Character development allows actors to not only deliver their lines, but also make the audience believe—with every action, emotion, and word—that they are real.

Put simply, character development is the process of making a character complete and real. The audience can watch a character get angry and slam a door, but without knowing the character’s personality, triggers, and backstory, they may not believe or relate to the character or their story. The audience must believe in the character, which requires that actors get to know their characters first.

This article explains how.