The Body Remembers: Imagery, Physicality, and the Reality of Doing in Acting
Check out my Backstage Article: Ask An Acting Teacher: Are Great Actors Born or Made?
Actors often ask, “How do I access real emotion on stage or in front of the camera?” The answer doesn’t come from trying to feel. It comes from doing.
At the heart of great acting lies a truth: the root of all acting is the reality of doing. That’s what I teach, and it’s a cornerstone of the Meisner Technique. But how we do—and more importantly, how we inhabit what we’re doing—depends on more than willpower or forced emotion. It depends on physical life and the actor’s ability to live fully and truthfully within an imagined circumstance.
Your Body Knows Before You Do
An audience can spot a fake. They might not be able to tell you why, but they can feel it. It’s because the actor is “indicating”—intellectually presenting an idea rather than allowing something to genuinely happen.
Real behavior—organic, surprising behavior—emerges when the actor lets go of control and becomes fully engaged in a simple, meaningful action. But behind that simple action is often a deep well of preparation: particularization, emotional groundwork, and imaginative circumstances that feed the moment without needing to be displayed.
The Role of Imagination in Emotional Preparation
In our work, emotional preparation is not about digging up old wounds or reliving real-life trauma. That’s a misconception—and it’s one of the traps associated with emotional recall, a method often linked to Lee Strasberg.
Instead, we use the actor’s imagination—uncensored, personal, and alive. We craft imagined circumstances that stir the actor truthfully. These circumstances may be influenced by the actor’s past experiences and emotional wiring (after all, we’re human), but we never ask the actor to return to something painful or real unless it’s their personal choice and they’re comfortable with it.
We aim for freedom. Freedom to explore, to fantasize, to invent emotional realities that feel as if they are happening now. That immediacy is what brings life to the behavior—not the past, but the present imagination.
Proprioception vs. Interoception in the Actor’s Work
In my classes, I often talk about proprioception—your awareness of your body in space—and interoception—your awareness of internal sensations (heartbeat, breath, tension). Great actors train both.
Why? Because when you’re aware of your internal rhythm, you’re more tuned to impulse. When you’re aware of your body in space, you’re more connected to the moment. Together, they help you stay out of your head and inside the behavior.
A character who’s nervous doesn’t need to play nervous. They might fumble with their keys. Swallow hard. Rub a thumb against a ring. These are physical manifestations of inner life—small truths that speak volumes.
Channeling Emotions into Action
I believe that emotional life without purpose is indulgence. That’s why I teach my students to always channel their inner life into action. What are you fighting for in the scene? What do you want? What are you doing to get it?
If you’re working with a partner, are you trying to get them to stay? To confess? To forgive you? When your emotion fuels the action, and that action is rooted in truthful behavior, the performance becomes alive.
Actors Are Athletes of Emotion
You’ve heard this phrase before: “The body keeps the score.” In acting, the body also tells the story. If your training doesn’t include work on physical awareness, breath, impulse, and imagination, it’s incomplete.
That’s why in our classes, we don’t just sit in chairs and talk. We work. We move. We imagine. We repeat. We rehearse. We build habits of responsiveness, honesty, and craft.
Want to Go Deeper?
If this resonates with you, and you’re looking for a serious acting class in New York City that combines real emotional work with practical camera training, we may be a good fit.
We offer Meisner-based training adapted for today’s actor—on stage and on camera. If you’re interested, visit www.tedbardy.com or ACTNYC.com to learn more.