A surprisingly common problem: Actors are terrible at playing dead

When people talk about acting, it's often in regard to how they express themselves through body language or their voice. But the art of stillness is one very few take into account. And there is one aspect where it matters more than ever:
When the character is freaking dead.

I don't know when I started noticing it, but somehow no matter how talented the actor is so many of them can't prevent themselves from showing visible breathing, eyelash movements or worst of all, even blinking!

It always takes me out of the story at least for a brief moment, and no example of this may be worse than

Which instances have you others noticed, and are there any actors who are actually able to pull it off?

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I blame the director for this.. I mean if we (the viewers) can see/ notice and be bothered by it, then why doesn't the director.. lack of 'eye for detail' ?

If you're paying attention whether or not the actor is lying absolutely still and not moving at all, then maybe you aren't paying attention to the story.

This is a great shout OP haha.

There are plenty of worst, but for the best Janet Leigh would take some beating.

How about Star Trek 2. Near the end when Khans 2nd in command dies. When he goes to embrace him the actor very visibly closes his own eyes.

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Did you know that BATMAN has a code word to ask SUPERMAN for help because he has trouble saying he needs help.
The word is Banana Muffin.

Nope.
I was deeply invested into the story of the movie I mentioned as an example and found the scene itself absolutely horrifying... And I still noticed.

I just have a sharp eye for details

I have a sharp eye... for the details that matter

This is my stance, more or less. It's a hard thing to do, possibly a separate skill from acting in general, so I put it on the director to cut away as necessary, tweak the image as necessary, or whatever.

There's a simple cure. in post-processing, just digitally insert some X's over their eyes.

Here are my picks

Tony Jay in Fall of Eagles (skip to 49:16)


Stratford Johns in I, Claudius (skip to 47:25)

I've played dead a handful of times. It isn't easy because, when someone dies, he doesn't breathe, but when someone is alive, he does breathe, and most actors are alive when pretending to be dead, and breathing is important, and it's hard not to do it, even when you are pretending to be dead. I've tried holding my breath, and that somewhat works for a film with a quick shot. It isn't so effective on stage though because of exhaling and all of that.

Maybe people need to be less picky and realize being absolutely still is hard to do, even if you don't have ADHD.

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I destroyed the dastardly dairy dame! I made mad milk maid mulch!

In Empire Strikes Back, Vader kills one of his officers, and when the subordinates go to drag his lifeless corpse away, the dead guy helps the alive guys pick him up by somewhat standing so they can drag him away easier. I didn't notice that for years because I didn't care. I wasn't watch a dead guy. I was watching the alive guy talk to Vader. It seemed more important.