Method acting guru Lee Strasberg and English theater titan Laurence Olivier have dominated modern screen acting in English, with Al Pacino, Ellen Burstyn, Jack Nicholson, and Jane Fonda being key figures. The book explores the shift from Strasberg-based acting to the more external way of working exemplified by Meryl Streep's career in the 1980s.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 176 pages
Publication date: 30 January 2019
Publisher: McFarland & Co Inc

Modern screen acting in English is dominated by two key figures: Method acting guru Lee Strasberg, who taught the art of experiencing over the art of representing, and English theater titan Laurence Olivier, who once said of the Method's immersive approach, "Try acting; it's so much easier." This book explores in detail the work of such method actors as Al Pacino, Ellen Burstyn, Jack Nicholson, and Jane Fonda, and charts the shift away from the more internally focused Strasberg-based acting of the 1970s and towards the more external way of working, exemplified by the career of Meryl Streep in the 1980s. Strasberg's approach emphasized the importance of emotional authenticity and the use of personal experience to inform the character's behavior, while Olivier's approach focused on the external world and the audience's perception of the character. The book also discusses the influence of other method actors, such as Stella Adler and Sanford Meisner, and the impact of their techniques on modern screen acting.

Modern Screen Acting in English: The Influence of Lee Strasberg and Laurence Olivier

Modern screen acting in English is dominated by two key figures: Method acting guru Lee Strasberg and English theater titan Laurence Olivier. Strasberg's approach emphasized the importance of emotional authenticity and the use of personal experience to inform the character's behavior, while Olivier's approach focused on the external world and the audience's perception of the character. The book explores the work of such method actors as Al Pacino, Ellen Burstyn, Jack Nicholson, and Jane Fonda, and charts the shift away from the more internally focused Strasberg-based acting of the 1970s and towards the more external way of working, exemplified by the career of Meryl Streep in the 1980s. Strasberg's approach emphasized the importance of emotional authenticity and the use of personal experience to inform the character's behavior, while Olivier's approach focused on the external world and the audience's perception of the character. The book also discusses the influence of other method actors, such as Stella Adler and Sanford Meisner, and the impact of their techniques on modern screen acting.

Weight: 324g
Dimension: 151 x 224 x 21 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781476676951