“If you want to play strong, don’t blink. If you want to play weak, blink.”
(Michael Caine)
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This is sage advice given by the highly accomplished, Academy Award winning actor, Michael Caine (Hannah and Her Sisters, The Italian Job, The Cider House Rules) during a BBC interview. According to Caine, in a close-up scene, an actor can send a signal of strength and seriousness of purpose by not blinking. And, conversely, the actor can signal weakness, vulnerability and nervousness by blinking more than usual.
Said Caine:
“[Hugh Grant] is so funny because he blinks all the time, ‘cause he’s always nervous, he can’t get the girl, and that is a very clever actor letting you know that he’s not very strong and he’s nervous and he’s upset. [On the other hand] If you’re playing a serious character in a movie, as I often do, you don’t wanna appear nervous and upset.”
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