The peak performance experience in professional screen acting

Abstract

A substantial body of literature exists investigating the psychological states underlying peak performance in sports. However, performance excellence among performing artists, particularly actors, has received less empirical study. Thus, this investigation explored what the subjective peak performance experience is like in the context of professional screen acting, and how it is achieved. Adopting a qualitative approach, semi-structured interviews were conducted with five professional screen actors exploring a subjective peak performance experience. Transcripts were analysed using an interpretative phenomenological analysis. Two master themes represented peak screen acting performance experiences and described how actors achieved them. The first theme revealed how actors achieve peak performance through preparation processes that afford self-efficacy and acceptance to perform freely. The second theme illustrated that subjective peak screen acting performances were a present, connected, and heightened state where actors felt like they cognitively and physically lived as their character whilst attention resources monitored technical performance factors. Evidently, subjective peak screen acting performance involves an interaction of skill-based and psychological factors. Additionally, the peak performance state involves both cognitive and physical components. Not only can these results offer actors increased self-insight, but educators and directors can use findings to support actors in reaching their performance potential.