number, so once you’ve read the lines out loud, it’s best to run through them at least three times. 

You’re nervous about shooting intimate scenes

The word “no” is something an intimacy coordinator is used to hearing, so don’t be afraid to speak up if you aren’t comfortable with a scene. “One actor might be very relaxed, but there are other actors who might need some extra support,” said Alicia Rodis, in-house intimacy coordinator for HBO and Max, in an interview with Backstage. “I’m there to continually communicate to them throughout the process so that they know exactly what is being shown.”

If you’re concerned about an intimate scene—or if you change your mind about doing it at all—that’s OK. SAG-AFTRA contracts include a specific stipulation that you can say no to an intimate scene even after signing on. Relying on crew members like intimacy coordinators can make filming triggering scenes less of an awkward conversation and more of a dialogue in which everyone feels comfortable.

You’re butting heads with your director

You and your director probably each have a vision of your character, and they may not always align. “It can be hellish for the actor if you’re not on the same page with the director, because the choices can be so weird,” actor Remi Sandri told us.

But even if you think a plot point or gesture doesn’t fit with your character, it’s worth it to try it the director’s way at least once. In an interview with Backstage, actor Kathryn Howell laid out a similar process when discussing working on a play: Though initially dubious about her director’s angle for a scene, she played it like he wanted and it ended up working. “I think from that, I learned to always give the director’s choice a try and make it work,” she said.