As with any art form, acting is an ability that requires hard work and long hours. It is only through rigorous study and training that actors can reach their goals. One of the most necessary and yet difficult components of great acting is learning to rip past the facade that covers the actors themselves and the characters they create to reveal the true identities within.

Every character that an actor creates is multi-dimensional as are the actors themselves. These dimensions consist of the individual or character\’s public persona, his or her deep-seated fears and vulnerabilities, and the tragic flaw. Working with an acting coach has been shown to be highly effective in helping an actor to see past his own exterior and that of his character to reveal the heart of the person within and create characters that are both real and relatable.

Our public persona, according to Carl Jung, is the image that we present to the rest of society and is designed to mask our true feelings, emotions, and insecurities. Expression of this persona occurs in all areas of our lives. Characters also have personas that they create to protect their true selves from the rest of the world and actors must learn to utilize their own personas to create those of their characters.

There is no question that an individual\’s vulnerabilities are often buried deep beneath the surface, making the public persona seem like the dominant characteristic. The root of a person\’s character is grounded in their growth and development from childhood. Acting coaches are trained to teach actors to come face to face with their own childhood fears and issues in order to create a truly believable character with great depth and dimension.

That which affects us in childhood remains a part of our lives until the day we die, whether we allow it to surface or not. The same is true of created characters. Characters and real persons alike adopt public personas as a means of shielding their weaknesses and helplessness from the world.

In order to become an exceptional actor, a student must learn to remove the superficial exterior of both his and his character\’s public persona in order to uncover the true self. Quality coaches work to train actors in communicating the sacred and intimate core of a person\’s soul and being.

Every member of the audience has both a public persona as well as a deeper substance that has worked to create the exterior. Presenting a character of similar dimensions is sure to create a bond between the audience and the story being told. All great actors must learn to succeed in this form of character creation.