What are your opinions of an actor crying on cue?

Question:I understand that most acting veterans recommend that new actors should not try to cry on cue and instead should pretend to be holding back tears, and that it is much more effective. What are your opinons on this and do you think if a young actor has the talent of being able to cry on cue, should they use it?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: I understand that most acting veterans recommend that new actors should not try to cry on cue and instead should pretend to be holding back tears, and that it is much more effective. What are your opinons on this and do you think if a young actor has the talent of being able to cry on cue, should they use it?

I believe that if an actor is doing what an actor is supposed to be doing when playing a role, and his/her character is stimulated to cry, the actor will cry. It is simple as that. If one learns to react honestly to the stimuli as the character, one will have whatever emotional responses the character is having.

What does the director want? That's what the actor should do.

The whole thing is that the character is a person, so usually it's a slow build up. Like during an argument, as the person is getting more and more upset they trying to hold it back, but sometimes they just come out. Yeah, absolutely becoming hysterical is never pretty, as many get all red and blotchy and nose running when it happens, acting or real life, so I'd say that's NOT what you want to do.

Using it when its appropriate is fine, but over using it is another. I've seen too many monologues where the actor/actress expects to be able to cry at the drop of a hat, so they have this weird, screwed up face thing going on and it's just-ugh. The best thing is to work your way into a good cry.

My first monologue I ever did for a competition was a dramatic where the friend is explaining how her friend died after they were hit by a train. So the character is trying to hold it back, but then when they get to the part where they're explaining what they saw afterward and how they tried to put their friend back together again...if you can REALLY get into the character, the tears come naturally and when they're needed.

I dont think many actors can cry on cue .... and I think thats why people suggest the latter ....I think if you can do it, you should use it .... your, your tool ... use everything you got

Or become a funeral director.

I disagree with this statement - "that new actors should not try to cry on cue and instead should pretend to be holding back tears, and that it is much more effective"

Whether to hold back emotion is an acting choice that is made by the actor or director and has nothing to do with experience and the ability or inability to cry.

Which leads me to:
Crying on cue is BS, in my opinion. As Theatre Doc said, crying comes from an emotional response no matter what way you look at it. If you are doing a scene and are connected with the material and/or your scene partner and tears start to come, great! It's a natural response to the stimulus and that's what you're shooting for.
If they don't, you can't force it. You'll just look like a bad actor trying to make themselves cry.