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Character Movement Study: Anjelica Huston’s Morticia Addams

Posted on May 28, 2021
Morticia Addams character movement study

Did you want to grow up to be Morticia Addams when you were a kid?

I certainly did.

Graceful, passionate, a wonderful support to her family, incredible fashion sense, the list goes on and on.

Now, the original show from the ’60s is a delight to behold, to be clear, but my first is still my fav (first impressions and all, not to mention impressionable youth). So, I’m all about the 1991 version, directed by Barry Sonnenfeld. 

It feels like home. 

Sweet, nostalgic, dark, family goals kind of home.

All of that being said, this blog wouldn’t be complete without a character movement study of Anjelica Huston’s Morticia Addams. 

It just wouldn’t.

I cannot express how much I adore her, from the tips of her fingers to the shoes hidden under her glorious mermaid trip hazard-y dress. 

Firstly, a disclaimer: 

I’ve got no clue if Anjelica Huston used Labanotation to help create her incredible Morticia. However, it’s my go-to wheelhouse, so a good chunk of all movement I analyze is going to incorporate Rudolf Laban’s work.

If you’re not familiar with Laban, I’d recommend checking out my two intro posts here and here to get you started.

That way, you’ve got some familiarity with this incredibly adaptable movement tool before diving further into how I’d apply it to analyze Morticia Addams.

Shall we continue?

When a costume shapes your performance

Sometimes the costume dictates a great deal of your character movement signature for you.

It doesn’t take long to notice that Morticia’s dress is rather constrictive. It’s basically a mermaid dress that tightly clings to the body before flaring out below the knees. 

It’s the kind of dress that’s…well…a challenge to walk in.  

She’s also wearing a corset, which means her entire midsection moves all in one isolated piece. If you want to twist, it means your entire upper body twists with you.

Anjelica stated in an interview with The Guardian:

“The makeup was very intense. I had stickers attached to my temples; rubber bands that met behind my head and then on top of that the wig, fake nails and eyelashes, and the corset – individually they add up to something monumental. It was hard to move. There were certain things one could do with one’s hands but that was about it. fortunately wanted to keep Morticia very iconic and still. She’s not fractious at all. She’s very settled in her body language. I had a bonfire of the vanities at the end of the movie where I took all the fake stuff, made a pile, and set it on fire.”

Morticia’s stillness

The stillness that exudes from Morticia is simply captivating. Is she always completely still? No, however, it’s definitely her baseline. 

Stillness is sometimes a forgotten element of movement. As humans, we’re rarely completely still.

Actors sometimes find being still to be a really awkward place to be. 

But sometimes a lack of movement speaks more volumes than moving. It can be a secret weapon in a way. 

Morgan Freeman is a fan of stillness too. I love his quote, “It’s what I learn from the great actors that I work with. Stillness. That’s all, and that’s the hardest thing.”

Whenever I watch Morticia, I’m reminded of the sereneness of stillness. That there can be a grace to it. And to employ it as a character choice can be incredibly powerful. 

Morticia’s walk

Within this stillness, there is a grounded nature to Morticia. A heavy/strong and in some ways bound quality (thinking of her costume as well as Laban), the only part of her that is truly free to move are her arms, hands, and head. 

When she walks, her feet have to calculate their next step. Slow, deliberate, and sustained. This creates a gliding effect which helps when you add that she’s taking very short steps. 

It’s like if you tried to walk elegantly with either an exercise band or a diving ring around your knees. (Note: I was def one of those kids who put diving rings around their ankles to be a mermaid in the pool.)

Other aspects of her movement signature 

Her upper body, as mentioned, has a bit more freedom of movement. 

Anjelica’s long and thin fingers with those immaculate red nails are arguably my fav part of her performance. Other than her eyebrows, probably…yeah…toss-up between her fingers and eyebrows. 

Her fingers have such a fun quality about them. 

They’re flowing and free but also flicking from time to time. Flicking is a movement that is sudden, light, and often indirect. 

And her eyebrows…did I mention her eyebrows?

Bottom line, her facial movement work is on point.

It’s a great reminder, honestly, to utilize your facial muscles. Sometimes, it’s all you need.

When a costume feels constrictive

If I had to sum-up my three takeaways from Anjelica’s performance of Morticia Addams they would be: stillness, fingers and eyebrows. 

She took a constrictive costume and used it to her advantage. To be fair, she also said she intended to keep Morticia iconic and still, and in that way, the costume became an ally. 

Morticia is both comfortable and grounded and well, frankly, inhabiting that dress. It’s a second skin. 

For many actors, myself included, the costume or makeup can help a great deal in discovering their character.

It could be the shoes, or specific makeup or perhaps an important prop like a hat or handbag.

If you’re in a costume that confines your movement in some way, use it to your advantage. Make friends with it and see what it can teach you about your character’s movement. 

For the record, one last thought, a constrictive costume can also be an ally to the actor and not the character. For an animated example, I immediately think of Merida from Brave when she rips out of the dress that impedes her archery. 

But that’s a study for another time. 😉

Character Movement Work Character study

10 phenomenal character movement performances from tv and film

Posted on April 16, 2021
character movement performances

As both an actor and movement coach one of my favorite things to do is watch the performances of others. 

It’s such a joy to witness both the extreme and the subtle in character movement performances, as each character requires something a bit different. 

Whether it be on stage or screen, I often find myself getting wrapped up in the non-verbals, the relationship between characters’ physical forms, and how sometimes, without words, the story shines just a brightly, if not brighter. 

I could probably fill a book of all the performances I’ve seen that have blown me away. I take that back, I definitely could fill a book.

But, today is not a day for a book.

So, here’s a list of 10 performances that jumped to mind when I was posed this question by a friend: phenomenal character movement performances from tv and film…go! 

(Oh and or course, warning of probable spoilers ahead.)

Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow

Now, one’s feelings on Johnny Depp aside, his physicality as Captain Jack Sparrow is incredibly unique. (Mind you, I really only mean the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie here as it’s easily my favorite.) He keeps us on our toes the entire time. And well, he’s rather on his tiptoes most of the time, too, isn’t he?

Is he always drunk? Probably. But maybe not? Will we ever know?!

The indirect nature of everything he does makes him unpredictable as well as larger than life. I can’t speak for what methods of movement Depp actually employed, but to me, he always seems on the balls of his feet and, well, took a page out of Jackie Chans Legend of Drunken Master. 

Glenn Close as Marquise Isabelle de Merteuill

Both the play and film adaptation of Dangerous Liaisons holds a special place in my heart. If you have any interest in historical French fashion, you simply have to check it out. The flowing, colorful and lacy costume design of this film taking place around 1760 pre-French revolution will simply take your breath away.

As goes without saying regarding period performances, one hurdle a performer has to contend with is that of the costume itself. How wearing a corset changes how you walk, stand, sit, lounge all come into question and requires adjustments. Close’s performance of the controlled, striking, and calculating aristocrat is anything short of mesmerizing.

Her monologue about when she came into society at 15 is probably the most classic. She expresses her use of detachment which you can see her utilize throughout the film. She glides, switches masks at the lift of her chin, and we see her movements grow less and less fluid/controlled as the masks begin to shatter beneath her. 

Doug Jones as Amphibian Man

Nothing quite beats an actor in a creature costume. MOCAP definitely has its place, and when CGI is done well, I don’t get as bothered, but I really love it when an actor has the opportunity to disappear into a role physically. Doug Jones is probably the poster child for this kind of work. If you don’t recognize his name, I’ll bet you’ve still seen him in something. His performance in The Shape of Water is so stunningly crafted.

What I love about his performance most is how he breathes. Especially the first few times we see him out of the water. It’s as though his whole body is breathing, and you can see him breathing from multiple places on his body. Mouth, gills, stomach, and even his lower back. 

Brigitte Helm as Maria/Maschinenmensch

Metropolis, the German expressionist sci-fi dystopian drama from 1927, remains my staple and fav silent film. German expressionism, for context, could refer to several creative movements in Germany that emerged in the 1910s, such as paintings, architecture, and film. Known for dark themes, slightly off angles, pale makeup with dark eyes, and exaggerated movements. Think Burtons Batman Returns or Hitchcock’s Psycho (the original) they’re both great modern pieces influenced by German expressionism. 

Helm displays incredible skill as she plays two versions of the same character. Maria and Maschinenmensch, or the robot version of Maria. Maria is gentle and uses more fluid, sustained movements, as when she’s calming the poverty-stricken children at the beginning. In contrast, looking at Robot Maria, her movements are more angular, sudden, and violent as she rallies the working-class men into a chaotic state. Both of the Marias are commanding in their own way. Plus, her facial expression work is just beyond incredible. 

Paul Ready as Lee

Straight off, I’ll say that if you haven’t seen Utopia (the original BBC show from 2013), I can’t recommend it engouh, though it isn’t for everyone. Utopia is a feast for the eyes. It’s a graphic novels, pandemics, pharmaceuticals, terrifying organizations infiltrating the government, assassins, running-for-your-life-trying-to-pice-together-the-puzzle kind of story.

Now, I could gush about Paul Ready all day and have happily in the past. His performance as the hitman Lee is quirky, delightful, and terrifying, all wrapped up in what I lovingly refer to as a compact modern mod package.

In the first series, he’s injured, shot in the chest, and when he shows up, not dead in series 2, we learn that he’s partially paralyzed. He keeps his left arm folded and held tightly to his side, fingers in a fist, and he’s often working harder than you’d think to catch his breath. He’s also got a subtle limp. His entire left side, specifically his arm, just seems a bit, well, dead, and it’s along for the ride. I’ve no clue if Ready utilized Labanotation for his work on Lee, but to me, that arm appears bound and heavy.

Nive Nielsen as Silna/Lady Silence

AMC’s The Terror continues to be a spectacle of beautifully weaving the historical with the supernatural. Season one drops us off in the arctic in the 1840s, when the British searched for the northwest passage known as the Franklin expedition.

Nielsen plays a local Inuit woman, given the name Lady Silence by the men of the expedition. What I find most beautiful about her performance is how she moves through the landscape of the arctic. When she walks, she’s grounded, incredibly connected to the earth. This only highlights how out of their depth the explorers are, as the men struggle and stumble through the landscape, appearing they don’t belong. 

Hugh Dancy as Will Graham 

Oh, Will. Precious peanut that must be protected. There are so many things that could be discussed about Dancy’s performance in NBC’s Hannibal. With his lack of eye contact, constant blinking, and subtle twitching to low-grade seizure twitching, Will always seems like he’s about to pop. Dancy incorporated elements of what he learned while playing Adam Raki, who has Aspergers, from the film Adam a handful of years before.

To me, it’s as though there’s this tight coil inside of Will, this spring that is wound so tightly that it makes his entire body exist on a frequency that is not only unhealthy but also unsettling. By developing Will’s movement signature this way, it’s the perfect companion to not only the internal struggle he’s battling with daily but also the calm, measured and graceful movements of his counterpart Hannibal Lecter. (Who…to be honest, also easily could have made this list and crossed my mind multiple times, as his performance is also stellar.)

Aaliyah as Queen Akasha

This is the 90s kid who was a goth in high school speaking but seriously, as delightfully awful as 2002s Queen of the Damned is, there’s three things that shine to me. The concert scene, the soundtrack, and Aaliyah. It was the film she was working on when she passed away, and it gives us an inside view into the talent that we lost, wondering what other incredible things she could have done.

Queen Akasha nails quintessential vampire queen in that she moves in a fluid, commanding, and otherworldly way. You don’t question that she’s from an ancient time. How she interacts in the modern world, and, well, she sticks out like an enchanting sore thumb. For me, when I watch each scene she’s in, she never seems to stop moving, no matter how subtle it is. And she manages to continue that fluidity even when she makes a sudden move. There’s just this grace to her that I haven’t quite seen anywhere else. 

Andy Serkis as Gollum

Speaking of MOCAP, I’d be remiss not to mention Lord of the Rings Gollum. I’m thinking specifically in Two Towers, just all the Gollum and Smeagol stuff. Known for his MOCAP work, Serkis delivers us this complex, small but impactful creature.

What I’ve always found impressive about Gollum is his compactness. Through facial expression, we can see not only who is about to speak but the gears turning in both of their heads. I’m thinking the argument between Gollum and Smeagol specifically, which, to this day, is still a joy to watch unfold.

Robin Weigert as Calamity Jane

HBO’s Deadwood. It’s hands down one of my favorite shows of all time. This lawless territory of Deadwood, South Dakota, ends up creating a community, in many ways, against their will (or better judgment). Each character is incredibly complex in their own way, but I don’t think I can express how much I adore Jane. Easily one of the most impactful performances I’ve ever seen.

Her swagger is the best swagger, and this may seem like an odd way to put it, but Jane just feels lived in. There’s a groundedness to her, even when she’s near blackout drunk, with tears and snot running down her face. Beautifully balancing the harshness of yielding a bullwhip, the slightly hunched shoulders and choppy gestures with the gentleness of the kind touch required (and hoped) of a nurse wrapping a wound. She’s a larger-than-life kind of character, not forgetting that she’s based on the real Jane Cannary, but she’s larger than life without being a caricature. 

What’s your favorite character movement performance?

I could easily go on with more shout outs to performances I’ve adored, and perhaps will at another point.

So, your turn now, what favorite character movement performances do you have?

Character Movement Work Character study Labanotation

NBC Hannibal’s Red Dragon: a character movement study

Posted on April 2, 2021
red dragon

Hey Fannibals and actors who are interested in character movement work. Let’s talk The Red Dragon.

Aka Francis Dolarhyde, aka The Tooth Fairy, aka in NBC’s Hannibal: the lovely Richard Armitage. 

It probably goes without saying that there are spoilers ahead, for those who haven’t seen Hannibal, of course. If it’s still in your cue to watch, you gotta check it out!

Seriously, go watch it. It’ll change your life. Sure changed mine. 

Good to go? Alright then, read on Macduff!

Firstly, a disclaimer: 

This is my personal interpretation of a character movement signature by the lens of Labanotation. So, as I don’t know Richard Armitage personally (though I’d certainly be VERY open to it!) I, therefore, can’t confirm he used Labanotation in his creation of Francis. 

What I can confirm is that he incorporated the Japanese art style of Butoh, but we’ll get there in a second. 

So, briefly, let me clarify something. Labanotation is the dance notation work of Rudolf Laban, and as both actor and movement coach, it’s my jam. 

There are other movement methods out there, but this is the one I primarily use. It’s the happy place my brain goes to first when analyzing movement. 

There’s a scientific streak about it that helps categorize movement into the four basic categories: flow, weight, time, and space. 

Take a peek at my post about Labanotation if ya want to get your feet wet a bit more before finishing this post… I’ll still be here when you get back.

You’re back?

Brilliant!

Armitage incorporates Butoh for The Red Dragon

Richard stated in an interview with the Hollywood Reporter back in 2015 that “I went to a Japanese art form called Butoh, which is a biological exploration of the body.”

So, what’s Butoh?

Butoh is an avant-garde Japanese dance form founded by Tatsumi Hijikata and Kazuo Ohno post-WWII. It is known for extreme, grotesque movements and often depicts taboo topics such as eroticism and death.

For me personally, it’s a perfect fit for The Red Dragon.

The movements are often incredibly slow and controlled, specifically going against all western depictions of beauty. Bodies shake with tension, performers shuffle or fall awkwardly and appear to be in constant discomfort or engaged in an internal struggle. 

Check out his attic scenes from season 3, episode 8: The Great Red Dragon, and you can see how Richard incorporated Butoh. Or his first kill under the full moon in the same episode is another great moment.

There’s this uncomfortability in his own skin that’s at play here and it’s simply incredible to watch. 

If you’re interested in a bit more of a deep dive into Richard’s portrayal and more on Butoh, check out my non-stage/pen name writing site where I’ve got a post that does just that.

Labanotation movement signature

To reiterate, I’ve no clue if Richard did any work with Labanotation. This is just how I would initially break down the movement signature of Francis from a Laban framework.

Let’s look at season 3 episode 8: The Red Dragon again.

So, from the very first moment we meet Francis, he’s riddled with tension. From the way he examines his hand, how he sits, everything about him feels bound. There’s a tightness that seems to be in play at all times, regardless of how slow or quickly he moves. 

Moving along to literally the next scene when he’s stretching in his attic, his movements are sustained. He may be moving slowly, but a part of him is always in motion, and interestingly, the bound-ness of him seems to ease, as he’s more in a state of free. He’s allowing himself to be well, himself.

Later on, when he’s adding to his Hannibal scrapbook, he remains direct during the entire scene. He’s driven, focused. The blinders are on. This is, in many ways, his primary default mode. He’s on this unwavering path he’s set himself on. 

Every movement he makes has a purpose.

These movements of pasting newspaper articles and grabbing the black marker to block out the words ‘Tooth Fairy’ are also sudden and heavy.

Also, I have to add as a fannibal fangirl because this moment is spliced just beautifully between Francis and Hannibal. As Hannibal begins writing a letter, even the way he reaches for his pencil, his movements are in complete contrast to Francis. 

Hannibal has this free sustained lightness about the way he writes where Francis’ movements are direct, sudden, and heavy. Francis’ hand is bound too, at least more bound than free, in the way he grips the marker.

And there you have it! Just looking at a few initial scenes, we gather a clear movement signature of Francis that, like him, continues to evolve as he does.

Helpful to analyze others

As actors who want to incorporate character movement work into their craft, one of the best ways to learn (in addition to do the movement things yourself), is to analyze performances. 

For Francis, his default Labanotation movement signature, the foundational building blocks, would be bound and direct. Then moving from sudden to sustained depending on the situation, he finds himself in with a dash of heavy here and there.

Simple, scientific, with room for exploration and evolution.

Watch your fav actor in one of your fav roles and take some time to study their movements. Can you come up with a movement signature for them? What would you do differently if you were playing this character? 

How can studying their movements help your own craft?

Signing off my friends, till next time.