A real actor should act in such a way that his smile causes joy in the audience, and his tears make him cry. But, whatever one may say, it is much easier to make an artist laugh than to upset him so much that he cries bitterly. Every self-respecting movie star has their own recipe for bitter tears. We decided to tell the audience about how actors cry for the camera: about special acting techniques on stage and in the cinema.
Perhaps, the first movie tears appeared on the screens, as strange as it might sound, in comedies. In black and white silent cinema, special devices were used with the help of which grotesque tears flowed from the eyes of the actors. These same artificial tears are still sometimes used in circus performances. But in acting life, everything is not so simple, and a true artist needs to make the viewer believe in emotions and empathize with them. Any aspiring actor takes special courses and learns techniques for controlling their emotions. Newcomers are interested in how to cry on purpose, and more venerable artists are ready to go to their rescue. For example, the actor of the series "Kitchen" Sergei Marachkin even wrote an article on how to make tears flow. He identified the following methods:
- Sad memories;
- Bringing to automatism;
- Living the character's emotions;
- Look at one point.
Especially for completely emotionless persons, even a pencil for tears has been developed, which we will talk about in more detail in our review.
The acting techniques of artificial tears can be divided into several types:
- The easiest way, according to many actors, is long eye training in front of a mirror. You just need to not blink. At some point, the lacrimal canals give up under the onslaught and begin to involuntarily release tears. They say that the defense mechanism will work earlier if in the process sway from side to side - tense eyes will be slightly blown by the breeze, and soon the desired effect will be achieved.
- Nothing can help an actor try to cry like his own heart. The psychological technique says - if you wind yourself up for a long time, remembering the most difficult moments in your life, sooner or later tears will come to your eyes. But some actors argue that this method is not particularly effective, because it all depends on the nature of the character - if someone begins to feel sorry for himself, remembering from pain, then someone instead, on the contrary, will get angry, which means that neither hysteria nor quiet crying can be expected worth it.
- As sad as it may sound, some stars are ready to cry on command. A certain gesture or word makes them cry. Like a machine, they "turn on" and "turn off" for the desired emotion, including crying.
- There are also mechanical methods such as a bow or "tear pencil". The second option looks like an ordinary lipstick, but it is not used at all for beauty. It contains menthol, which, when applied to the lower eyelid, causes completely natural tears.
- They say that real acting professionalism is not at all a specific technique, but the ability to get used to your hero so much that you experience his emotions. As a result, viewers see real tears, because the actor chosen by the director was able to live the life of the character, and not play it.
Journalists often ask actors how to learn to cry on camera. We decided to collect the brightest answers of the stars to this question:
Nikita Mikhalkov ("Cruel Romance", "I Walk Through Moscow"). The famous director and actor, who celebrated his 75th birthday in the fall of 2020, claims that if you consider yourself an artist, you must know that you need to cause tears by controlling your own diaphragm. Mikhalkov demonstrated his skill in the show of Ivan Urgant, where he instantly showed his ability to cry, when needed, in action.
Bryce Dallas Howard
- "Black Mirror", "Servant", "Pay"
A Hollywood actress was once asked to cry on the air on a popular TV show. She was not at all confused, but only asked to talk to her for a while, about anything. As the host told her a fictional story about a trip to a hardware store, Howard burst into tears. Later, she admitted that she achieved such success thanks to the fact that while the presenter spoke, she raised the soft palate. Bryce noted that using this technique requires drinking plenty of water.
Jamie Blackley
- "Dregs", "Borgia"
The relatively young actor is already quite experienced in matters of expressing emotions on camera. Jamie's method of causing tears should not be used by those who cannot boast of excellent health. The fact is that Blackley makes an effort to make the blood flow to his head, and after that, in his opinion, the crying process is much easier. Also, Jamie sometimes imagines a lonely abandoned puppy on the street and begins to sob from this.
Amy Adams
- Sharp Objects, Catch Me If You Can
The actress believes that no technique can replace simple human psychology. Once the daughter of the actress told her a terrible story for Amy - because of complaints from people living in the neighborhood, the plant that produced Adams' favorite sauce had to be closed. The actress was so upset that she even burst into tears. Now in any incomprehensible situation when she needs to cry, she remembers the words of her daughter.
Shirley Temple
- "Little Princess", "Poor Little Rich Girl"
As you know, Shirley acted in films from early childhood. She shared with reporters in one of her interviews that she and her mother went to a quiet corner of the set and tuned in. Within minutes, Temple was able to shed real tears.
Anna Faris
- Lost in Translation, Brokeback Mountain
The Scary Movie star admitted that in life she is not a crybaby at all, and under no circumstances can she cry on camera and on order. She is saved only by a special tear spray. The product contains menthol and, when sprayed, irritates the tear ducts.
Daniel Kaluuya
- "Black Mirror", "Doctor Who"
The actor believes that it is not difficult to cry on the set. According to Daniel, it's enough just to have a kind heart and be able to feel the emotions of your character. If you really put yourself in the place of the hero in the situation with him, then you will really cry.
Daniel Radcliffe
- "Notes of a Young Doctor", "Kill Your Loved Ones"
The young actor does not hide from his fans that he learned to cry in front of the camera, thanks to the advice of a more experienced mentor. Once the great and beautiful Gary Oldman told young Daniel: "Do not be afraid to use your personal experiences - think about some sad moment in your life, and tears will pour themselves."
Jennifer Lawrence
- The Hunger Games, My Boyfriend Is Crazy
Lawrence uses two opposite methods in order to evoke tears on order - she either imagines herself in mourning and cries for the deceased, or does not blink for a long time, causing crying mechanically.
Will Smith
- "I Am Legend", "Men in Black"
Will Smith, like Daniel Radcliffe, was helped by a more experienced actor. During the filming of The Prince of Beverly Hills, he needed to cry in one of the scenes, James Avery came up to him and said: “You have such an acting potential, but I won't accept you if you don't express yourself fully.” Smith did not want to disappoint his advisor and burst into tears with complete sincerity.
Winona Ryder
- Edward Scissorhands, Dracula. Winona Ryder doesn't like to remember filming "Dracula"
The fact is that the director Francis Ford Coppola brought the girl to a real hysteria so that her tears were natural. Sometimes a rough directorial approach works better than mechanical methods. As a result, Ryder cried out of her heart on the set.
Meryl Streep
- "The Bridges of Madison County", "Little Women"
Meryl is considered one of the most talented actresses of our time. When she needs to cry, she thinks about the fact that millions of viewers will watch her, and she should not let them down. The actress believes that laughing when sad and crying when fun is her greatest acting gift.
