An actor’s job is to bring life to a character from a script. This includes memorizing the lines and understanding the plot. But that’s only half the work. An actor must also be able to search for deeper meaning and motivation within the script.

The term subtext refers to the underlying meaning of a text that isn’t stated outright. It’s often described as “reading between the lines.”

Subtext gives the reader valuable information about the character, the plot and the story’s overall context. Portions of dialogue can have a distinct hidden intent, and a project’s overall theme can have a broader underlying message.

Gaining a firm grasp of a character’s subtle, yet profound undercurrent and the significance of a storyline empowers actors to maintain a strong command over their performance.

Insights on Subtext in Acting

• Actors should analyze what their character is trying to hide and express those hidden feelings through body language and word choice.
• Actors need to investigate why their character conceals certain emotions or intentions to understand the character’s deeper motivations.
• Actors should practice identifying subtext in scripts and performances by reading thoroughly, collaborating with others, and using imagination to enrich their portrayal.

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What is the Character Trying to Hide?

Underneath the story is what the character hopes to keep private. Why are they speaking or behaving in such a cryptic manner? What a character conceals remains mysterious to others.

However, each character—no matter how hard they try to stay hidden, still reveals personal feelings, beliefs and intentions through body language, behavior and word choice. Maybe the character isn’t allowed to communicate these feelings due to a specific circumstance—say, a wife who edits herself because her mother-in-law is in the room. Or perhaps a man is personally motivated to conceal his love for his coworker out of fear of being rejected.

Investigate Why

Whatever the subtext, an actor needs to be a detective to discover all of the character’s layers. Why is this character, who is laughing on the outside, crying on the inside?

Characters find safety in sugarcoating their intentions; if they were totally honest, they’d be vulnerable to rejection, ridicule, scorn, disappointing others, hostility, punishment or violence. Or, they might keep things bottled up out of concern for others—not wanting to hurt their feelings, or not wanting to get them in trouble, for instance.

Look closely for what the character is hiding, and more importantly, why.

Examining Subtext Elevates an Actor’s Performance

Making an effort to dig for the subtext will significantly boost an actor’s performance. When actors take the time to understand the details and the true essence of the script, they can perform each scene with all the complexity it deserves. Such depth draws audiences into the performance.

Script analysis is a skill that may require numerous readings, as well as collaboration with others who are familiar with the material, such as the writer, director, producers and scene partners.

With exploration, actors can better grasp their dialogue and actions as they understand what their character, as well as other characters, are experiencing on a deeper level.

To gain insight into subtext, actors can watch television shows and movies to identify the subtext in each scene, as well as the project’s broader theme.

When given sides for an audition, they can do some detective work and see what kind of subtext they can discover between the lines. If the sides are too limited to determine the subtext, it’s time to use imagination to picture the scene with an interesting subtext. Doing so is sure to bring life to the performance.

When receiving a script, actors can use the margins to write what their character is thinking while speaking with others.

Final Takeaways

Understanding the deeper layers of a character is essential for any actor, especially those just starting out. It’s not enough to memorize lines; you must uncover the hidden emotions and motivations beneath the words. By paying attention to subtext, you can bring more truth and complexity to your performance.

• Look beyond the dialogue to discover what your character is trying to hide or avoid saying directly.
• Ask yourself why your character behaves or speaks the way they do in each scene.
• Use body language and tone to reveal what your character feels but doesn’t say aloud.
• Read your script multiple times and write notes about your character’s thoughts and intentions in the margins.
• Practice spotting subtext in movies and shows to train your ability to “read between the lines.”

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