Acting as a mental illness or imperfection are always most attractive.
It is a big challenge to “pretend” a mental illness or imperfection,and the more important is to “be”
a mental illness or imperfection( in character)
Gesture, Eyes expression, Speaking and Image are the part of pretending.
Hands and feet lack of coordination, Seeing uncertainly are the most common acting.
Out of tune is typical in Hong Kong; and repetition or stammer are the Hollywood’s style.
And always, with a stupid hair.
The hardest part is building up a “style” and “fondness” base on the character’s background and their past.
What kind of sickness?What kind of imperfection?Why they wanna or like to do that?What were they experienced?
Like David Helfgott(Geoffrey Rush).
He seldom open his eyes, because his teacher told him never rely on the eyes when playing piano.
He likes naked and soaking because he has been whipped by his father when he was bathing.
“Check it out. Dustin Hoffman, ‘Rain Man,’ look retarded, act retarded, not retarded. Counted toothpicks, cheated cards. Autistic, sho’. Not retarded. You know Tom Hanks, ‘Forrest Gump.’ Slow, yes. Retarded, maybe. Braces on his legs. But he charmed the pants off Nixon and won a ping-pong competition. That ain’t retarded. Peter Sellers, “Being There.” Infantile, yes. Retarded, no. You went full retard, man. Never go full retard. You don’t buy that? Ask Sean Penn, 2001, “I Am Sam.” Remember? Went full retard, went home empty handed… ”
~ Tropic Thunder(2008)