Actors who say they can dive inside a character are either schizophrenic or lying.
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
I think playing somebody who's schizophrenic is such a lesson as an actor. It gets you totally out of your comfort zone, because you can't rely on your technique, your external stuff. You've really gotta look inward, in a way.
Well, I think any actor can probably identify with being a professional liar. You don't always look at yourself that way, but I know a lot of days I do.
People assume actors are born liars, but I'd argue the actor's job is to tell the truth. And I've realised I'm not a good liar.
Early on, someone had told me, 'You know, the camera can always tell when you're lying.' And, Jesus, that intimidated me. 'The camera can always tell? How am I going to do this?' Until one day I thought, 'Wait a minute, acting is lying. Acting is all about lying.'
I think you can tell when someone is being dishonest as an actor.
Acting is a form of confession.
I've said before that the common perception that all good actors should be good liars is exactly the opposite; only bad actors lie when they act.
When you've been a character in a movie - and this has happened when we've done concerts as Spinal Tap or as The Folksmen - people see you as characters walking out of a movie. And you appear in public, then, to play, it's a very schizophrenic thing.
And to be honest, most actors are incredibly solipsistic.
My view of actors is that basically they're all harmless lunatics who'd be on the psychiatrist's couch, except that we get this sort of catharsis every six months or so, and we go and be absolutely someone else.