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9 Ways To Become A Better Comedic Actor

Posted on June 15, 2019 by AMP Talent Group

Whether you believe it or not, you don’t have to be a stand up comedian to be a good comedic actor. In fact, a good portion of the best comedy actors would be fish out of water if they ever tried stand-up comedy. Take Steve Carell for example, he’s one of the biggest comedy actors […]

Whether you believe it or not, you don’t have to be a stand up comedian to be a good comedic actor. In fact, a good portion of the best comedy actors would be fish out of water if they ever tried stand-up comedy. Take Steve Carell for example, he’s one of the biggest comedy actors in the world, but he has expressed in numerous interviews how he would absolutely bomb if he ever tried stand-up. The point is that comedy acting is another art form in itself that even the most dramatic of actors can become great at. So even if you don’t find yourself to be particularly funny, you can still improve and unlock your comedy acting chops.

Here are some ways to improve your comedy acting performance that we recommend to our clients with AMP Talent Group:

Find the extremes in the character you’re playing: If you look at any great comedy show out there, the main characters will always have very extreme points of view. For example, Raymond in Everybody Loves Raymond was your typical guy’s guy who always got into domestic disputes with his wife and had a very rigid and narrow look at the world and his relationship. He was your classic simple man that every guy out there could identify with. It was his very stubborn and one-dimensional view of the world that created conflict, as well as humour in the show. So with every comedy character you play, make sure you pinpoint the extreme point of view that your character looks at the world from. It’s the character’s perspective that usually brings about pain and conflict, which is what makes it hilarious watching them. We’re just thankful that we’re not the ones going through what they are, but yet we’re so entertained by their misery. It’s also through this extreme point of view that you will be able to find and create physical comedic behaviour that you can connect your character with.

Always play the truth and believe in the character’s stakes: The truth about comedy acting is that it requires just as much, or even more commitment than drama. It’s not a walk in a park, and not something that you can just coast through to get laughs. The way that you’re going to get the laughs and be funny is by whole-heartedly committing to the stakes and truth of whatever your character is going through. Your job isn’t to try and put on a show for the audience to get the laughs, your job is to be completely committed to the world you’re living in. It’s going to be the writer’s words and circumstances that create the humorous world that you live in, and from there it’s up to you to find what’s funny about your character and their behaviour and commit yourself to it.

Find your funny: One of the first things you want to do before you even try and tackle comedy scripts or other comedy characters is by first unlocking what it is that makes you funny as a human being. We all have our quirks and idiosyncrasies and those personal pressure points are going to be where your own comedic hilarity comes from. Also by focusing on your own personal comedy character, you will begin to recognize what makes you funny, and thus what qualities about yourself you can bring to the characters you play. It will also be important that you figure out what your potential limitations are for comedy as well. Are you the type of person that has a very unique way of moving that would you make you good at physical comedy? Do you have a razor sharp wit that would enable you to improvise lines? Or are you just great at delivering the punch line? All of these are important questions to ask yourself before you tackle comedy roles.

Find your character’s comedy behaviour: In the beginning of rehearals, or even preparation for a role, go through your scenes without worrying about being funny. Just concentrate on finding the truth of your character, how they move, how they talk, and who they are. After spending some time getting identified with your character, then you can take steps to exaggerate and elevate the behaviour in a comical way that’s based from your character’s comedy persona — based on the truth of their needs and defenses. Great comedy comes from very real and honest behaviour in situations of anger, pain, and frustration. Also remember that comedy gold is often found in silent behaviour as well, particularly how your character reacts to certain people and situations.

Study the masters: Like with anything, you want to watch and study those that are successful at what it is you’re trying to do. Watch as many videos of some of the top comedy actors and see how they go about their work. Pay attention to the brave comedic choices they make in scenes and how they feed off, and work with the other actors. Most highly successful comedy actors are very giving to the other actors with the material, as well as willing to take themselves and the scene to some pretty absurd places. So whomever you admire and find funny, study as much of their work as possible.

Focus on the physical: So much of great comedy is based on the physical. The way in which our bodies react in certain situations — how we shield ourselves when we’re uncomfortable and awkward, how we completely lose it and thrash our body around when we’re angry and frustrated, or how our body reacts when we’re happy and excited. This is also another reason to study the masters — particularly the likes of Charlie Chaplin who had to convey all his emotion and inner dialogue completely through his body’s movement and facial expressions. Jim Carrey is also one of the greatest physical comedy actors who are known for using wildly outlandish facial expressions to depict character. Bottom line — your body and the way you use it is one of the greatest tools in your comedy performance.

No unscripted movements: It has been well documented in the comedy realm that any unscripted movements will kill the scene. This means that you need to remain static (or do you best to) whenever there isn’t a movement that’s specifically stated in the script. This will mean holding for laughs if you’re in a live performance, and not moving during someone else’s speech when you shouldn’t be. This is why it’s so crucial that you become aware of your body’s movements so you can control it and use it in a way that adds to the scene, not take away from it.

Practice your comedy: If you’re brand new to the world of comedy acting, it would definitely be beneficial to take comedy acting specific courses to expand and improve on your craft. Taking classes will allow you to relax, feel more comfortable, as well as help to develop your comedy character. You will also begin to understand some of the comedy techniques that are used, how to break down comedy scripts , as well as build your comedy repertoire and have more to bring to your scenes and performances.

Let loose and have fun: Comedy is supposed to be created in a fun environment. You won’t be able to bring out the best in yourself if you’re nervous and uptight, or unwilling to make a fool out of yourself. You have to check your ego and pride at the door and be willing to look and feel silly. Be prepared to commit to the ridiculous circumstances that are going to be thrown in front of you and create a world that is full of quirks, but is ultimately real and honest. If you can manage to do that, comedy performance will be your new addiction.

Even if you don’t become one of the next great comedy performers, you can still gain a lot of skills from the comedy art that will relay into your dramatic acting. And of course, comedy acting is a whole lot of fun and something that becomes a real ensemble with the cast you’re performing with. So give it a try, look inside yourself, and get outside of your comfort zone to find your funny!

Comedy Acting: Is It Innate, Or Can It Be Learned?

Posted on June 29, 2016 by AMP Talent Group

Comedy Acting: There’s an old adage, “dying is easy: comedy is hard.” This is very true — comedy is difficult because it requires a certain amount of spontaneity, creativity, and ability to play around with verbal and non-verbal text, and definitely comes easier to some people more than others. When you think of comedy, you’ll probably think of some of your favourite comedians — the likes of Jerry Seinfeld, Chris Rock, Louis C.K., Robin Williams, Joan Rivers, and Ricky Gervais. These incredible talent were born with comedy in their DNA, they knew from an early age that comedy was their passion and they wanted to devote their life to making people laugh. For a lot of actors, you probably didn’t grow up with quite the same devotion to comedy. Sure you like a good joke and enjoy playing around with your friends, but it was never something that held as much of a focus in your life as say, a comedian. But you want to try it, or improve your ability to perform in comedic scenes, or take on more comedic characters, and are unsure if you’re going to be able to do it because you have never really considered yourself to be the funniest person in the room.

Obviously it helps if you’re naturally funny, or have a natural tendency to use humour as a way to deflect problems and deal with your insecurities. Great comedy comes from drama, which comes from pain, so most comedians, or naturally funny people, have this innate tendency to use humor as a way to deal with the difficulties and downfalls in their own life. So if you do in fact find yourself to be funny, or are even a stand up comedian or comic actor already, you’re off to a great start and probably just need to hone the skills that you naturally possess.

“One can learn a very rudimentary timing or pattern of comedy. However, this “taught” method can hardly be compared to that of an artist who truly has the DNA of a comedian. This artist will always shine the brightest.”

— Robert Luketic, Director, The Ugly Truth, Legally Blonde

“You can direct somebody to be funny: you can direct timing. But it helps if you have that gift already. And I think most comedians are intuitive, which is why they make good actors. You can tell immediately if somebody has that gift.”

— Marc Webb, Director, 500 Days of Summer

For those that don’t consider yourself to be a stand-up comedian or naturally hilarious person, don’t worry, it doesn’t mean that you’ll never be able to do comedy. It just means you’re going to have to work at it a little more and practice to get better at finding the funny moments in things you do. Obviously timing, and finding the right timing in a scene to deliver a particular joke or behaviour is something you can work on and get better at, the more you do it.

Timing is not something to be learned, it’s something to be found.”

Good comedy acting is a collaboration with all the actors and it will be about going wherever the scene goes and finding a way to ground yourself in the truth of that moment. You’re going to have to commit to whatever it is your character is doing, no matter how ridiculous it might seem, as the audience won’t believe you’re going through it unless you do. You will also have to pay attention to the unspoken dialogue, as so much comedy is found in physical gestures, awkward pauses, and extreme behaviour that your character and others are doing in the scene. You never want to play for the audience and outwardly “try” to make the audience laugh, because that’s not where comedy comes from. Comedy comes from you, as an actor, committing yourself to the stakes in the scene as if it were the most important thing in your life. You get the laughs from the audience by committing yourself, whole-heartedly to the drama that your character is going through. The humour is going to be in the weird, quirky, and offbeat way that your comedy character deals with their circumstances.

Not every great comedic actor you see on television is also a touring stand-up comedian. They probably do have a natural sense of humour and know where to find the jokes, but they got good at it by putting themselves in that environment over and over again. Also by drawing on their own personal quirks and insecurities they were able to open themselves up to their own comedic world.

Comedy acting obviously isn’t for everyone, but most of you will be able to find it and hone it in a way that is hysterical. You just have to commit yourself to being fearless, looking like an idiot and having no shame, as well be willing to make mistakes and have fun while you’re doing it.

The Importance Of Being Yourself In This Business

Posted on September 9, 2014 by AMP Talent Group

While you’re going to take on a host of characters and personalities throughout your career, it still remains a fact that in order to succeed you’re going to have to be yourself in this business. And I’m not going to blabber and drill you with that hollow old adage, “just be yourself and everything will work out amazing” because as we all know too well, that isn’t always the case. But finding success in the acting world, as well as in entertainment, is completely about carving out your niche as a performer and tapping into what makes you unique and sets you apart from others in your bracket. As well as finding and unlocking the reserves of confidence that you YOURSELF are going to have to hold onto when times get tough and the rejection splashes over you like a powerful rogue wave.

So in this business of being yourself: What are some of the important things to remember?

You’re the product: George Clooney said it best during an old Inside the Actor’s Studio interview when he said this:

“The product you’re selling is you, we’re all salesmen as actors, but the product you’re selling is extremely and completely personal.”

What George Clooney was referring to is that your typical salesmen will always have different products, or different versions of the same product to sell. But when you’re in the business of selling yourself, you only have one you. If you get turned down at an audition, or fired from a job, it’s going to be impossible not to take it personal because that person, or director, didn’t want you. This is what makes acting such an intimate and intense experience that is often fueled by gut-wrenching rejection. What you can take comfort in is that not everybody is going to want you, but if you stick to your guns as a person and a performer you will work yourself into those areas that are right for you. The rejection is going to hurt, you can’t avoid that, but you just have to learn to deal with it and carry on.

Confidence in You

Having confidence, or learning to develop confidence is one of the most powerful selling skills, as well as coping skills for actors. Most actors have built up a strong level of self-confidence by battling off criticism and rejection. When you walk into an audition, immediately the director and casting directors are going to be able to tell if you’re confident or nervous. They will be reluctant to hire you if you don’t come across as confident, which shows them that they can have faith in you to play the part. Also, your road to success is going to be filled with potholes trying to slowly scrape away at your confidence and self-esteem. Having faith in yourself and your abilities is going to be the big pulling factor that keeps urging you to move forward and take the next step.

The craft of acting is all about being human

Acting is all about bringing real human experience and emotion to the camera. So in order to do this authentically, you’re going to have to draw from your own life experiences and emotions. This is how you’re going to make your performance believable in front of an audience. You could say that being an actor is just like being in a continual state of self-discovery and self-sacrifice. You constantly have to search deep into the archives of past experiences, moments, and thoughts, to find bits of yourself you can bring to new characters you play and sacrificing yourself as a vessel to convey these experiences to your audience. By deciding to be an actor, you’re committing yourself to connecting with humans and people at an ultra-personal level. You have to commit yourself to breaking down the walls and offering every bit of who you are to your audience. The only way you can do this is finding your truth and living with it cohesively, as well as finding the truth of the characters you play.

Being yourself in this business is absolutely everything. It’s the gold mine that you have to draw from with every new job that you take on. It’s why acting classes can often feel like emotional torture and therapy at the same time — we’re having to search deep within ourselves, sometimes into deep places that we want to avoid in order to open up what it is we need to bring to the material. So don’t be afraid to go there, to continually discover, learn, and show exactly who you are. That’s where the good stuff is.

Top 10 Secrets To Success

Posted on July 15, 2014 by AMP Talent Group

So you want to succeed in the entertainment business? Here are 10 of the most important tips you’ll need to live by in order to find the success you’re looking for: 1. Love What You Do. The most important thing with any artistic pursuit is that you absolutely love it. It’s a hard road being […]

So you want to succeed in the entertainment business? Here are 10 of the most important tips you’ll need to live by in order to find the success you’re looking for:

1. Love What You Do.

The most important thing with any artistic pursuit is that you absolutely love it. It’s a hard road being an artist or a creator, but it’s also a very rewarding one if you’re in it for the right reasons. It’s important to ask yourself the question, “Is this something that I can live without?” If your answer is “no” then you know that you have to do it.

2. Be All In (Complete Commitment).

The people that choose to be actors, models or artists, have to be completely and utterly committed to it. The people that call themselves “part-time actors” are never going to be successful because they aren’t completely committed to it. Whether it’s fear of failure, or even a fear of admitting that they want to do this, holding yourself back and not putting it as the most important goal in your life is setting yourself up for failure. When you make the decision that you want to be an actor, that goal has to be the driving force in your life. If it isn’t, and it’s just slotted in as a “hobby”, then you don’t stand a chance of succeeding.

3. Always Be Working And Studying.

The simple truth is that those who are practicing are those who are working. The only time that you shouldn’t be studying and practicing is when you don’t have enough time because you’re working so much. No matter how talented, or experienced you are, there is always something for you to learn. The most successful actors understand the value of always staying a student. They understand that there will always be someone smarter than them, or more talented than them that they can learn from. A List, award winning actors such as Meryl Streep, Russell Crowe, Christian Bale, and Anne Hathaway and countless others continue to study with coaches and master the craft of acting, even to this day. Remaining humble and working hard at learning the craft and studying is a key force in driving home your success.

4. Patience And Persistence

Being an actor requires an enormous amount of patience. Whether it’s waiting for the next audition, or waiting for the cameras to start rolling, actors are always waiting. It’s the name of the game and has to be something that they can handle. At the opposite end is persistence. So many careers are sprouted from stories of perseverance and sticking it out when the rough times came. It’s essential that you’re in for your career for the long haul and won’t jump ship when you can’t afford to pay your hydro bill or your sleeping on a friends couch, as well as have the endurance to continue to pound away on your craft even when the breaks aren’t coming your way.

5. Create Your Own Opportunities.

In order to get lucky, you have to work extremely hard and show initiative by creating your own opportunities. So in other words, don’t be lazy. Be proactive and create your own projects. This keeps your skills in top shape, as well as creates products that could be launching platforms for your talents. This also helps your Talent Agent to better market you for even bigger opportunities. Whether it’s to market yourself as an actor, writer, or filmmaker, creating your own projects sows initiative, and is how a lot of people get discovered. Remember Goodwill Hunting? Matt Damon started writing that script in a playwriting class at Harvard in his fifth year. Then with the blessing of his teacher, Damon dropped out of school and moved to LA to finish the script with his good buddy Ben Affleck. That movie launched both those actor’s careers into the stratosphere. If it wasn’t for them taking it upon themselves to create their own movie (vehicle) to market their acting talents, then the names Matt Damon and Ben Affleck might mean absolutely nothing to us now. Or how about Garden State? Zach Braff wrote and directed that little movie, which turned him into a household name overnight. The best example is probably HBO “Girls” creator, Lena Dunham, who quickly became the “talent of the moment” by continuously creating her own projects that showcased her writing, directing, and acting talents. She even created the show Girls, based loosely off her own life in New York. This just shows how important it is to create your own things. You can’t catch your breaks and get lucky without working hard and going after what you want with passion, initiative and good work ethic.

6. Find A Mentor.

A lot of very successful people (in and out of the entertainment industry) will tell you that it’s impossible to be successful without a mentor. That’s because a mentor helps you to steer the ship. They help to cut years off your road to success by making sure you’re doing the necessary things in the present to help you get to your end goal. Talent Agent, Anne Marie Perrault says “Finding a mentor is absolutely essential and can be a major a factor in ones career success. It is important to seek out professionals in the field as they are a wonderful source of career advice. The best ways to find one would be to find someone in the industry that you admire, whether it’s someone you meet on set, or a teacher who you really respect, in some cases it can even be your Agent or Manager”. Don’t be shy to ask someone if they’d be interested in mentoring you as well. They will take it as a compliment. You can meet regularly to talk about your career, or you can even just keep in touch through email or on Skype to ask questions, and check-in every now and again. Your mentor will be essential in helping you to answer those difficult questions, help lift you up when times are tough, and ultimately, help you strive to becoming a better performer and person.

7. Take Full Responsibility For Everything That Happens To Tou.

The first step to happiness and success is taking full responsibility for where you are in your life. The moment you stop pointing the blame on other people, or things, is the moment that you finally point yourself in the direction of success. So you didn’t get that audition? The director did not think you where right for it or had someone else in mind. You didn’t book the role? It’s nobody’s fault but your own for not delivering the way you needed to or maybe you just are not ready, or are having a bad day. Leave it at the door. Don’t beat yourself up for it. Use any shortcomings and failures as an opportunity to look at yourself in the mirror and figure out how you can be better. Learn from each experience. Your career and your life is completely up to you, you’re the one in control of your fate, so make sure you step up to the plate. The happiest and most successful people in life are those who feel they have complete control over their lives. This starts with accepting complete responsibility for where you are and understanding that you’re the one in control of your success or failure.

8. Set Goals

So you want to be the next big leading man or woman, do you? Yes that’s a lofty goal, but can you do it? You better believe you can! It’s definitely a big dream, so how do you make it seem more manageable, or achievable? You break your dream down into something smaller; you break it down into parts called goals. Then you break down the steps that you will need to complete (accomplish) in order to reach those specific individual goals. Once you do this, your wildest dreams will seem a little more in reach. You have to have a plan; you have to create a vision for your career. You do this by creating goals on paper, then continuously visualizing yourself successfully moving towards those goals. When Jim Carrey was a broke, struggling comic, he would drive up to Mulholland Drive a few nights a week and visualize himself making it big in Hollywood. He even wrote a check to himself for 10 million dollars and filled it out as “acting services rendered”. It was only a number of years later when he became one of the biggest stars on the planet; booking roles for the exact amount of money he said he would, 10 million dollars. Believe you can, believe you will, create a vision, put it down on paper!

9. Take Risks

Those that take risks get noticed. Most people will say that choosing to become an actor is a big risk in the first place. They may be right. Actors have to take risks on a regular basis. It’s part of what being an artist and a performer is all about! When you choose to pursue your passion as a profession, you have to face fear and walk down a road that offers very little security. This is the all-important first risk that you’re going to have to take. You then have to continue walking down that road fearlessly. You have to believe in the process, believe that the journey you are on will take you to where you want to go. You will also have to task risks regularly with new roles and parts that come your way. You’re going to need to venture out of your comfort zone and try new things, do roles that scare you and really go for it with complete disregard for failure. They say that success is a sum of thousands of failures, and they’re right. Failure is success’ most important pre-requisite, which is even truer when it comes to the performing arts. Take risks, overcome fear, and you will grow closer to success!

10. Be Confident And Believe In Yourself.

On your “Road to Success” you’re going to have to make a lot of big decisions. In order to do this, you’re going to have to be strong and be true to yourself. If you continue to do that, you will make decisions that are the most agreeable to who you are as a person and you will stay on the right path. You have to be confident in yourself and make sure you treat yourself the right way. On your path to success, a lot of people will tell you that you’re crazy and you won’t ever reach the big dreams you’ve set for yourself. You have to silence those voices, look inside and believe in that vision you have for yourself. Not everybody is going to see what you see, so you have to understand that and not dwell on the opinions and perceptions of others. Confidence and success is made by marching toward your goals and dreams with massive action, even in the face of adversity and fear of failure. This is an absolute must in achieving big success!

It’s a comforting feeling knowing that your success is completely up to you. You’re the one in control of the universe you create for yourself. Understanding and believing in this is definitely the starting point for every big dream or goal. Start living by this philosophy and your success will start to grow exponentially.

Now go out there and build the life you’ve always dreamed of!

AMP Talent Group: 6 Ways To JUMP-START Your Acting Career

Posted on October 11, 2013 by AMP Talent Group

AMP Talent Group: 6 Ways To JUMP-START Your Acting Career 1 Get Into a Class! Training is essential to learning the craft. Roll up your sleeves. Dig in and do the work! Actors are athletes of the heart and you must work out to stay in shape. Tune your instrument through improvisation classes, theatre classes […]

AMP Talent Group: 6 Ways To JUMP-START Your Acting Career

1 Get Into a Class!

Training is essential to learning the craft. Roll up your sleeves. Dig in and do the work! Actors are athletes of the heart and you must work out to stay in shape. Tune your instrument through improvisation classes, theatre classes and film scene classes.

2 Private Coaching!

In person or via Skype. Audition coaching, career coaching, on-set coaching. Push yourself and get feedback. Leave no stone unturned!

3 Actors Headshot Evaluation!

Get expert feedback on your marketing tools. Your agent knows the market and can help you choose the best photos to help you get more auditions. Don’t underestimate the power of a great photo!

4 Industry Workshops & Network

See and be seen. Get out there and build relationships. Workshops gets you access to casting directors, directors, producers, theatre directors etc. You want to open doors, start to build relationships and continue to network at workshops and events at each stage of your career.

5 Tape A Scene With COACH

For an audition or for your reel. Your agent needs a demo reel of your work, and if you don’t have one you can tape a well crafted and prepared scene for your agent to submit until your demo is ready!

6 Work on your craft EVERYDAY

Study the greats, study other great actors, learn, observe. Find what moves and motivates you. Make the commitment. Keep your mind, body and spirit active everyday!

“When it comes to staying tuned: If you rest, you rust.” – Helen Hayes

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Audition advice: Tips for Actors Models from Talent Agent Anne Marie Perrault

Posted on October 8, 2013 by AMP Talent Group

Audition Advice for Actors Models & Talent! In this post, top 5 tips to help you ace your next audition! Here is key advice and tips for actors and models when meeting a talent agent from long time Talent Agent Anne Marie Perrault of AMP Talent Group. At AMP Talent Group we want you, our talent to view […]

Audition Advice for Actors Models & Talent! In this post, top 5 tips to help you ace your next audition! Here is key advice and tips for actors and models when meeting a talent agent from long time Talent Agent Anne Marie Perrault of AMP Talent Group. At AMP Talent Group we want you, our talent to view every audition as an opportunity to showcase your very best work. Each audition is an opportunity to be seen by casting directors, producers, directors and clients. Even if you think you are not perfect for the role, it is still an opportunity to be seen! Casting work on many projects at once and are looking at you for all their projects. When attending audition, always have your 8×10 professional headshot and resume in your hand and be ready to go when you are called for each audition. Even when you don’t think they need one, you should still be prepared with one. This is your marketing tool! It shows you are serious about your work and are the professional. Unless you are a name actor, always bring your resume and headshot to every meeting and audition. When the door opens, be ready! Break a leg! For more insightful tips follow AMP on Twitter and subscribe to our channel on YouTube!