Personal Relationships: Connecting on an Emotional Level with Television Characters

I could not help but notice that while watching certain television series, I could easily apply and relate them to my everyday life. Asking others around me watching these show replied with the same answer. They too were able to identify in one way or another how what they see on television shows can in some form relate to what they are experiencing in life, or have recently experienced. I then was able to come to the conclusion that the television shows that seem to succeed tremendously are the ones that relate their episodes with pop culture, current issues and the society within our nation. This, I thought, could really help in making decisions on what offers to take and what roles to play in the film world. If an actor truly wants to be noticed and recognized, and launch his career, the best route to take would be to choose roles that apply to the popular cultural problems and conflicts of today. I found two great posts from FlowTV that I thought would help prove this point, and I took the time to comment back on both. The first post elaborates on parasocial relationships with reality television, while the second post is based on two new television series and how it directly relates to what Generation Y is going through. Below are the comments I made on each post.

The Lure of American Idol Explained:
Comment:
Your article defines why it is that so many shows get the attention they do, and not just with reality television, but with television series as well. I live with someone who watches the comedic television series of Friends religiously. He would often mention to me how he would find himself almost in the exact emotional state as his favorite character on the show, because to see this person struggle endowed him with pain and remorse as well. This directly relates to what you said to be how “people become so emotionally connected to the “characters” (fictional or real) that they feel like friends or neighbors. As a result, they tune in to their program to “check in” with their “friends” and see what is going on in their lives.” Furthermore, him and I would often begin to talk about which character is our favorite and why. We both found that we chose our favorite according to how we can relate to them on a personal level, or as you termed it, a “parasocial relationship.” I am heavily involved with theatre and film and have never come across this term before, and it really does explain a lot as to why certain shows capture such a heaping amount of attention. The article has also contributed to how I will choose the roles I play in the future. It would appear to be the wisest decision to play a character that society can relate to, or has related to in the past, since they, as an audience, want to emotionally connect to the person behind the camera or on the stage.

A Tale of Two Slackers
Comment:
Your article mainly talks about how Chuck relates to NBC directly. But on a different level, I do believe that Chuck can also relate to the Generation Y as a whole. In one instance you explained that “the audience knows that Chuck’s failure to grow up is a result of his past heartbreak and not his capabilities or even his desires. He longs for meaning.” This is what everyone longs for, and because of this, the audience wants to connect with Chuck and see if he can obtain this super-objective in his life. Many young people today are beginning to rebel, slack off, and find different ways to live their lives outside of the work force. The articles also states “Sean Spencer, the titular character, is happy embracing a life that involves avoidance of any hint of adult responsibility.” Perhaps this is why many people are viewing shows such as Psych and Chuck. I myself am interested in television shows that display characters that I can directly relate to in my everyday life. If not that, than I find myself watching shows that display people living experiences and dealing with problems that I have dealt with in the past. Even though these shows are very fictional, and do not happen in life as we see them on the screen, the actions and decisions that the characters make can help open our eyes and help the audience become aware of different moral and ethical decisions. What can keep entertainment businesses such as NBC and USA on their feet is providing shows that have characters that the audience can connect to on an emotional level due to the similarity of both the audiences and characters daily lives and daily struggles.

Genuine: What All Performers Must Be

Joe Hacker, my Performance for Camera professor at the University of Southern California gave a lecture this week on the pay off of being genuine. Throughout my entire life as an actress, I have often wondered what it is about certain actors that make them stand out and rise above everyone else in the entertainment industry. Why is it that whenever someone mentions the word “actor”, there is a select few that immediately pop into mind? Most of all, how on earth can an aspiring actor reach that peak level? These questions were answered with that one simple word: Genuine.

When describing what it means to be genuine, Hacker says “to be genuine is to be remembered.” When auditioning, the director does not want to see an actor trying to be someone he/she is not, “they want to see the person in real time doing real things.” It all comes down to truth. When the director asks the auditioner how they are today, it is never a good idea to say “good.” They hear that two hundred times a day, every day. They’ll forget that audition in a second. But rather, “communicate [the] emotional relationship to whatever [is being said],” and this can easily be done by actively communicating the emotional points of view expressed through the tone of voice and body language.

This is what makes an actor famous and remembered for years passed their death. These actors have owned their mistakes and have shared their true inner feelings with the camera, which has allowed the audience to see the actor and character for who they really are. A prime example would be the worldly known Ian McKellen, as shown to the right. At the age of 68, he still owns the camera by his genuine graces. OneNews just released an article based on Mckellen’s unforgettable appearance to the camera and how it has raked in an extremely large sum of money within the business. The article stated that “playing Gandalf [from Lord of the Rings] made McKellen, one of the English-speaking world's leading actors, an international box office star.” Ever since this debut, he has been asked back repeatedly by a countless number of directors around the globe begging his presence in their plays and films. McKellen later quoted in the article that “I became more of an actor because I could play before the cameras…it made for a big change in my life.” He has been asked back to play the role as Gandalf for the future making of The Hobbit, once he wraps up his world tour performance of King Lear at the end of this month.

Tom Hanks, as displayed on the left,is yet another actor that is constantly brought up upon discussing acting. His presence is clearly unforgettable and the way he transforms himself before the camera makes him all the more real and genuine. Age does not slow this man’s career down at all. All Headline News announced that he will be reoccurring in the Da Vinci Code’s prequel titled Angels and Demons, which “is set to begin filming in the beginning of 2008 for a December release.”

Of course there are a number of actors that undoubtedly appear in conversation when it comes to fine acting as Johnny Depp, Natalie Portman, and Dustin Hoffman are only a few. In order for an actor to be within that list of memorable names, he/she must first know how to audition. Upon auditioning, the main goal is to be remembered, and the only way to do this is to be genuine, and this comes by recognizing what is going on inside of the mind and sharing it with the camera. As Michael Caine, another world know actor once said, “the more you share with [the camera], the more it will take care of you.” This is what lead Ian McKellen and Tom Hanks to their success.