Michael Caine filmed an acting masterclass in 1987 (Image: Getty)
Given that Michael Caine boasts two Best Supporting Actor Oscars (for 1986’s Hannah and Her Sisters and 1999’s The Cider House Rules) alongside numerous other awards and accolades, it is safe to say he knows a thing or two about his craft. In 1987 the star, who turns 93 on Saturday March 14, shared his knowledge in an acting masterclass which was filmed for the BBC and spawned a bestselling book and video release.
It gave an insight into his process as he took five young actors coached them through scenes from some of his hit movies including Alfie (1966), Deathtrap (1982) and Educating Rita (1983). Among the participants was a young Celia Imrie, who was around 25 at the time of filming. Even for those not “in the business” the class gives a fascinating insight into his process as he advised actors to “steal” the best gestures from other actors and make them their own to “invent themselves”. I recently rewatched it and nearly 40 years later here are 10 key takeaways about how he approaches his roles.
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Using a duck analogy, he advises to be “calm on the surface, but always paddling like the dickens underneath” explaining the majority of film acting is relaxation. If you are knocking yourself out trying, then you are doing it wrong.
2. The camera is your only audience
While film sets can get rather crowded, he said you must ignore everyone around you and focus simply on the camera. He says the camera is not your enemy; it is a loving entity that catches everything, allowing for immense subtlety.
3. Use one eye in close-ups
Michael claims you should always focus on one eye of your scene partner (usually the one closer to the camera) and stick with it when doing a close-up. It seemingly prevents your eyes from darting, which looks untruthful on screen.
It may sound like a warning from Doctor Who, but Michael said maintaining a steady, unwavering gaze creates a “steely,” intense presence, saying that excessive blinking makes an actor look weak.
Breaking it down to his most basic level, he said screen acting is mainly reacting and listening. He told the participants the audience should be able to see you processing the information, and not just waiting for your turn to talk.
Michael Caine has won two Best Supporting Actor Oscars (Image: Getty)
6. Don’t make yourself difficult to edit
This mainly applied to props but he explained if you have a prop or need to do an action such on screen then you need to plan it perfectly. Citing an example, he said if you pick something up in your right hand on a wide shot and your left on a close-up, you make the film impossible to edit and ruin continuity.
7. The “hard man” technique
Having played his fair share of “hard men” Michael shared his technique is about being impassive and controlling your expressions. Since a genuine smile is in the eyes, he advised smiling only with the lower half of your face to look tough.
While the idea of rehearsal is seemingly to practise when it comes to you on set rehearsal Michael said you should play it for real and it should be as precise as the final take.
While many people assume that turning on the waterworks gets you sympathy Michael says different. “If you fight the tears, the audience will cry for you,” he told the class.
10. The “nothing” principle
Also known as “internal thought”, Michael shared internal, unspoken thought is what actually constitutes strong film acting and recounted being told to sit and listen in a scene, thinking of wonderful things to say, but deciding not to say them to bring depth.