This month's collection of acting-related thoughts and feelings:

"Architects cannot teach nature anything."
Mark Twain - Writer of "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer"
Choices - In Acting:
Isn't the way our life and career pans out based on the choices we make?
To an extent...
Some life situations seem to be out of our control, especially in our youth, but in our creative pursuits as adults the decisions of where to train, and in what discipline, and how to approach each project, can be key to our success.
*side note*
I just heard in an interview that anxiety is having too many choices and not knowing what one to pick, and depression is a feeling of having no choices.
As actors, our craft isn’t just about delivering lines; it’s about the choices we make along the way that breathe life into the role.
These choices are not just technical decisions about how to speak or move, but deeply personal expressions of what we believe the person we are playing is experiencing, feeling, and wanting.
It’s in these decisions where our individuality as an artist truly shines.
But let’s dive deeper. The choices you make in a role—whether subtle or bold—are the bridge between who you are and who the character is.
At the core of acting, the question What does my character want? becomes essential.
When you truly know what your character wants, whether it's love, validation, revenge, or something as simple as peace, your choices begin to align with that need.
Every decision—from the way you look at a fellow actor to the pace of your breath—is an expression of that intention.
The beauty of acting is that two actors could be given the same scene, the same lines, and yet make entirely different choices.
These choices stem from who we are as individuals.
What have you experienced?Â
What’s your personal emotional landscape?Â
All of this shapes how you approach a role.
Are you drawn to moments of vulnerability or power?
Do you lean into tension or try to diffuse it?
Your background, instincts, and impulses make every decision personal and irreplaceable.
It’s not just about the loud, obvious choices—sometimes the quiet ones resonate the most. Choosing to hold back, to pause before speaking, to sigh or to soften an emotional moment can speak louder than a dramatic scream or messy cry.
Acting isn’t about doing the most; it’s about doing what’s most true to the moment.
Your truth is what’s "right" for the role, if it is what feels true to you.
No two performances are identical because no two actors have the same perspective or emotional fingerprint.
What makes choices even more profound is their unpredictability. The magic of great acting often comes from decisions that surprise—ones that the audience might not expect, but once they see them, they realise it couldn’t have been any other way.
That surprise often comes from you trusting yourself as an artist, leaning into your own instincts, and taking risks that only you would take.
In the end, your artistic identity isn’t defined by how perfectly you recite lines or execute blocking—it’s defined by the myriad of choices you make that only you can make.
Acting is not a set formula; it’s a continual process of collectively deciding how you want to tell the story.
With the journey of "learning" to "doing" ACTING, there is a time to listen, to be guided by a teacher, and there is a time to trust the naturally occurring moment-to-moment choices that we naturally make.
All the better if we have bought into the given imaginary circumstances.
The choices you make will shape not only your character but your artistic legacy.
So, lean in, trust yourself, make the choices that reflect the whole of who you are, even the weird bits.
Take risks in your work, let nature run it's course with you.
Some words borrowed from a great English boxer who borrowed them from a great American author:
'Let me tell you something about nature.
Nature never allows you to fall on your face if you take risks - never. It goes like this;
If you laugh you risk appearing to be a fool.
If you weep, you risk appearing to be sentimental.
If you reach out for another, you risk rejection.
If you love, you risk not being loved in return.
If you place your dreams in front of the crowd - as we do - you risk ridicule.
If you go forward in the face of overwhelming odds, you risk failure but risk must be taken for the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.
The person who risks nothing, has nothing, does nothing, is nothing.
That person may avoid suffering, pain and embarrassment but that individual will not learn, grow, feel, love or change. Only the person who takes risks is truly free.'
- Chris Eubank (via Leo F. Buscaglia)
Stay Choosy,
& Stay Playful People!
The ABC of Acting
Acting Book Club:

If you're an actor looking for a deep dive into acting techniques and you are interested in BREAKING BAD habits : )
Bryan Cranston's "A Life in Parts" may not be your go-to manual for process.
Instead, it offers invaluable life lessons, mindset insights, and personal stories that will help you navigate the unpredictable world of acting with more perspective.
His charisma and storytelling shine throughout the book, and if you're someone who loves a good listen, definitely grab the audiobook.
Send me your favourite acting book recommendations.
Please email: Connect@tomsawyeractor.co.uk
What's my motivation?
This month we are back in the dusty desert of the USA as our scene is from "No Country for Old Men" Chosen by the fantastic Director Marcus Thomas.
Marcus completed the NFTS Directing Fiction MA course in 2021 and his films have since been screened and won awards at several BAFTA and Oscar Qualifying film festivals. His horror/thriller The Retreat premiered at Sitges Film Festival before releasing online via Short of the Week and Alter.
His Graduation film Caterpillar also had a successful festival run, winning Best Student Film at Norwich Film Festival and an RTS Award.
See Marcus' IMDB profile here
Link to Marcus' Podcast: https://thefilmmakerspodcast.com/
His excellent work on Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/user56707788
Marcus says about the scene:
"When I was asked to come up with a scene to study, my mind went to the scenes that I regularly go back and watch myself.
This is the most performance based one. It is a spectacular piece of work, but this scene could exist entirely on its own. It is a seemingly very simple sequence and in different hands, with all of the variables that film making brings up in terms of casting, sound design, cinematography and composing etc. it could have a completely different feel… but it doesn’t.
A very regular interaction is laced with tension that plays out though the unsaid. It both is and isn’t about the dialogue.
Chigurh is a character who clearly has their own set of moral principles and philosophies within life that allows him to justify the work that he does… and here is a person in the store attendant who crosses a red line for him.
There is no music in this scene and the shots are very simple as everything plays out via performance. It is an excellent piece of work and is endlessly watchable."
Some context on the film:
"No Country for Old Men (2007) is a neo-Western thriller directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. It tells the story of a drug deal gone wrong, a briefcase of cash, and the ruthless hitman, Anton Chigurh, played by Javier Bardem, who is determined to retrieve the money at any cost. The film explores themes of fate, morality, and the changing nature of violence in society."
Click on the video link below and then check my short interpretation underneath:
Bardem's portrayal of Anton Chigurh in this scene is a beautiful example of how subtlety and intensity can create an unforgettable cinematic moment.
The genius in what he is doing here is all between the lines, the choices he has made about how this conversation and this person makes him feel, just brilliant!
In the hands of Javier Bardem, a simple gas station encounter transforms into a harrowing exploration of fate, making it a standout moment in modern cinema.
We will, as regular readers will know, be changing the names of our actors in our analysis.
As if they were starting a hip hop crew out of a very small village in Scotland somewhere.
The actors will be referred to as:
Javier Bardem = "The Bard"
and
Gene Jones = "Gasman Gene"
The striking thing at the start of this interaction is the solidity in each man's point of view.
That might be an internal monologue of something like this:
Gasman - "A stranger is just a friend you haven't met yet".
Bard - "Each man is an island, defend your territory from foes".
Keen observers will have noted that each actor has a thing to do.
The Bard is snacking and Gasman Gene is writing in his notebook.
Clever direction as Acting is Doing so, to do Acting, find something to do, TA DA!
Can you sense the play in this?
The delight The Bard has in waiting for a response from Gasman Gene and then bouncing back a sharp return with extra sass, even when the reply is a repetition of what Gasman Gene just said.
I would love to know if the moment where The Bard chokes on his snacks was a happy accident while shooting as it offers a strange vulnerability to this beast of a character.
*side note*
Actors, never call cut! It's just not our department and there is usually some magic when you let the unexpected play out.
The Bard seems almost bored or exasperated with the fact that Gasman Gene even exists and gets to breathe the same air as him as the conversation continues.
It's when the Bard takes a big breathe in and lets out a sigh just before the line "You don't know what your talking about do you" that I think he has fully decided this could be a life ending interaction.
The coin toss is such a beautifully clever way to remove the violent intentions from the character and leave the decision in the hands of the gods or of fate.
It plays out with such an intensity and precision, there is not a word wasted in this exchange. the actors play their parts to perfection and we can almost hear their heartbeats raise accompanied by the well timed introduction of the score to set the tone.
How The Bard shifts mood so effortlessly to deliver his line "Well done!" is so delightful and the cheeky glance back before leaving the store is just magic.
The Bard's ability to convey this characters menace is captivating.
His interactions with Gasman Gene reveal not only this guys complete disregard for human life but it clearly shows the playful childlike spirit that is possible in such an intense scene.
A lesson to us all!!
Thank you to The Bard!
That's all folks.
Take care.
X
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Thanks for your attention - stay playful people.
Tom
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