incredible, gutwrenching performances and they were driven by their mistreatment and pain.

I’m reminded of the supposed exchange between Dustin Hoffman and Laurence Olivier on the set of Marathon Man. Supposedly Hoffman stayed up for three days straight to get into the physical and emotional space of his character, and Olivier criticized the choice by saying, “My dear boy, why don’t you just try acting?”

Actors are trained to deliver performances. Their job is to believably convey emotions. If the director can only get the performance he wants by abusing his cast, he’s a horrible communicator and has no business in the director’s chair.

Alternatively, if we believe actors need real experience and emotional depth to draw on for a performance, we should get rid of stunt doubles and special effects. How can I believe Hayden Christensen’s pain at the end of Revenge of the Sith if he actually still has all his limbs?