How to play American comedy
Tried and tested techniques for making American comedy actually funny Are you cast in an American comedy? Are you auditioning for drama school? Or ever wondered why they say, “Dying is easy, but Comedy is hard?” Then let me share my experience as an American actor whose been acting in comedy since 1979, plus coaching […]
How to make a monologue more natural
I just watched a new actor (I’ll call her Kathy but that’s not her real name) post a monologue on a social media group to get some feedback. So that’s what this post is about. Her lessons are all of our lessons, because we must always return to the basics. But for Kathy, you can […]
SHY ACTORS RULE – why actors should know about neuroscience
This post is for the introverted actor who quietly suffers in a world of extroverts. If that’s you, we’ve got a lot in common. The world labels us as ‘shy’, and yet we have this mysterious hunger to connect with other people through art. There are many of us – this actor included. I spent […]
What’s My Objective… for 2022?
Dear actor, HAPPY NEW YEAR! It’s the perfect time to look at some new attitudes, behaviors and training tools to keep us growing and give you some encouragement on this journey. First… If you spot it – you got it. That remark popped into my mind when a friend of mine was having trouble with […]
The Fastest Way to Learn Lines is Slow
Imagine this: you’ve just been given a script for a self-tape by your agent. Hallelujah! It’s been ages! God I hope I get it! It’s six pages long. It’s full of big words you don’t ever use in normal conversation. And, among your other jobs, you have to learn the script and produce the self-tape […]
One key to make your acting more realistic
Let’s have some fun: I want to pass on to you a simple technical tool for preparing a scene that I learned at grad school – if you add this to your work I bet it will: make your acting sound better make your acting feel better make you more intimidating if you need to […]
Self-taping secret: reveal your character with this simple technique
I was inspired to throw this simple assignment at you after working with a young actor. Work with me on this, and if you put these concepts into your work, I’m pretty sure your self-tapes will be more effective. I’m an actor who also coaches actors, and I recently worked with a very talented young […]
JUST TALK TO ME: An actor’s breakthrough
I must share a breakthrough last night while coaching a very talented young actor, because I think it will help actors of ANY age. It has to do with authenticity in acting. If that’s what you aspire to, read on. First a snippet from the book, Cassavetes on Cassavetes, where the actor and director John […]
The One Thing to Forget About During a TV Commercial Audition
Here’s what I learned myself about one thing to leave out of the audition room. It was an accident! But I was ready for it to happen. And if you find auditions challenging, I think it might help you too. Just came away from a commercial audition in London (that’s a TV advert for my […]
The One Most Important Thing to Bring into the Audition Room
It’s audition day. You’ve scored your scene, you’ve learned your lines, you’ve developed the muscle memory of the performance. Still, you’re nervous. The one inescapable fact is that you’re about to go into a room seeking something from someone else – whether it’s an acting job or a place in a performing arts school. At […]