AD here: Concrete notes for overthinking actors? (Beyond 'make it better')

Hey everyone,

Kevin Park, AD here. I'm currently on a drama feature, and we've hit that familiar wall with a few actors who are really brilliant, but sometimes get stuck in their heads, over-intellectualizing a moment. We've tried the usual - reminding them of objectives, simplifying motivations, but sometimes they just need something physical to latch onto.

We all know the cardinal sin of giving vague notes like 'make it better' or 'I need more from you.' So, when an actor is stuck in their head and overthinking, what are your go-to 'mirror notes' or really specific, physical tasks you can give them? Something they can actually do to unlock the performance without getting bogged down in theory.