Defining Your Uniqueness

If someone asks you what you think your castable type is, how do you answer? I usually answer the Goofy Girl Next Door, the Best Friend, the Sister, the Young Mom, the Teacher, the Hard Worker who never gets credit for her work, the Good Girl who always follows the rules, the Care-Giver. Types of movies I could see myself working in are comedies, romantic comedies, sitcoms, children's, the light, fun, Disney-type stuff. Actors who I am similar to in type (I.M.H.O.) are Drew Barrymore, Darryl Hannah, Toni Collette, Kathy Baker, Carol Kane, Melanie Lynskey. I've been told by other actors that I remind them of Kathy Bates or Frances McDormand.  That is how I have been defining my type, to fit myself into a peg-hole in the industry. 

But I've started working through the Action! workbook that I got at the An Actor Works workshop, and that is changing my mind dramatically.

One of the first questions asked, to help you define what makes you unique, is "If you knew that you would absolutely be cast in any part you wanted -- in any film, TV show, or play -- what roles would you pick?" Instructions say to pick at least five, to be specific, and not to put any personal limitations that you may perceive on your answers. I took that to mean no limitations what-so-ever, sky is the limit, ultimate Christmas wish list. And my answers surprised me:

1. Joan Wilder in Romancing The Stone -- I love this movie for so many reasons, it's a romance, it's an adventure, I love the way the story is written. And I love the character for so many reasons, she starts out as your quintessential "damsel in distress", quiet, shy, uncertain, and by the end of the adventure, she can stand on her own two feet with confidence and take care of herself. 

2. Elizabeth Swan in The Pirates of The Caribbean trilogy -- I picked this because it's a fun adventure movie, Elizabeth is intelligent and has spunk, and she gets to be the Pirate King in the last movie. 

3. Marietta in Naughty Marietta (1935 movie) -- She is a French princess, beautiful, warm, and loved by all, but she chooses to disguise herself and run away to the American colonies to escape an arranged marriage with an odious man. She is strong, intelligent, and independent.

4. Elphaba in Wicked (Stephen Schwartz's Broadway musical) -- I love this musical, and I totally understand Elphaba, I get her. She is always an outsider because she looks different, because she has abilities that others don't understand, and as the story progresses, because she stands up for what she believes is right and good. She is labelled "wicked" for standing against what popular society believes. In this musical she has these dramatic, show-stopping songs, and also a beautiful, simple song about lonliness ("I'm Not That Girl") that most audiences tend to overlook, I think. I totally get her, from her very core.

5. Okay, I have to put a qualifier on this choice, because most people give me strange looks when I talk about this. This choice is not meant to be taken literally. It is more of an esoteric, "fuzzy logic", intuitive kind of choice. But this is the character that I've known for the longest time that I would love to play. (All my other choices I didn't know about until I did this exercise). So my last choice is... *cringe* ... The Phantom in Andrew Lloyd Weber's Phantom of the Opera. Yes, I realize that I am not a man (no limitations, remember??), and my choice does not mean that I want to be a man or that I am a lesbian, or whatever weirdness my choice may suggest. My reason for this choice is simply that I am fascinated by the psychology of this character, and the emotional journey he takes through the course of the story. 

So. Those are my five choices, but I've been keeping an open mind in case any more ideas pop into my head. But my no-limits choices are completely different from the types I think I could play based on looks, personality, etc, when defining myself by industry standards. And there is definitely a theme in my choices. 

I'm not sure where the line is between no limits dreaming, creating your own destiny and Bob's "reality is not optional" attitude towards the business. Because I'm not sure that realistically I am castable in the types of roles that I've chosen to define myself. But... Jim Carrey has character actor looks and yet he's a leading man. Jude Law has leading man looks, but he is a character actor usually in a supporting role. Arnold Schwarzenegger is... well... "Ah-nald" and he was one of the highest paid entertainers of all time. 

So perhaps the point is by combining the elements of my personality -- Innocent, Caregiver, Jester -- with an intelligent, spunky adventurer or a misunderstood outcast... that is definitely unique. 

I also believe that if the spunky adventurer is the type of character I want to play, I need to loose weight. I think that is a non-debatable reality of the business. So, to that end, I've ordered the 10 Minute Trainer workout. I was watching an infomercial on it today, and it looks like a good program that gets around excuses. Who doesn't have 10 minutes to work out?