Confessions of a Third Man

For the longest time I had difficulty pinning down my type. I knew that I was not "above" types somehow but it was difficult for me to narrow the field. To make things worse, a good deal of the actors with whom I studied seemed to have very specific- or rather much more evident- types. One can only assume their type leapt from their mouths during auditions via some sort subliminal gamma ray which the director furiously scribbled on their notepad. Then barring gross incompetence, that actor can rest assured s/he has a pretty damn good shot at the part (if it isn't already sealed in the bag).

When I asked others (particularly directing concentration friends) they furrowed their brows and scratched their chins, then mumbled something vague and non-comittal. Until one evening a very good friend mine (also a director), a very good honest friend of mine laid it out to me during a conversation with a group of actors discussing their types.

"You are the Third Man."

"The what?"

"The Third Man. You know. You have a play, it's two guys yakking on the whole time, and then a third man comes out. And he plays everything else."

"Huh... I'm the Third Man."

The simplicity of it and the truth to it astounded me. If my chronologies are correct shortly thereafter (or perhaps shortly before) I was cast in On the Verge. Now look there at the bottom. See how it says "1 M, 3 F?" I was the 1 M, the 1 M who played 8 parts. The 3 ladies wound in and out of eras in history, and places across the globe, and through three quarters of a thesaurus but I met them at every dip and turn with a new costume and a new character.

It all made so much sense.

This blessing and curse continue to haunt me. It would seem optimal for the Third Man to be an actor's type. Afterall an actor is first and foremost asked to embody the character s/he plays, to slip beneath the surface so seamlessly that the audience no longers sees the actor but becomes engrossed in the narrative. The idea is pathos not, fandom pandemonium. And it's been a great boon for me as far as improv goes. Audiences tend to more easily suspend_their_disbelief, and take whatever offers I throw out.

However, it more often than not leads to a confusion in casting agents because like I said before I'm difficult to pin down. It leads to a whole different version of typecasting. Think Peter Sellars, without the success. Once directors get to know me and see what I can do they seem to like me a lot. But until then I feel like I come off as this sort of overly maleable, ball of talent and energy. Sure, everybody likes the blank canvas but sometimes its difficult for people to think of something to paint if they don't have something already in mind.

But there have been many who have held these sorts of careers and been very successful at it. John C. Reilly leaps to mind. And Michael Caine also fits I think. Even Brad Pitt seems to be difficult to peg to one type. And although some might argue with me, I feel like Jim Carrey has that type of dramatic talent.

Mr. Sellers... I implore you, please, be my guide.