Acting and therapy – Melissa George on being ‘in treatment’

Melissa George plays Laura in the HBO series In Treatment: “An attractive young anesthesiologist in the midst of a relationship crisis” seeking the help of a psychoanalyst, played by Gabriel Byrne.

HBO: Did you have any personal experience with therapy or was this a completely new world to you?

Melissa George: A completely new world, but I highly recommend it. If you can get a therapist like Paul, you’re set. [laughs]

I mean, to be honest, ‘In Treatment’ brought out a lot of internal angst and brought back certain memories. There’s a scene where I was talking about my family, and when we were shooting, I was no longer aware who was Laura and who was Melissa.

Because I was so in love with playing this character — and that sounds like “Oh actors get so invested,” but it really was like I fell in love with playing her — that all of a sudden words would come out of my mouth and I would react as Melissa or as Laura combined with Melissa.

So there are some scenes, some moments where it looks really real, I think, because I was feeling it for real. I was really going through therapy.

By the end, playing such a highly emotional character, it took it out of me. But I also felt very relaxed when I came home after shooting the series. I felt like I learned a lot about myself.

Text and photo from the HBO / In Treatment site.

Related Talent Development Resources pages:
Counseling / therapy
The Shadow Self
Nurturing mental health : acting
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Melissa George, personal development acting, acting and therapy