How to react to bad criticism without seeming out of control (an instruction manual)
After feeling a bit embarrassed yesterday, seeing not only how SH reacted to an (old) review of Macbeth, but also the arguments some fans used in the post about the review trying to defend his honor, I went to read a little about how actors generally react to criticism. The best memory I have of a reaction to a really bad review was from the young actress Maisie Williams. In response to a negative review of The New Mutants, in which the film was called "the worst X-Men movie of all time," she sarcastically replied on Twitter: " Sounds like a must see! Get your tickets now. " A clever, funny answer that leaves no room for drama. But, to broaden my knowledge about other reactions, I ended up finding something very interesting on the Quora page.
There, an actor succinctly wrote the points he has in mind after receiving a bad review. His name is Jan Vander, and here's what he wrote:
"Actors have differing attitudes to reviews. Some don’t even read them.
A bad review of a movie may not constitute a bad review for the actor. An actor may give a good performance in a movie hated by critics.
Personally, I read all reviews. If good, it’s always nice to be praised. If bad, there can be several outcomes. I don’t necessarily have to agree with the reviewer. The reviewer may simply be wrong or have misunderstood something.
I may agree with the reviewer, but there might be reasons for a badly reviewed performance , which the reviewer was not aware of.
I may agree with the reviewer and find something in their comments from which I can learn a lesson.
The fact that a reviewer did not *like* my performance or did not like the film doesn’t necessarily constitute a bad review. Liking or not liking is a subjective thing. No movie is universally liked.
Any review is just one person’s opinion. It carries as much weight as I care to acknowledge."
Reading the wise words of a veteran actor, we can see that when it comes to criticism, maintaining calm and coherence is essential, especially when you are a public figure. I believe the least advisable reaction is to complain about it on your social media, especially when you know you have blind fans who will go to any lengths to defend you, believing wholeheartedly that they are doing something good for you. The result will be secondhand embarrassment that will do nothing good for your professional reputation.
