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There is so much in the text of a scene that can help an actor be better that many overlook. There is some special quality about the actual words on the page that when closely paid attention to can pay serious acting dividends. We all love using our imagination to create characters, but our first loyalty should be to the script. The script can tell you a lot about the character that you won't have to invent or maybe shouldn't invent.

Word Choice

No two characters say the same thing with the same words. You can learn hints about the character's education, economic status, aspirations, and values just by how precisely they say what's on their mind. A character that uses big words in the wrong context and wrong conjugation of verbs might indicate a lower-class person that is trying to rise above their roots, while perfect grammar will imply another type of person.

Tone Of Dialogue

Along with the choice of words telling you a bit about character, the feelings behind the lines can tell you something. This will be a subtle but indicative aspect of personality. Are the words latently hostile or are they passive and assuaging? Certain characters will shade their words with a feeling and even a single subtle hint of it might be the clue to help you unlock some character secrets.

Objectives

After an analysis of the text you'll have a good idea of what this character wants in this scene. When it's clear why they are doing what they do and what they have to gain, it will give you an indication of who the character is. Are they trying to do something inappropriate or are they earnestly trying to make another feel better? Certain people want certain things and knowing that will help you find out other aspects of your character's personality.

Actions

More telling than any objective is what a character does to reach this objective. Do they go about things directly with a lot of confrontation or are they subtle? The guilting type never actually says what they want but tries to get others to elicit it and help them gain it. So take the time to consider how they go about achieving their objective and it will help you more fully understand who they are.

Dress

There are often descriptions of what a character wears in the notes before a scenes starts. Also throughout the scene there may be references to clothing. In the stage directions there might be a mention of apparel of some sort. Clothing makes the person, so dig deep for those indications of how they would dress.

People Around Them

Another thing that will color your character is who they are surrounded by. Loners are very different than social butterflies and would change your performance drastically. Pay attention to mentions of other people and in what context. Are there mentions of gathering with people or getting away from people? If there are other characters with lines, what do they say about your character or how do they reflect upon him or her?

Relationship To Setting

Where the scene takes place can tell you a lot about your character. If this is your character's turf, how do they interact with it? If they take ownership and claim the place with body language they may have Type A personality traits. If they are still timid, even in their own home, this will give you indications of a direction to go in.

In a script none of this is spelled out completely for you, which is where the art of acting comes in. You're not just a puppet who says lines and does what a director says, you are an artist that creates with the text and sub-text of the script. You have to pay attention to details and also to what is implied but not said. A close inspection of these parts of the script can help you take your portrayal to a level you've never attained before.