WRITING FOR ACTORS

I am watching Tom Hank's movies for a while now. Needless to say that he is an extraordinary Actor. The range of emotions he shows is outstanding. Every Character he portrays has an uniqueness to it. Always, he appears fresh and brilliant in every single Film, that you can watch his films again and again...

Just watched 'The Terminal' again after a long time and still I got fascinated with his, Mr. Narvoski. He sneaks into the skin of the character so smoothly that you get attracted towards him and start feeling for him.

Now, I believe that he must have some thoughts behind choosing a Film. He needs to feel the connection with the character before he signs the dotted lines I guess. He has a taste of his own. I think, before zeroing on any particular Script, he must be going through the emotional journey of the given character. And for that Tom Hanks must have his own philosophy... for Films, for Life, for everything..!

Not all but a few successful Actors/Actresses do choose the films on such basis I believe. And I guess that's the trick for a Writer to learn and understand before approaching any Actor/Actress.

Many Writers write the Scripts keeping some Actor in mind. That pays off some times, but only if you can make that Actor connect with your Story, with your Character. Convincing an Actor or Actress becomes easy when you know what they think and how they think and why they think so... If you study the Actor you desire to play the specific role, you will find they searching for something. They always want particular things from a Character written for them. That Character could be anybody, a Joker, a Villain, a Hero, a Murderer, a Policeman, a Politician, a Teacher, a Rapist, a Lawyer, a Soldier or even a Janitor. You must give them exactly what they want from a character.

And I guess that's the trick. I urge all my Writer-Friends to go through this process if they are willing to write a Script or a Character keeping a particular Actor or Actress in mind.

Give them a GOAL, raise the Stakes for them and then give them a time limit to fulfill the task, create the Urgency for the character. Such gripping flow will catch their imagination and they will agree with your Character and sign the Script...Trust me they will..!