Developing one’s voice as a mediator can be tricky business. Our personality, empathy, and humor should shine through with our clients…accompanied by a soupcon of acting. Maintaining neutrality, suppressing your political/religious/personal views, and poker-facing the bizarre can require some serious Stanislavskian chops.
Here are some iconic actors we do not want to emulate, informed by watching lots of movies over the holidays while inhaling my Aunt Barbara’s cookies.
thehecklist.wordpress.com 
Love the use of iconic figures to make mediation feel more real and relevant to everyone, not just lawyers. However, I am not ready to dismiss all of Jack Nicholson’s work just yet. I still find use for that line in A Few Good Men when Tom Cruise is questioning Nicholson on the witness stand trying to get to the bottom of things and Nicholson responds, “You can’t handle the truth.” I always felt that shows why more cases aren’t mediated; because its tough for people to come to grips with their current situation. Its tough to find, recognize and accept the facts. That’s what mediation does in a non-threatening and confidential manner.