Shy! - Actors Forum is the Community to Talk, Learn and Study Acting.

Logophile · 08-04-2006, 07:23 PM

It's strange wanting to be an actress for me because I am so shy and self-conscious. But this is such a passion and dream. I think that if I could get into it and have some positive responses from people, I could really let go and not care so much about appearances! I can FEEL it in me to act, I truly can.

I am nervous about acting classes because I don't want to feel stupid in front of the other students, but I know that this is stupid. I need to get used to acting and exploring emotions around people.

I was just wondering if other people had this fear when they first started classes and if it's a big deal. Is making a fool of yourself just a normal thing in acting? What were your first experiences?

Thranduil · 08-05-2006, 02:10 AM

Ive heard about an Actor, whos Name is Robert de Niro. An Auditor named Michael Shurtleff, once spoke to him personally and said something like: "When i was talking to Robert privately he was reluctant and shy. Under this Circumstances no one would have assigned him. But then i saw him on Stage he was the absolute Opposite .. he arised and played wonderful.

My very first Experience in front of Audience was absolute "Nervousness" and even Fear. But at the same time, i could not await to step out - and to show what i worked so hard for. Between those People in the Audience, there were some of my best Friends who i knew for years, and the knew me very well too. Besides that, they were sceptical about my Acting - although they knew, that ive always been a very extraverted Guy. So i stood there shattering like **** minutes before i had to walk out. So i thought to myself, well if i cant control my Nervousness and Fear, ill avail it for my Role .. ill incorporate it into my Charakter and if it dont work, at least it will help me Concentrate. And thats what helped me .. Minutes after playing, my Nervoursness disappeared by itself.

cenobitehell · 08-05-2006, 05:16 AM

gosh im really shy in person too. but its different when you are acting

people say to me "isnt it difficult having a camera in your face" or "dont you get nervous"?

its not the same, because im not the same. its acting.... not real life!

Reel · 08-05-2006, 08:11 AM

Nerves come from over-caring. Simply, just not care. Well...care a little.

It works. Don't get yourself worked up, over something thats not needed.

cenobitehell · 08-05-2006, 08:21 AM

yeah ive noticed that. if you seem "not bothered", you relax more as appear more casual.

if you are nervous you seem gittery and shy and stammerish.

im usually more excited that nervous though. i have to breathe deep and try to calm down! lol

SWK78 · 08-06-2006, 10:05 PM

my nerves keep me on my toes. My first performance, my first entrance was when i had to come on stage and sing OFF-KEY! the audience laughed while my legs shook like rattling leaves. i felt like everyone could see me shaking, but if they did i didnt feel that. I felt the warmth of the laughter and it fed me, and even though i was still shaking through the whole thing [a bodily habit that i couldt 'shake' back then] i barely noticed as i had fun the rest of the 2hrs.

Its great fun! Now i twist my characters and play them enjoyably and with a slight twist. As no one in my town has notcied yet, I get my vibe off Johnny Depp, who is famed for playing characters unexpectedly.

SWK78

mad · 12-25-2006, 12:19 AM

I'm experiencing the same exact thing you are. I'm a pretty shy person, close to severely introverted, but there's something inside me that tells me I have to act, or at least try to learn. I heard somewhere that people who are the shyest tend to give the best performances, and here's my little theory on it (that Robert de Niro quote mentioned earlier kind of relates to this):

Shy people almost never get the chance to fully express themselves, so instead they tend to bottle it up because they're scared of other peoples' reactions;

Will they laugh?
Will they hate me for what I just said?
Did I say that right?

We tend to suppress those urges for self-expression, so I think we view acting as an outlet for all of that accumulated energy. We use that energy in the roles and characters that we take on, and all the while, subconsciously or not, we stop worrying about what other people might think because, if we look stupid, or dumb, or awkward, we can always just blame it on the character that we're playing. So that urge to express ourselves, after being suppressed for so long, is poured into our performances, giving it something passionate.

But that's just for me, anyway. I don't know if you feel the same way or not, but that's just how I think shyness creates a passion to act, to self-express. I think acting relies heavily on internal thinking and contemplation, and that's what shy people do best, from what I've read. Anyway, I'm glad there's someone out there that is in the same state of mind as I am, in terms of wanting to act. I've never taken an acting class (I'm planning on it though, just as soon as I get my schedule straightened out), but I'm pretty sure making a fool of yourself in front of a bunch of people is expected when it comes to acting; just to remember to blame it on the character you're playing.

Good luck to you!

Stephy · 01-04-2007, 12:26 PM

I'm shy too. I have to tell that I'm very shy to talk infront of my class mates, but I'm not afraid to talk infront of a hole school.

During drama classess I'm a bit shy, but when I performance all the shynes leave me. I esspress my feelings during acting, in one world I forget evrything and I conconrate on acting. It's not the first time that I go for rehealses very sad and then my mood is changed!!! Acting changed mt life.

Russjns · 01-05-2007, 10:37 AM

I find that I'm most nervous when I'm underprepared. If you do the homework, then you can invest yourself, entirely, in the scene. If you are "in the scene", putting your attention on the other actors, then you AREN'T thinking about yourself. You are only nervous when you are thinking about yourself.

As for feeling stupid in front of a class, you have to let go of that. Of all the places to feel stupid, the classroom is the ideal place. Actors NEED to fail. Only by doing something incredibly stupid and looking foolish can you learn what NOT to do when the cameras are rolling. The more you do that, the better you will get, and, in time, you will care less about what other people think, and more about how you are improving in your craft. Looking stupid is a good thing...it means you are putting yourself out there!

Stephy · 01-05-2007, 10:52 AM

I have a demonstration infront of the parents of my class. It it was an improvatition, i done quuiet well.