Customer Reviews

Other People's Shoes: Thoughts on Acting

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Miss Walter's take on acting is frank and original, making us feel as if we're being let in on the secret lives of those we see in darkened theaters and movie houses. The book is filled with details about the interior life of a role. She leads us through the different processes actors use to create characters, how directors influence each role, and gives us a real sense of how film is different form the stage. It is a great, absorbing read, and made three recent airplane trips zip by in spite of travel hassles.

Her writing style is both conversational and philosophical. She has a sure, strong voice. I hope she keeps writing! While she claims not to be the one who will produce plays and screenplays for interesting women characters, I hope she changes her mind.

This is a fantastic read for any actor/director to pick up. Harriet Walter says early on that she doesn't consider the book to be a how-to type of acting book. It's more along the lines of hearing about how she started, what her experiences have been thus far, and what opinions have formed as a result of those experienes (in terms of what applications have worked for her and what haven't). One of my favorite sections was a play-by-play action of her location and thought process during a performance of Nina in The Seagull, both backstage and onstage. Her philosophies on the business of theatre and film and the importance of etiquette are wonderful bits of knowledge for those just starting out to know early on. Her writing style is also delightfully funny at times, which makes the book read like you're having a conversation over coffee with a great friend. If you've had the fortune to see Harriet Walter onstage or onscreen (and luckily enough for me, I have), you will close this book adoring her even more.