Describe an actor or actress whom you admire

  Describe an actor or actress whom you admire

IELTS Speaking Part 2: IELTS Cue Card/ Candidate Task Card.

Describe an actor or actress whom you admire.

You should say:

who he/she is?
what does he/she look like?
what kind of movies does he/she appear in?
and explain why you admire this actor/actress?

Sample Number: 1

 I am very fond of watching movies and TV series.

• And I admire all those actors and actresses who live their roles.

• Here, I will talk about one actor Pankaj Tripathi who has really impressed me with his acting.

• In all the roles he has played, it looks like he is the actual character and is just living his role.

 I saw the movie Kaagaz, in which he is a wedding bandmaster and really looks like one.

Another movie in which he has a lead role is Sherdil.

 Then I happened to watch a crime TV series, Criminal justice, on Hotstar

• He has done the role of a lawyer in this series and has given a stellar performance.

• Another TV series ‘Mirzapur’ on Amazon Prime, where he plays a Mafia don, is worth watching.

• He is tall, fair, and must be in his mid-forties.

• He did minor roles in many movies, but he came into the limelight after the movie Gangs of

Wasseypur, in which he played a negative role.

• I didn’t know much about him apart from his role in these movies and TV series, but recently

I read his interview in the Times of India newspaper.

• He has a very humble background.

• He struggled a lot to get noticed as an actor.

• He said that he came to Mumbai in 2004, but no one noticed him before the Gangs of

Wasseypur happened in 2012.

• Now whenever I watch any old movie in which he has even a tiny role, I feel like watching

the movie to the end because of his role.

• He has done all sorts of roles and has added life to all the characters he has played.

• Many of his movies have been big hits, and he has made a place for himself in Bollywood.

• He has also acted in some Tamil films.

• Pankaj Tripathi is just fabulous and deserves all the success.

[ Written by - Dr Kiranpreet Kaur Makkar (MBBS, DGO - Makkar Hospital Phagwara] 

Sample number: 2

There are plenty of amazing and inspirational performing artists out there to choose from. However, for this topic, I’m going to go with my first instinct, because the first actor I can think of, must be at the forefront of my mind for a reason. If nothing else, this suggests that their work is memorable and impressive. This actress certainly is.

I’m going to tell you who she is, what she looks like (‘though that is tricky, as she has had a career spanning decades); what sort of films and other work she has performed in, and why it is I admire her so much.

So, the actress – or actor (in England, some women ‘actresses’ prefer to be called ‘actors’ as the word should encompass both genders really) is known affectionately as Maggie Smith. Her formal name and title are Dame Margaret Natalie Smith, but she is so recognizable in the UK (and probably worldwide too now) that she is regarded as something of a British Institution, and everyone here in the UK would instinctively refer to her as Maggie Smith I think.

In terms of her appearance, because her career has spanned some 60 years, she has obviously changed a bit over time. However, I think that in some ways her career and recognisability have grown as she has got older, and probably she is still in her prime even now at the age of 81 (she was born in December 1934). She is very tall, upright, and slender. She has an extraordinary presence and poise. Her face is very expressive - I doubt she has ever tried Botox, so she has kept her facial mobility which I’m sure must help her convey a wide range of thoughts and emotions! Her mouth is quite a straight line, and she seems to have had a run of playing fairly serious characters (serious to themselves, at any rate, they are often, in fact, comic star turns for the audiences). Her eyes and eyebrows are particularly good at communicating in a tiny movement what the character is thinking. I wouldn’t call her face wrinkled as such, but it is sort of ‘lived in’ if you know what I mean? She has a few crows’ lines or laughter lines if you prefer, around her mouth and eyes. In one word I’d say she was striking in appearance. She has an extraordinarily compelling air to her, the sort of person everyone would turn to look at as she entered a room, even without her being famous, but at the same time, she projects an air of calm confidence rather than arrogance. She tends to wear her hair in a short bob-like style. I think she has allowed her hair to go naturally grey with age, but in fact, in most of her work, she wears a wig for the character anyway, so that is not her defining feature!

As for her work, well, I hardly know where to begin! She is probably most famous for the films she has been in. For example, she played Professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter film series. Other notable film appearances include ‘The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel’ and ‘Ladies in Lavender’, and the earlier acclaimed film ‘The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie’. However, she is probably one of Britain’s most recognized actresses for the many excellent quality TV period dramas she has appeared in. ‘Downton Abbey is one you may have heard of, she played a stern, Dowager Countess. Despite her impressive film and television career, for which she has won an extraordinary number of awards (BAFTA, Academy, and Golden Globes just for starters), she began her career on stage. She has had a glittering career in the UK and America, appearing on the London West End Stages, and Broadway and playing Shakespearean roles too numerous to mention. She was part of the newly established Royal National Theatre in London in the 1960s.

Why do I admire her?

 

 

Well, the breadth of her career in terms of the range of parts she has played is simply astonishing. She has done seemingly everything! Serious Shakespearean roles, comedy character parts; monologues film, theatre, and television. She will do whatever a part requires, there is no vanity in her. She recently appeared in a film ‘The Lady in The Van’, which required her to play a belligerent and elderly homeless woman – a far from the glamorous part! Her professional longevity in a business where many actors struggle to get work is a testament to her remarkable talent. She has a gift for giving what seem to be entirely effortless performances. Whatever I have seen her in, she is totally convincing, I never think ‘wow, what a brilliant actress’ when I’m watching her, I just absolutely accept the character she is portraying! If I knew what her secret was, I’d be doing it myself, but I wonder if it is perhaps partly, because whether the part she is playing is ‘comedic’ or ‘straight’ she seems to play it with conviction. She can give performances that are absolutely hilarious to watch, with a dry wit, but the character she portrays seems entirely unknowing of how funny they are being. She seems always to respect the writing and the role. She has worked really hard to be as successful as she is, and she deserved the recognition that came when she was awarded the honor of being made a British Dame. She is often spoken of as a ‘National Treasure’ and a ‘National Institution’ because her appearances are so ubiquitous in film and television (particularly period dramas), and so widely known and loved. In fact, I don’t know very much about her politics or personal life, but in a way, I don’t need to. I’d even go so far as to say I don’t want to. She is supremely good at her chosen occupation and that’s enough for me. She is well-regarded by her peers, I’ve never heard any other actor say anything about her which wasn’t positive, full of admiration for both her work ethic and her talent. I think for her to be working right into her eighties is also truly remarkable. I hope she is able to continue working for many more years yet – assuming that is what she would like to do. After all, at her age, if she feels she’d finally like to put her feet up and take a rest, I think she has more than earned the right to do so!

[ Written by - Lucy Marris (2016):  Careers Adviser (UK), TEFL teacher (Vietnam) ]

Part 3 Follow-Up Questions

1. Are actors or actresses very interested in the work? Why?

Yes, I believe actors and actresses are very interested in their work because if they were not interested, then they would not put their heart and soul into acting, and then they would not be successful in their life.

2. Are actors or actresses very interested in the work? Why?

Yes, I believe actors and actresses are very interested in their work because if they were not interested, then they would not put their heart and soul into acting, and then they would not be successful in their life. 

3. What can children learn from acting?

Children can learn a lot from acting. Firstly, it builds confidence. While acting, they interact with people of all ages and so it also builds social skills. It also improves their public speaking skills which are very important in adult life. Acting also teaches them discipline and patience. Children have to memorize lines, and so it also sharpens their memory.

4. Why do children like special costumes?

Children like special costumes because it makes them enter a world of fantasy, and they imagine situations around those costumes which increases their creativity and gives them
happiness.

5. What are the differences between actors or actresses who earn much and those who earn little?

Actors who earn much enjoy name, fame, and a world of luxury, whereas those who earn little suffer from frustration and depression and also may have suicidal tendencies.

6. What are the differences between acting in the theatre and in the film?

Acting in the theatre and that in the film is totally different. In theatre performances, actors have just one chance to get it right. There are no retakes. Secondly, the distance between
the audience and the actor is much more in theatre acting. So, actors have to exaggerate facial expressions and gestures so that every audience member can see what’s going on.
However, in films, the camera can get extremely close to the actor, which closes the gap between the audience and the actors. So actors on film must use subtle, controlled, and
natural expressions and body language. Finally, stage actors must deliver the same performance with new energy each time they perform.


[ Written by - Dr Kiranpreet Kaur Makkar (MBBS, DGO - Makkar Hospital Phagwara] 

1. Describe something that you did with someone/ a group of people

2. Describe a daily routine that you enjoy

3. Describe a place you visited where the air was polluted

4. Describe a person you would like to study or work with 

5. Describe a time when you were late.

CREDITS

Photo by Skycraft Studios on Unsplash