How to Act Dramatic

Co-authored by Ben Whitehair

Last Updated: October 6, 2021 References

Actors and actresses have been perfecting the art of acting dramatically for years and years. Whether you want to act dramatic to practice for your own acting role, or just to try on a new personality, there are things you should try to really act the part. Using body language and demanding attention are both important when it comes to acting dramatic.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Speaking and Moving Dramatically

1
Use over exaggerated gestures. When you want to act dramatic, it’s important that your physical gestures show it. Use your hands a lot when you speak. Throw yourself down into your chair dramatically. Sigh often and roll your eyes. Think about what dramatic actors and actresses do in movies and follow their example
- If you want people to believe you, though, don’t go overboard. Make sure whatever you do is believable and goes along with whatever you’re talking about.
- Waving your arms while you’re telling a story, or jumping up and down excitedly when you see a friend are both examples of exaggerated gestures.
2
Cry. Dramatic people cry very easily, and usually cry pretty often. It doesn’t take much to set off a dramatic person and make them cry. To act dramatic, cry a lot and do it in front of people. Make a big deal out of things that might seem trivial or silly to others. Maybe someone bumped into you in the hallway—you can act dramatic and cry over this small infraction.^{[1]
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- If something actually worth crying over does happen, a dramatic person would probably cry the loudest and longest. Taking a while to get over things and not letting things go are also things you can do to act dramatic.
- If you're supposed to be crying during an emotional scene for a film or play, learn to concentrate on the emotions you're supposed to be feeling.^{[2]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Ben Whitehair
  Acting Coach
  Expert Interview. 3 June 2021.} Try to avoid getting distracted by what might be happening in the audience or on the other side of the camera.^{[3]
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  Expert Source
  
  Jim Jarrett
  Acting Teacher
  Expert Interview. 28 April 2020.}
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3
Laugh loudly. Drama doesn’t always mean sadness or anger. Sometimes, people who are dramatic take all emotions to the extreme. When something is funny or amusing, be the one to laugh the loudest. This will draw attention to you, which is an important part of acting dramatic.
- Use your hands when laughing or reacting to things. Slap your thighs, clap your hands, or do other things to draw attention or make noise.
4
Be flirtatious. By being flirtatious and flirting or being a little bit suggestive in your normal conversations, you will draw people in. Dramatic people love when others are drawn to them, and want to keep as much attention on themselves as possible. Lean in close when talking to people, brush your hand over their arm or shoulder, or give them a wink.^{[4]
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- You can flirt in non-sexual ways, even with people that aren’t of your preferred gender. Just be overly friendly, and a little suggestive in conversation. Adding phrases like “If you know what I mean…” to the end of things with a little wiggle of your eyebrows is suggestive, for example.
5
Speak loudly. If you want to be the center of attention and come off as dramatic, making sure you’re heard is important. Speak over other voices if you’re in a crowd, or even in a small group. Make your words and your conversation seem like the most important one happening, even if it isn’t about anything important.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Getting and Keeping Attention

1
Assume the worst. Dramatic people have a tendency to think about the worst possible scenario and focus on it. No matter what’s happening, express to everyone around you the worst thing that could happen, or the worst consequence. Try framing it as “What if…” until people pay attention to you.^{[5]
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- Jumping to conclusions and thinking negatively about even simple situations will help you come off as dramatic, or as someone who tends to blow things out of proportion. It can also help you draw attention to yourself by making others start to think the same way as you.
- If something does go wrong, dramatic people are usually the first ones to point it out. Say something like “I told you so” or “I knew this would happen.”
2
Have over exaggerated reactions. The way you react to things will really show others you are dramatic. If you don’t react at all to something that affects you, then you won’t appear as dramatic. Instead, if you have an over exaggerated reaction to even small things, like crying over a TV commercial or getting angry over something that happened to a friend but not to you, you will appear more dramatic.
- Gasping is a great reaction tool. Gasp loudly and put your hand on your chest like you cannot believe what you just heard.
- Exclaim things like “Oh my goodness!” when things happen. However you react, make sure it draws the attention to you.
3
Move from one extreme emotion to the next. Dramatic people tend to move quickly from one feeling to the next, and they express each emotion to its extreme. One minute, you might act really happy about something, and then the next be very upset or angry. This will show others you’re dramatic, and it will keep the attention on you.^{[6]
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- Let people know exactly how you’re feeling all the time. Your emotions should be very clear to everyone around you. By over exaggerating your emotions or taking them to the extreme, no one will really ever wonder what mood you’re in.
- Laughing loudly when you’re happy, or snapping rudely (or loudly) at others when you’re angry are good ways of going to the extreme. Stomping your feet, groaning when you’re annoyed, glaring when you’re mad, whining and complaining are also great options.
4
Wear eye-catching clothing. Wearing loud or bright clothing can also draw attention to your outer appearance. Bright patterns and lots of accessories can make people look your way. Red is also a great color to wear if you want to nab some attention. It has been shown to be one of the most eye-catching colors, as it is often used to sell products and in advertisements, so pick a red shirt, dress, or accent piece to get noticed more.^{[7]
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5
Consider wearing dramatic makeup. Especially when it comes to your eyes and lips, you can really use makeup to up the dramatic factor of your look. Dark, smoky eyes and dramatic red lips can really draw attention your way. Try using a dark eyeliner with a thick point that you can smudge around your eye, rather than relying on eye shadow. Put on some red lipstick for a pop of head-turning color.^{[8]
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- Apply your eyeliner along the top lid as you normally would, then use a cotton swab or your pinky fingertip to gently smudge it to create a smoky look.
- Experiment with dark or bright lip colors to see what color best suits you.
6
Turn everyone’s attention back to you. The most dramatic thing you can do is to make sure you remain the center of attention at all times. Dramatic people keep the focus on themselves, no matter what’s going on. It’s actually human nature to need and require attention, but dramatic people take that need to an extreme. Use this to your advantage. No matter the situation, turn the attention on yourself.^{[9]
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- Thriving on drama and attention this way can actually become an addiction for some people. Make sure that if you are only trying to act dramatic, you don’t let this get to you and become a problem.
7
Gossip about others. You don’t necessarily have to say anything negative or blatantly mean about someone, but passing along things you’ve heard and making a big deal out of it will work. For example, if you’ve heard about a new couple amongst people at your school or your group of friends, bring them up. Ask prying questions.^{[10]
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- Starting conversations with phrases like “Did you hear about…” is a way to grab people’s attention and keep it on you.
8
Exaggerate stories. For example, you might be telling a story about how you crashed your bike. In reality, all that happened was that you hit the curb, but instead, you’ll tell everyone that you smashed into the curb, flew through the air, and fell into a pile of garbage. It’s the language you’re using that changes the story and makes even small things seem like a big deal.
- Think of words that signify extremes: huge, awesome, gigantic, horrible, to name a few. Apply these “big” words to “small” things. For example, if you broke a nail, you would describe it as having had a horrible day, and that there is no way it could be worse.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Keeping Yourself Grounded

1
Think about why you want to act dramatically. Is it for an acting role? Is it because you want to fit in with a certain group of people? Whatever your reason for acting dramatic, make sure your reason is worth changing your personality and behaving in a new way. Even if you’re just going to be practicing for a short term role, changing your behavior can affect the people around you, so make sure you have a clear purpose in mind before you do that.
- Make sure you aren’t trying to act dramatic to distract yourself from the real problems in your life. You should handle these problems properly so you can get past them.^{[11]
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2
Consider that you might push people away. Acting dramatically all the time can really be draining and exhausting for the people around you to deal with. They might become tired of dealing with your dramatic behavior and end up distancing themselves from you to get a break from it. Make sure you’re prepared to deal with this if you plan to act dramatically all the time.
- Acting dramatic can often be seen as a negative personality trait. You can eventually be seen as someone who is high maintenance, and your friends might not want to deal with that.
3
Tell friends and family what you’re trying to do. If you’re preparing for a role or acting dramatic for a reason, let your friends and family know what’s going on. This will prepare them for your shift in behavior, and they might be able to handle it a little better. Since you’ll probably be acting dramatic around them, it’s not a bad idea to give them a head’s up about what you’re doing.
- Acting dramatic and being the center of attention can give someone a sense of importance, or make them feel like their problems are more important than others. If you don’t let your friends and family know ahead of time what’s going on, they might start to feel like you don’t care as much about them.^{[12]
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Community Q&A

Question

What are good gestures for when I'm acting defensive?

Juliet Gore

Community Answer

Clench your fists. When you make a statement, slap your hands on your thighs as if in disbelief. Act the way you would if you were fighting with your mom about something really important!
Question

I'm going to Disney channel audition next week. How can I act dramatic for that?

Community Answer

Use the steps here! Over exaggerate your emotions and reactions.
Question

How can I make a show over dramatic?

Community Answer

Exaggerate the costumes, script, blocking et cetera. Break the fourth wall just a little bit, too, maybe.

Warnings

If you aren’t trying to act dramatic for a worthy reason, you might want to avoid it. It can cause you to become unpopular and disliked.

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