There’s nothing more frustrating than when you know you’re supposed to be crying, but your body doesn’t care. Often new actors will attempt to generate emotion by squinting, shouting, or speaking quickly, hoping that by doing so they’ll somehow feel something. Mostly this just makes them tense. In acting, emotion is often a byproduct of wanting something. Instead of thinking, “How do I feel sad/angry/scared?” think “What am I trying to get this other person to do right now?” If you want it badly enough, you’ll likely end up feeling the right way.
There are instances when your personal experience will serve you, but it must be approached with caution. If the event you are playing requires a big, intense memory, think of something smaller in your life that carries a similar emotional feeling. For example, maybe you are playing that you are madly in love with this person and that you have been looking for him and he hasn’t called you back. Well, think of a moment when you were waiting for someone to call you and they didn’t, or you were trying to make them call you. You should not be talking about it. Then play the scene, with just that feeling but without the memory. So you won’t be distracted and you won’t be talking to yourself. It’s what your partner is doing that is important to you.
A second strategy is to play an obstacle. Emotion is generated when something is in the way of getting what we desire. As you prepare to speak, figure out what the obstacle is: lack of faith, the fact that you are separated by space, fear, the need to act fast before the clock runs out. Physically highlight the obstacle by hunching forward without coming any closer, by dropping your voice as if what you are saying is too sensitive to share, or by pausing on a key piece of dialogue. It is a mistake to iron out all the emotional peaks and valleys in an effort to maintain a consistent level of intensity. Natural speech has peaks and valleys that depend on the other person’s reaction, even if it is only an internalized version of that person.
If there’s time for a quick rehearsal, it can help restore a connection to the text. First walk slowly and read the text neutrally, using the pace of your breath to guide the pace of your words. Then repeat, adding a moment of silent intention before each line, like a silent subtitle (for example, “I want to warn them of this danger” or “I want to reveal a secret to them now”); last, add one straightforward obstacle and permit it to affect your speed and your volume. If you record this run-through, it will often sound more energized than previous takes because you were focused on action rather than emotion.
If it still feels hollow, raise the stakes. Imagine that you have to wrap the scene in thirty seconds or your character will be shot out of a cannon. Different pacing, different intention, and it may actually feel urgent. When the urgency arrives, take the clock away and retain the sense of urgency. It’s much simpler to feel available when you think of it as a reaction to the situation instead of something you have to create out of thin air.