The Fiction of Character

Actors often say "the character on the page...". That statement is false. There is no character on the page. There is only the actor's interpretation of the dialogue and writer's instructions RE his or her desired actor's performance. The true statement when analyzing a script is: "Given my sense of human behavior which might might logically produce those kind of scripted words and actions in that kind of a scripted situation, I believe (I will interpret the script in such a way) that requires me-as-the-actor/character to behave in stage or on set in such and such real, living manner; especially if I am going to convincingly move an audience...i.e., it will be MY behavior that will make logical/exciting the script, not some fictional character. Character is simply and merely a substitute and fictional word for ME in performance. The proper, get-to-the-point and honest question when reading a script is: "What side of ME does the script require?" And the good actor always accepts that from the very beginning to the very end of the acting process, "I AM THE CHARACTER...and MY INTERPRETATION OF THE SCRIPT'S WORDS are my instructions and suggestions to myself how best to be this or that aspect of ME in performance."