the Neurotic

8/13/2019 the Neurotic

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a rough summer that year, wasn't it?

NILES: I remember getting a chin strap, sothe bowler wouldn't fall off when I ran.

MARTIN: And all that did was make you look

like Elizabeth Taylor in "National Velvet. 11

We watch as they flaunt their intelligence and their cultureddemeanor. We watch as they analyze the world around them. We watchas they obsess over things that seem so ridiculous to us. And then welaugh as they lose their grasp of it all. Frasier and Niles are like severalother classic sitcom characters. They are high-strung, intelligent andsometimes nerdy, but always entertaining to watch. They are both The

Neurotic. ACT ONE WHO IS THE NEUROTIC?

The Neurotic is one of the most cherished of The Eight Characters ofComedy going back to the days (not so long ago) when televisioncomedy could really get over the top. They ar e often among the mosttheatrical of the characters because they act, shall we say, abnormalunder normal circumstances. They talk about the most obscure things.They get frustrated when nobody understands them. They tell you whattheyre thinking as theyre thinking it. They always expect things to turnout a certain way and they get upset when they dont. They have arulebook that they just assume everyone will follow, a set of rules thathelps them make sense of things. They talk and talk and talk some more.

If this sounds like a familiar character, then obviously you alreadyhave an understanding of The Neurotic, whether you are one yourself oryou know one (anybody who studies with me knows that they are beingtaught by one). The Neurotic is one of the funniest, deepest and mostcomplex of The Eight Characters of Comedy.

And we all have a guilty pleasure in watching them, whether itsthe buttoned-up Darrin Stephens (Dick York) coming apart at the seamsbecause his wifes Bewitched, Felix Unger (Tony Randall)hyperventilating because his sloppy roommate Oscar Madison (JackKlugman) is making the apartment messy in The Odd Couple, Alex P.Keaton (Michael J. Fox) trying to explain his extreme right-wing views tohis left- wing parents in Family Ties or Monica (Courteney Cox) just


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being Monica on Friends. We love watching when things dont gotheir way. And we really love it when the other characters confront themon it.

As an example, heres an exchange between Monica and Phoebe(Lisa Kudrow) f rom an episode of Friends where Monica is setting thetable for the perfect dinner. Watch as she begins to unravel.

MONICA: Can you help me fold these napkins?

PHOEBE: Sure.

MONICA: I'm gonna go across the hall and

check on the yams. (Notices Phoebe folding

the napkins) No! ... No, honey ... Not like

that, we're not at a barn dance. You want to

fold them like swans like I showed you at

Christmas, remember?

PHOEBE: Yeah. It all came screaming back to

me.

(Notice the Over-Extended Triplet.)

With the except ion of The Odd Couple, past sitcoms werentreally built around this character, mainly because they are too-neurotic!In most cases, The Neurotic was a second-banana type of character thatcould always be relied on to provide instant comedy just by walking intoa room and showcasing their neurosis. But that has really changed overthe past decade or so with the popularity of shows like Friends,Frasier and Monk. We all know characters from our own lives thatare like this. Or maybe you're like this.

Are you the one who lives in a dust-free apartment? Do youalways have to make lists? Do you often think you have some rare dis-ease? Do you think out loud? Do you think and think and think,obsessing over anything and everything? Is this you?

Commercial Break Frasier and Niles

So, how does a show thats led by two Neurotics keep the comedic con flict? Theanswer is constant role reversal. For example, if Frasier is acting neurotic about awoman, Niles will step up and act more like a Logical Smart One or vice versa. The


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two always complement each other in the show and the writing allows them to weardifferent hats.

Back to our show ...

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE NEUROTIC

ACT TWO

A PROFILE OF THE NEUROTIC

The role of The Neurotic is more open to interpretation than manyof the other characters because The Neurotic has many faces, whichyoull see as we go along. Thats because neurosis comes in all shapesand sizes. But at its heart is a deep insecurity that will follow TheNeurotic from the time they are nerdy little kids to neurotic adults. Thischaracter has always been different from others and there is a part ofthem that will always be insecure for this reason. Right away, thisinsecurity is a great way to add depth to a character that you will soondiscover has many layers. It is unavoidable. To play The Neurotic, youneed to understand the insecurity they faced growing up and still dealwith on a day to day basis (more on this later).

But for now, let s go back to where The Neurotic begins because it is

Anal retentive Intellectual Analytical Internalizes every thought Anxious Introspective Awkward Meticulous Controlling Neat Cultured Nerdy Dorky Nervous Endearing Obsessive-compulsive Fearful Over-analytical Follows their own life rulebook Over-achieving Fussy Perfectionist Highbrow Persnickety High-strung Refined Hypochondriac Sarcastic Inflexible Sense of bravado Insecure Worried


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a fascinating character to dissect. It all starts when theyre chil drenbecause all Neurotics start out as ...

Nerds!

Thats right, Nerds. You know, those boys and girls with the thickglasses, the pocket protectors, the bow ties, the comic book collection, theobscure facts they spew out at you, the lack of social skills and the lookin their eye that tells you theyre just a little offbeat. You know, nerds!

In junior high or high school, they were the ones who spent most oftheir time in computer clubs, marching bands and study groups. Theywere the brainy, four-eyed geeks who the jocks picked on. Or they werethe over-achieving, slightly plump girls the cheerleaders taunted. Theywere just about any of the main stars on the short-lived but highly-

acclaimed series Freaks & Geeks, a show where these dorky characterscontemplated the most important of lifes issues...

BILL HAVERCHUCK (Martin Starr): If I was the

Bionic Woman, what would I wear?

How do I know that Neurotics start out as nerds? Well, besides myown personal experience, I think back to some of my favorite TVNeurotics, like siblings Ross and Monica. Remember when they wereseen in high school flashbacks? Monica was fat and insecure while Rosswas a nervous and awkward geek. Once again, refer back to the Frasierexample. A bowler hat with a chinstrap? Hello?

If you are this character, please embrace it, write it, play it!Nerdy

Neurotics make some of the funniest characters on television. There aresome great young nerds, including Chip Douglas (Stanley Livingston)on My Three Sons, with his Coke -bottle glasses, Paul Pfeiffer (JoshSaviano) on The Wonder Years with his awkward appearance, Carlton Banks (Alfonso Ribeiro) on The Fresh Prince of Bel -Air with hispatented Carlton dance and the king of all nerds, Steve Erkel (JaleelWhite) on Family Matters, who only has to walk into a room to getlaughs. Why? Because he was so dorky!

Want an even more popular example? How about the amazingsuper nerd that is Screech? Dustin Diamonds character on Saved By

the Bell loves the show ALF, enjoys peanut butter in his ginger aleand has tried a couple of times to rewrite the words to the school song.When told by a teacher how strange he is, his response ...


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SCREECH: Well, thank you very much for

noticing.

Okay, you want further proof that all Neurotics start out as nerds?Remember the tall, skinny, bi-spectacled high schooler Patty Greene onthe short- lived series Square Pegs? Well, she grew up, moved to TheBig Apple and became the famous modern day Neurotic CarrieBradshaw on Sex and the City. Thats right, I'm talking about thecaptivating Sarah Jessica Parker. As a young actress, Parker convincinglyplayed a shy, nerdy girl. And as an adult, she transformed herself into aglamorous, successful woman. Interesting, huh? Even though hercharacters (Patty Greene and Carrie Bradshaw) are completely different,what they have in common is that they share many of the same traits of

The Neurotic.This nerdy quality is one of the things that make Neurotics

endearing. In order to capture this, you have to call upon what makesyou insecure. Look back to your own awkward phase (we all hadthem okay, maybe not all) and tap into that part of yourself that madeyou feel insecure (and maybe still does).

Commercial Break Reality check

A good reality television example of The Nerdy Neurotic would be just about anyof the guys on Beauty & The Geek or Average Joe. Intelligent, bright, insecureand nerdy, they spent the entire show wondering why the beautiful woman (the prize)

would pick them.Back to our show .. .

Oh, how you worry so

Neurotics are the worriers. They are the warriors of worrying. Theyare extremely anxious and nervous characters. Even though they areoften some of the most intelligent people, they are worried that theywont find the perfect mate, a good job, a fulfilling life. They worry,worry, worry about everything. And it all goes back to their adolescence.Think about it; after being picked on for years and years in school, a

person will grow up fearful. Because they are so different and they areso interested in things that are slightly out of the norm, they feel insecureabout themselves (and what others think). And so, just as they talk and


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talk and talk ... and think and think and think ... they also worry andworry and worry.

Higher learning

Now lets take this character from high school into college, wheregeek becomes chic. This is where they actually are embraced for beingintellectual, where being nerdy is actually much more accepted. This iswhere The Neurotic character really starts growing into his or her own.For those of you who went to college, didnt you notice that it wassuddenly the intellectual guys and girls that were getting laid? Smartbecomes sexy. This is where they begin learning social skills and startdefining what they want to do with their lives.

BUT young adulthood also provides some challenges for thesecharacters, especially since they are so slow in developing social skills.This is where their intellect (and leftover nerdiness) can sometimes get inthe way. Think of Ross Geller, played with perfection by DavidSchwimmer. Even though he is a grown man, the following scene gives apretty good glimpse of his idea of flirting; an approach that shows highintelligence, but a lack of street smarts.

Remember the episode with the pizza delivery girl? In this scene,Ross is working his intellectual magic with the pizza gi rl, who actuallyseems to be into him, until he awkwardly tries to impress her with someobscure fact.

ROSS: Hey, you know that smell that gas has?

GIRL: (Taken aback) Yeah.

ROSS: They put that in.

GIRL: What?

ROSS: (BEAT. Reluctantly explains) The gas

is odorless. But they add the smell so you

know when there's a leak.

GIRL: Well, okay.

ROSS: (Unable to stop himself) A lot of gas

smells.

Also remember, intellectual and intelligent are two different things,and The Neurotic often lacks street smarts. As smart as they are, they


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typically struggle in coping with day to day things that come easily forthe rest of the characters like talking to someone of the opposite sexwithout sounding like a dork.

Like a fine wine

As these characters turn into adults, they become more cultured.And this is another characteristic that most, if not all Neurotics share.Most of them appreciate the more cultural things in life, be it fine dining,museums, art galleries, classical music or the love of the opera.

Once again, take a look at Frasier. Has there ever been a smarterand more cultured sitcom than this one? The reason its so highbrow isthat it features two Neurotics. These characters and other Neurotics arerefined, proper and very smart. And they always look good.

As kids, they were always neat, but never fashionable. But nowthey have some style. They wear nice threads, are color-coordinated andwell put together. Essentially, these characters who are cultured, refinedand intellectual are simply nerds that have grown up, have gained anappreciation for the finer things in life and are now getting respect (andnotice) from others.

Theyre also more forthcoming and wittier than they were in highschool. And they are not afraid to unleash their sarcastic wit. Like mostof the other characters, The Neurotic can use sarcasm, although it isntas obvious a comedic tool for this character as it is for others like TheLogical Smart One. Neuroti cs still use it towards those who arent as

intelligent or knowledgeable as they are. Youll really see it emergewhen somebody is picking on them, questioning their rulebook orchallenging them on their control issues.

Commercial Break

Something to watch for ... This is an unexplainable phenomenon, but for some reason, in the half hour

world, The Neurotic almost always gets the girl or guy. On the surface, it would seemthat The Neurotic would annoy the hell out of anyone they dated (and sometimes theydo), but check out the credits at the end of this episode and notice how many girlfriends

or boy fiends they have over the course of a series ... even the more nerdy ones. Rosswas married multiple times, Frasier and Niles had (ex-) wives. Came had significantrelationships, as did George Costanza, Grace Adler, Ally McBeal and even Erkel! But,


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in the end, it typically doesn't work out because they're so neurotic!

Back to oar show ... What are they thinking?!The Neurotic generally knows that he or she is neurotic. Part of this

whole growing up process also leads Neurotics to become analyticaland in some cases over-analytical. It starts with them feeling insecure askids. They are concerned with what the world thinks of them; which inturn makes them second guess everything. Regardless, over the years,The Neurotic becomes more analytical and introspective.

Still, The Neurotic has a difficult time making decisions. They planeverything out in their heads, going over it again and again, weighing allthe options and checking all sides before acting. They obsess about every

possible scenario, often before a problem even occurs. That way they feelprepared for it if and when it does occur. They internalize everythought (and it shows). Just think of how you can almost always seeRoss wheels turning in David Schwimmers head.

Sometimes these thoughts actually become a voice-over narration,giving us a first hand look into the mind of The Neurotic. Such is thecase with Carrie Bradshaw and another famous Neurotic, Ally McBeal(Calista Flockhart), whose neurosis was brought to life for us to see. Allyis always worried about something, including life itself. Many times youcan find her actually talking to herself.

ALLY: The truth is, I probably don't want to

be too happy or content because, then what? I

actually like the quest, the search. That's

the fun. The more lost you are, the more you

have to look forward to. Wait! What do you

know? I'm having a great time and I don't

even know it.

Just like Ally, Carrie, Ross and Monica, if you watch the characterclosely, you can always see the wheels turning and the thoughts flowing.Unlike many of the other characters, The Neurotic is constantly dealingwith conflict their own internal conflict that goes something like this

...Well, maybe I should go. No, I cant. Do I want to go? Dothey want me to go? Of course they do! Why wouldnt they?


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Maybe I shouldnt. No, theyll be mad. I probably should.Okay, slow down. Make a list. Pros and cons.

Remember, this is simply how The Neurotic processes information.And its incredibly important for bringing out the humor in a character.Obviously, the dialogue is created by the writers, but its the actors whoneed to demonstrate how this character obsesses about every singledecision or situation. You have to practice the art of talking to yourself(in your mind and out loud). Its fanny and itll bring you one step closerto becoming The Neurotic. Thats what helps Sarah Jessica Parker playthis character so brilliantly. Her defining characteristics are that she isintelligent, insecure and that she overanalyzes everything.

Just watch the wonderfully written episode of Sex and the City

where Carrie is in the Hamptons with prospective boyfriend Jack Berger(Ron Livingston). Here she is talking incessantly on and on about her lastmessy, complicated relationship (and talking him right out of dating herin the process).

CARRIE: Yeah, well, we hadn't sufficiently

hurt each other enough the first time around,

but we definitely took care of business this

time. Because this time, he moved in. So we

had the merging of things, the dividing of

things, then the things that are left behind

that you don't want to give back because that

seems mean and you don't want to throw them

away because that's all you have left. And it

just gets harder as we get older because we

are not dating wildly inappropriate people

anymore. You know, there are no "shoo, glad

that's over." And after every breakup, I keep

telling myself "I'm never doing this again,

it's too hard." I mean, how many of these

things can a person survive? You know, they

should institute a Helmet Law for

relationships.

These are my rules


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This tendency to over-analyze also leads The Neurotic to come upwith plans for every possible scenario and to follow their own liferulebook. Where The Lovable Losers motto is I hope, I hope, I hope,The Neurotics motto is I must, I must, I must! This is one of the easiestways to pick out a Neurotic rather easily. The Neurotic has his or herown set of rules that they MUST follow (and that they expect everyoneelse to follow). This brings out the perfectionist characteristic. Theyoften want things to be perfect, to go as planned, and when they dont,watch outl

Because of this, they can be inflexible and they most certainly canbe controlling. Plain and simple, The Neurotic has control issues. Yousee, they have a set of rules that they have thought long and hard aboutand worked through over and over again and those rules give them asense of structure, balance and security. They need to be in control, andonce everything is in control, they believe that they will be happy.

While The Neurotic appears to be controlling, it is really the fear oflosing control that is at the core of this character. As an actor, focusing onplaying controlling is one -dimensional and doesnt make us care aboutthe character. In contrast, focusing your acting on playing the fear oflosing control not only makes us root for and care about the character,but its funnier.

And this gives The Neurotic conflict with other characters, like inthis funny episode of Friends. Here Monica and Chandler haverecently moved in together and Monica is explaining the importanceof having their CD collection organized.

MONICA: (Breathing heavy) Okay, where is the

Cat Stevens CD?

CHANDLER: In the James Taylor case.

MONICA: (Starting to panic) Where is the

James Taylor CD?

CHANDLER: Honey, I'm gonna save you some

time, 200 CDs, not one of them in the right

case.

MONICA: Okay. No need to panic. Deep breathseveryone. Okay, umm ... uh, we're just gonna

have to spend some time and put the CDs in


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the right cases.

CHANDLER: Well, if we're gonna do that, weshould come up with some kind of order. You

know, alphabetically or by genre?

MONICA: (Not getting his sarcasm) Hmm, I

don't know. We really have to talk this

through.

(Notice the various Triplets in this dialogue.)

Its this kind of rigidity and inflexibility that makes The Neuroticsuch an interesting character to play. Because they are insecure, they feelthey have to over-analyze everything. And the more time a character

spends in their mind obsessing and worrying, the more neurotic theybecome.

It doesnt go there!

There are so many amazing Neurotic characters that all share thetraits I just mentioned above. But like all of the other Eight Characters ofComedy, the truly great ones will add even more depth to theircharacter. Here are some ways that many of the great Neurotics do it.

Look no further than Felix Unger on The Odd Couple, one of thegreatest Neurotics of all time. The whole show is essentially based onhow anal retentive, meticulous and fussy Felix can be and how thisdrives his slob of a roommate, Oscar, nuts.

FELIX: Everyone thinks I'm a fussyhypochondriac. It makes me sick.

Felix is one of the ultimate Neurotics. Tony Randalls take as thispopular Neil Simon character showcases everything that is lovablyirritating about The Neurotic and his neurosis. We cant wait to see hisreactions to Oscars messes or his boorish behavior. Whether heshyperventilating, clearing his sinuses or simply whipping out the dustmop, Felix never requires a laugh track.

We also like it when others ridicule The Neurotic for their behavior,even if theyre a little harsh about it. A perfect example is in an episodeof the short- lived Sports Night, where executive produc er DanaWhitaker (Felicity Huffman) is barking orders in the control booth andall of her co-workers have fun with her by calling her persnickety


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over and over again, driving her nuts. Persnickety. Persnickety.Persnickety! You feel bad that theyre teasing her, but Huffmanspanicked reaction is hysterical.

And Huffman takes some of Danas traits into a Neurotic wife andmother role as Lynette Scavo on Desperate Housewives, as we can seehere when she is told she cant get into her yoga class.

LYNETTE: I'm a mother of four. Today I had to

get up at five, make lunches, make breakfast,

drop the twins off at school and get across

town lugging a baby and a sick child. Telling

me to "plan ahead" is like telling me to

sprout wings. And it's things like being told

to plan ahead that make me so crazy, thatyoga is the only thing that relaxes me.

Except I show up here and I can't get in and

you tell me to plan ahead. It's a vicious

cycle. See how that works?Commercial Break

Neurotic physicalityThere are a fewtricks to The Neurotics physicality that can help you play this

character. First of all, it is important to remember that The Neurotic always hassomething mulling about in their brain. Remember, they think incessantly and if you play that, the audience will be able to see it not only in your eyes, but more importantly

in how you react to things. Also, The Neurotics have a tendency to blow up more quickly than othercharacters. Mainly, this happens because they are wound so tight, but the real root of itis that they dont understand how somebody could disagree with them or ignore theirrulebook. Think of Frasier yelling at Niles. Think of Niles yelling at Frasier. Think ofFelix hyperventilating. Think of Catrie freaking out. Or, just think of Monica! TheNeurotics lose it at times, and that's fun to watch. Bring that anxiety to thebeginning, middle and end of a scene, and play it under the surface, keeping it ready toexplode at any second.

The Neurotics are the masters of subtle nuances. For a perfect example, watchNiles whenever he meets Frasier at the coffee shop. The first thing he does every time is

pull out a handkerchief and wipe off the seat. Other Neurotics walk a certain way,others dress a certain way and others talk a certain way. These little idiosyncrasies haveadded extra dimension to some of the best characters of all time and it's an area where


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The Neurotic Cocktail(The Anxious-tini)

1 shot of conflicting thoughts Halfshot of insecurity Twist of obsessionDash of anxiety One aspirin

And

MONK: (Panicking) I'm dehydrated. I'mtrying to sweat! I can't sweat!

Or ...

MONK: That officer out there told me I was

dead. I'm not dead, am I?

In order to play this type of Neurotic, you dont have to suffer fromObsessive Compulsive Disorder to relate. Arent there times in your lifewhen you let your imagination get the best of you? Think of when youstubbed your toe and thought it was broken and needed to be in a castfor six months. Or when you gave yourself a paper cut and thought you

needed stitches. Or when you came down with a cold and thought youwere dying of Mad Cow Disease. These characters are plagued by these

kinds of irrational fearsalmost every day.

The Neurotic hero

Not all Neurotics arecultured and sophisticated.There are some great work-ing-class Neurotics as well.

One of my favorites is Roseannes sister Jackie (Laurie Metcalf) on

Roseanne. In the first few seasons of the show, Jackie was more of aLovable Loser never quite finding the right job or the right man. As theshow continued (and the writers caught on to Metcalfs breakneckcomedic timing), she merged into a full-fledged Neurotic, defined by herhigh-strung per sonality. In the episode where Roseanne and Jackiesfather dies, check out the scene where an exhausted Roseanne has beencalling family members to give them the sad news and finally passes thephone to Jackie.


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JACKIE: I can't call people, Roseanne!

ROSEANNE: Jackie ... dial!

JACKIE: I'm supposed to be in mourning.

ROSEANNE: Well then, wear a veil over your

face while you do it!

JACKIE: (Dialing the phone) Hello, Auntie

Barbara? It's Jackie ... JACK-KEY! Yes. I'm

fine ... Fine! ... I'm FINE! ... I got some

bad news ... Dad isn't with us anymore. I

said Dad has passed away ... He's passed

away! ... Dad is gone ... Dad's dead! ...

He's dead! ... No ... DEAD! ... DEAD! DEAD!

... No, he's fine. He sends his love, (hangs

up the phone) I am not doing that again, you

can't make me.

Funny, huh? A character experiencing anxiety, becoming high-strung (in the right amount) is funny to watch, and Metcalf is skilled atit.

Last but not least, I have to mention another of the classic Neuroticswho defined a sense of high strung bravado. Fm talking about TheAndy Griffith Shows Barney Fife, played by Don Knotts. In the littletown of Mayberry, the puny Deputy Fife walks the streets with his singlebullet, his police swagger and his oversized hat ... keeping the peace.And when trouble comes to town, Barney, despite his fears, tries to bebrave and handle the situation in his own nervous way. The result isoften messy, but funny.

Just like Barney, many other Neurotics really like to think ofthemselves as heroes from time to time. It comes from the fact that theyreally do feel that they have worked out the best solution to any andevery problem. Its also the antithesis of what they were like grow ing up.Whether they really do have the best solution or not is often a mystery.Typically they screw things up well before they get to that point.

To play The Neurotic you need to at least have an understanding ofmost, if not all of these characteristics, even if your character doesntembody all of them. A sexy, confident neurotic can look at a shy high


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school geek and understand where theyre coming from. They share a

common bond, an unspoken truth: were different from the others.

Who in your life is The Neurotic?

ACT THREE THE NEUROTIC ... AND MOREIn general, The Neurotic is a character that works well in a scene

with many other characters, especially with a Logical Smart One. Youwill often see this character paired up with The Logical Smart One inmuch the same way The Lovable Losers are paired with them. Think ofthe Crane brothers paired up with their father or how Barney works bestplayed against Andy Taylors conventional wisdom.

However, there is a great Neurotic that has yet to be mentionedbecause he is such a complicated character. And that would be GeorgeCostanza.

Played hysterically by Jason Alexander, George is what manywould consider the classic middle-class New York Neurotic. He isdeeply insecure, and he worries about everything. He over-thinks, iscontrolling and high strung. George is constantly fueled by anxiety, andlike a true Neurotic, he is aware of it. Just check out this scene whereGeorge comes to grips with his baldness.

GEORGE: When she threw that toupee out the

window, it was the best thing that ever

happened to me. I feel like my old self

again. Neurotic, paranoid, totally

inadequate, completely insecure. It's a

pleasure.

That being said, George also shows many of the traits of TheLovable Loser. He is constantly trying out new plans, new schemes toget what he wants be it a new job, a girlfriend (or later to get RID of hisgirlfriend). He is so determined and so hopeful that he doesn t realizehow far-fetched some of his ideas are and who he might affect along theway. He is a desperate, optimistic and sometimes Lovable Loser as heshows in this scene where he sarcastically talks about his ill-fated


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attempts to get fired from the New York Yankees organization to take a job with the Mets.

GEORGE: And to think that I'd fail at

failing.

JERRY: Aww, come on now.

GEORGE: I feel like I can't do anything

wrong.

JERRY: Nonsense. You do everything wrong.

GEORGE: You think so?

JERRY: Absolutely. I have no confidence in

you.

GEORGE: (Proudly) Well, I guess I'll just

have to pick myself up, dust myself off and

throw myself right back down again.

But, I believe the reason George Costanza is a Neurotic is becausehe knows hes a Lovable Loser and he cant do anything about it. He iswhat I guess you could call a Neurotic Lovable Loser.

I went to acting school at Boston University with Jason Alexanderand you could tell right away that he understood comedy (and hiscomedic niche.) As a young adult, he was funny and had a great sense of

humor about himself and life. On the outside, he is really nothing likeGeorge Costanza. Jason was, and still is, a gracious, smart, confident andwell-balanced human being. But his sense of humor, his way of beingfunny, fluctuates between charmingly witty, neurotically insecure andbitingly sarcastic. I believe that he used all of this to step into the shoes ofGeorge Costanza.

Another Neurotic character that has Lovable Loser tendencies isLarry David, star of HBOs hit Curb Your Enthusiasm (and the manresponsible for writing Georges character). An anxious character withhis own rule book on life, Larry has a tendency to screw things up muchlike a Lovable Loser would.

Same could be said for Grace Adler (Debra Messing) on Will &Grace. A Neurotic through and through, she thinks too much, talks toomuch and worries too much about practically everything (especially


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things in a certain order, a certain place? What are you fussy about?There is a psychology here. And a big part of playing The Neurotic

(besides identifying with the characteristics) is taking a look at yourselfobjectively and seeing what irrational things you obsess about that youcan bring to the character. If you identify with this character and all ofthis characters traits, then you are ready. You can come out and sayIm a Neurotic! Once you admit it, you will proudly hold it up as abadge of honor (which will most certainly drive others crazy).

That is exactly what Courteney Cox did and look where it got her.As an agent, I represented Courteney at the beginning of her actingcareer, booking her in the Bruce Springsteen video Dancing In TheDark. In the early eighties, music vide os were a new phenomenon, sowhen Springsteen sang out Hey Babbbbyy! reached into the audienceand pulled Courteney on stage to dance with him, neither Courteney,myself nor anyone else for that matter expected the incredible exposurethis would bring. Everyone in the industry was suddenly asking Whosthat girl? It was exciting to watch this young, sweet girl from Alabamawith sparkling blue eyes and a Colgate smile begin a career that wouldcontinue to this day. But then again, if you knew Courteney back then,you just knew this girl was destined to become a star.

So, was Courteney anything like Monica? Well, no she wasnt. And,yes she was. Courteney wasnt necessarily controlling or high - strunglike Monica, but (as a young actress) she certainly could obsess aboutthings: about an audition, her weight, if shed ever work again. But all her obsessing was done with a self-deprecating sense of humorthat not only made her endearing, but very funny to be around.

In the first season of Friends, the cha racter of Monica seemed tobe The Logical Smart One (with a twist of neurosis). All her other castmates seemed to get more jokes and storylines. It wasnt until the writersplayed up Monicas neurotic traits that the character was allowed to stepforward and Courteney was given the opportunity to shine.

Here are a few other things to remember about playing TheNeurotic. As an actor, your task is to get excited about whatever it isyoure talking or obsessing about. Remember, you have gone over and

over the subject to form an opinion and you wouldnt be obsessingunless it was important to you. That is the main reason why TheNeurotic is constantly examining and re-examining everything.


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But, there is that small part of them that still wonders if they mighthave missed something. If something goes wrong, they assume itsprobably their fault. Thats also why they seem at times to be look ing forapproval from other characters. Despite their bravado, they are not allthat confident.

Finally, Im going to stress the importance of the obsessivecharacteristic because that will help you in playing The Neurotic in class,at an audition or on a show. In some of my classes, when I have studentsplay The Neurotic, I will sometimes tell them to do the scene butoccasionally notice a crumb thats on the floor simply to help them playthe obsession. You would be amazed at how much this simple trickcan add to the humor of the scene.

This tendency to obsess about everything is what defines thischaracter. Thats why Fr asier is such a fascinating character. He thinksabout everything, even those things that arent his business. While hecan appear confident and suave at times, we see him for what he reallyis, high-strung, over-analytical and incredibly insecure when things getout of his control and HES a therapist! All of this make him incrediblyfunny and one of the most popular Neurotics in sitcom history.

Whew! Thats a lot to process for this character. And now youknow what its like to be like The Neurotic. It s exhausting! They neverlive in the moment, they are never completely satisfied, and they arealways "in their heads." So, look over this episode again (remember,analyze and over-analyze) and start making a list of what you canidentify with. That will help you get into the mind of The Neurotic.

FADE OUT

TAG: ANNOUNCER V.O.: In the next episode of "The

Eight Characters of Comedy," The Neurotic

wants to plan a party but none of her

friends will help. So she turns to her

neighbor. But when he starts messing things

up, The Neurotic unravels. She should have

known better than to ask for help from The

Dumb One.

ROLL CREDITS ...


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Character Actor ShowGrace Adler Debra Messing Will & Grace

Carrie Bradshaw Sarah Jessica Parker Sex and the CityGeorge Costanza Jason Alexander SeinfeldFrasier Crane Kelsey Grammer Cheers/FrasierNiles Crane David Hyde Pierce FrasierBarney Fife Don Knotts The Andy Griffith ShowMonica Geller Courteney Cox FriendsRoss Geller David Schwimmer FriendsAlan Harper Jon Cryer Two and a Half Men

Jackie Harris Laurie Metcalf RoseanneAlly McBeal Calista Flockhart Ally McBealAdrian Monk Tony Shalhoub MonkLes Nessman Richard Sanders WKRP in CincinnatiRadar OReilly Gary Burghoff MASHLynette Scavo Felicity Huffman Desperate HousewivesMiles Silverberg Grant Shaud Murphy BrownDarrin Stephens Dick York BewitchedFelix Unger Tony Randall The Odd CoupleDana Whitaker Felicity Huffman Sports Night

the Neurotic

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Transcript of the Neurotic