What role has been your most challenging to take on? One that you thought you had in the bag, but really struggled to connect with? For me, Laura in THE GLASS MENAGARIE was more difficult than I thought. I had no trouble with the lines, but my acting teacher kept telling me I was missing the essence of Laura. It wasn't until I put on a dress that I was really able to capture her disability and fully understand the insensitivity of the people around her. What about you? Is there an AHA MOMENT connecting with a character you would like to share?
Acting : Most Challenging Role? by Suzanne Bronson
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Love this question, Suzanne Bronson! And Laura is a very difficult role. I was the technical director for a Community Theater run of The Glass Menagerie when I was in high school. It's a deep and nuanced show.
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Suzanne Bronson This really resonated with me, Suzanne. I had a similar struggle playing Celeste from Big Little Lies. On paper, I thought I’d be able to connect with her—she’s intelligent, composed, and trying to hold her family together—but I kept hitting a wall emotionally. I couldn’t fully grasp how someone so accomplished could stay in a relationship where she was being hurt. I judged her 'weakness' without realizing I was missing the nuance of trauma bonding, shame, and how love can be entangled with fear.
Looking back, I think if I’d worked more somatically—maybe explored how the body holds conflicting truths, or tapped into the push-pull of desire and dread—I might’ve accessed her world more truthfully.
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Thank you for sharing that Alexandra Stevens . Abusive relationships are difficult for outsiders to understand. The question always asked of the victim is , "why did you stay?" The reality is, domestic violence is not black and white. You get it. Love and fear are two sides of the same coin and the reason anyone does anything. And two things can be true at the sametime. I like how you said our body tells the story. To your point that you misjudged Celeste- that's a mistake beginning actors make. We cannot judge our character, only seek to understand why they make the choices they make. That was the best advice I have ever gotten regarding embodying a character. A villian doesn't see themselves as a villian. They are simply a human being making choices that they really believe are to the benefit of themselves and humanity. It's the only way to play it. Celeste is doing the best she can with what she has in that moment, just like everyone else. You also bring up a good reminder that body work is just as important as mental work when it comes to connecting with a character. That was what changed for me with Laura, really focusing on how she could not use her legs and this suitor is asking her to sit on the floor!
I would love to hear from other actors. Please share what turned the corner for you.
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Suzanne Bronson yes you're totally right to remind me that we need to try and find a way to understand our characters and have empathy for them and their choices and behaviours. It makes me think of what Gestalt Therapy refers to as our creative adjustments. All of our behaviours, however unhelpful or 'bad' they seem were originally behaviours we created to adjust as best we could to our childhood environments. With this in mind, we could see Celeste's 'fawning' response the best way she has learned to keep herself safe. The same for many who stay in abusive relationships who fear what the perpetrator would do if they left them.
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Hey I am still wanting others to share their most challenging role.