Dustin Hoffman is likely one of the most interesting actors of his technology.

He’s additionally infamous for going all out to get into character.

In a single film the place Hoffman’s character will get held underwater by a bunch of killers, he rehearsed by holding his personal head underwater till he nearly drowned himself. It put him within the hospital on an oxygen tank.

In Marathon Man, Hoffman performed an obsessive runner. Earlier than his operating scenes, he would run all out for a mile simply so he was out of breath for his scenes.

His co-star in that film was legendary actor Sir Laurence Olivier.

The 2 actors revered each other on set however their strategies had been polar opposites.

Olivier didn’t see the purpose in methodology performing. When Hoffman went overboard to get into character, Olivier famously quipped, “Why don’t you simply act?”

So long as the completed product is sweet I don’t care all that a lot about actors get into character.

Jeremy Sturdy appears to share some similarities with Hoffman in his portrayal of Kendall Roy on HBO’s Succession.

Sturdy has put in one of many nice TV performing performances of all-time. Kendall is unlikeable but Sturdy nonetheless makes you root for him. He’s spectacular at enjoying a spoiled wealthy man.¹

This scene within the season 3 finale floored me:

Brian Cox performs Kendall’s father, Logan Roy, on the present. His feedback on Sturdy’s performing methods make him sound just like the Olivier to Sturdy’s Hoffman.

Cox mentioned in an interview, “I’ve labored with intense actors earlier than. It’s a very American illness, I feel, this lack of ability to separate your self off when you’re doing the job.”

Possibly Sturdy felt he needed to go all out to make it to this place since he spent so a few years toiling in obscurity attempting to make it as an actor with little success.

A latest GQ profile checked out what occurred when Sturdy lastly bought what he needed:

Earlier than, he was toiling, if not fairly within the unknown, then the not-exactly-known. Off-Broadway performs and bit elements in large motion pictures, however no breakthroughs. He spent years in a studio condominium that had “one chair, one set of fork and knife, a espresso cup, some books, a pile of scripts.”

Now, he has a household. Three daughters along with his spouse, baby psychiatrist and documentarian Emma Wall. Ages 4, two, and one, they had been all born whereas he labored on Succession. He has an Emmy and the luxurious of alternative in relation to roles. Presumably a number of extra chairs and forks and knives. “The distinction,” he says, “is anyone lastly giving me the ball.”

The factor about getting what you need, although, is that it normally comes with some baggage you didn’t cut price for. That complete monkey’s paw state of affairs.

For Sturdy, that meant being cracked open publicly. He swiftly went from Jeremy Sturdy, that man you want on that TV present, to Jeremy Sturdy, tortured actor who’s generally overly intense to the purpose of mania and delusion.

“Final yr this time,” he says, “I kind of cratered a bit.”

He appears to be like at his friends, who’ve filmed 5, six, seven tasks whereas he was within the Succession trenches. He envies “that freedom to only shoot your self out of some totally different cannons. Typically Kendall appears like the identical cannon time and again.”

Typically getting precisely what you needed can result in unintended penalties.

Fame and fortune sound nice nevertheless it’s not all enjoyable and boar on the ground while you turn out to be wealthy and well-known.

Ben Affleck and Matt Damon had been on The Invoice Simmons Podcast this week and I cherished each minute of it. I’ve been watching their motion pictures for thus lengthy that I nearly really feel like I’ve recognized these guys for 25 years.

The Good Will Looking duo opened up about a number of the challenges of turning into well-known (edited for readability):

Affleck: We all the time say I’m going to be wealthy and well-known as if the 2 are synonymous in a approach. These are the 2 issues that can ship happiness. However the aspiration to be well-known is actually kind of lacking it as a result of it makes life bizarre.

Damon: Folks turn out to be bizarre as a result of your echolocation, your radar, you will have a greater likelihood of turning into bizarre than not turning into bizarre. Nevertheless it’s such a mindf*ck, proper? As a result of the world doesn’t deal with you an identical. So it’s like, how do you not turn out to be bizarre? It’s a lot tougher.

My brother all the time had this principle that I actually suppose is true, which is that you simply retard type of socially and emotionally in the mean time you turn out to be well-known. You cease rising. You cease rising as a result of your subjective expertise modifications completely, proper? It’s by no means the identical. Like, your expertise of the world, and that’s the thoughts f*ck.

I’m not saying we must always really feel sorry for the wealthy and well-known.

They’re fairly far down the listing by way of individuals that ought to obtain our sympathy.

Nevertheless it’s fairly telling that so many individuals who obtain a sure stage of wealth and fame appear to finish up unfulfilled or sad.

Don’t get me incorrect, most of us would take the cash and fame if we may get it. Hope springs everlasting.

I simply suppose it’s necessary to acknowledge that outward measures of success don’t mechanically translate into inward emotions of happiness.

Life is usually extra sophisticated than it appears.

Additional Studying:
Everybody Struggles

¹If they will stick the touchdown on the ultimate season, Succession is shifting into the dialogue with Breaking Unhealthy, The Sopranos and The Wire by way of greatest TV exhibits of all-time.