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Katharine Hepburn's Blunt Acting Advice for Jason Bateman
20 Jun
Summary
- Hepburn advised Bateman to stop acting and be real during a scene.
- Bateman recalled the advice on the Vulture's Good One podcast.
- The advice helped Bateman overcome a difficult crying scene.
Jason Bateman recently shared a memorable piece of acting advice he received from the legendary Katharine Hepburn. The 'Arrested Development' star recalled working with Hepburn on the 1994 TV movie 'This Can't Be Love,' where he played her driver. During a scene that required Bateman's character to cry, he struggled to produce tears on cue.
Hepburn, who co-starred with him in the film, stopped the take and directly advised Bateman to 'stop acting' and to simply embody the emotion rather than forcing it. Bateman found this direct feedback to be incredibly valuable.
He explained that once he stopped trying to manipulate the audience and focused on being raw and real, the emotion flowed naturally, and the scene was successfully completed. This lesson from Hepburn proved to be a turning point in his performance.
Bateman also discussed other great actors he admires, naming Daniel Day-Lewis as the greatest living actor. He further praised Christian Bale and Sam Rockwell, whom he is currently directing.
