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"Good" acting... Do we even know what that is?


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We all have opinions. The sad fact is that we've been served a load of mediocre at best acting on television and we all-too-often elevate the not-so-great.

 

What makes a "great" actor in your opinion? Specifically talking soaps.

 

What gains your mark as a great soap actor? Give examples of actors and specific reasons why, and hopefully not because the soap press told you they were great, but who moved you, how did you find and how do you define greatness for yourself and nobody else?

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If we're talking specifically about soaps then a few examples of good soap actors for me would be Sharon Case, Maura West and Katherine Kelly Lang.

They're alike in that they've frequently been asked to act out ridiculous storylines with repetitive and banal dialogue, yet they always give it their all and do their best to sell it. Frankly I don't know how they manage to get through their scenes sometimes without cracking up over the silliness they're made to endure.

They have also proven their ability to create chemistry with a multitude of different scene partners, both romantic, friendly and adversarial.

 

I wouldn't call any of them master thespians, and probably wouldn't go out of my way to catch any of them in anything else, but when it comes to soaps I know that I can always rely on them to give their all, which I think is a sign of respect for the audience.

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Good acting can be subjective.  It's easy to define bad acting, but good acting is harder to define.

 

For me, I don't like over the top acting (aka scene chewing) or stage acting.  I don't think it is bad acting, just not my cup of tea.  I prefer subtle acting where the less is more approach is utilized.  I also think being a comedic actor is more challenging than being a dramatic performer because you have to have a natural knack for saying lines that get you the biggest laughs.  A writer can write a great joke, but if an actor lacks comic timing then the joke falls flat.

 

Just my 2 cents.

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Generally, I don't differentiate between good actors on soaps or any other medium.  That being said, it seems that the soap press likes actors that give OTT performances (think Reva's "slut of Springfield" and most notably, Tom Pelphrey).  While I think the former's splash in the fountain at the Country Club was a watershed moment for the character, Zimmer's worst impulses were on display during parts of that scene.  

 

A good actor, for me, is someone that makes me feel what the character is going through.  A single, unexpected tear running down their cheeks when delivering a line, the expression on their face, their body language.  It all adds up to a good performance for me.  Subtlety goes a long way in my book.  Max Ehrich comes to mind during the Fenmore/Summer bullying storyline.  Beth Maitland is another example, just recently when speaking of Colleen at the Walnut Grove reunion.  She was emotional, but it didn't overwhelm her dialogue or the other characters in the scene.  

 

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Some performers off the top of my head that did great work often, and didn’t turn into ham it up or constant screaming to drive a point.  These are people that I feel were better than just soap acting.

 

Beverlee McKinsey

Maureen Garrett

Michael Zaslow

Finola Hughes

Genie Francis

Jane Elliot

Stuart Damon

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I agree. All of those ladies seem like good team players who endure for a reason.   I think being a good soap actor comes down to resilience in a lot of cases.  Being able to cry on demand doesn't hurt either. Most of the women who were the leads of their shows past and present had these qualities.  I can think of one who maybe doesn't right now, but she's still managed to endure forever.

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