8. STUDENT SESSION: MAKE IT YOUR OWN Dns CHAPTER REVIEW “You heard that was free- dom that you could come Sam encourages our student actors to take ownership of their characters. Remember that you aren’t bound by what other actors have done before you when portraying similar roles. You have cre- in here and be any ol’ per- ative freedom to take a one-dimensional character on the page of son that you wanted to be a script and bring them to life as a whole person. named Jules, you know, and do it. And that's what TAKE IT FURTHER you did.” —Samuel L. Jackson Read these tips on character building and think about what quality you can bring to your characters that extends beyond the obvious. ASSIGNMENTS MASTERCLASS Reimagine a character from a classic script (Shakespeare, for example). What if they were a different gender, a different nationality, and/or from a different background? Pick one, and create a backstory for that character from this new perspec- tive. Record yourself reading one of the character’s monologue from the script in a reimagined way. Try to clear your mind and start with an empty slate. Do your best not to imitate what other actors have done before you. Sam demonstrates for the student actors that they can play Jules as any person they want. Practice performing the mon- ologue you broke down in chapters 3 and 4 in different ways. Change the character’s goals, not just the inflections in their voice. The different versions of performance will come from changing the intention. Does the context of the monologue change if you act it differently? Do the stakes of the mono- logue change? Film your performances and share them in The Hub, then provide feedback to your classmates. SAMUEL L. JACKSON 19 NOTES MASTERCLASS SAMUEL L. JACKSON 20