The Year's Best Actors on How They Conjure Emotions on Cue

"The craft of acting demands direct access to feeling."

"But what does it take to perform specific emotions on cue often under fierce time pressure, before countless strangers, cloaked in wigs or accents or alien garb?"

"Whether the answers were methodical, mystic or comedic, one thing was clear: Emotions are a lot of work."

Ten standout actors from 2025's best films rely on varied approaches to summon specific emotions on cue. The work requires direct access to feeling, disciplined preparation, and adaptability to constraints like wigs, accents, costumes, and tight schedules. Strategies include methodical rehearsal, sensory recall, physical anchors, breath work, pacing, micro-rests between takes, and inventive rituals that range from mystical to comedic. Sustaining emotional truth across scenes and many takes demands collaboration with directors and technical crews as well as deliberate energy management. Generating authentic love, hatred, joy, or sorrow under pressure is labor-intensive and skillful.

Read at www.nytimes.com