MAXIMONLINE: How To: Put On an Act
How To: Put On an Act
The one and only William Shatner explains how to get people to believe damn near anything. Hey, the guy won a Golden Globe!
1. Buy Your Lie
In his new miniseries, Invasion Iowa (March 29âApril 1 on Spike TV), Shat and crew punk the 928-person town of Riverside (which claims to be the future home of James T. Kirk) into thinking heâs shooting a sci-fi flick there. To pull it off, he had to trust in unreality. âTotal commitment to the lie is the essence of good acting,â? he explains. âIn the eyes of the people youâre ly
ing to, you canât have any doubt.â? As Costanza would say, itâs not a lie if you believe it.
2. Use Force
The last time you fibbed to your girlfriend, you probably looked away and mumbledâthen got busted for denying you checked out her mom in the first place. âYouâve got to look people straight in the eye,â? Shatner says. âLie boldly and with total assurance. âThe sky is green.â And when they say, âNo, itâs blue,â you say, âYou donât understandâthe sky is green. You think itâs blue, but in reality itâs green and you have to believe me.â You canât pussyfoot a lie.â?
3. Freshen Up
When things get tense, take a break to get back in touch with the truth. âSay, âExcuse me, I have to use the bathroom,ââ? Shatner says. âRun the water so nobody can hear you repeating the lie to yourself.â? Then dry your pits, slap your best O.J. face on, and stick to the story. Remember: You were late for work because your car exploded.
4. If All Else Fails, Know When to Bail
Even the best liars get caught sometimes. âOn the ninth day of shooting the show, we realized we were about to be found out,â? admits Shatner. âSo we did what every actor has done down through the agesâwe cut and ran like hell. And thatâs what every liarâs got to know: If itâs not working, stop acting and get out of town.â? Note: This is a hell of a lot easier to do if itâs actually someone elseâs town.
