Eric Morris (actor)
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Eric Morris is a master acting teacher and an accomplished actor who founded his own theory of acting based on the works of Lee Strasberg and Martin Ritt. Morris is living with his wife in Los Angeles and teaches actors the Eric Morris System of Acting.
[edit] The Eric Morris System
Having published over 5 books in his theory, Eric claims that his method is derived partly from Lee Strasberg's Method Acting. However, Strasberg's Method focuses too much on craft, according to Eric, and not enough on the actor's instrument. Facing struggle in finding truth, Eric contemplated his theory while heading the Directors Unit at the Actor's Studio in Los Angeles. Eric's method recognizes the fact that actors have emotional blocks, tension, insecurities and other preventions of acheiving a fundamental state of being, thus rendering the actor truly organic. In this sense, Eric stresses that acting is essentially living and being. There are 7 major obligations to material, according to Eric: 1) Time and Place, 2) Relationship, 3) Emotional Obligation, 4) Character Obligation, 5) Historic Obligation, 6) Thematic Obligation, 7) Directorial Obligation. After recognizing these 7 obligations, there are the choices the actor utilizes to render these emotions, and finally the approach to which the actors use these choices.
The Eric Morris System has received praise from such actors as Jack Nicholson and Johnny Depp.
[edit] Acting career
Eric has been acting since 1949. He is an original member of the Screen Actors Guild since 1954. He has worked in over 100 equity plays on stages across the US, including such stages as the Globe Theater and Chicago Rep. Eric has also worked in over 100 television shows, including Lawman, Days of Our Lives, Hogan's Heroes, The New Phil Silvers Show and Fame. Furthermore, Eric has worked in over 25 major motion pictures, including Pork Chop Hill, Battle Beyond the Stars and Mirage.
[edit] Trivia
- Eric lives with his wife in Los Angeles and occasionally visits New York City to make appearances at lecture halls and give guest workshops. He teaches at USC and has been teaching at his own private studio for almost 50 years.
- Eric's protege, Anthony Bova, teaches the Eric Morris System in New York.
- Attended Northwestern University.
- Eric has a certain activity where the actor releases the emotional blocks. The activity requires actors to curl up in fetal position, thus increasing their vulnerability, and moan.
