These four areas are often the fastest route to uncovering a character's humanity. When I use these in rehearsals, I try to move from surface-level questions to questions that reveal contradictions, stakes, and emotional wounds.
FEARS
Surface Questions
REGRETS
Surface Questions
GOALS
Immediate Goals
RELATIONSHIPS
Basic Questions
My Favorite "One Question" from Each Category
If you only have a few minutes, these often produce the richest discoveries:
Fear: What are you most afraid people will discover about you?
Regret: What should you have said when you had the chance?
Goal: What are you trying to prove, and to whom?
Relationship:Who in your life has the greatest power to hurt you?
Those four questions alone can generate enough material for an actor to build a surprisingly deep and playable character.
FEARS
Surface Questions
- What are you afraid of?
- What makes you nervous?
- What keeps you awake at night?
- What situation do you avoid?
- What is the worst thing that could happen to you?
- What are you trying to prevent?
- What are you afraid people will discover about you?
- What would humiliate you?
- What are you pretending not to fear?
- What do you worry about when you're alone?
- What are you most afraid of losing?
- What kind of person are you afraid of becoming?
- What are you afraid will happen in this scene?
- What answer don't you want to hear?
- What are you risking by being here?
REGRETS
Surface Questions
- What is your biggest regret?
- What mistake do you wish you could undo?
- What decision would you change?
- Who have you hurt?
- Who have you let down?
- What opportunity did you miss?
- What should you have said but didn't?
- What should you have done but didn't?
- What do you still feel guilty about?
- What memory makes you cringe?
- What do you wish you could apologize for?
- If you had one do-over, what would it be?
- What moment changed the course of your life?
- What are you still punishing yourself for?
GOALS
Immediate Goals
- What do you want right now?
- What do you want from the person in front of you?
- What would make this conversation successful?
- What do you want most in life?
- What are you working toward?
- What does success look like to you?
- What are you trying to prove?
- Why is that important to you?
- What do you think will happen if you achieve it?
- What are you willing to sacrifice?
- What are you unwilling to sacrifice?
- What is standing in your way?
- What do you need that you're not getting?
- What do you think you want, but actually need something else?
RELATIONSHIPS
Basic Questions
- Who is the most important person in your life?
- Who do you trust?
- Who do you avoid?
- Who do you admire?
- Who knows the real you?
- Who sees you differently than you see yourself?
- Who do you need approval from?
- Who disappoints you?
- Who do you secretly envy?
- Who do you miss?
- Who are you angry with?
- Who hasn't forgiven you?
- Who haven't you forgiven?
- What relationship would you most like to repair?
- What relationship are you afraid to lose?
- What do you need from this person?
- What do you wish this person understood?
- What are you afraid to tell this person?
- What would happen if this person left your life?
My Favorite "One Question" from Each Category
If you only have a few minutes, these often produce the richest discoveries:
Fear: What are you most afraid people will discover about you?
Regret: What should you have said when you had the chance?
Goal: What are you trying to prove, and to whom?
Relationship:Who in your life has the greatest power to hurt you?
Those four questions alone can generate enough material for an actor to build a surprisingly deep and playable character.