8 times actors weren't acting

It would not be wrong to say that an actor's talent is perhaps among the most important factors in bringing any project, be it film or television, to life. In fact, over the years, there have been many stars who played some of the most iconic scenes on screen, giving the impression that they weren't acting at all, owing to how real their responses appear.

While acting is a well-prepared game, there can be multiple approaches to the same. These vary from typical acting styles that most of Hollywood practices, which bind them to scripts, to a more open-ended approach that some big names in the industry, like Marlon Brando and Daniel Day-Lewis, have mastered.

However, among the most interesting of these is perhaps the times actors aren't really acting. Whether through clever direction, like evident in Birds, and surprising production elements or through their sheer will to get under the skin of the characters, like Diane Kruger in Inglorious Basterds, there are some prime examples of memorable scenes where the actors weren't acting.

Steve Carell in The 40-year-old Virgin, Susan Backlinie in Jaws, and six popular scenes where actors weren't acting

1) Shelley Duvall in The Shining

Duvall's acting in The Shining makes for a popular story that has been retold multiple times in Hollywood. While making perhaps the greatest horror masterpiece of all time, Stanley Kubrick allegedly pushed Shelley Duvall too far, reportedly negatively affecting the actress's well-being in the long run, in order to get what he wanted in the film.

In fact, Shelley Duvall was reportedly intentionally tormented and allegedly made to feel worthless by the director take after take to break her down emotionally, something that reflected perfectly in her character in The Shining. This method has since widely been a topic of great criticism.

2) Steve Carell in The 40-year-old Virgin

Steve Carell arguably delivered one of his biggest acting gems with The 40-year-old Virgin, but few can forget the extremely memorable chest waxing scene, that made audiences laugh and cringe in equal amounts.

During the shoot, Carell decided to actually wax his chest, in order to feel the pain, and combined it with his signature slapstick-infused acting. The final product is one celebrated as one of the most memorable moments in comedy.

3) The actors in The Blair Witch Project

A still from Blair Witch Project (Image via Haxan Films)

The Blair Witch Project had an excess of experimentation in every way possible. From its found footage treatment to its genuine depiction of dread and horror, the movie continues to be hailed as a gem in the found footage gem.

What makes The Blair Witch Project so real is that the actors weren't always acting. Instead, they were forced to improvise under tough conditions. This included not receiving food or proper directions and relying on cryptic clues to find their next course of action.

4) The kids in It

Many believe that the first It (2017) was so much better than its sequel for a variety of reasons, but none so prominent as the genuine fear in the kids. This is because production decided not to let the kids come face-to-face with the killer clown till the very end.

So, when the audiences are getting their first glimpse at the dreadful Pennywise, so are the kids. None of the fear that the audience gets to see on the screen is fake.

5) Susan Backlinie in Jaws

Jaws had an entire generation scared of water, and this was because of some very real fear that Steven Speilberg managed to create in his frames. This included the first shark attack on Susan Backlinie, who was not informed when the Shark attack would take place, thereby making it possible for filmmakers to capture her genuine reaction at the moment.

There were rumors that Susan Backlinie allegedly broke her ribs during the scene and hence gave such a compelling performance, but this is not true.

6) Diane Kruger in Inglorious Basterds

Quentin Tarantino, who fans believe barely does anything in half-measure, employed curious strategies to get his desired results in Inglorious Basterds. For instance, for the iconic exchange between Christoph Waltz and Diane Krueger, where the former choked the latter, Tarantino decided to go the extra mile and decided to actually choke Krueger.

Krueger agreed to the arrangement and delivered what turned out to be an absolute spectacle of a scene.

7) Martin Sheen in Apocalypse Now

A still from Apocalypse Now (Image via Paramount)

Apocalypse Now may be among the best recreations of war and its toll, but Martin Sheen was recreating very little. He was living through it.

The slow descent into madness experienced by Captain Willard, was reportedly akin to Martin Sheen's own state at the time, as he was suffering from alcohol abuse and living through a frenzy of emotions.

Sheen reportedly did most of the movie in a drunken state, like his character, and even delivered some very real moments, like smashing his head into the mirror. In fact, he did smash his head into the mirror and get injured.

8) Tippi Hedren in The Birds

A still from The Birds (Image via Universal)

Rounding the list off is a classic thriller from the master himself, The Birds. Alfred Hitchcock was renowned for his over-the-top techniques with actors, with some even drawing criticism for him later.

In Birds, not only did he manage to transform a remarkably ordinary species into something scary, but he also managed to extract genuine dread from actress Tippi Hedren. This was because Hitchcock actually unleashed flocks of birds on Hedren after telling her that it would be digitally recreated. This resulted in the very real confusion and fear viewers see on screen.

Which is your favorite moment of actors not acting? Let us know in the comment section below!

Edited by Susrita Das