A qualitative study into the psychological effects of acting work among Australian-based actors

Acting practices can leave actors with unresolved emotions that may impact their daily life. The current study aims to describe how actors practice their craft, and how these practices are perceived in relation to their psychosocial wellbeing within and outside of performances.

Seven Australian-based actors (age range = 22-60 years) were interviewed. Using a qualitative study design adopting an experiential and predominantly inductive approach, reflexive thematic analysis was conducted to analyse the interview data.

Three themes were derived from the data: preparation and development of character, transition into character, and letting go versus ongoing connection to the character. The overarching theme was the duality within the actor, which reflected how participants remained in control throughout the acting process despite sharing their body and mind with the character. This appeared to represent a kind of protection mechanism which guarded the actors from losing themselves within the character. Participants also described the necessity for both automatic and active character release strategies to accompany the use of duality and support their psychological wellbeing.

The findings present insights into the unique experiences and challenges faced by actors, providing a deeper understanding for practitioners supporting actor clients and presenting further research directions that may benefit this population.