Sir (Lord) Laurence Olivier was a colossal actor. Here are some of his secrets!

I have met Sir Laurence through many actors and directors who worked with him. I pursued his greatness through others.

Courtesy of greepx.com

Olivier is still (arguably) the most important actor we have seen in our lifetime. Even though he has been gone for many years, his extraordinary work is still seen on film (and his stage work too!). I regularly go back and watch his work, as I do with many of the greats (Ashcroft, Burton, Evans, Gielgud, Redgrave, Richardson, etc.). As an acting teacher, I still tell my students that the most important thing they can do is watch everything, especially great actors. This is where you will learn your craft. Olivier mimicked and borrowed from the greats he had seen, and he was bold enough to admit it.

Having worked with many actors and directors who worked with the great man himself, I sought out (through questions) his top secrets. Here is what I have heard over and over:

1. All great actors must have a sense of humour. You must be able to find humour in everything.
2. You must have a great sense of rhythm. Rhythm is what keeps the audience engaged and on the edge of their seats. Learn how to use it to your advantage.
3. You must have a great imagination. It is your imagination that ignites and fills the text. It is not academic or an essay on Hamlet. Your imagination must be like a child’s, and you must create the world in the palm of your hand.
4. You should have a sensitivity to honesty. Acting is learning how to tell the truth and having the audience believe it.
5. You should have great physical awareness. Your body is your instrument, and you must be a master of your instrument. What can your body do? You must watch how people move and know what those human signals mean.
6. Lastly, you must have an enormous amount of courage. You cannot be an actor if you do not have courage. Do not let any acting teacher or director steal this from you. You must be bold and do it in the most honest way possible. It doesn’t matter if the director or producer doesn’t believe you. It matters that you commit fully and that the audience believes you.

Thank you to all my great stage mentors for passing these lessons down to me from the man himself (RIP Brian Bedford, Peter Hall, John Hurt, Michael Langham, Chris Plummer, and Robin Phillips). I am forever grateful to them. They have made me a better artist. I would not have the career I have today without them and Sir Laurence.