A question I’m frequently asked is how I decide what will be my next cosplay project – or, alternatively, if I have advice for beginners on how to select the characters they’ll interpret. What I’m about to give is a very personal opinion, of course, as not all of us are in this hobby for the same reason – but hey, this works for me.
To be honest, I have a reputation for two things: I’m VERY picky when deciding on my projects, and once I settle for a character, I go to extreme lengths to deliver a convincing portrayal. My motto is that the cosplayer should adapt to the character, not the other way around, which is the reason why I personally frown upon the current trend of alternative cosplay (all those gender swaps, steampunk versions of something that should not be steampunk, sexy Darth Vaders, humanized My Little Ponies, and similar), finding it lazy instead of creative.
I’m also known for never breaking character once I get into the costume – people who met me as Cersei Lannister wouldn’t hesitate to describe me as a coldhearted bitch, while those who first knew me as Poison Ivy could swear I’m an irreparable flirt, made of hair flips and hip sways and knowing smirks. I stay in character even when dropping the act would be the smarter thing to do – a year ago, in Hungary, I was judging the PlayIT cosplay competition as Morrigan of Dragon Age, and we all know what a “darling” the Witch of the Wilds is. The contestants had literal nervous breakdowns when I would call them to approach me, shaking, stumbling and stuttering in their attempts to speak English. After the show, I tried to look up the most terrified contestants and persuade them I’m NOT Morrigan, I’m not even remotely like her, in fact I’m this super-nice and friendly person who’s always up for a chat, but I’m not sure they believed me. There’s more: recently, as part of promotional activities for the “COSPLAYER BELGRADE” exhibition, I appeared in a talk show on a local TV station here. I wore Final Fantasy’s Sephiroth, in all his humanity-hating glory. It was horribly awkward: I struggled to get out of character and present cosplay as a happy and positive hobby, while at the same time frowning bitterly and throwing deadly glares at the poor, confused show host. (Note to self: next time when in a talk show, wear a FRIENDLY character.)
If you wonder what kind of sorcery I use to get so deeply immersed in my roles and achieve such dramatic transformations, the answer is actually quite simple – there’s this thing called ‘method acting’.
Now, you may know the notion of method acting from movie reviews and articles. It describes a very particular approach to getting in character that some actors employ. This includes spending months living the lifestyle of their character before the filming even begins; keeping a diary written in the voice of their character; refusing to take off their costume on set between takes; undergoing extreme body modifications instead of relying on makeup and prosthetics; answering only when called by the name of their character; not breaking character even when the cameras are off; insisting that the film crew treats them as their character and wreaking havoc when they don’t; and generally being very, very difficult on set. The aim of method acting is to blur the lines between the actor and the character in order to deliver a perfectly realistic performance. Understandably, it is a very controversial practice – not only that method actors are notorious to work with due to their radical behavior, but the approach may have serious consequences on their health, both mental and physical (there’s the urban legend that it’s method acting that caused Heath Ledger to lose it and overdose on pills, after spending months in Joker’s skin).
However, when formulated as a concept by the legendary American acting coach Lee Strasberg in mid-20th century, ‘the method’ did NOT entail such extreme measures – those were developed later, by some other teachers, pushing the actors to their brink with obsessive immersion.
What Lee Strasberg actually instructed his students to do was to rely on their own experiences to identify with a character and deliver a realistic portrayal, using specially devised techniques to reproduce the character's emotional state by recalling emotions or sensations from the actor's own life. In other words: you find bits and pieces of the character deep within you, and then you bring them to the surface, transforming into someone else in the process.
And that’s exactly the method I use when working on my cosplay projects.
See, the reason I’m so picky about the characters that I portray is that I need to relate to them. I must understand who they are, how they think, and what makes them tick, in order to find parts of them in me and let it all out through cosplay. This does not necessarily mean that I have to LIKE the characters I portray. Cersei Lannister certainly ain’t my favorite person, but I do relate to some parts of her – being a woman in my mid-30’s who’s almost pathologically afraid of growing old, the Queen Regent’s struggles with ageing and loss of youthful beauty strike very close to home. Morrigan’s over-confidence and arrogance are a defense mechanism to hide her inner insecurities and vulnerable nature – a mechanism that we’ve all employed, at some point. Griffith, the antagonist of Berserk, purposely screwed up the lives of everyone around him because his own ended up in ruins – a douche move and an ugly emotion, but I’d lie if I’d say that never have I ever felt pangs of strong jealousy in my life. In fact, channeling some of those less pleasant emotions through cosplay can be quite cathartic – by letting the feelings out in a controlled manner, you purify your mind.
On the other hand, the very same Cersei Lannister’s pride mantra – the infamous “and hair grows back” monologue – is a most inspirational speech that does make me feel stronger. Yuuko Ichihara’s charming professionalism with cynical remarks casually thrown in is a behavior I can aspire to, while becoming Death of the Endless means letting all my “big sister” instincts run wild – I’m there to care for my loved ones, nag to them, cheer them up and provide advice when needed, which is the way I’d like to think I behave in real life. In short, identifying with a character’s traits is a very potent feeling, which makes me feel empowered and allows me to create some rather convincing and memorable cosplay performances.
So, does this mean that I believe that Lee Strasberg’s method acting approach is the recipe for successful cosplay?
Of course not, because – and let me underline this again – there is no such a thing as a universal recipe for successful cosplay.
But when asked how I decide on my cosplay lineup, this is my answer, and this is also the advice I give to beginners in the hobby: choose characters that MEAN something to you. Do not opt for a cosplay just because it’s from a popular show, or because everyone else is doing it, or because you like how the costume design looks. If you cannot relate to the character, you won’t be able to portray the role both from the outside and the inside – and in the end you’ll be just a person in a costume, not a fictional hero brought to life.
And never forget that the word ‘cosplay’ also has that ‘play’ component. In today’s age when cosplay competitions are too often judged by how many crafting techniques you used or how straight your seams are, and internet popularity is generated by posting boobalicious pics in skimpy outfits, ‘play’ is too often the neglected part.
For more on my cosplay projects, feel free to check out my Facebook page: ferashacosplay/
And now, on to some illustrations:
The acting part didn't come overnight - I had to practice it a bit. With my first take on Yuuko Ichihara, I looked like myself with a wig and a funny dress - four years later, when I rebooted the costume, I could really get into her skin and properly pose in character. Left pic by En Dži, right pic by Guru, edit by Tenshi
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My double take on Morrigan: in her youth, as a total brat, insecure but haughty, and in her thirties, as a wiser, stronger, yet quite melancholic woman. Pic by Guru, edit by Tenshi
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Sephiroth. It was quite an effort to have a blank, yet threatening facial expression...
...or the mysterious not-really-a-smile that I tried to reenact from Renaissance portraits of angels (hand position also typical for such paintings). Pics by Guru, edit by Tenshi
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Two sides of Cersei Lannister: the coldhearted, calculated, self-absorbed bitch with her twin brother willing to do anything for her (with Endymion as Jaime Lannister)...
...and the obsessive mother, fawning over her precious little boy (with VaxSux as Joffrey). Pics by Guru, edits by Maria Morticia
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Griffith, the White Hawk of "Berserk": first, the trick was to have a slightly sinister facial expression, like the tiniest hint that there's something rotten behind that shining armor of his...
...so that I could portray his self-loathing mental breakdown to the fullest. Pics by Guru, edits by Tenshi
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With our latest project, Nana Osaki and Nana Komatsu of "Nana", Wacky Cherry and me had to depict the deep yet bittersweet friendship between the two infamous provincial girls living together in Tokyo. It was a very emotional photoshoot, and afterwards, we both felt that the experience brought the two of us closer as friends. Pic by Guru, edit by Wacky Cherry
