Playing Barbara in Night of the Living Dead
/When Night of the Living Dead had its final performance last week, I felt something different, new, and terrifying. I felt like I was leaving my character to fend for themselves. Abandoning her. I slept for three days after the last performance. I was exhausted, but a piece of me mourned my role.
Mourning the loss of a fictional character.
When the show was over, I felt I had abandoned my character. It was a loss.
A piece of me mourned my role.
When Night of the Living Dead had its final performance last week, I felt something foreign, unexplored, and frightening. I felt like I was leaving my character to fend for themselves. Abandoning her… I slept for 3 days after the last performance.
I've found it difficult to separate myself from my character.
I knew I was “in it” while driving home from rehearsal one evening… I turned without looking twice and almost got into an accident.
Playing Barbara was a “heavy” experience.
I lived & breathed every scene with my cast mates. Being a piece of the Zombie Apocalypse monstrosity, Night of the Living Dead, was surreal and powerful. This is a normal reaction to parting with a character you've lived with.
I am so grateful to have had the chance to bring this character to life again. I've grown as an actress playing Barbara. The only thing that can help is to go back to work tomorrow & keep going as if nothing has changed.
Moving on is just part of “showbiz.”
"Leaving any job after 10 years, you'd be well within your right to be quite emotional," he said. "Your sense of identity when you're playing a role, and you're making people feel real things, when you come out of that, you might feel like 'is that the best thing I'm ever going to do? What's the point in doing anything now? Should I stop?'" — Rob Hamilton
My Acting Experience
Follow Me On Instagram
Monthly Newsletter
About Hailey Feldman
As an actress, I'm fascinated by people and the stories they live. I became an actress because I love people and their stories.
I went to NYU for graduate school for Historical Research. Nothing interests me more than what people felt and how they reacted to a changing world.
As an actress, my job is to authentically and truthfully breathe life into a person, taking them off the script and into real life. I interpret a writer's work under a director's instruction and support. I use my voice, body, and imagination when crafting a character or performance.
I immerse myself in the role. I forget the audience is watching or that a camera is filming. I focus on my character and how they feel.