This month's collection of acting-related thoughts and feelings:
"Many a small thing has been made large by the right kind of advertising."
Mark Twain - Writer of "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer"
Focus - In Acting:
"Focus" could be something you were told to do more of in the school classroom.
In acting terms the quality of focus required isn't necessarily an intellectual endeavour.
Rather than the strain of concentration that can feel taxing on the brain box, there is a softness to our awareness sometimes in work on stage and screen.
You could call it the art of curious attention placing in acting,
As actors, focus isn’t about rigid concentration but more about openly and honestly choosing where to place our attention in each moment and how to feel about it.
"Where focus goes, energy flows." — Tony Robbins
Focus in acting is like setting a compass in an open sea; it’s the practice of tuning into the moments that matter most while staying connected to the larger picture.
You can imagine it as the ultimate zoom lens: in one moment, you’re zeroing in on the slight raise of an eyebrow. In the next, you’re reminded of the ultimate goal of the character and the joy of getting what you want vs the pain of not getting it.
Shifting between these perspectives, you decide what deserves attention in each moment, what the source of your characters danger is.
This back-and-forth gives depth to every look, pause, and breath—keeping both the character and imaginary circumstances alive.
In acting, focus is never static. It’s playful, fluid, and ever-shifting to capture life as it truly feels.
Another example of focus is our career focus.
It's often the case when an audition, or a last minute self tape comes, in that the adrenaline that surges through our veins makes us hyper focused on getting THAT job or giving them what THEY want and we forget about what WE want and ALL the other opportunities we will have in the future.
It's important to recognise that along with a strong focus we do also need to allow space to relax and reflect on our focusing, to sharpen out pencil or clean our mirror as it were.
"When you relax, you increase your chance of hearing intuition call, and it's easier to coordinate your energies to make the right decision." — Sonia Choquette
Wishing you a clear focus for now and then, for the internal and external and for the small and big things!
Stay Focused,
& Stay Playful People!
The ABC of Acting
Acting Book Club:
If you’re interested in understanding the human mind and body—especially how they hold onto experiences—this is a powerful read! Bessel van der Kolk’s The Body Keeps the Score dives deep into the ways trauma impacts us physically, emotionally, and mentally.
It’s a valuable reminder that as actors, we often portray characters carrying unseen scars.
This book helps you get into that heads pace, with insights that can bring more depth to characters with complex backstories.
Send me your best acting book recommendations.
Please email: Connect@tomsawyeractor.co.uk
What's my motivation?
Director, Producer, Screenwriter and Podcaster Giles Alderson.
Giles started his career as an actor, after graduating from Drama Studio London he started in Shakespeare plays, wrote plays at The Royal Court and Soho Theatre young writers program, toured the UK and performed in the West End in plays and musicals before acting in the feature films including ‘I Want Candy’ (Ealing Studios), ‘The Harsh Light of Day’, ‘The
United’ (BBC Films), ‘The Banksy Job’, ‘The Possession of David O’Reilly’ and TV including Coronation Street and The Silence (BBC) before turning his hand behind the camera making promos and adverts and brand media before making feature films and TV ,
See more of Giles' work on his website here
Link to Giles and Dom Lenoir's (previous scene selector Podcast: https://thefilmmakerspodcast.com/
Giles says about the scene:
"It’s such a great scene. Wonderfully engaging and dynamic performances with tension building insanely quotable dialogue and it’s done over the phone which makes the direction even better. A classic film and scene."
Some context on the film:
"Jerry Maguire" follows the story of Jerry Maguire (Tom Cruise), a sports agent who experiences a moral crisis and decides to change the way he conducts business. After being fired from his high-powered firm, he takes only one client, Rod Tidwell (Cuba Gooding Jr), a struggling football player.
Click on the video link below and then check my short interpretation underneath:
In this iconic scene from Jerry Maguire, we have Tom Cruise as Jerry Maguire, who is determined to prove his worth in this cutthroat industry, and Cuba Gooding Jr. as Rod Tidwell, who demands to be seen and have money s"shown" unto him.
For pure jokes we will from now on be referring to these legends as if they were East London gangsters, so Mr Cruise now goes by the name of "Tommy C"
and Mr Gooding Jr is obviously "Cubes".
Cubes is bursting with energy and enjoying the moment, his vibe and swagger are electrifying.
Tommy C, on the other hand, is hunched and worn down from the very start, navigating the high-stakes situation with determination and a large dose of humiliation.
The way he says "That's great, i'm very happy" like a demon has just removed his soul and his face after the infamous line "Show me the money!" is a picture of a beaten man.
Even Bridget Jones is surprised at the new low Tommy C has found in his desperation to keep Cubes happy.
Another pivotal moment comes when Cubes ramps up his insistence, urging Tommy C to shout along with him, "I love black people!" and "You the muthafuka!".
His voice even cracks as he is screaming down the phone.
This moment transforms the scene from a mere phone call into a powerful emotional exchange, highlighting Cubes’ dominance and Tommy C’s struggle to affirm his worth as an agent.
If this is an emotional tug-of-war, Cubes is the one pulling easily with one hand like a puppet master pulling all the strings with infectious enthusiasm and unwavering conviction.
Note for actors:
It's easy to forget that this scene could have been played very differently and maybe very forgettably but the commitment from these two exceptional actors elevate this scene into an unforgettable moment that resonates deeply, capturing the essence of ambition and the importance of personal relationships in the world of sports and beyond.
If a scene feels uncomfortable in some way, it's probably more interesting than you can possibly imagine.
If It's Humiliating and Humbling it's Human!
Take care weirdos. X
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Thanks for your attention - stay playful people.
Tom
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