<P> Method acting is a range of training and rehearsal techniques that seek to encourage sincere and emotionally expressive performances , as formulated by a number of different theatre practitioners , principally in the United States , where it is among the most popular -- and controversial -- approaches to acting . These techniques are built on Stanislavski 's system , developed by the Russian actor and director Konstantin Stanislavski and captured in his books An Actor Prepares , Building a Character , and Creating a Role . Among those who have contributed to the development of the Method , three teachers are associated with `` having set the standard of its success '' , each emphasizing different aspects of the approach : Lee Strasberg ( the psychological aspects ) , Stella Adler ( the sociological aspects ) , and Sanford Meisner ( the behavioral aspects ) . The approach was first developed when they worked together at the Group Theatre in New York . All three subsequently claimed to be the rightful heirs of Stanislavski 's approach . </P>
the man credited with founding the method and thus the father of modern acting is
Konstantin Stanislavski