The thing.

Always be going to the thing.

A joke can be a useful lesson to you as an actor because it always goes to a punch line. That’s the thing. And when you start to tell a joke you always know what the punch line is.

In scenes the character is always going to one thing. You can call it the objective or what you will. If there’s a transition then that thing changes. Be clear what the thing is. You can’t play until you’re clear on what you’re doing.

It’s usually something singular and simple.

We often think a thing is something, but that doesn’t mean that’s what it is. By investigation you find out what the thing is - not what you thought it was.

The same in the business side of your actor’s life.

If a producer says he’d really like you to be in the movie that doesn’t mean you are. They often say things like that because they can. Signing a contract means you’re in the movie. 

Develop your ability to define things and analyze things whether it’s the text, the business or your life. 

Not knowing what a thing is can be confusing.