That's true, they do. James said on Schmactors that he only read his portions of the script and was only given those portions. You assumed they got the whole script? They sometimes don't. It depends on the show-runner and the show, and the shooting schedule, and the film.
James also said on Schmactors that he eventually realized that even if he got the entire script, it worked better if he only read the scenes that he was in, and not any others, or he'd screw up his performance - because he knew more than his character did.
Sometimes they do get an entire script - and sometimes there's a table read, but even in a table read - the professional actor only focuses on their sections of the script. Often, the show, as in the case of Buffy, is revising the script as they go. Beneath You - that episode was famously rewritten several times as they were filming it. Films do that as well, they will often get the script the day before or in the case of some films an hour before. The Godfather? They were revising the script daily. It also happened with a few other famous films. There are films that get rewritten several times as they film it, as do various television series.
So it varies?
Now - they don't often send scripts by paper, they electronically send them, encrypted. Sometimes, as was the case with Oppenheimer, they will hand deliver it to a lead - Nolan hand delivered it to Cillian Murphy, he wasn't taking any chances.
If they get the whole script and many do, the "professional actors" (which you and I are definitely not) choose not to read the whole thing. For this reason? It is better to only know what your character knows. So, you only read that character's scenes. Christopher Walken often took a pen and crossed out all the character descriptions or acting directions/stage directions for the character. Get it as bare bones as possible - with just the marks, and blocking included.
Professional actors don't often focus on anything but their own scenes, and their own lines, and the characters they are interacting with - because their character in reality wouldn't know anything outside of that. But not all actors, it depends on the actor. Everyone has their own style.
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branchandroot
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Date: 2025-07-29 12:28 pm (UTC)James also said on Schmactors that he eventually realized that even if he got the entire script, it worked better if he only read the scenes that he was in, and not any others, or he'd screw up his performance - because he knew more than his character did.
Sometimes they do get an entire script - and sometimes there's a table read, but even in a table read - the professional actor only focuses on their sections of the script. Often, the show, as in the case of Buffy, is revising the script as they go. Beneath You - that episode was famously rewritten several times as they were filming it. Films do that as well, they will often get the script the day before or in the case of some films an hour before. The Godfather? They were revising the script daily. It also happened with a few other famous films. There are films that get rewritten several times as they film it, as do various television series.
So it varies?
Now - they don't often send scripts by paper, they electronically send them, encrypted. Sometimes, as was the case with Oppenheimer, they will hand deliver it to a lead - Nolan hand delivered it to Cillian Murphy, he wasn't taking any chances.
If they get the whole script and many do, the "professional actors" (which you and I are definitely not) choose not to read the whole thing. For this reason? It is better to only know what your character knows. So, you only read that character's scenes. Christopher Walken often took a pen and crossed out all the character descriptions or acting directions/stage directions for the character. Get it as bare bones as possible - with just the marks, and blocking included.
Professional actors don't often focus on anything but their own scenes, and their own lines, and the characters they are interacting with - because their character in reality wouldn't know anything outside of that. But not all actors, it depends on the actor. Everyone has their own style.