Imagining the Method

Download or read book Imagining the Method written by Justin Owen Rawlins and published by University of Texas Press. This book was released on 2024-01-16 with total page 265 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "From James Dean to Jared Leto, only one acting style has entered the lexicon of the casual moviegoer: "Method acting." In this manuscript, Justin Rawlins offers the first reception-based analysis of acting, investigating how the concept of "the Method" entered popular film discourse and became part of the establishment of a "serious actor" brand--one reserved for white, male actors and yet associated with rebellion and marginalization. Drawing on extensive archival research, Rawlins traces the construction of mainstream understandings of Method acting, using well-known actors and Hollywood figures (e.g., Marlon Brando, Hedda Hopper, and James Dean) while also bringing forgotten names to the fore"--