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Drama Actress Roundtable: Jennifer Coolidge, Dominique Fishback, Jennifer Garner, Emma D'Arcy & More

The Hollywood Reporter・54 minutes read

Individuals in the entertainment industry discuss the challenges of fame, audition processes, and the impact of their roles on their personal lives, emphasizing self-care and mental health support. They reflect on maintaining authenticity, setting boundaries, and the importance of finding roles that challenge them physically and emotionally.

Insights

  • External pressure is crucial for the speaker's motivation, as they desire a job where improvement is mandated by the director under threat of termination, highlighting the challenges of self-motivation.
  • Fame brings a loss of anonymity and constant observation, leading to coping mechanisms like denial, setting boundaries with photographers, and struggling to maintain privacy in public spaces, while also acknowledging the beauty of connecting with others and receiving kindness from strangers.

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Recent questions

  • How do actors handle fame?

    Actors discuss coping mechanisms, boundaries, and privacy struggles.

  • What challenges do actors face during auditions?

    Actors detail self-taping, emotional depth, and exhaustion reservations.

  • How do actors choose their roles?

    Actors share inner child desires, past experiences, and challenges sought.

  • What is the impact of fame on actors' lives?

    Actors reflect on anonymity loss, observation ability, and coping strategies.

  • How do actors prepare for unexpected changes in fame?

    Actors discuss therapy, balance in interactions, and authenticity in roles.

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Summary

00:00

Actors' Challenges and Transformations in Roles

  • The speaker desires a job where improvement is mandated by the director under threat of termination.
  • They express a wish to achieve physical prowess akin to a superhero for motivation.
  • The speaker discusses the challenges of self-motivation and the need for external pressure.
  • Various actors share common fan interactions and questions they receive on the street.
  • Different actors recount the roles they are most recognized for by fans.
  • Actors discuss reservations and hesitations they had about accepting specific roles.
  • The speaker details a conversation with Donald Glover and Janine Neighbors about a role they initially wanted her to play.
  • The speaker reflects on the challenge of portraying a character without a clear backstory.
  • The physical transformation of a character in a show is discussed, with the actor sharing their approach.
  • An actress recounts her initial reluctance to accept a role in a show due to personal insecurities and fears.

15:19

Auditioning with homemade wig during pandemic

  • The individual auditioned for three months during the pandemic after losing a year of work.
  • They self-taped for three months and were asked by the showrunner if they had an under wig.
  • The individual used a bag of hair from a previous job to create a wig for auditions.
  • During self-taping, the individual's partner helped with their hair, taking about two hours each time.
  • Following the self-taping process, a four-hour in-person audition took place.
  • The individual cleared out a spare room for the character they were auditioning for.
  • The audition process involved emotional depth and various scenes from the show.
  • The individual expressed reservations due to exhaustion but was excited about the material.
  • They discussed the emotional toll of acting and the need for a therapist on set.
  • The importance of self-care and mental health support on set was highlighted, especially during emotionally intense scenes.

30:40

Navigating Fame: Observing, Coping, Connecting, Balancing

  • The speaker discusses how their reality has drastically changed due to their success, leading to a sense of invisibility and the ability to observe others without being observed.
  • They express gratitude for their day-to-day life remaining relatively unchanged despite their fame, highlighting the importance of being able to observe others for their work.
  • The speaker reflects on the impact of being constantly observed and the loss of anonymity, particularly in interactions with strangers.
  • They mention the fluctuating nature of fame, with spikes in attention due to personal changes or disruptions, and finding comfort in knowing that these periods will pass.
  • Denial is suggested as a coping mechanism to manage unwanted attention, along with setting boundaries and controlling one's narrative to maintain a sense of self.
  • Dealing with photographers is discussed, with the speaker sharing their approach of directly communicating boundaries to maintain control over their image.
  • The challenges of dealing with fame in public spaces, such as with children or at Disneyland, are acknowledged, highlighting the struggle to maintain privacy.
  • Despite the difficulties, the speaker acknowledges the beauty of fame in connecting with others and the kindness they receive from strangers.
  • The speaker shares their struggles with bullies on the internet and the desire to use their voice while navigating the complexities of fame.
  • The conversation shifts to preparing for fame and the unexpected changes it brings, with the importance of seeking therapy and finding balance in interactions with others.

44:59

Actors embrace authenticity and challenge in roles.

  • Emma felt pressure to present as a woman for success in the industry but found real success when she stopped pretending.
  • Getting an agent led Emma to panic about maintaining her appearance and identity, but eventually, she cut her hair and found freedom in playing different roles.
  • Emma connected deeply with a book character, Celestine, in "Fleishman is in Trouble," leading her to pursue the role despite initial doubts.
  • Emma learned woodworking for a role, emphasizing the diverse skills actors acquire.
  • Dominique chooses roles based on her inner child's desires, even providing notes for blockbuster movies to ensure authenticity.
  • The actors discuss the importance of advocating for their characters and the impact of their past experiences on their confidence.
  • The actors reflect on their career choices and the desire for roles that challenge them physically and emotionally.
  • Claire expresses her dream of playing Juliet in "Romeo and Juliet," while others discuss their hopes for future comedic or physically demanding roles.
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