From 'YOU' to 'Aitraaz': How intense roles affect actors’ psyches
When the cameras stop rolling and the applause fades, the role still lingers. For many actors, embodying a character doesn’t end on set—it seeps into their reality, and quietly affects their emotions and everyday life.
In a recent interview, Penn Badgley, who stars in Netflix's 'YOU', opened up about how playing Joe Goldberg on the show affected his mental health. His experience raises questions about how art impacts one’s emotional life, be it for actors who get too involved in a performance, or audiences who immerse themselves too deeply in a story.
The impact on actors
Due to the sparkle of celebrity that surrounds most actors, the public doesn’t realise that acting can be an emotionally challenging job. It’s easy to forget that actors aren’t machines, but are human beings who dive deep into roles, often losing themselves in the process. The effects can be subtle or severe, but they’re real.
What did Penn Badgley say?
Speaking to Awards Daily, Penn revealed that he was not certain about playing Joe and that he acknowledged that his character was dangerous.
Penn said, "I first started reading the script. I was compelled by the project as a whole. I think I was uncertain about Joe, and that uncertainty was increased by reading the book. The book is unrelenting because you never get outside of his mind."
"The things you're able to do in the eco-system of the mind are very different on the page than showing it on camera. The more I read the book, the more certain I was - for all of the graces of the project - I knew I didn't really want to embody this guy," he further added.
Penn, in his interview, explained how enacting even fake violence can mess with the mind, which can’t quite tell if it’s real or not: "When you fake-strangle somebody, your nervous system doesn't quite know that you're not actually strangling someone. When you see fake blood and you're pretending to stab someone - your physical system isn't used to seeing something visceral like that and it being fake. It does take a toll."
When Priyanka Chopra spoke about how her Aitraaz character affected her
Priyanka Chopra experienced something similar after playing Sonia in 'Aitraaz', a powerful antagonist who falsely accuses a man of sexual harassment. Her performance was hailed as bold but it came at a cost. In an interview with Film Companion, Priyanka recalled how her mother once told her to “snap out of it,” because she got too involved in the character.
The actress revealed that she would walk slowly, pick up her coffee cup in a particular way, and look at people the same way as her character in the film. The 'Fashion' star shared that her mother, Madhu Chopra, noticed her changing behavior and even shot a video of her to prove it.
Joaquin Phoenix and his massive transformation for 'Joker'
And then there’s Joaquin Phoenix, whose transformation into the iconic yet deeply disturbed Arthur Fleck in ‘Joker’ left a scar. The film earned him an Oscar, but it wasn’t without sacrifice. Phoenix underwent extreme weight loss and immersed himself in the character. He spoke candidly about the toll it took on his mind—the loneliness, the emotional isolation, and the consuming nature of the role.
This phenomenon isn’t unique. From Heath Ledger’s haunting descent into his character in ‘Joker’, to Penn Badgley trying to understand Joe Goldberg, Hollywood and Bollywood are filled with stories of actors who surrendered themselves completely to their characters, sometimes at the cost of their mental well-being.
This just goes to show how art and life aren’t as distant from each other as many assume. While watching films, we as audience members also get immersed in the world of the characters we’re watching. This begs the question: what happens to audiences who watch these intense performances? Does it affect our mental health without us knowing, too?
