Method Acting: When acting is not “pretending” but “becoming the character” completely

Someone once asked me…

It was a simple, innocent question—probably asked out of genuine curiosity—but for someone who has devoted an entire life to the art of acting, it cut deep into my heart.

“Is acting just pretending?”

I remember giving a faint smile in response, but inside my heart felt tightly compressed. All the dedication, the research, the digging into inner wounds to bring a character to life—were summed up in a short, empty word: “pretending.”

For me, and for my friends and peers in the acting world, I don’t see it as “putting on a face” to look sorrowful on a day when I’m genuinely happy, or “forcing a laugh” when the whole world feels like it’s collapsing in front of me. It’s not a beautiful lie—it’s a journey to find another human being’s emotional truth, borrowing their life to live it… temporarily.

I have to think like them, feel like them, breathe in the same rhythm as them, shoulder their past wounds, and walk through the scenes of memory that shaped them into who they are—until, sometimes, I momentarily forget… who I truly am.

And among all techniques and schools of acting, nothing takes me deeper into the core of a character than Method Acting—the discipline that challenges an actor not only to “play” a character, but to truly become that character in body, mind, and spirit.

In this article, I want to take you deep into the world of what Method Acting is—a world that is beautiful and powerful, yet frighteningly dangerous at the same time.

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An overview of acting in this world

Before focusing specifically on Method Acting, let’s step back and look at the bigger picture to understand how it differs from and stands out among other approaches. Broadly speaking, acting styles can be divided into three major approaches:

Classical/Theatrical Acting

This is the oldest foundation of acting, rooted in ancient Greek theatre and developed through the eras of Shakespeare and opera. Imagine a large theatre without microphones: actors had to use powerful, clear voices to project dialogue and emotion to the very last row. Movements were grand and explicit (grand gestures) so everyone could understand what the character was feeling. This approach emphasizes external technique, the beauty of language, and interpreting the text within established forms.

Realistic/Representational Acting

When cinema arrived, cameras could zoom in to capture the slightest flicker in the eyes. The grand scale of classical acting began to feel unnatural. Realism emerged with the goal of creating life so authentic that the audience felt like they were secretly watching real people. The pioneer who laid this foundation was Konstantin Stanislavski, founder of the Moscow Art Theatre. He asked a crucial question: “How can an actor feel truth from the inside, instead of merely doing gestures from the outside?” This is where the question arose—how is realistic acting different from classical acting?—and it became the wellspring of Method Acting later on.

Method Acting

If realism is about making the audience believe, Method Acting pushes that idea to the limit: it makes the actor feel truth from within. It’s not just presenting truth; it’s generating that truth inside the actor’s psyche—merging the actor’s identity with the character’s as fully as possible.

From Moscow to Hollywood: the roots of Method Acting

Many people think Method Acting is a Hollywood invention, but its roots run deep in Moscow, Russia.

The Stanislavski System

The blueprint of this discipline. Who is Stanislavski? He was a director and actor who revolutionized the field by insisting that an actor must find an inner justification for every action the character takes. He didn’t want actors to merely play the emotion of anger; he wanted them to understand why the character is angry—what feeling fuels it: injustice? humiliation? pain?

One of his most famous techniques is “The Magic If.” What is The Magic If?

It is asking myself, “If I were in the same circumstances as the character—with their background, thoughts, and desires—what would I do?” It’s not “What would I do if it were me?” but fully placing myself inside the character’s conditions.

When these ideas crossed the ocean to the United States, legendary acting teachers at the Actors Studio interpreted and built upon them, branching into three influential schools:

Lee Strasberg: summoning demons from memory

Lee Strasberg is the figure most people think of when they hear “Method Acting.” He emphasized Emotional Recall, the use of personal memories to generate authentic emotions. What is Emotional Recall? It is when an actor excavates past experiences close to the character’s feelings and brings them back—if the character mourns a lover, the actor might re-touch the day a beloved dog died, or when a first love ended. It’s immensely powerful, but like a double-edged sword—it can severely damage an actor’s mental health.

Stella Adler: building worlds with imagination

Adler had studied with Strasberg but disagreed with Emotional Recall. She believed relying only on personal experience is limited and risky. Stella Adler’s method emphasizes the power of imagination and deep research. She believed actors can construct the character’s entire world by studying history, sociology, and psychology—and then using imagination strong enough to make those details feel true in the heart. This is safer and more expansive, enabling actors to play roles far from their own lives without limitation.

Sanford Meisner: finding truth in the present moment

What is the Meisner Technique? Meisner defined acting as “living truthfully under imaginary circumstances.” The heart of his technique is training actors to stop “thinking” and instead listen and respond to their partner truthfully in the present moment. His famous Repetition Exercise aims to break down pre-planned performance and make everything that happens in a scene feel fresh and natural—as if it were truly happening for the first time.

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When Method Acting appears on screen: examples the world remembers

When applied properly and in the right context, examples of Method Acting in film create characters that live and that remain etched into audience memory forever.

Joaquin Phoenix – Joker (2019)

His portrayal of Arthur Fleck is the clearest modern example. He didn’t just play a man with mental illness; he tried to understand the inner collapse. He lost 23 kilograms, becoming gaunt and fragile, studied the behaviors and uncontrollable laughter of certain mental conditions, and—crucially—kept a journal as Arthur every day, descending into that fractured psyche. The result is chilling, truthful, and deeply empathetic—Joker Joaquin Phoenix Method Acting discussed worldwide.

Leonardo DiCaprio – The Revenant (2015)

To play Hugh Glass, a frontiersman fighting for survival, DiCaprio didn’t simply “imagine” hardship; he faced it for real. He endured extreme cold at –30°C, slept in an actual horse carcass, and famously ate raw bison liver despite being a vegetarian. He has said that the genuine physical suffering allowed him to reach the spirit of a man struggling to stay alive. This Revenant Leonardo DiCaprio method work earned him his first Oscar.

Daniel Day-Lewis – Lincoln (2012)

The “godfather” of method acting. For President Lincoln, Day-Lewis prepared for a year, studied everything about him, and—most importantly—lived as Abraham Lincoln throughout filming. He spoke with Lincoln’s voice and accent even off-camera and asked everyone, including director Steven Spielberg, to call him “Mr. President.” This wasn’t affectation; it was Daniel Day-Lewis’s Lincoln method, preserving the character’s world intact.

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The dark side of the craft: the price of truth

The immense power of Method Acting always comes with a cost. These are the downsides of Method Acting—the dark side actors and directors must recognize.

Psychological toll

Using Strasberg’s Emotional Recall is like reopening old wounds again and again without therapeutic support. It can lead to depression, anxiety, or cause emotional scars to linger long after shooting wraps. Heath Ledger’s portrayal of the Joker in The Dark Knight is often cited as a cautionary tale. While the circumstances of his passing were complex, his intense descent into a dark psyche undeniably impacted his mental state.

Physical toll

Rapid extreme weight loss or gain, sleep deprivation, and pushing the body beyond its limits for authenticity can have long-term health consequences: metabolic disruption, organ strain, and potential future illness.

Loss of self

This may be the most frightening of all. When the boundary between the real self and the character fades, actors may bring the character’s behaviors, thoughts, or attitudes into real life—severely affecting relationships with family, friends, and colleagues.

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My experience: when I almost failed to bring an actor back to himself

As a director, I had a firsthand experience that became an unforgettable and costly lesson—on a series project called Call It What You Want (จะรักก็รักเหอะ).

I cast an actor named “Michael” to play “Bas,” a main character with a complex, dark past. He was pressured by his family and grew up in a social environment harmful to his mental state. Bas is outwardly cheerful yet keeps a quiet reserve; his eyes look empty, but inside is a sorrow waiting to pour out.

Michael was deeply dedicated. I used a Method Acting approach. He and I discussed Bas’s past, built a playlist of the music Bas would listen to—and he began to change. He spoke less. His eyes looked sad. Even off set, he remained Bas, not Michael. What appeared on screen was astonishing. Every emotional scene was powerful and frighteningly real—he gave Bas flesh and blood.

But then wrap day arrived. Everyone was happy we had finished. Michael, however, had changed—he was still Bas. Months later, when we were due to meet on a promo day, Michael was still Bas. Bas was still there. That was when I realized—I was the one who led him into the character’s world, but I hadn’t prepared a way to bring him out. I admired the result on screen, but I forgot that behind that excellence was an artist falling apart. That was a failure in my responsibility as a director—one I will never forgive myself for.

A crucial lesson: De-roling is a director’s responsibility

That experience taught me that caring for an actor’s mental state after intense emotional scenes—or after wrap—is essential. This process is called “De-roling.”

What is De-roling?

It is a conscious process to help an actor remove a role or step out of the character so they can safely return to their own identity. It answers the question of how a director cares for actors after heavy emotional scenes. These techniques are essential in the psychology of acting for professional actors:

• Debriefing

After heavy emotional scenes, there must be a safe space for the actor to talk and release what they feel, with the director or an acting coach listening.

• Pattern Interrupt

Invite the actor to do activities unrelated to the role—play sports, listen to upbeat music, talk about things their real self cares about—to “switch off” character mode.

• Symbolic Rituals

Sometimes small rituals help greatly: asking the actor to return items that belong to the character and say, “I return the role of … here,” or writing a letter to “say goodbye” to the character. It may sound dramatic, but psychologically it helps a lot.

This isn’t just care—it is an ethical responsibility as collaborators in creation.

Acting is an art of honor and dignity

Back to the first question:

“Is acting just pretending?”

Today I can answer clearly: “No.”

Acting is not pretense. Actors are courageous artists who use their hearts, bodies, and spirits as instruments to explore the complexity of the human mind. They walk into dark, painful places most people avoid, and bring back understanding—projecting our humanity in deeper shades.

Whether it’s realistic acting training for beginners or advanced techniques like Method Acting, everything rests on respecting the character’s truth.

The duty of directors and crews is not only to build a complete world for the character, but to pay attention and ensure that when the word “Cut!” is called and the set lights go dark…

That artist returns to themself whole and safe—

…so they truly get to go home.