What's Your Back Story? By: L.A. Holts
Good Friday to you my fellow creatives! I hope that your auditions are going well and you are booking your gigs on a regular. I want to briefly talk about back stories for characterization. Did you know that part of your job as an actor is to develop your character or role beyond your written script? It's so easy to get a script and just take it for what it is, but a serious, great actor will create the back story of the character being portrayed. Why? Because this adds depth to your character. The lines come alive. You become someone who knows where you have been. The audiences are extremely intelligent and can spot a fake from a mile away. But something special happens. You are able to take those little moments and think about something the character would have done, or said. It’s that moment in a dramatic scene when your back story taps you on the shoulder and says, “Remember when we did this?” and the audience can actually see that you are recalling something. It’s brilliant. A back story forces you to slow down. It makes your character human.
How do you create a back story? First read the entire script. That is the first thing you have to do in order to know who your character is about. After you read your script, think about the relationships your character has with the other characters in the script. Who is closest to you? Who do you enjoy being around? Who do you dislike? What bad or good habits does your character have? What smells, sights are appealing? If the scene is set in a home that you grew up in, where there goof memories there or bad ones? This should all be reflected upon. This type of thinking adds depth. So when you enter the home, are bad memories showing in your body language? Are you uncomfortable? Do you belong there? Are you a dominant character or is there someone who outranks you? This should all be part of your character development. Once you get the hang of writing back stories, they become more and more detailed. AS you bring these beautiful nuances to the stage, your director will notice your work, and ultimately want to cast you in future projects! ACT ON!
L.A. Holts
