The 5 basic rules of acting

Although I still feel 22, the hard facts are that I graduated from the Maastricht Theatre School seven years ago... And even though I've been on quite a few film sets, every new project remains just as exciting: a new crew, new actors, and a new story that you get to bring to life together. To prepare well each time, I mentally go through the basics of (camera) acting, so I have these points fresh in my mind before I start working with a new group. If you have ambitions to act: I would love to share my key points with you, so you can also get started!

• Acting is a team effort! The very first lesson you learn at drama school is that you are not only responsible for yourself but also for your scene partner. If you haven't learned your lines well or don't show up, your scene partner can't do anything either. So always learn your material well, and in principle, you only don't show up if you - and I quote - ‘are in labor or dead’. I once performed with screaming stomach flu on stage with a bucket in the wings ‘just in case’ and stood on set delirious from the fever...
• The only thing you need to do is listen. This sounds a lot easier than it is. You learn a text in advance and often think about how you will react to the other person. But secretly, you can't really plan this in advance! Of course, you know the text, but your reaction completely depends on how your scene partner plays the ball. So make sure to listen carefully to what and especially how the other person says something.
• Then we automatically come to the next point: acting is about taking in and reacting. What does your scene partner's text or action do to you, and how are you going to respond? That's the beauty of camera acting: each ‘take’ (different recordings of 1 scene) is essentially unique, and if one person in the scene gives a slightly different reaction or action, your counter-reaction will also automatically change. So keep absorbing well and never try to anticipate!