This wasn't laziness, it was part of his method acting. He wanted the dialogue to appear to occur naturally to him, so he'd place some of his lines on the back

This wasn't laziness, it was part of his method acting. He wanted the dialogue to appear to occur naturally to him, so he'd place some of his lines on the back of a coffee mug, for example. When he'd look over at the mug, it would appear that his eyes were diverting as though recalling a memory. Recitation often results in wooden performances.