I'm an actor, in particular, that likes to have a mask or something that can help me distance myself from the character. Like the moustache or an accent.
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
As actors, we get to hide. You can change your hair and your accent, and it's not you. You have tricks, these masks.
I don't want to get into a comfort zone. I am getting characters of varying shades, which I believe will help me grow as an actor.
When I'm writing, I try to have the mask of my character on as I'm walking through the world.
In all my years as an actor, I had never been me - I had always hidden behind my glasses, mustaches and funny voices.
I've been trying to make a difference as an actor. I want to play characters that move people, have them look at their lives differently, or give them an escape.
The tricky thing becomes: Do you know yourself well enough to then portray that on screen? And for me, I find that really hard. I'd rather hide behind accents and funny walks.
I have a very 'theatre' face. I have what they call a wide mask. I probably would have been a big film star in the '20s with the silent films where they used a lot of key lighting, and make-up carved out your face.
I love a mask. It's why I've got a thing about good writing. When you're acting, you're going into someone else's work. You're behind his words; it's not you.
I have to phrase this perfectly: I'm just not convinced that the attention we give to creating what we think of as a character isn't actually quite often the means by which an actor overcomes his own terror of standing there onstage and creating a mask to hide behind.
I wish I were a character actor. Of course, if I played hockey without a mask, I could become one.