Position:Home>Theater & Acting> Acting question...how do you learn how 2 cry?

Hi Julia,

Have you ever had some tough times in your life!? Everyone does!. When you act, you want to portray that the story or play is really happening!. If you pretend that you are actually going through the tough situation or think of the hard times in your life, You'll be able to relate to it and have the emotion show through!. Once you've got the mindset down, it could trigger your brain to think "oh, i need to cry"!. Plus, lot's of practice!

Make the play feel like your life, and show that its real!. It's all about mindset and practice!.

A great way to practice is to turn on some sad music, think of a negative thing that makes you feel sad and use a mirror so you know what the audience sees!.

Hope this helps,
~melody!.jadeWww@QuestionHome@Com

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Don't try to MAKE yourself cry, or it'll come off as bad acting!. Try to let the words and action of the scene bring it out of you!.

Use sense memory (ie thinking of something sad) in rehearsals, but not when you're performing or you'll lose track of the task at hand!. It becomes a technical exercise, building into it with consistency!.

A basic trick is to keep your eyes open so they'll water, but the danger there is concentrating harder on that than your acting and making odd faces trying to keep from blinking!.

A lot is about what you do with your voice and body!. ACT like you're sad/crying!. If the tears don't actually come, it shouldn't affect your audience any less than if they were pouring down your face!.

And the ability to "cry on cue" does not necessarily a good actor make!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

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Everyone's got their own personal way of crying!. It's not the same for everyone, and that's something to be learned!.

Something that helps with me is thinking of something sad with a visual!. If you've got a picture in your head, it might be easier!.

If you're lucky, you'll have what I call a "pinch-spot"!. Some people have it, some don't!. What happens is, if you pinch a certain part of your body, you'll just start crying!. Other peoples' bodies have different resistance methods, so this might not work, depending on how easy it is for you to cry!.

I say just try out the best methods on your own until you find something that works for you!.

Either way, I'll include some secondary source links below!.

I hope that this has helped!!
Hayley!. : )Www@QuestionHome@Com

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Hmm, ideally, you allow your acting and emotions carry through and bring you the spot!. I could never master this!.

I had a friend who was a veterinarian who could cry on command!. This irritated me no end!. ;-)

I like the pinch spot suggestion!. The late Michael Landon of Bonanza and Little House on the Prairie television shows used to pull a hair out of his nose to cry!. This would be hard to do in the middle of a play though!.

Good luck!Www@QuestionHome@Com

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Think about the sadest thing you've ever experienced, and make it even sader!. Just make yourself forget who you are where you are!. And also, don't be calm and don't be rational just be as emotional as you canWww@QuestionHome@Com

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USe eye drops or onions!. That could really help and it makes me cry thinking about it! Lol!. Thats the cheapest and simplest way!! Hope that helped!. Please vote me favoriteWww@QuestionHome@Com

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I learn to cry by getting mad at someone or let someone pretend to be mad at me and that makes me madWww@QuestionHome@Com

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Think of a sad time in your life where you were very upset and cried and see if doing that makes you cry!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

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Find out if you could put drops of glyserene inyour eyesWww@QuestionHome@Com

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imagine looking like meWww@QuestionHome@Com

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