KNOW YOUR ARCHETYPE
Every actor has an archetype, made up of facial features, physicality, voice and overall visual perception, so it’s essential to know yours. Branding specialist George Konstand offers his expert tips on how to discover your archetype and use it to inform your acting choices.
When thinking of ‘everyman’, who comes to mind − Tom Hanks or Jason Statham? Chances are you answered Tom Hanks; he is non-threatening and relatable. Could Jason Statham play the ‘everyman’? Sure he could, but with all that muscle, it would be a stretch of the audience’s imagination and his acting choices would need to take account of this. An audience will always make their decisions about your character based on what they see.
Here are 10 tips and tools to help you discover your personal archetype.
1. Archetype vs stereotype
The Oxford Dictionary defines a stereotype as “a widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing”.
In today’s casting environment, an archetype refers to the actor’s original spin on an existing type — for example, Florence Pugh, the complex female lead with the famous frown, is more defiant than vulnerable.
2. Think like a casting director
I often describe archetype as “the language of casting” and the reality is you, as the actor, are subjected to it, whether you like it or not. You need to know how you are perceived by casting directors, who are the professional representatives of the commercial audience.
Try this exercise. If you were a casting director, who would you cast as the most terrifying person you could meet in a dark alleyway? Now you’re thinking in terms of archetype.
3. Talent on the train
Next time you’re on a train or bus, look at people and ask yourself in what role you would cast them. Go with your gut instinct. This will help you to start thinking in terms of archetype. The more you practise this type of ‘casting’, the more you will understand the use of archetypes in telling a story.
4. Your face is the stage!
Marlon Brando famously said, “In a close-up, the audience is only inches away, and your face becomes the stage.” Morgan Freeman once said he used his forehead as the main way of expressing his character, while Michelle Gomez asserted that she had a face that was born to play witches and bitches. Get to know your face!
5. Let archetype inspire your choices
Stella Adler said, “Your talent is in your choice.” I would add that using your archetype to inform the choice makes you a more interesting candidate for the role.
6. What are your signature moves?
Actors need to know themselves, internally and externally. What choices make sense for your face, voice, body, mannerisms, age, gender and sexuality? All actors lend physical elements to the characters they play. For example, Frances McDormand rarely cries on screen; she presents a stoic exterior. Hilary Swank on the other hand…
7. I have something you don’t have
What is your signature feature? Do you have a big nose? Are your eyes far apart or close together? Do you have protruding ears or high cheekbones? Do you have an unusual body shape? Perhaps a nervous tic? Understanding what makes you original is also about understanding what makes you stand out from the rest. Every actor has an edge that sets them apart.
8. Seek the opinion of others
Ask strangers (not friends or family!) what they think your archetype is. You must outsource this perspective because you’re in film and television, and strangers are the ones who watch you. Ask people you don’t know well if you remind them of any other actors or characters.
9. Play the game, ‘cast against type’
Which actor do you think would be totally wrong for a particular role? Think about which actors, at first glance, don’t fit your idea of certain roles — for example, Brad Pitt as the insecure nerd. Ask yourself: if he were to play the insecure nerd, how would his appearance inform the acting choices he could make?
10. Cast the role of yourself in the movie of your life
Who would you cast to play you? This decision can provide insight into your archetype. For me, I wish it were Billy Zane, but it would more likely be Stanley Tucci.
Bonus tip: you can play against your archetype
Yes, you the actor can play any role, once you know your archetype. An audience doesn’t think of Daniel Day-Lewis as a ‘character’ actor or Tom Cruise as a ‘personality’ actor. They just want to be entertained. As David Mamet said, there are no rules, but there is a law: don’t be boring!
Playing against archetype is typically earned. Firstly, it implies that you have a clear handle on your archetype (and that you can play into that skilfully on camera). Take Matthew McConaughey, who played into his archetype of the all-American sexy cowboy for years before pivoting and giving us Dallas Buyers Club.
George Konstand is a specialist in the Actors Archetype. His career spans more than 15 years in the media, film and entertainment industry, initially across television segments So You Think You Can Dance, Australia’s Next Top Model and The X Factor, and as an international music artists and repertoire consultant. In the past decade, George has pioneered the application of the Actors Archetype for the NIDA Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) and Diploma of Stage and Screen Performance (DSSP), WAAPA Bachelor of Arts (Acting) and Bachelor of Arts (Music Theatre), as well as teaching at The Equity Foundation, Actors Centre Australia,16th Street Acting Studio, TheHub Studio and Les Chantery Studio, and consulting privately via Zoom from his Sydney-based studio. Find out more here.
