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There are countless stories\u2014some of them mythical at this point\u2014about actors who go the extra mile and stay in character. We think of Daniel Day-Lewis taking a musket to Thanksgiving, Nicholas Cage eating cockroaches. Forest Whitaker stayed in character during the filming of The Last King of Scotland, <\/em>even when he spoke to his wife on the phone. The question is: does it make you a better actor? If you\u2019re wondering if you should stay in character, read on.<\/p>\n To stay in character is to immerse yourself in a role. It can be hugely beneficial if the role requires significant physical transformation, such as costuming or make-up, and can positively affect your ability to maintain a vocal presence or accent. Staying in character can also help your performance emotionally and psychologically. It can place you in the mindset of a character whose means and methods might differ wildly from your own. However, staying in character doesn\u2019t guarantee a good performance\u2014particularly if it stands in for other acting work that hasn\u2019t been completed.<\/strong><\/p>\n The ability to stay in character is, like so many aspects of the craft, a tool. It can be learned, improved, it can be horribly misused. Like all tools, it may not be the right fit for the job you\u2019re doing, or the way you like to work. But it\u2019s a fascinating facet of acting, and as you read on through this article, you\u2019re bound to find something\u00a0<\/em>you can fold into your process for exciting results.<\/p>\n There are a number of reasons you might keep yourself immersed in a role. If a role is physically or vocally taxing, for example, you may find it best to maintain that aspect of your performance between takes so you don\u2019t need to \u2018find\u2019 it again. It could be a matter of energy. You may want to maintain the momentum of a performance on set as cameras reset and the flow of a scene is interrupted. Jack Nicholson\u2019s immersive method on The Shining\u00a0<\/em>is both a terrifying and effective example of this (see below.)<\/p>\n A lot of actors find themselves staying in character because it helps maintain the given circumstances<\/a> of a scene. These are the foundational\u00a0who<\/strong>, what<\/strong>, where<\/strong>, when<\/strong>, why<\/strong> and how<\/strong> questions that keep performers grounded. If these are challenging due to the nature of the script, or you\u2019re acting against a green screen asset standing in for the real person\/alien\/tsunami\/tentacle, it can be easier to find yourself in the circumstances and stay there.<\/p>\nWhy Stay in Character?<\/h2>\n