Performing Angst

In the previous chapter, I considered the concept of ‘performance,’ assessing its usefulness in analysing the cinematic construction of masculinity and male angst. While the second part of the book will specifically examine a number of discursive moments affecting definitions of male identity that took place in the 1990s and 2000s, this chapter will examine, more explicitly, the role of the performer in the construction of such discursive moments. Through case studies of Michael Douglas, Bill Murray and William H. Macy, I examine the mechanics of performance employed by actors to portray angst, considering the specific methods used, how such performances have been read in popular culture and how certain actors have been aligned with ‘male crisis’ as a result of their on-screen performances.