Acting is an intriguing art form, especially since every actor has their own unique approach. Some immerse themselves in their roles for weeks, while others switch their characters on and off like a light. Ultimately, there’s no single method to guarantee an outstanding performance. For Michael Fassbender, his obsessive mastery of every detail in a screenplay is just as valid as any other technique.
Fassbender’s meticulous nature when it comes to script analysis has been a hallmark of his career, beginning from his early days at the Drama Centre London and carrying through to his prominence in Hollywood. Remarkably, he has stated that he often reads a script more than 300 times to ensure he knows it inside out before stepping onto the set for the first time.
“It’s just something I’ve always done,” the X-Men star shared with Rich Eisen in 2025. “By repeating the lines, they start to settle in my mind. I want to have them rolling in the background so that I can focus entirely on the performance without worrying about what’s next.”
While he jokes about needing this rigorous approach because he’s a “slow learner,” he’s simply being self-effacing. In various interviews, he has compared learning a script’s rhythms to his teenage guitar practice, emphasizing the importance of repetition.
“The script is like a musical score to me,” he told World Crunch in 2012. “I read it over and over—300 times or more. When I’m in front of the camera, I then know when I’ve hit the right rhythm.” To Fassbender, whose diligent technique has garnered him Oscar nominations for 12 Years a Slave and Steve Jobs, acting resembles “dancing with the camera and my fellow actors,” highlighting the significance of dialogue and movement rhythm.
Another benefit of his extensive script study is that he gains such an understanding of his character that he starts to think like them. He doesn’t rely on “method” techniques like staying in character between takes. Instead, by spending considerable time with his fictional counterpart, he forms insights into how they would behave in various situations.
When discussing his role as Brandon Sullivan in Steve McQueen’s Shame, he noted, “You’re gathering bits of information every day, piecing it together, and asking if it makes sense. If it does, you give it a shot.”
Despite his dedication, Fassbender, like many actors, faces self-doubt when it’s time to perform. “I worry that the director won’t like what I’m doing,” he admitted. “I fear I won’t capture the right tone for my character.” Thankfully, his obsessive preparation provides him with a solid foundation, and it has served him well throughout his career.
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