Most people don’t think of “Netflix and chill” as a way to do their homework. However, most people aren’t actors who are devoted to their craft. You can binge-watch hundreds of series on Netflix. Some of the highlights are the original Netflix series, many of which feature actors showing off their chops in a unique way. Here’s what (and who) to watch if you’re an aspiring actor.

GLOW

As Ruth Wilder, Alison Brie goes beyond her usual girl-next-door role in this campy comedy-drama. Although she does play a naïve, doe-eyed actress, she delivers moments of darkness, loneliness and desperation. Brie really shines during a fantasy scene in which she is all-out fighting with her arch-nemesis Debbie, who is played by Betty Gilpin. The tiny actress becomes larger-than life in the wrestling ring.

In GLOW, Brie also shatters the image of the polished, uptight women that she typically portrays. In GLOW, Brie allows her rough edges to seep through her perfect smile. Her performance is so authentic that you can glimpse her inner fearlessness.

Gypsy

In this psychosexual drama, Naomi Watts plays Jean Holloway, a therapist who develops her own fascinations with the objects of her patients’ obsessions. A Meisner-trained actress, Watts authentically draws viewers into every moment on screen.

The camera often focuses on close-ups of Watts’ face, which reveals the expressions of a suburban housewife as easily as those of a fanatical lover and skillful liar. She seamlessly contrasts the brightest and darkest sides of her character in much the same way as she did in her breakout film, Mulholland Drive.

Orange Is The New Black

We couldn’t write an article about Netflix shows to study without mentioning OITNB. Like GLOW, the show’s characters are well-defined and rife with unexpected as well as predictable qualities. Playing these types of characters requires an ability to tap into a well of emotions.

The character who is confident on the outside often reveals her most vulnerable insecurities at the most inopportune moments. The strangest characters have the most relatable backstories. The most conventional characters have surprisingly eccentric qualities.

It takes skilled actors to effectively portray these personas. Their motivations must come off as realistic for the audience to bond with them. No matter how outlandish the storylines are, they resonate with the viewers because the actors access genuine emotions to express them.

The Office

Although Michael Scott, played by Steve Carell, is an extraordinary lead for this mockumentary-style comedy, the other actors support the comedy in genius fashion. Watch this series for a look into how to create a solid character.

This television show is about more than great writing. Each actor has developed specific mannerisms and quirks that represent his or her identity. While some of these traits are over the top, others are starkly subdued. Observe the way each actor develops his or her character alone, in contrast to and in conjunction with the other characters.

Stranger Things

If you want to be amazed by the proficiency of an ensemble of child actors, watch Stranger Things. Although the Netflix-original series deals with the more bizarre side of the supernatural, the superb acting makes the oddities seem relevant.

Even if Winona Ryder has irritated you in the past with her exaggerated portrayal of drama and despair, you’ll buy her interpretation of a worried mother agonizing over the disappearance of her son. Her agitation contrasts well with the more even-keeled nature of the children.

It’s interesting to watch these young actors portray children who are passionate about finding their friend but don’t let the mystery derail their motivations. Their performances are entrancing.

Bloodline

Is good acting enough to keep a show going? That’s the question posed by many Bloodline reviewers. The Netflix-original series features an ensemble of actors who brought depth to roles that might otherwise have been shallow.

Kyle Chandler is perhaps most well-known for playing the role of Coach in Friday Night Lights. He had to work hard to disassociate himself with that character to play the role of the “good” brother with a villainous undertone in Bloodline. He performs his role fluidly, as do his costars.

Sam Shepard plays the patriarch of the family. Shepard studied under Wynn Handman, a protégé of Sanford Meisner. Ben Mendelsohn’s performance also stands out. He has been nominated for several awards for his portrayal of Danny, and in 2016 he won the Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series.

Sometimes, an actor’s performance can go above and beyond the writing, storyline or plot of a television show. These series, which are available to stream on Netflix, are ideal examples of this. When you watch them, you’ll get pulled into the emotion, drama, comedy and action because of the actors’ brilliant execution of the script.

The body doesn’t know the difference between real life and a fully lived fantasy – Elizabeth Mestnik

Meisner is all about honoring your impulse and being true to your own point of view while tending to the business at hand, including taking in your partner, fighting for what you need, and understanding your circumstances given the the text. Fitzmaurice Voicework aims to release tension and loosen the protective elements we put into place to stop ourselves from feeling or expressing too deeply. The tricky part in both cases is that we, as humans, have learned to protect ourselves from being hurt (physically and emotionally) by modifying or even stifling our impulses, because they would not be appropriate in pedestrian society (what if you burst into tears over a faulty drink order or told your boss what you really think of them?). The point is, we develop an understanding of what works best for us to live our lives as static-free as possible over a lifetime of information gained from our external pedestrian environment. And, it has worked well enough that we’re all still here! So when we, as actors, try to re-train our own bodies and emotional lives to let go of all that and be willing to be vulnerable and fully expressive, it’s no surprise that there is often some internal push-back.

Fitzmaurice Voicework allows an actor to let go of some of the tension, known as emotional armor, through a series of modified yoga poses and other breath and body work. We, as people, have learned to use emotional armor to stop ourselves from feeling the things that might hurt us, or fully expressing the things that might hurt other people. The amygdala is a small organ inside the brain that controls what is sometimes referred to as the “fight or flight response.” Fight or flight is what mammals use to save their lives in the face of danger, whether it be perceived or actual. When pre-historic man (or woman) was faced with a dangerous situation, he or she had two choices: to run for his or her life or to fight for his or her life. Placed in this situation, the amygdala fires and makes the decision for us in a split-second based on the information available. That system for survival has proven effective (again, we’re all here, aren’t we?). Unfortunately it is an antiquated system and is not always suited to today’s human world.

For example, the fear or discomfort one experiences when facing an audience on opening night may fill an actor with anxiety and discomfort. However, the level of danger one is actually in pales in comparison to what cave men faced when a saber tooth tiger was out looking for its supper! Still, in some ways the body doesn’t know the difference, and the feeling of fear and panic one gets can become overblown and shut down one’s ability to make complex choices of expression. That is an uncomfortable place to be. Over time, people build up a defense against such awkwardness: either avoid situations where that feeling of panic might come up at all, or shut down any real emotional availability before the feelings ever happen. This decision to pro-actively suspend the possibility of risk is often taken care of for us by our internal sense of survival (the subconscious mind). What’s more, once the decision is made, it can be quite challenging to reverse it.

So, there is a lot going on in a normal human’s internal make up that would prefer to stop impulses and emotional expression. Then that same human decides to be an actor and is suddenly asked to forget all that. Tough stuff! The good news is that both Meisner and Fitzmaurice are interested in freeing the impulse and allowing true feelings to be shown and expressed through behavior and words. Both techniques do so through carefully constructed exercises taught by instructors with years of experience. Both seek to provide opportunity for the actor to explore honest expression in a safe environment and regain control of what it means to allow such vulnerability.

Full, supported breathing is one way to start the process of allowance. We literally take in information from the environment and people around us. That information travels through the body, passing a series of “thought centers” (aligned with the Chakras), and picking up information along the way. The journey of the breath then reverses, and an honest response is returned to the environment through verbal or behavioral expression. This whole journey takes only a split second (about the same amount of time the amygdala needs to fire the fight or flight response). By becoming familiar with the possibility of allowing true impulse and expression to exist within us, Meisner and Fitzmaurice enhance our comfort and fluidity of function within this space.

A guiding principle of both Meisner and Fitzmaurice is to help actors allow for the vulnerable process of searching the soul and the self for honest feelings and then granting themselves permission to express those feelings with conviction and authenticity. It is an alternative to the fight or flight response, and it is available to anyone brave enough to seek it out. If this sounds interesting to you, come join us in our Meisner and Fitzmaurice classes.

Have any thoughts? Leave a comment !

 Michael Yurchak is a doctoral candidate at NYU, a certified teacher of Fitzmaurice Voicework, and a Meisner and technique teacher at EMAS.

To read more about Michael click here, or check out his IMDB page.