In my one and only appearance in a play in college, I didn’t memorize my lines. So, I method acted my lines. Fortunately the one person with whom I acted wasn’t upset by me.
The director thought I was a talent. Maybe a Marlin Brando. That guy Brando was great. But, he became insufferable. You put up with him because of his greatness.
Brando’s performance in Apocalypse Now was amazing. But so were the performances of many others in that movie. The movie is one of the greatest movies ever made because of the collaboration of many as well as the story line and cinematography. The method actor risks upsetting the dynamic of a movie or other production.
Speaking only as a viewer, Daniel Day Lewis appeared to combine method acting well with interacting with others. Good for him. But, most directors would prefer that their performers know their lines.
Fun fact indeed! đźŽ
I should hope emotional truth/spontaneity AND having the lines down - aren’t mutually exclusive.
Daniel Day Lewis is Irish and trained at drama school in England. The Bristol Old Vic Theatre School to be exact. Classical training definitely prioritizes things like text, diction, voice — no toleration for Brando style American mumbling…
THAT being said, Marlon Brando totally held his own tackling Shakespeare as Mark Antony in Julius Caesar and puts to rest any notion that Americans aren’t as cut out for it as the Brits.
https://youtu.be/101sKhH-lMQ?si=BprigG4VGAUn95pZ