While not everyone would agree with Alfred Hitchcock's notorious remark that 'actors are cattle', there is little understanding of the work film actors do. Yet audience enthusiasm for, or dislike of, actors and their style of performance is a crucial part of the film-going experience. discusses the development of film acting, from the stylisation of the silent era, through the naturalism of Lee Strasberg's 'Method', to Mike Leigh's use of improvisation. The contributors to this innovative volume explore the philosophies which have influenced acting in the movies and analyse the styles and techniques of individual filmmakers and performers, including Bette Davis, James Mason, Susan Sarandon and Morgan Freeman. There are also interviews with working actors: Ian Richardson discusses the relationship between theatre, film and television acting; Claire Rushbrook and Ron Cook discuss theri work with Mike Leigh, and Helen Shaver discusses her work with the critic Susan Knobloch.