The Unconscious Actor®: Out of Control, In Full Command®

by Darryl Hickman

Providing a blueprint for mastering the mechanics of creativity®, this insightful resource explains in detail how to acquire and cultivate the necessary skills to obtain peak performances on stage and in life. Calling upon decades of experience from having worked on both sides of the camera, this study provides a behind-the-scenes glimpse of a child-actor’s life in Hollywood during the Golden Age of motion pictures while chronicling the development of two ground-breaking workshops for teaching dramatic art. A brief but comprehensive survey of the history of acting in the Western theater is also included.

Genres: Nonfiction

312 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 2007

Reviews

[charlotte ennen · Rating 4 out of 5]

i really like this approach to acting! i just wasn’t expecting to read his entire life story in so much depth and for him to only quote like three women in the whole book 💗 but i do like the acting part i think it slays

[Raquel · Rating 5 out of 5]

As the title and subtitle strongly conveys, Hickman’s book is a guide on becoming an “unconscious actor”. That is to say, how to tap into that reserve of instinct and emotion that will allow you to become an effective performer. How do you do this? By being simultaneously out of control and in full command. Those might sound like contradictory terms but with well plotted out instructions, explanations and insights Hickman makes the connection between the two clear.

“Acting in its purest form is an urge from deep in the human psyche to celebrate our aliveness, to act our dreams and fantasies in a public display of our most private selves.” – Darryl Hickman

If you're looking for Darryl Hickman's memoir, this isn't it but he does include a variety of anecdotes about his acting career and I was particularly interested in his work as a child actor. There is enough here to be interested even if you're not in training to become an actor.

Read my full review here: http://www.outofthepastblog.com/2016/...

[Karl · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating autobiography of Hickman who grew up on the Hollywood studio sound stages of the 1930s & 1940s. The secong half of the book is Hickman's exploration of the acting process through research and experience. The best book I have ever read about the process and techniques of acting.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some insights into the connection between spirituality and the art of acting.

[Liquidlasagna · Rating 3 out of 5]

The brother of Dobie Gillis....

the one secret to acting, never be nervous in an interview

[Klaas Duyck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best acting book period

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

#126 of 130 books pledged to read during 2023

[Jami · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent book about his acting philosophy. Wish there had been more memoir. No mention of Dwayne.