Actor’s Objective: The Ultimate 2024 Guide

2/12/2024

In this guide I'll show you what the concept of "Actor's Objective" means and how to use it to enhance your performances.

I also include a list of objectives for actors at the very bottom, and an in-depth explanation of why acting objectives and tactics are different than intentions and actions.

Actor's Objective

So what is an actor's objective? Well, it's broken into three parts:

Actor's Objective: This is what the character most wants in the scene. We're going to dive deep on this.
Actor's Intention: Why the character wants what they want in the scene. Knowing the why behind the overall objective is critical to creating a three-dimensional character.
Actor's Action: This is what the character physically does to get them closer to achieving their objective in the scene.
- Note: The action MUST be actionable, meaning to "want" something could not be an action. How can you act out "wanting" something? It's not possible – it needs to be something that's physically demonstrable.

These three words help you understand the character more deeply and get clear on the subtext of every scene.

How the Actor's Objective, Intention, & Action Work Together

The Actor's Objective, Intention, and Action are interdependent, meaning you can't have one without the others. An actor wants _________ because _________, and will do _________ to achieve it.

Note: Even if the action is "doing nothing," that's still an action.

In other words, figure out what the character wants (objective), figure out why they want it (intention), and finally figure out what (if anything) they're going to do to get it (action).

To get even clearer, it can help to find the five W's and H for every scene:

Who am I? The backstory of your character shapes their behavior.
Where am I? The immediate setting might (or might not) play a role in how the character acts.
When is is? The day, time, season, and year might also play a role in how the performance goes (night vs. morning, for instance).
What do I want? This is your character's objective – without a clear want or goal, there would be no point of watching the scene because nothing would happen.
Why do I want it? This is the intention, or why the actor wants what they want. Without a reason behind wanting something, it's difficult to give a realistic, natural performance.
How will I get it? This is the action, and is usually dictated in the script (or by the director).

For any of these questions, if the answer is unclear in the script, you can either ask the director or make up an answer yourself.

The more clear you are on the answers to each of the above questions, the easier it will be to give an interesting and realistic performance. These are the "choices" you need to make before casting directors will take you seriously in the audition room.

Make your choices and then write them down!

Moment-to-Moment Objective vs. Super Objective

Most characters don't have just one objective. Realistic, multi-dimensional characters have multiple objectives (just like people in real life):

Super Objective (theatre definition): The Super Objective is the overall objective the character has in the story. It typically stays the same until accomplished (or until the character gives up). Think of it as the character's overall goal. For instance, let's pretend character Steve's Super Objective is to marry a girl he's always had a crush on named Sarah.
Moment-to-Moment Objective: Based on whatever's happening in the scene, a character's Moment-to-Moment Objective might change. For instance, if Steve's Super Objective is to marry Sarah, he might first try directly asking Sarah on a date. But if she says no, he might then decide to change objectives and instead of directly asking her, he might try make her feel special by giving her a gift. His Moment-to-Moment Objective changed from trying to get her to go on a date to simply trying to get her to like him.

Changing objectives can completely change the way a scene plays out – even if the words are the same! Imagine if your line was "I love you so much." If your objective is to make the person feel cared for and loved, you'd say the words in a certain way. But if your objective was to make the person feel like an idiot, you'd say the words completely differently – perhaps by laughing while you said them!

How to Find the Objective

In order to figure out the actor's objective for each scene, read the script and fill in the blanks below to the best of your ability:

"I want to ____________ ("actable" verb) ____________ (another character) so that they'll ____________ (feel or do something), and I'm willing to ____________ and ____________ (tactics) to ensure it happens!

Here are some examples:

Your Character (Steve): I want to marry Sarah so that she'll love me, and I'm willing to ask her out and give her gifts to ensure it happens!
Opposing Character (Sarah): I want to get away from Steve so that he'll leave me alone, and I'm willing to lie and walk away to ensure it happens!

This formula makes it easier to understand what's happening in the scene, and what you'll actually need to do. It captures all three elements: the Objective, the Intention, and the Action(s).

When preparing for a scene, avoid just thinking about what the character wants, as in: "I want Sarah to love me."

Thinking only in terms of what the character "wants" is problematic because "wanting" something isn't a playable action. You need to ask yourself, "How can I show my 'wanting?'" That's where the rest of the formula comes into play.

Do your best to fill in the blanks in the sentence above for every scene you perform or audition for. If you don't know the answers, make something up!

This simple formula can help every one of your performances look way more interesting.

The Importance of "Internalizing" the Objective

In real life, people don't usually go around consciously thinking about they want at every moment. Instead, they're just directed by their subconscious mind. That's why knowing the Objective, Intention, and Actions is not enough – you also need to "internalize" them to act naturally in the scene.

To internalize your Objective, Intention, and Actions in your subconscious, just say your sentence out loud to yourself about 10-20 times in varying tonalities.

Example: "I want to marry Sarah so that she'll love me, and I'm willing to ask her out and buy her gifts to ensure it happens!"

Say it over and over using a technique I call The Variance Method. First say it normally. Then whisper it. Then yell it at the top of your lungs! Then sing it. Then say it sadly, angrily, etc. By the time you've said it all different ways about 10-20 times, you'll have internalized it, meaning you'll no longer need to consciously think about it while performing.

Related: Use the Variance Method to Memorize Lines Quickly

How to Achieve Your Objective

Once you've internalized your actor's objective, it's time to go about achieving it!

This means it's time to move into "actioning." Let's pretend your scene is the following:

Steve: "Hey Sarah, would you like to go out to a movie tonight?"
Sarah: "Uh, no thanks. I have plans."
Steve: "Oh, okay. By the way, I have a gift for you!"
Sarah: "Oh really? Well, I'd love to see it, but I'm running late."
Sarah exits.

Now based on what we decided earlier, the Objectives for each character will determine how these lines are said. For instance, since Sarah is so willing to lie and walk away, she wouldn't feel any guilt at all about saying the lines written above.

But what if her Objective were to make Steve feel better about himself? Well in that case, she might have a difficult time saying the words written. It might take her much longer to get each word out because she feels guilty saying them.

You see how the Actor's Objective can completely change the way every word is said?

Will I always achieve my objective? No! By the end of your scene, you might not have actually achieved your objective, but that's OK! Most characters don't achieve their objectives in every scene. All that matters is the action that took place at the time and how truthfully the lines were performed (based on each character's objective).

Related: Natural Acting and How to Avoid "Indicating"

3 Numbers All Actors Should Know

Knowing how to uncover your objective as a character is important, but it's just one small part of growing your acting career.

If your goal is to act full-time, you should know these 3 numbers:

40-60 Submissions – This is how often full-time, working actors submit themselves (whether they have an agent or not) each month.
10-20 Auditions – This is how many times full-time working actors audition (or at least record and submit self-tapes) each month.
3-5 Bookings – This is how often full-time working actors book real, paid acting jobs each and every month.

If your numbers aren't there yet, that's OK! It's certainly not easy to audition and book that much.

But those are actual, real numbers from busy, working actors who didn't just get lucky.

Those busy, working actors started at the beginning – for them, the biggest question swirling in their minds at the time was:

How do I get taken seriously by casting directors when I don't have good credits or footage? And how do I get credits/footage without being taken seriously by casting directors?

It's the classic actor's catch 22.

When we're struggling to get our careers off the ground, our minds can slip into "desperation mode" and start looking for quick-fix solutions. We'll ask ourselves questions like:

"Should I take another acting class?"
"Do I need better headshots or should I pay to shoot a reel?"
"What's the fastest way to get an agent?"

But questions like those mean you're focused on Tactics, instead of Strategy.

Think about it this way: Would you bake a cake by randomly sliding a pile of flour, eggs, and chocolate into the oven? Of course not! How you combine the ingredients, the temperature you cook it at, and for how long are all just as important.

Similarly, the long-term, well thought-out strategy you follow as you grow your acting career matters. A LOT.

That's why "strategic thinking" is one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself as an actor.

So today I'd like to give you a gift: 3 tools specifically designed to help you start thinking and operating strategically.

These tools have helped over 14,000 actors so far, many of whom have gone on to:

Book Broadway roles
Land network television and Netflix shows
Sign with agents and managers
And much more – faster than you'd expect (you can see some success stories here).

My free Actor's Toolkit will help you BLAST through the actor's catch 22 so you start getting WAY more auditions and bookings every month:

The Actor's Toolkit

The Top 6 Casting Websites to Find Auditions, plus 3 specific submissions strategies to get higher-quality auditions from them
3 Pro Actor Resume Templates, professionally formatted (they work on any device – just add your info)
Contact info of over 140 Top Talent Agencies & Submissions Techniques to save you the hassle of trying to find legitimate (non-scam) agents

Send Me the Toolkit!

Martin Bentsen (author of this guide) is an actor marketing coach who uses strategic thinking to help actors book more work. He’s helped over 14,000 actors with their careers and actor headshots since 2009 and his photography studio City Headshots is ranked #1 on Yelp. He’s spoken at NYU, The New England Theater Conference, The Actor’s Green Room, and other venues.

Want to book more acting work by thinking strategically? Start with his free Actor’s Toolkit to create new opportunities right away, or visit his website at www.martinbentsen.com.

Some Additional Q&A

What is a Scene Objective?

The scene objective is what your character wants most in the scene. Basically, what's their primary goal in the scene?

Why Are Objectives Important in Acting?

Objectives help actors make realistic choices that create drama and compelling performances that audiences love to watch. Without objectives, performances would look contrived and fake and no one would stay engaged – especially for hours at a time!

How Do You Write an Objective for Acting?

To write a compelling actor's objective, use the following formula:

"I want to ____________ ("actable" verb) ____________ (another character) so that they'll ____________ (feel or do something), and I'm willing to ____________ and ____________ (tactics) to ensure it happens!

What Are Some Examples of Objectives in Acting?

Here are 20 acting objectives:

First, Super Objectives, or overarching major objectives a character wants in the entire story:

Love
Power
Security
Money
Peace
Family
Freedom
Happiness
Strength
Solitude

Second, Scene Objectives, or smaller objectives a character wants during a particular scene:

Satiate one's hunger
Be given an item
Get paid money
Get hired for a job
Seduce someone
Make friends
Meet someone
Steal something
Have fun
Seduce someone