The following Career Dispatch essay was written by Ann Skelly, who stars as Penance Adair on Sky and HBO’s The Nevers.
It can feel so very wrong to give advice on acting when I’m not decades into an illustrious career, and advice is something I’m readily in search of myself. Another fear with talking about acting is that words can make something rigid or, God forbid, very serious. But I like advice from uncertain people because I do think acting is intangible, and it’s better to leave it in the indefinites. That being said, I can share some difficulties that have shown up for me in the past and what I’ve been able to learn from the experience, or from watching others (with the aforementioned illustrious career).
Looking for your next TV or film role? Check out our UK castings
On the elusiveness of ‘process’
Every time I thought I understood a point of ‘process’, didn’t it feck off the same way it came. It feels like I’m catching myself out when I try to apply what worked in the last job to the next. For example, when I’ve tried to force a particular technique, I’ve been left feeling a bit awkward and inflexible. So, that can be a scary thing – to come to the arena with no bloody weapons – or to choose to leave them behind (and then to frantically try to develop a form of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu when the lad with the mace is running at you). But the leaving behind is one of the most important things – a kind of acceptance that you’ll never come across the same puzzle. And so, I’ve found that finding the roads to certain feelings and mindsets can be a lot of trial and error, especially when it comes to self-tapes.
On self-tapes
With self-tapes, it can feel like I lose the stakes and electricity of being on a set or at a real in-person audition. I’ve learned that I prefer to work under pressure, so there’s a luxury in self-taping that drives me absolutely batshit. I think my fault there has mostly been looking for a perfect take, which doesn’t exist, and that goal takes away anything interesting in a scene, anyway.
“Prepping well beforehand and doing as few takes as possible keeps tapes from becoming stale, and helps keep your mind intact.”
What’s recently helped is using the embarrassment that comes with auditioning. Whether the reader, the character, or accent makes you feel that scary vulnerability, it’s been quite nice to throw away any preconceived notion of what it should be. I’m the person that’d do tons of takes and they’d all be the same, and then have to make an appointment with a therapist afterwards. But I’ve sent off first takes since, which makes me feel like this advice works if you see yourself as being a similar kind of actor. Prepping well beforehand and doing as few takes as possible keeps tapes from becoming stale, and helps keep your mind intact.
On maintaining perspective
If there’s anything I feel strongly about is this: when I was younger, I loved hearing the interviews of the actors who slept on the stages they performed on – who gave up their lives to play a part authentically. Those who went to extremes and ‘went method’ and lived in dark places for the whole project. And yes, work isn’t about cracking jokes all the time and having a party. But for me – and what I’ve witnessed from working with brilliant actors – is that good performances and playfulness come with the security of simple things: having lines inside out, being open and collaborative. You don’t need to flagellate yourself or live in suffering to bring depth to any role. To express darkness or complexity isn’t to indulge yourself in it. To know where that place lives is the work, absolutely. But, Jesus Christ, real life will take you there for free – best to enjoy it when you can. Quality of life and lightness matters to everything.
On handling delicate situations on-set
This next point is a bit more technical, and is from noticing a very experienced actor on set doing it and taking note (which is a point of advice in and of itself). If he was going to shout in a scene, he pre-warned the sound department either by letting the AD know or, if they’re too busy, by quickly finding someone himself. If the stills photographer was distracting, he had a quiet word with the AD who’d find a way to subtly or politely move people out of the eyeline.
“Taking away those little social anxieties or stresses can really benefit your performance and make it a far more immersive experience.”
Having these considerations and understanding for other departments make it easier to focus, I’ve found – because then we’re all communicating and aware of each other, and the set functions as a whole. Taking away those little social anxieties or stresses can really benefit your performance and make it a far more immersive experience. Those kinds of set environments also just make the whole job easier.
Don’t underestimate the power of Kit Kats
And if I had to give my last piece of advice it would be to hide sweets or snacks in your costume, or in a drawer/hidey place. You need little joys for boring days, or hard days when you’re freezing, or tired, or emotionally wrecked. Sometimes the lunch isn’t that good, or you get hungry and it takes away from your concentration. Try to keep the snacks unmeltable and packaging that hugs the food. I like a Kit Kat for the sections, or wine gums for excitement. Referring to the previous paragraph, Skittles packets can annoy sound. Chocolate can melt and annoy costume. Some kind of snack or sugar can take you a long way, and shorten a long day.
The Nevers is available on Sky Atlantic in the UK and HBO in the U.S.
More industry advice for UK actors? Click here.
