The Best Actor in the Vase of Meiyu

Chapter 2063 Facial Expressions
Brendan stopped in his tracks, standing there, his thoughts churning.

Anson was focused on practicing and completely unaware of what was happening. "I've always thought that comedians are underrated. It's definitely not an easy thing to give a character charm amidst the slapstick and absurdity."

"It's not easy to look serious and full of bitterness and resentment; but if that doesn't work, you can also look sad by keeping a straight face and being expressionless. Ben Affleck should be the saddest actor in Hollywood."

"But comedy won't do, right?"

As he spoke, turning his head, Anson's facial expressions continued to dart around, "How about this?"

Brendan finally snapped out of his daze, his eyes brimming with amusement. "No, too much. It's funny as it may be, but Anson isn't Anson anymore."

Anson tilted his head. "Is this a compliment or a criticism?"

Brendan: "No, it's a shame. After all, audiences don't go to the movies to see an old man like me; they want to see Anson, a handsome Anson Wood. So, you still need to control yourself and not let yourself go too much."

Having said that, Brendan didn't linger and started walking.

Anson's wails came from behind. Brendan still didn't show much expression, but his unsteady steps down the stairs seemed to have become lighter.

Inside the room, Anson was still studying his own expression—

Difficult. Extremely difficult.

If you want to be funny without ruining your image, or even stay cool, that's even more difficult than climbing to the sky.

In Hollywood, Will Smith is probably the only actor who can be both funny and handsome. This is why he has been able to maintain his position at the top of the pyramid. It is already very difficult to say, but the reality is even more difficult.

However, from another perspective, Will is not a traditional comedian. His humor often comes from lines rather than acting, facial expressions, or body language. If he wants to break free from the handsome mask and create comedic effect through acting, he will face a completely new challenge.

At this moment, the reference point that came to Anson's mind was actually Olivia Colman.

This British actress can be described as a late bloomer. Although she has been active on the small screen, appearing in classic series such as "Broadchurch," "Skins," "The Night Manager," and "Fleabag," she has remained a supporting actress for nearly twenty years.

It wasn't until the 2018 film "The Favourite," a film with an eccentric style, that she stepped into the spotlight. The following year, she unexpectedly won the Academy Award for Best Actress, which completely changed her position in the industry, and she subsequently appeared in various types of works.

Olivia is a versatile actress who can handle different roles, including comedy, thriller, drama, biography, and more.

Her micro-expressions are delicate and rich, yet completely natural. She exaggerates when she should and remains reserved when she should. The subtle changes in her facial muscles clearly reveal a rich and layered emotional state.

In the somewhat bizarre and even thrilling comedy "The Favourite," Olivia Palermo's performance, which is sometimes absurd and silly and sometimes moody, is definitely a highlight.

This is the effect that Anson was trying to achieve.

Of course, Anson knew the difficulty; he couldn't immediately compare himself to Olivia. Even Olivia had spent twenty years honing her skills in the television industry before gradually developing her unique style. But in his mind, Anson was trying to construct a completely new way of performing.

A Quentin Tarantino/Guy Ritchie-esque character intrudes into Martin McDonagh's story.

Although Martin relies heavily on the script—in fact, every dialogue in the script has been carefully crafted—it is precisely because of this that there is no nonsense in these dialogues; they are all essential.

In Guy Ritchie and Quentin Tarantino's stories, it's different. Their characters talk a lot of nonsense, rambling on and on, but most of it is nonsense. They use this nonsense to build the characters' vitality and create comedic effects in the process of the continuous accumulation of nonsense.

Anson is preparing to introduce this kind of texture—

But not through dialogue. Anson wasn't going to challenge Martin's strengths or force him to try things he wasn't good at; he planned to fill the dialogue with subtle expressions that conveyed his thoughts beyond the lines.

In other words, even in scenes without dialogue, he fills the frame with body language, micro-expressions, and physical movements to constantly generate information.

For example, walking with a bouncy, toe-treading motion, as if stepping on a spring with one's heel.

For example, constantly shaking one's leg is not due to anxiety, but simply because of hyperactivity and an inability to stay still.

For example, scratching one's ears and cheeks may seem like it's because of dry skin, but it's actually a sign of emotional distress.

And so on.

However, this is very dangerous; too much talk not only becomes pretentious but also greasy, and if one is not careful, it can easily turn into something resembling a clown.

Comedy should make people laugh, not become a joke.

At this point, one can naturally think of Jim Carrey, the rubber man who can not only use his facial expressions flexibly, but also his body language is equally rich. He can handle the most exaggerated, greasy, and absurd expressions. But the problem is that Jim Carrey is Jim Carrey because he is unique. Others' imitations inevitably fall short, and they end up looking like a dog instead of a tiger.

At the same time, if it's not enough, being too restrained, too careful, or too rigid will make one seem timid and awkward, and not only will it fail to create comedic effect, it may even turn one into a real freak.

No one can laugh.

The key is that cleverness; on the surface, they seem honest and upright, but in reality, they have a lot of inner drama and their mischievous nature cannot be hidden at all.

It's not eccentric, it's clever.

For the first time ever, Anson needed to activate his facial muscles—

He has no idol baggage, and he doesn't mind being funny at all. The key point is that if you're going to be funny, you have to be good at it.

Now, Anson can fully understand Alfred Hitchcock's insistence on using performance actors, which he deeply abhorred method acting.

He doesn't need actors to delve into their inner world, nor do they need to explore childhood traumas or character arcs. He only needs actors to accurately convey emotions.

Be afraid when you should be afraid, and scream when you should scream.

The same applies to the present situation. Anson needs to temporarily put aside his guilt after Ray accidentally killed the child and present a vivid image of a mischievous and clever street boy.

He needs to use his facial features and make silent comments to inject charm into the character, thereby creating chemistry and comedic effect with Brendan.

Eyebrows. Eyes. Nose. Mouth. Cheekbones. All the facial muscles were engaged, but that blurry line still couldn't be accurately defined.

Method acting relies entirely on inspiration, while performance acting depends on methods. Everything has its own path, it's just that he hasn't found it yet.

But thinking back, we were just as clueless when we were making "Friends" and "The Princess Diaries," figuring out our own acting style in a daze, and it's the same now.

It seems that only through practice can one truly understand; I've been struggling to figure it out here all along.

Patting his cheeks and relaxing his muscles, Anson didn't stay in the room any longer. He was preparing to officially start filming when he went downstairs and saw figures peeking out of the window, like tourists visiting the zoo to see the monkeys.

(End of this chapter)