Chapter 9Character Development From an Actor’s Perspective
Most Screenplays Lack Depth of Character
Character descriptions in screenplays are inherently short, thumbnail suggestions of age, type, and perhaps a few personality characteristics, but that’s generally it. Screenwriters are tasked with trying to create memorable characters that exhibit specific behavior, and that are not cardboard cutouts or cookie cutter clichés. Good characters are unique and elicit behaviors that may be completely unexpected and, in turn, touch an audience in a way that is memorable. Scripts do not offer the narrative space for voluminous character descriptions and backstories, and as a result, actors and directors often feel disserved by writers with flimsy suggestions ...
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