The Power of the Actor
Ivana Chubbuck's twelve-step technique used by Hollywood's biggest stars
Overview
The Power of the Actor by Ivana Chubbuck presents her acclaimed twelve-step acting technique, which has been used by actors including Halle Berry, Brad Pitt, and Charlize Theron. The technique is rooted in using personal pain and experience as fuel for powerful, goal-driven performances.
Each chapter introduces a step in the technique, from identifying the overall objective to using inner objects and personalizing the material. Chubbuck provides detailed script analysis examples and exercises for each step.
How It Works
Best for actors who want a structured, goal-oriented approach to scene work and who are comfortable with deep personal exploration. The technique demands emotional honesty and willingness to use personal experiences.
Available in paperback and digital formats, typically priced between $16-19. Widely used as a textbook in acting programs and often recommended by professional coaches.
Who Uses It
Recommended for actors seeking a powerful, results-oriented technique. Chubbuck's method is particularly effective for actors working in film and television who need to deliver emotionally rich performances consistently. The twelve-step technique has been adopted by acting schools and coaches worldwide, establishing Chubbuck as one of the most influential acting teachers of her generation alongside names like Meisner, Adler, and Strasberg. Her approach's emphasis on using personal pain to fuel performance objectives creates a direct pipeline from the actor's inner life to visible, dynamic on-screen behavior that cameras capture beautifully. Many of her former students have credited the technique with giving them the tools to deliver award-winning performances under the intense pressure of professional film and television production.
Pricing & Plans
The Power of the Actor is available in hardcover and paperback from Gotham Books, typically priced between $16 and $19 at major retailers including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and independent bookstores. Digital editions for Kindle and other e-readers are generally available for $12 to $15, and an audiobook version is available through Audible for those who prefer to absorb the material through listening. Used copies can be found through online resellers for as little as $6 to $10, though the book's popularity means the best-condition used copies often sell quickly. The book is commonly required reading in many professional acting programs and workshops, which helps explain its strong and consistent sales over the years. For actors who want to go deeper, Chubbuck also offers intensive workshops and master classes that expand on the book's twelve-step technique, though these represent a significant additional investment.
Pros & Cons
What's Great
The Power of the Actor provides one of the most clearly structured and systematic acting techniques available in book form, with each of the twelve steps building logically on the previous ones to create a comprehensive approach to character development and scene work. Chubbuck's emphasis on identifying a powerful overall objective and connecting it to the actor's personal life creates performances that are emotionally authentic, dramatically compelling, and visually dynamic — qualities that are particularly valued in film and television. The detailed script analysis examples included for each step demonstrate exactly how the technique works in practice, making it possible for self-directed actors to apply the method without necessarily studying with Chubbuck directly. The technique's focus on winning and pursuing goals gives actors a forward-moving energy that prevents the common trap of playing emotions rather than actions, resulting in performances that are both emotionally rich and dramatically active. Chubbuck's credibility as a coach to major Hollywood stars lends the book an authority and relevance that purely academic acting texts sometimes lack.
What Could Be Better
The technique's reliance on mining personal pain and trauma as fuel for performance raises legitimate concerns about actor well-being, particularly for performers working without the support of a trained teacher who can help manage the emotional demands of the approach. Some actors and teachers find the twelve-step process overly rigid when applied to every scene and every role, arguing that not all material benefits from the same intensity of personal connection and emotional investment that Chubbuck prescribes. The book's examples draw heavily from dramatic and emotionally intense material, and actors working primarily in comedy, physical theater, or stylized performance forms may find the technique less directly applicable to their work. Chubbuck's writing style is confident and prescriptive, which some readers may experience as dogmatic, particularly when she implies that her technique produces superior results to other legitimate approaches to the craft. The level of personal excavation required by the technique can be emotionally exhausting over time, and actors should be aware of the need to develop self-care practices alongside the intense inner work the method demands.
Our Recommendation
Actors who want a clear, systematic technique that produces emotionally powerful and dramatically compelling performances, particularly for film and television, should seriously consider making The Power of the Actor a cornerstone of their training library. The book is most effective for intermediate to advanced actors who have enough life experience and emotional maturity to engage with the deep personal work the technique requires without being destabilized by it. We recommend studying with a Chubbuck-trained teacher alongside reading the book, as the twelve steps benefit enormously from guided application and the kind of real-time feedback that only a classroom setting can provide. If the prospect of mining personal pain feels too intense, consider starting with a gentler technique like Stella Adler's imagination-based approach and returning to Chubbuck when you feel more emotionally prepared for the demands of her method. For actors who commit to the technique fully, The Power of the Actor can produce transformative results that elevate every aspect of their performance work.
Pro Tips
Begin by reading the entire book once without trying to apply the technique, simply absorbing the framework and understanding how the twelve steps relate to each other as an integrated system. On your second reading, choose a single monologue or scene and work through all twelve steps in order, writing out your analysis for each step in a dedicated journal to make the process tangible and specific. Practice the technique on material you know well before applying it to cold audition sides, as familiarity with the text allows you to focus on learning the method without the added pressure of unfamiliar material. Pay particular attention to Chubbuck's concept of the overall objective and ensure that yours is genuinely personal and emotionally significant rather than intellectually chosen, as the power of the technique depends entirely on the depth of your personal connection to the character's goals. Build a self-care routine that includes activities that help you decompress after intense emotional work, such as physical exercise, meditation, or time with friends, because the demands of the Chubbuck technique are real and sustainable practice requires conscious attention to emotional health.