How to Act Drunk: Tips for Authentic and Believable Performances

Acting drunk convincingly is a subtle skill that separates amateur performances from professional ones. Whether you're playing a comedic role or portraying a character spiralling out of control, the key is realism—not parody. Here are expert tips to help you nail that inebriated performance on stage or screen without falling into clichés. How to act drunk - let's go!

Mads Mikkelsen performing an intoxicated character

1. Master Slurred Speech (Without Overdoing It)

Drunk speech isn't just about slurring every word. It’s about disrupted control over language:

• Mess up your syntax: Sentences may start with one thought and end with another. Let your character's grammar slip.

• Add a slight lisp or softening of consonants, but avoid exaggerating.

• Slow your speech down just enough to show the brain is struggling to keep up.

• Pro Tip: Practice speaking while eating grapes. It mimics the mushiness of drunk speech without compromising clarity.

2. Unsteady Gait and Physicality

Alcohol affects balance and motor control—but remember, drunk people are often trying not to look drunk. How to act drunk through physicality:

• Sway slightly when standing still or shift weight inconsistently.

• Lean on nearby objects or people for support.

• Don’t stumble without reason—fight to stay upright rather than collapsing into the trope of a floppy drunk.

3. Slow Reflexes and Clumsy Gestures

Delay your reactions by a beat or two. This mimics how alcohol slows neural response:

• Fumble for objects or overcorrect movements.

• Exaggerate simple actions—like putting on a coat or pointing at something—just enough to suggest disorientation.

4. Blurred Vision and Eye Focus

Drunk eyes tell a story.

• Let your eyes lose focus slightly, blinking more or struggling to track objects.

• You might even look through people instead of at them, subtly disconnecting your gaze from theirs.

5. Impaired Judgment and Emotional Swings

Alcohol magnifies emotion. Your character's objective still matters, but their emotional filter is dulled:

• Confidence may increase, even to the point of recklessness.

• Allow for unexpected emotional shifts—from laughter to tears or aggression to vulnerability.

• Let your character chase their wants, but with the impulsivity and impaired logic of someone intoxicated.

6. Understand the Stages of Intoxication

Drunkenness is a spectrum, not a switch:

• Is your character tipsy or wasted?

• Do they start the scene sober and deteriorate, or are they trying to sober up?Progression adds depth and prevents your portrayal from feeling one-note.

7. Avoid Clichés by Studying Real Behaviour

Spend time observing real people when they’ve had a bit too much to drink (safely and ethically, of course). Notice the variety in how people handle their alcohol.

• Some become loud and animated.

• Others withdraw, repeat themselves, or try to act normal.

• Many actively fight the effects, trying to regain control rather than revel in the loss of it.

8. Subtlety Is Your Secret Weapon

Overacting kills believability. The most compelling drunk performances often feel like the actor is barely holding it together—just like real people do.

9. Always Start with the Character

Remember: you're not playing “drunk,” you’re playing a person who happens to be drunk.

• How does your specific character—shy, angry, elegant, awkward—respond to intoxication?

• Let their core personality shine through the haze.

Conclusion

The best actors don’t play the loss of control. They play the struggle to maintain it. That internal resistance creates tension, and tension creates truth.

Want to practice? Try recording a monologue with varying levels of drunkenness—or rehearse scenes while deliberately throwing yourself off-balance. And always remember: subtle beats sloppy every time.