10 Genius Techniques Directors Used To Get Great Movie Performances

4. Bennett Miller Exploited Steve Carell's Self-Loathing - Foxcatcher

Bennett Miller's Oscar-nominated drama Foxcatcher is best remembered for its against-type performance by Steve Carell as murderous multimillionaire John du Pont.

And in order to help Carell reach the insidious ugliness necessary to play the part - and land a Best Actor Oscar nomination for his trouble - Miller employed a very specific, totally genius tactic.

In his own words, he told Carell, "Write the worst thing about yourself - the thing you wouldn’t tell anyone, not even your wife - on a piece of paper and put it in the pocket of your sweatpants. Just have it right there, and know that it’s in a place where, if I was a dick, I could just grab it."

Miller didn't elaborate on which specific scene this was, but nevertheless said it "might be [his] favorite thing [he's] ever put on film."

Considering how the funnyman is absolute bone-chilling throughout the movie, it was a smart technique which clearly helped get Carell where he needed to be mentally.