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.