Actors create the illusion of believable characters through imaginative dramatization.

Throughout American history, actors have worked in a variety of venues, including theater, film and television. Since the Second World War, most prominent actors have been known primarily for their film work, although many of them also perform in theater, television and advertising (in descending degree of “legitimacy,” if not remuneration).

Famous actors (“stars”) have a powerful cultural influence since they reflect and structure our ideals, particularly with respect to aspects of social identity including race, class, gender, sexuality, ethnicity and religion. Because these “ideals” are often manufactured according to Eurocentric values, many actors from marginalized groups have been excluded from this vision.

In the postwar period, acting in America has been greatly influenced by the theories of Konstantin Stanislavski (1863–1938), a Russian actor, producer and theorist. In 1948, Lee Strasberg started the Actors Studio in New York, basing his approach on Stanislavski’s theories. This approach, known as “method acting,” stresses emotional truth and internal transformation (i.e. “living the part”). Prior to Stanislavski’s work, many actors were primarily concerned with external signs of characterization (gesture, expression, costuming, vocal tone, etc.). Stanislavski didn’t discount the importance of these elements, but emphasized that most great acting can be linked to a “creative state of mind,” which promotes organic and convincing performances. American acting teachers such as Lee Strasberg and Stella Adler have carried awareness of this “method acting” style throughout the United States.

One of the first American actors to become known for “method acting” was Marlon Brando in On the Waterfront (1954). Until this time, American acting had been characterized by a more mannered style, particularly during the silent film era defined by such stars as Mary Pickford, Lillian Gish, Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton and Louise Brooks. With the rise of “talkies” in 1927, acting styles became less histrionic, but still mannered in comparison with “method acting,” which took hold in the postwar era.

Notable stars in the 1930s and 1940s included Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn, Spencer Tracy, Ingrid Bergman, James Stewart, Judy Garland, Clark Gable, Vivien Leigh, Orson Welles, Bette Davis, Gary Cooper, Hattie McDaniel, Henry Fonda, Joan Crawford, John Wayne, Carole Lombard, Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall. After the emergence of method acting, acting styles in America generally became less formal and more subtle—a shift often explained by the increasing prevalence of the cinema (associated with the close scrutiny of the camera) and the declining popularity of live theater. “Method acting” has remained popular into the twenty-first century though each decade is characterized by varying styles and personalities.

After the Second World War, many of the actors working during the 1930s and early 1940s continued to be active in the Hollywood studio system, which dominated American film-making for most of the twentieth century. After 1945, however, there was a move towards realism in American film-making that dovetailed nicely with Stanislavski’s emphasis on natural, organic acting styles. Until the 1950s, however, this new realism was mostly characterized by grittier themes (such as in film noir), as opposed to different acting styles. Actors like Rita Hayworth, Robert Mitchum, Lana Turner, Kirk Douglas, Barbara Stanwyck and Fred MacMurray (as well as a number of those mentioned above) became stars. By the 1950s, television began to absorb many of the audiences usually reserved for the movies, creating a new venue for aspiring actors, and encouraging directors to experiment artistically. At around this time, the “method acting” described by Stanislavski began to be incorporated into the Hollywood tradition more fully, although the light entertainment typical of the Hollywood tradition continued.

New stars like James Dean, Grace Kelly, Montgomery Clift, Doris Day, Harry Belafonte, Rock Hudson, Elizabeth Taylor, Jack Lemmon, Sidney Poitier, Audrey Hepburn and Paul Newman began to appear, and comic actor Marilyn Monroe became famous as a blonde sex symbol and icon of an era.

By the 1960s and 1970s, Hollywood clearly felt the squeeze created by the new competition on the small screen. The volatile political climate at this time, characterized by the Vietnam War, the Civil Rights movement and the women’s liberation movement, also influenced creative expression during this period, and “method acting” firmly took hold as increasing numbers of actors were offered challenging dramatic or comedic roles. A new generation of “serious actors” (or actor/comedians) emerged, including Jane Fonda, Peter Fonda, Dustin Hoffman, Diane Keaton, Jack Nicholson, Robert De Niro, Anne Bancroft, Warren Beatty, Woody Allen, James Earl Jones, Mia Farrow, Jodie Foster, Michael Douglas, Susan Sarandon, Al Pacino, Clint Eastwood, Cicily Tyson, Jon Voight, Shirley Maclaine and Robert Redford.

In the late 1970s and 1980s, Hollywood started to move away from dramas towards blockbusters. In these films, the main stars were often the special effects, yet many actors of this generation took their craft quite seriously and studied “method acting”— sometimes for years before they began acting professionally. As the directors of this period became known as the “film school generation,” the actors of this period might also be known as the “acting school generation.” This generation included such actors as Meryl Streep, Jessica Lange, Richard Dreyfuss, Laurence Fishburne, Glenn Close, Jason Scott Lee, William Hurt, Angela Bassett, Tom Hanks, Denzel Washington, Kathy Bates, Kevin Kline and Morgan Freeman.

Nearing the 1990s, independent films began to emerge in opposition to the Hollywood scene. Bolstered by the Sundance Institute founded by Robert Redford and the Independent Feature Project in New York, the “Independents” challenged the blockbuster ethic, which was increasingly prevalent in Hollywood. Actors such as Parker Posey, John Turtorro, Adrienne Shelley, Frances McDormand and Ed Burns strove to create offbeat characters imbued with a real sense of individuality.