Steve Brock Discusses his Acting career
Steve Brock wanted to be an actor most of his life. For this he would do plays in high school as well as musicals. “I fell in love, however, with acting when I played Alfred Doolittle in My Fair Lady. There was a moment when I was in that thing we call the moment.” says Steve. He continued, “I was there, watching my daughter slip away from me, too late to tell her that I loved her. I felt goosebumps. I knew at that moment I was an actor. Not that I wanted to be one, or study to be one, that I was one. And I never looked back. I’ve been in quite a few plays and musicals over time. I’ve also done a few student films and produced, written and directed a couple of my own, which I starred in.”
Did you study acting?
Yes. I’ve studied acting on and off during my adult life. I described the moment I was an actor in the last question, but I was drawn to it originally because I was uncomfortable in my own skin, so I thought I should try to play other people. I’m currently studying with Allen Levin at Lifebook Acting Academy in Studio City, CA. It’s ironic that the reason I wanted to become an actor is the exact opposite of what being an actor is. Playing the truth of a character has to come from within.
A part of you, often a large part, is always present when you’re performing on stage or on film. Studying acting is always important. Scene study, memorization, etc. is important. Also, though, studying life is important as well. Actors need to be able to pull from real life to portray real life on stage. One of my favorite acting exercises is going to the park and observing, absorbing real life. Actors study acting even when they’re not in the classrooms.
What acting technique do you use?
It’s a variation of Meisner. However, I’m not always tied down to pure Meisner either. One technique I use during rehearsal of scenes in class is what I call the pendulum technique. If I feel like the character is getting stale, I take the behavior over to the other extreme of what I’m currently doing. (Shy vs. Confident, etc.). It is something I learned when studying other religions than my own. It’s basically a variation of a Buddhist principal. I believe that if you don’t swing the pendulum to both extremes how do you know where the center is.
What wrong impressions do actors hold about acting?
I’ve come to believe that some actors believe that they need the role when they audition. I now know through studying with Allen that the part needs the actor, not the other way around. If you don’t get cast, move on. Another thing I’ve learned through study is how important subtext and outside life is when portraying a character.
Not every moment needs to be filled with words. So much can be said in the silence. In real life, we have things to do while we’re talking to someone else. If you’re just “eyeball acting” it comes off as false. Another thing I’ve learned is how important it is to be open to change in a scene. Steal from your fellow actors.
Do you take courses to improve your craft?
I take classes in acting, production, directing, and writing to improve myself as a person in the industry. I’ve found that it is important to me to have a wide knowledge of everyone’s job on set so that I can do my job better.
What acting books do you read?
Acting Class: Take a Seat by Milton Katselas, Acting in Film: An Actors Take on Movie Making by Michael Caine, Audition by Michael Shurtleff
How do you keep fit as an actor?
I go to the gym, although I should go much more than I should. I walk 3-5 miles a day. I also watch TV and movies, almost as homework, and I spend time with my friends. Lifebook Acting Academy has set up a strong community of actors, so I hang out with them a lot. We try to avoid talking about acting when we’re just trying to have fun.
When you’re offered a role, what do you do next?
I do my research on the character. I read the script several times. I rehearse until I think I’m done and then I rehearse more. You can never prepare too much. However, once I’m on set, all that preparation can’t really be used. Knowing the history of your character is nice, but that’s in the past for that character. You live in the now.
How do you take a character in a script to an honest, believable and breathing person?
I take a look at what I can bring to the character from my own life. I have to personalize the other characters, making them living and breathing to my character. Outside life intrigue me, such as checking my cell phone or actively reading a book, for example, to be living in the space that I’m performing in. I allow my actor brain to sit side by side with the character. I liken it to how we all live anyway. We all have an inner dialogue as we go through life day to day. So should your character. Also, sometimes a clear physical state can help. That’s why I find it so freeing to play drunk or high.
How do you stay fresh on set
Acting is always fun for me. However, sometimes it’s best to step out of character and back in to keep it fresh. Plus you run the risk of “method”ing your way out of having a life off of set. Stay hydrated. Stay cool if you can.
Explain one creative choice you took on set
During a redirect of a monologue, I’ll be performing in a play coming up this winter, my director asked me to try laughing at the beginning of the monologue. It had a very painful ending and he felt that the switch to the other extreme would be more powerful. I can laugh pretty well on command, so I tried it. By the turn in the middle of the monologue, I started to cry. By the end of it, I almost couldn’t stop crying.