Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3187: Supergirl & Stanislavsky Skill - First Look - Body Language (VIDEO, PHOTOS)

Has the whole World gone super-hero crazy? Apparently. "Supergirl" comes to the small screen this September (CBS) starring Melissa Benoist as Supergirl aka Kara Zor-El aka Kara Danvers. On Tuesday a teaser/first look was released. What follows is a partial body language analysis.

(0:49) Winslow "Winn" Schott (Jeremy Jordan) displaying (left-sided) mouth of fear and neck of fear after he gets politely dissed by Kara Danvers (unbeknownst to him as yet, Supergirl). This very short-lived nonverbal display is known as a microexpression (or here, more accurately a near-microexpression). Jeremy Jordan nails this post-rejection moment and suggests he's, at least here, a Stanislavsky-skilled actor.

(1:17) Asymmetrical or Unilateral Eyebrow &/or Forehead elevation

This display indicates deception - Jimmy (err, ah, James) Olsen he does not believe his own statement. Of course Mehcad Brooks is acting, however - if this were a real-life situation and a person made a statement - and primarily or only one eyebrow and/or side of the forehead elevates - then it indicates a disbelief in their own statement - and thus deception.

(1:52) Kara Danvers/Kara Zor-El/Supergirl (Melissa Benoist) is trying to express significant frustration with regards to her job to her step-sister Alexandra "Alex" Danvers.

While pulling a shirt/sweater/top/jacket down (butt cover) after one stands up is extremely common - and most often subconsciously initiated - it's not done during moments far from emotional baseline. Kara is (supposed to be) considerably frustrated. If Melissa were completely in character (e.g. Stanislavsky-skilled) and truly frustrated, she wouldn't have performed this sweater adjust (or - if this moment were real-life).

(3:10 - 3:12) Calista Flockhart as Cat Grant, projects her character's hyper-alpha, arrogant and narcissistic qualities with high nonverbal nuance in this short video teaser. One example is having her arms spread widely on her desk. Her right hand is amplifying these emotions even further by its placement in a palm-down configuration.




See also:

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3186: Kim Jong-un, Hyon Yong-Chol, Intimidation and Arm-Movement

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2586: Harrison Ford in "Ender's Game" - Microexpression and Macroexpression of Regret - Harrison's Brand and the Stanislavski Method

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3149: Edward Snowden on Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: Government Surveillance (HBO) - Body Language

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3079: Tom Brady, Deflategate - Part Deux

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2306:  George W. Bush trapped in Room -  Body Language's Microexpression of Fear

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2791: Sofia Vergara, Threesomes and Fear - Body Language & the Fading Gigolo


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