"The mask of the character was already written into the show, but I actually lobbied for a denser and more complete mask than they initially considered"
About this Quote
Even in a medium obsessed with faces, Rene Auberjonois is talking about the power of hiding one. His line is a quiet flex: the mask wasn’t an obstacle he heroically endured; it was a tool he fought to sharpen. When an actor lobbies for a “denser and more complete” mask, he’s not chasing realism. He’s chasing permission - to stop relying on micro-expressions and start building character through rhythm, posture, timing, and voice. The subtext is craft-minded and slightly contrarian: if you take my face away, you don’t take my performance away; you force it to get cleaner.
The context matters because in television, masks are usually a production compromise - budget, prosthetics schedules, network fears about audience connection. Auberjonois frames it differently. The show had already “written” the mask into the character, meaning the concealment was baked into the narrative identity, not slapped on as decoration. By pushing for more coverage, he’s aligning the external design with the internal psychology: a character who hides should actually hide, not half-hide in a way that flatters the actor.
It also hints at a deeper industry tension: stars want visibility; character actors often want transformation. Auberjonois is staking out the latter. The mask becomes a statement about ego, about disappearing so the role can appear - and about trusting audiences to connect with a presence, not a cheekbone.
The context matters because in television, masks are usually a production compromise - budget, prosthetics schedules, network fears about audience connection. Auberjonois frames it differently. The show had already “written” the mask into the character, meaning the concealment was baked into the narrative identity, not slapped on as decoration. By pushing for more coverage, he’s aligning the external design with the internal psychology: a character who hides should actually hide, not half-hide in a way that flatters the actor.
It also hints at a deeper industry tension: stars want visibility; character actors often want transformation. Auberjonois is staking out the latter. The mask becomes a statement about ego, about disappearing so the role can appear - and about trusting audiences to connect with a presence, not a cheekbone.
Quote Details
| Topic | Art |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
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