ACTING CLASS 101: WATCHING MOVIES FOR EXAMPLES OF NATURAL ACTING “Lioness”

An on-going study of actor’s work: Learn from the legends in these must see scenes

My thoughts

I’ve been a big fan of Taylor Sheridan since Yellowstone first came out during the initial Covid outbreak. It’s been a while since a writer has emerged that has a relatable perspective on human interactions, women’s thought processes & a firm understanding of the everyday man and woman’s struggles that is expressed thoroughly and correctly in all of the characters on the screen.

We all love the Beth & Rip characters, not just because they say and do the things we all wish we could get away with, but because there is a depth to them that comes from introspection we can all relate to. There are nuggets of wisdom in every episode, but it’s not shoved in your face. The actors he chooses deliver these moments subtly, which is a theme that is consistent across all of the shows/movies he’s written.

I started watching “Lioness” on Amazon prime recently since “Mayor of Kingstown” hasn’t aired any new episodes. If you’re a Zoe Saldana, Nicole Kidman fan, you’ll really appreciate their performances.

Lioness:

S1E5: Truth is the Shrewdest Lie

Paramount

Scene 1

Joe speaks to daughter Kate @ hospital

Zoe Saldana/Hanna Lanier

Time code: 6:48-12:26

The honesty and natural delivery here screams true emotion and connection. Zoe went where the core of her characters emotions derive from and then dug up her own truths and committed to feel the pain through the *safety of her character Joe. The phrasing and timing of her delivery throughout the scene was so honest and real that it made up for the awkwardness that was Hanna’s delivery. She seems like a young actress who is still coming into her talent, but she was in very good hands with Zeoe & Nicole.

Scene 2

Time code: 14:27-15:12

Joe speaks to Kaitlen

Zoe Saldana & Nicole Kidman

Nicole Kidman loses her natural Australian accent for an English one, BUT she also slows down her delivery pacing AND lowers her voice quite a bit. She has multiple scenes where she gets angry and IT IS POWERFUL when she does. SUCH a great approach to making her be the powerful woman this character is supposed to be. Sometimes when people have to take on an accent you can find places where they lose it for a moment. I tried, but there were NONE. She was THAT in the moment. Interesting that this is the first time that I realized that Zoe has an accent as well. I think the fact that they both maintained their dialogue delivery in the lower register helped to be able to focus on them completely in every moment. This is a powerful show.

Scene 3

Time Code: 18:42-19:37

Meeting with the boss

Zoe Saldana, Nicole Kidman, Michael Kelly, Thad Luckinbill

This is such a great scene for all of the characters. The tension in the room is obvious for obvious reasons. Each character plays off of the other so well. The hierarchy is evident and you can appreciate each person’s position because the actor’s performances substantiate them. This isn’t one of those shows where you kind of want a power play. Taylor’s masterful design of each event, and dialogue weave the inevitable ending together so well it all makes perfect sense. This is a very cool scene to do in acting class for the right students.

Anyone looking for strong female lead roles will love this show.