2 


CREATING 
CHARACTERS 


it 


s incumbent upon me to 


create a human being that’s 
inside that story that has a 


ful 


| life.” 


—Samuel L. Jackson 


SIU) 


BCHAPTERS 








Create a Whole Person 
Start With Your Character’s Goal 


Analyze Your 


Character’s Relationships 
Make Thoughtful Choices 


Give the Audience 
Something to Latch Onto 


Creating a Relatable 
Character in Die Hard 


Don't Judge Your Characters 


MASTERCLASS 


CHAPTER REVIEW 


Acting is about having a series of goals. It’s about getting from 
point A to point C with no anticipation of what the outcome will 
be. Whenever Sam is on stage or on camera—even if it’s only for 
a few minutes—he makes sure his character’s goal is completely 
embodied. 


Source material is a great place to start when working on a new 
script or character, if it’s available. If there’s no source materi- 

al to draw from, it’s your job to create a full backstory for your 
character. A thorough biography must include life experiences and 
personality traits that will inform the way your character thinks, 
speaks, and behaves on stage or on screen. Begin deducing these 
biographical details by examining your character’s relationships 
with other characters in the script. Be sure not to discount any 
clues given to you in the actual text. 


TAKE IT FURTHER 





Sam believes you should never approach your characters with 
moral judgment. Who is the most detestable character you’ve 
ever seen in a filme Study that script as if you were preparing 
to play the role, asking yourself, “Why does this character do 
what they do? What elements of their past or personality have 
brought them to their present actions?” Challenge yourself 

to create a rich backstory for the character using clues in the 
script, such as their relationships and actions. This will 
ultimately give you empathy for the character and will allow 
you to view the world through their lens. 


SAMUEL L. JACKSON 5 


2 


CREATING 
CHARACTERS 


E ASSIGNMENTS 


MASTERCLASS 


It’s time for you to select a new audition piece. But before you 
pick a specific monologue, just choose a script you want to 
work with. Don’t pick your favorite movie or play — select a 
story unfamiliar to you. You’ll stretch your imagination and 
you won’t be influenced by the choices other actors have al- 
ready made. You'll work on breaking down this script and its 
characters throughout this class. Read the script several times 
over. Which character captures your attention? Zero in on 
them. Map out their goals, learn their relationships, and start 
thinking about a biography that could explain their present 
and future actions. Write down your discoveries. 


Sam finds creating biographies incredibly important when 
crafting a character. Try this method out by creating a biogra- 
phy of the character you know best: yourself. What life-events 
informed your morals and influenced your goals? What do you 
want, and how do you go about getting it? As you ruminate, do 
you find that you’re judging yourself? Write the first page of 
your own character biography. 


SAMUEL L. JACKSON 6 


NOTES 


















































MASTERCLASS 


SAMUEL L. JACKSON 


7