5 Clichés About Acting You Should Avoid

By: TMA Team | April 3, 2023 4:00 PM

Aren't we all tired of certain actor clichés or cliches in films that have been overused to the point we start hating them? With tons of clichés in acting, the art loses its natural expression. Some acting clichés might have worked well with the audience to create suspense or thrills before, but seeing them over and over again, they will likely lose all sympathy for your character and roll their eyes. 

Our list of top five actor clichés discusses some done-to-death acting sequences. You can easily find some examples of actors pulling it well. However, if you want to pique the interest of your audience and take your acting game to the next level, you should move past these clichés. 

Top 5 Clichés About Acting You Should Avoid 

After all, an actor's job is to bring the writer's imaginary world and characters to life. So it all boils down to how effortlessly an actor pulls his role. Here are some acting clichés which you can avoid:

1. Making simple tasks look extremely difficult:

Ever experienced those awful commercials or scenes where actors have a difficult time around not-so-difficult tasks? Well, you must have seen those actors trying hard to scrub those dirty dishes. Unfortunately, these silly sequences are prevalent not only in commercials but also on stage shows, Television shows, and films. Untangling a Christmas light or fixing regular repair work isn't as tricky as they portray and ride high on frustration. 

If you want to bring an element of reality and make your action relatable, don't make a task look difficult, which is relatively easy in real-life. Don't try making a simple task like starting a car almost impossible to do because, honestly, it ends up like a frustrating clown act!

2. Looking good all the time:

Another acting cliché that we all have come across in almost every TV show, film, and even commercial has to be looking drop-dead gorgeous almost all the time. Do you wake up in the morning looking like Angelina Jolie when she wakes up in the movies? Obviously not! There are certain shows where actors and actresses wear make-up while on the hospital bed. I bet no one is dying with perfect makeup on. A little messy hair, flushed cheeks, or minimal make-up during sleeping or hospital scenes would make things more real.

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Wouldn't it be great if actors, make-up artists, and directors worked closely together on small details that significantly impact the screen? 

3. Pacing:

We all deal with anxiety issues or restlessness. But do you remember the last time you were pacing around your desk? As a viewer, it gets incredibly irritating and mediocre to look at an actor aimlessly going to and fro for no good reason. 

Pacing is a common on-screen trope used to convey restlessness and encourage movement on the screen. It's no wonder it's most frequently used in drama serials with a lot of formal and exposition-heavy language. Figure out what's driving your character restless, then figure out what they are trying to do - or escape from - and perform whatever the character would do in that particular situation. It could also be something besides pacing, something more realistic. For instance, you could sigh or roll your eyes or do any other action which reflects your state of mind rather than simply your director or writer's instruction. 

Read More: An Introducing To Acting

Making a film, TV series or stage show is a collaboration of numerous creative minds. If anything feels unreal to you, ask or propose a better idea. Anything that feels unreal to you translates unreal to the screen and your audience. Hence, your input in terms of acting is essential. 

4. Pauses:

Pauses are beneficial in dialogue, particularly in a dramatic conversation. How so? Firstly, there is a certain amount of reality in not completely expressing your thoughts or ideas. Real speech is jagged, with bends, stutters, hesitations, tone, and rhythm. Secondly, you can exploit these pauses to create a mood or express an emotion. The audience knows the emotional significance of a character's dilemma when they struggle to say something. Finally, pauses make the immense potential for intriguing exposition and interesting plot engagement. One break at a compelling juncture can enhance realism, transmit emotion, and fully engage the audience. However, five pauses in a single conversation or a scene seem like an unnecessary melodrama.

Besides this, there are times when pauses don't give a natural feel. Because sometimes, you are not the kind of character who would struggle with revealing something or completing a dialogue in a single go. Forced emotions or pauses under certain circumstances feel unbelievable. 

Here your audience won't empathize but would probably be busy rolling their eyes. You don't want your audience to begin losing interest and end up saying, "uhh, these people can't end up in one scene". 

5. Ignoring your surroundings : 

Suppose you are walking in the bustling streets of your town or stuffed in a crowded corridor, you would probably avoid having intimate conversations out loud. It is almost impossible to understand why actors still perform a scene in a crowded place and ignore the hundreds of passersby around you. You don't shout at the top of your lungs, "Oh, I am pregnant" amidst a crowd, right?

Your environment plays a vital role in modifying your behavior. In public spaces, you do and express things differently. It's our responsibility as actors to represent the reality of these diverse fictional settings by immersing ourselves in them and allowing them to lead us. Be present in the moment, and use your improv abilities and your awareness to react in some way–as if you were a natural person.

Key takeaways:

If you want to intensify your acting game, challenge these acting tropes and throw these clichés to rise beyond mediocrity. Give your best shot to bring life to a scene by keeping it real. Take a deeper dive into the settings and put your heart and soul into your acting sequence. That's how you help your directors create the best craft and become great actors.

What are some other acting cliches you can think of? Drop your comments below! For more articles like this follow The Modern Actor blog and check out our latest product here.

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