Method acting does sound kind of insane at times, especially when it appears to take a person to ‘that place’ where that might be for each individual that uses this style of acting. But for David Harbour or anyone else to say that it doesn’t produce results, even if they’re speaking in jest, is kind of ridiculous. There are so many different actors in Hollywood today and across the world that saying which styles work and which don’t is a bit asinine. There is no one set acting method that works for anyone, as it’s been noted over the years. What works perfectly for one person doesn’t always work the same way for another. David Harbour has established himself in a big way over the years since his role on Stranger Things as Jim Hopper has been just one of his best roles considering that he’s been seen in several very noticeable movies. But thinking that any actor would badmouth another style isn’t impossible, especially since this is kind of natural, especially when it comes to professionals speaking their minds. But it’s still a little bit irritating.
David Harbour has clout, but not enough to diss an entire style of acting.
Seriously, Harbour has become one of the many actors that people like to see, but does that mean he gets to badmouth whoever and whatever he wants? To be fair, it’s not as though he’s actively stating that actors such as Daniel Day-Lewis are in the wrong for the type of acting they’ve done. But he is speaking his mind at least, and while the subject is a bit controversial, it begs the question of why method acting is regarded as such a bad idea by so many actors. Method acting does appear to take a lot of out of a person since it is something that requires a lot of extra work to be put in. But at the same time, it produces such amazing results that justifying any hate for it is a little rough.
Method acting is a little off-kilter at times.
Not ditching a role when the director says cut is something that a few actors have become known for at certain points in their careers. Staying in character is important to some people since they don’t want to lose the feeling of that character and have to reclaim it eventually. Other actors who think that this is nonsense tend to believe that any actor should be able to step into and out of a role without needing to be inside their own head for that long. It is a valid point in some cases to be fair since there are several roles that actors don’t need to emulate to the fullest given the demands that said roles put on them. But stating that method acting is ridiculous or not useful is kind of dismissive in a way that could just as easily be alleviated by stating that method acting isn’t for everyone, but it still has its uses. After all, there have been several great method actors over the years and they’ve succeeded because they end up going the distance in ways that other actors either don’t or won’t.
No style fits every actor.
It can be said in any profession that there isn’t one way to do things that will work for everyone, especially when it comes to something that requires different people to take on different habits to reach the same goal. David Harbour and many others have given their take on method acting and it’s all well and good that they feel a certain way and have their preferences. But while they do get their opinions, it stands to reason that they should be among the many who realize that acting isn’t going to be the same for every person and that certain methods are going to work best for everyone. Trying to narrow the field in any way by denouncing a certain method or style is something that feels a bit suspect, not to mention elitist. Harbour and many others would certainly disagree with this notion, but the truth is that when giving an opinion, it’s necessary to be ready for a certain amount of backlash when one’s thoughts reach those who have a different line of reasoning that might conflict with theirs.
At the end of the day, every actor uses whatever works for them.
Whatever is said and whatever style an actor uses to complete a role makes no difference when all is said and done. David Harbour and others can call method acting insane, they can think that their way is best. But the fact of the matter is that an actor is going to prep for a role and do what they believe will work regardless of what anyone else says. It usually turns out better that way.
