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Method acting is perhaps the most controversial form of acting style out there, with some people believing it is the only way to really do justice to a role, and others thinking you should be able to dip in and out of character with ease.

Hollywood actor Ethan Hawke shared his views on Method acting, which, for those who don’t know, is immersing oneself in their character for long periods of time, including the entire duration of the shoot.

Marlon Brando, Robert DeNiro, Daniel Day Lewis, and, more recently, Christian Bale are famous Method actors, but it is not a technique that everyone favours.

Hawke, who is most famous for his roles in Training Day, Before Sunrise, and Dead Poets Society, praised the discipline and determination of those who can adopt Method practices.

He told Indie Wire: “I know that ordinary effort creates ordinary results, and the longevity and genius of Daniel Day-Lewis’ career proves that there’s method to his madness.”

However, the 52-year-old added: “Personally, I think it’s crazy. But it works!”

Hawke stated those who tend to do Method acting have “exceptional brains”, so he does not judge or criticise their style of getting into a role, as it yields convincing results.

One of the most famous incidences of Method acting include De Niro making everyone refer to him as ‘Jake’ or ‘Champ’ in between takes when starring as Jake LaMotta in the movie, Raging Bull.

He went on to win an Oscar for the role at the 1981 Academy Awards.

For acting schools in Liverpool, take a look here.

Some people might have raised an eyebrow in surprise when Bradford won the race to become Britain’s City of Culture in 2025. But while outsiders may not think of the city in this way, that is probably because they haven’t looked at the map.

The fact is that since 1974 the city’s extended borders have taken in hitherto surrounding towns and villages, notably Haworth to the west. This, of course, is where the Bronte sisters lived, with the parsonage where their father was a church minister now being a museum.

An interest in classics of English literature like Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre may have passed some folk by in their school days, but that might have been changed by the film Emily, which recently hit cinema screens. 

The film is not a true biopic of Emily Bronte – the plot plays fast-and-loose with the events of her life – but it is a film that has been highly praised by many reviewers, such as Mark Kermode.

While he described it as having elements of a “fever dream” and a “fairy tale”, it also echoes the genre of costume dramas that have brought Jane Austen so many modern fans. At the same time, it does plenty to showcase the wild upland landscapes of Yorkshire.

If this does indeed reinvigorate an interest in the literature of the Brontes, some may wish to take adult acting classes in order to be involved in productions focused on them.

After all, we have already seen spin-offs from Wuthering Heights on stage and screen in the past (Who remembers Cliff Richard growing a beard to play the part of Heathcliffe?), so who knows what will be next now interest has been sparked?

Of course, this might only be a part of the City of Culture celebrations in 2025, when over 1,000 performances of all sorts will take place. But by highlighting the cultural heritage of the area, a renewed interest in the Brontes may inspire some to take to the stage and become an active part of Bradford’s year in the limelight. 

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