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July 15, 2011

Myth #1: "It's all in the eyes.": Meet Your Eyebrows...

Continuing on the myth that it’s all in the eyes, I would like to introduce the eyebrows into the conversation. So often I hear people in the industry tell actors that if they want a successful on-camera career they better learn how to keep their eyebrows from moving.

Apparently, no one told these actors:

Shemar Moore


Thomas Gibson


Joe Mantegna


Ice T & B. D. Wong


James Todd Smith, a.k.a. LL Cool J


Donnie Wahlberg


Mariska Hargitay & Christopher Meloni


USAGE AND MEANING OF THE BROWS:

Eliminating the brow from your acting is like taking taking notes out of a musical scale. Yes you can still come up with a melody but you will be limited.

We use the eyebrows to communicate so much. They get drawn in and down when we are determined, concentrated, focused, confused or perplexed. They lift up and arch when we are surprised, questioning or doubting someone or something. The inner corners of the brow lift when we are feeling sad, helpless or longing for something. They lift up slightly and pull together when we are worried, concerned or apprehensive about something. We also use them when we are beginning to get angry or frightened. We even use them to say hello with.

Without saying a word, the brows by themselves, can communicate all of this. Why would you want to eliminate one of your greatest tools for non-verbal communication?

If you see yourself working as a detective on one of the crime dramas you may want to rethink how you use your brows.

5 comments:

  1. Oh, I have had someone tell me once to tone down the eyebrows. Made me think of Botox. After John's classes oh no, I need them. They say so much in the facial expressions! My eyebrows move and I get parts.

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  2. I know; the Botox ladies scare me...there's a post in the cue on them for later!

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  3. Great point John. I never even thought about it. Most of the time I'm trying to look too cute to try to move my eyebrows in unappealing ways. Forget it, my eyebrows can look like whatever as long as I'm making $$.

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  4. Most actors don't think about what their face is doing because we were taught not to worry about that the face will take care of itself if we come from the circumstances. This is the 3rd myth. It's our face that is on our headshot. It's our face that communicates what we feel and think. What happens with it is critical to us booking the job. I think we need to be concern about whether or not it's communicating what are intending it to communicate.

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  5. Yea, im so glad Im taking your class John it is another skill I shall master. Of course I need to tone down and be more aware of how the tone is set for the show. Im very express but I manage a lot so what im feeling and what im conveying is different at times. Trying to widen the eyes without moving my eyebrows is a bit difficult im sure in time I shall get it.

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I look forward to hearing your thoughts and questions.