Michael Caine was cast as an upper-class British Officer in the 1964 film Zulu, much to his surprise. To master the role, he modelled Prince Philip and learned to walk with his hands behind his back, talk slowly and move less with fewer gestures.
He noticed that “they make fewer gestures because they don’t have to attract your attention – they’ve already got it. And they speak slower because you’re not going to stop listening”
So, next time you want to appear confident and important with customers, in the boardroom, in reception, in team meetings:
- Talk in shorter sentences
- Talk slower
- Gesture less
- Move less
I vividly recall Michael Caine acting all posh with his thick London accent, apparently, the director was American, and didn’t see anything wrong.
