Behind the Curtain: The Untold Psychological Toll on Actors After the Cameras Stop Rolling

Edun Precious

What happens when the camera stops rolling? Have we ever thought about the psychological repercussions a role has on its actors? This is the story behind the script, the mental, emotional, and physical crash actors experience after being so deeply immersed in a character. Walk with me as we unveil the untold experience of these characters and their mental hangovers.

The psychology of man can't easily distinguish between real trauma and performed trauma once an actor is fully immersed in a role. Actors often spend up to a year in intense rehearsals for productions, which frequently makes it difficult for them to detach from their characters. Imagine looking into the mirror and seeing two sides to yourself: the real you, and the character you have lived as. They have lived a life filled with emotions that are not their own, sharing the character’s pain, trauma, joy, and tears. This is where the character ends and the actor begins.

Viola Davis, acclaimed for her role as Annalise Keating in How to Get Away with Murder, a character defined by trauma and internal conflict has spoken openly about the emotional toll of such intense roles. “You can’t just walk away from that level of intensity and not feel something,” Davis said.

In an interview with Oladele Daniel, a passionate third-year student of Dramatic Arts, he shared his personal struggle with balancing his identity and the characters he portrays. “Finding oneself after living someone else’s life can be so overwhelming. As a student actor, it’s on me to get into character and then get over it myself. My director and audience will be pleased with the production, but I’m left to deal with the burden the character leaves on me. As much as I want to get over the character, I don’t want to forget the memories attached to it. It’s like living a double life. I know I have a life outside the role, which is the actual me. I have other productions to work on,” he said.

Regarding his current project, The Darker Face of Earth, a final year production scheduled for May 26, Daniel is set to play the role of Augustus, a Black American slave. To prepare, he has immersed himself in Black American movies, feeling what they felt and becoming emotionally attached to deliver an authentic performance. “I try to differentiate how Augustus would react to issues and how I would. I put myself in check so Augustus doesn’t stick to me forever. As much as those characters can be enlightening, I try to keep my actual self in place,” he said.

In telling stories and living the lives of their characters, actors take on their pain and tears. But how do they shake off a character’s trauma without leaving emotional scars behind when they have been so deeply emotionally contaminated? This is the story of the scene behind the scene where the character ends and the actor finds their identity all over again. When the curtain falls, the character is left alone on stage, while the actor begins the journey back to themselves.