How do Actors Memorize Lines?

Some might argue that memorizing lines is the most dreaded part of being an actor (especially when your script includes pages and pages… and PAGES of dialogue).

Whether you enjoy it or not, memorizing lines comes with the job. An actor is hired to play a role and unless your assigned character happens to be mute, you will likely have a set of lines (or spoken words) to deliver on stage or on screen.

Lines come in all shapes and sizes. From theatrical plays and musicals, to film, tv, voiceover and commercial scripts, lines are delivered by different types of characters in varying genres, styles and performing platforms.

Challenges with Line Memorization

In addition to remembering their lines, an actor might be faced with additional challenges along the way, making it harder to remember them in the first place. Common challenges include tight rehearsal schedules and quick turnarounds. This particularly happens on network television, where an actor is given their script for a new episode relatively close to the filming dates. While this varies from Streaming, Network or Cable TV filming timelines, fast turnarounds are very common in the entertainment industry.

You even see this sort of urgent dynamic in the audition process: it’s very common for actors to receive auditions a night or two before their self-tape is due, setting a prescient for fast memorization. While this can pose stress and frustration, it’s also a way for actors to perfect their memorization skill set (one that is in high demand for entertainment industries, everywhere).

How do Actors Memorize Lines?

How and where an actor memorizes their lines is unique and personal to their own learning styles. While some might prefer auditory methods like recording and listening to themselves, visual learners might prefer to write them down, repeating them over and over again.

Let’s talk about some of these popular methods and which one might be right for you.

1.      Write down your lines

The most helpful tool I’ve found is writing my lines down, over and over until they’re memorized. I guess you can say I’m a visual learning because I find it helpful to visually jot something down and see it come to life on paper. If I come across a chunkier piece of dialogue, I’ll break it up and start in sections, working on one sentence at a time. I’ll write it down a few times until I notice that it sticks in my mind. Only then will I move on to the following sentence, and so on and so forth.

2.      Repetition

After jotting them down, I’ll follow up with vocal repetition. I’ll do the same exercise I just mentioned but with my voice, speaking the lines out loud. In other words, I’ll say one line a few times until it sticks and add on the next. I’ll do it a few times, and add the previous lines before moving on to the next sentence. If the script or piece of dialogue that I’m working on is lengthy, I make sure to work in chunks, taking breaks in between. I find that this is helpful, as it tests my memory when I return from said break.

3.      Record your voice and play it back

I’ve never really found this tool super helpful, as I’m more of a visual learner, but I know it can be very useful for other people. Recording yourself on your phone and playing it back is an option, as is utilizing apps that offer similar results. Apps like Rehearsal Pro, LineLearner, Script Rehearser, Luna Lines, Slatable, coldRead and Muse for Actors feature tools like teleprompters, pace control, recording options and AI or digitally simulated rehearsal partners. Those who are tech savvy and digitally patient (not me!) might find these resources most helpful.

4.      Rehearse with an acting coach or another actor

Physically rehearsing your lines with somebody else, whether it be an acting coach, a mentor, a teacher or another actor can be very useful. It can breathe life into the scenes, allowing you to find a more natural rhythm in your memorization journey. Please note however, that acting or rehearsal coaches typically charge a fee. If you’re on a budget, it might be something to (potentially) re-consider.

5.      Mark your script

Back in college, I had a theater professor who dedicated a portion of class to showing us how to properly mark a script. I found it incredibly helpful and I still apply that lesson to this day. From numbering lists, marking beat shifts (intentional pauses that indicate a shift in thought) and sectioning off monologues or chunks of dialogue, I still incorporate each and everyone of these techniques when I get a new script.  

Now, it might seem obvious, but using stationary items like highlighters, sticky notes, and pencils (you’ll be erasing a lot!) is a great way to mark your scripts as well. Sectioning off parts of your script, and color-coding cue lines (the line delivered before or after yours) can be a unique and visually helpful way to memorize lines and maintain awareness of when those lines come into play.

6.      Consistency

All of the resources I just mentioned are highly popular and I’m hopeful that something in there can be beneficial to actors everywhere. However, the most important tool when it comes to remembering your actor lines is not a physical tool, but rather, a habitual one. I’m referring to the concept of consistency. Memorization is like a muscle; you have to move it so it doesn’t get stiff. The more you work it, the easier it will move!

There are many ways an actor can memorize their lines, with a multitude of resources and options at their disposal. At the end of the day, only you can know what that option is for you.

Memorizing Lines is a Skill: Embrace it!

While memorizing lines can feel like a tedious and dreadful task, it can also be a great skill set to have. The more you expose yourself to it, the better at it you’ll be!