Counted among the top acting geniuses of the film world, Charlize Theron is exceptional when it comes to being in front of the camera. Her talent, versatility, and prowess prove that she is not to be reckoned with when it comes to acting. Despite the undeniable talent, The Old Guard star does not practice method acting.

In an interview, the renowned actress stated how she doesn’t feel comfortable practicing the technique. Her effort to method act in her movie opposite Keanu Reeves made her realize that she might never be as good or be able to maintain the act throughout the entirety of the shoot as her contemporaries.

Charlize Theron Would Never Do Method Acting Again

Charlize Theron in a still from the movie

Charlize Theron starred alongside Keanu Reeves in the $57 million movie, The Devil’s Advocate. Released in 1997, it was perhaps the only time she tried method acting on the insistence of the director who encouraged the cast to practice it throughout the shooting period.

However, the Mad Max star realized early on that she wasn’t made for the craft of method acting like her peers such as Christian Bale. She rather found the task daunting and exhausting and could only stay in character for 2-3 hours.
“My capacity is, you know, maybe two, three hours a day if that. And then I’m trying to keep the movie going and doing other things.”
Theron then added om how exhaustive the process was for her.
“I can’t do the Method thing. I did it once, for ‘Devil’s Advocate,’ and I was just exhausted. It was really hard to go to those deep, dark places because I was so tired. It was good for me to figure this out, and I am much better now at understanding and living and breathing in the moment with the character.”
While actors are often reprimanded for not being creative or innovative, Charlize Theron’s realization that she could not method act like her fellow actors, Christian Bale for instance, only proves how dedicated she is to her craft for she wants to keep her characters authentic and real.

Meanwhile, Christian Bale Says He Is Not A Method Actor

Christian Bale
Think of method acting and the one actor that would definitely come to our mind is Christian Bale. Known for extreme physical transformation for his role, the actor’s name is synonymous with the craft. Despite this, he is often quoted as claiming that he is not a method actor at all.

He even stated once that he doesn’t even know what method acting means nor does he know how to follow it. This revelation comes as a shock since for years many have associated the actor to be practicing method acting for his numerous roles, especially in the movie American Psycho.

The Devil’s Advocate can be streamed on HBO Max.

Source: LA Times