My Blog

what-meryl-streep-says-about-acting
. Many actors I meet are under the misconception that acting is about being someone else. They’ll memorize their lines and recite them, the same way they learned them, while trying to make them “sound natural.” Then they try to imagine how “their Character” would feel and act and they try to “act it out.” That kind of acting is about showing us how skilled are you are at “acting” like someone else and it puts a lot of pressure on you to be a very good impersonator. It also encourages self-consciousness because your attention is often on checking in to see how you’re doing and if your charade is going well. Johnny Depp also put it this way: Unfortunately, in school, we’re taught that how you feel is less important than getting the right answer. In our work, knowing how you feel about what you say is the right […]

What Meryl Streep Says About Acting

There’s no shame in being a rookie. Being a rookie means you’ve decided you’re not going to just watch from the sidelines anymore. You’ve stepped up, thrown your hat into the ring and declared you’re in the game. Congratulations! I applaud your fighting spirit! Avoiding these eight rookie audition mistakes will help you stand out (in a good way) and enable you to reach your career goals faster. 1. Showing up late. Be on time. They could’ve given your appointment slot to a dozen other actors who would’ve been grateful for the opportunity. Instead:Plan ahead. Set an alarm on your phone. Lay out the clothes you’ll wear the night before. Leave plenty of time to get where you’re going and build in cushion time for unforeseen events. 2. Shaking hands. Don’t do it unless they approach you and offer their hand. Instead: Just come into the room, relaxed, confident, and ready […]

8 Rookie Audition Mistakes

With so many actors vying for the same roles, it’s important that you separate yourself from the pack (in a good way!) Here are three ways to stand out at your auditions. . . Leave your baggage at home I’m not talking about your backpack. Fear and nervousness at an audition are often symptoms of negative baggage you carry. They’re created by you and so can be brought under control by you. When you come in sucking up, scared of or in awe of the director or casting director, you do yourself a huge disservice. No one wants to work with someone who gives away their power, is needy, or unsure of themselves. There’s just no time for that. Those things need to be worked out at home and not brought to an audition where they will kill your chances for a successful career. The best remedy for fear and […]

3 Ways to Stand Out at Auditions

10 Smart Career Moves That Require No Talent
What does it take to have a successful career as a working actor? If, like most people, you answered, “Talent,” I’ll have to respectfully disagree. It takes skill but not necessarily talent. There are many, more valuable things you can do to build a successful career that don’t require an ounce of acting talent, and they’re things you don’t have to go to acting school to learn! Embrace these 10 smart moves and you’ll develop your career and your talent along the way. . . Be on time. Don’t underestimate the power of this. It’s the No. 1 rule for success in life and business. Without saying a word it says a lot about the level of your commitment, your time management skills, and the amount of respect you have for your colleagues. Have a strong work ethic. Too many people are surprised by the poor results they get from […]

10 Smart Career Moves That Require No Talent

The 5 Biggest Mistakes Actors Make On Set
Being on set is always exciting. But for young actors and stage actors who are new to working on camera, expectations and ideas about how to work on a television set can collide with reality in a bad way. Here are five biggest mistakes actors make on set that you’ll want to avoid on your next shoot… . Acting like you’re “one of the guys.” There’s a hierarchy. In most cases, everyone else will have been working together for awhile and you’re the new kid in town. If it’s your first day, you’re not near the top of the food chain. Be yourself, but fly under the radar and don’t spend your energy trying to be liked. It seems obvious, but everyone on set is a working professional.They’re trying to do their best work in the short time they have. Don’t try to make friends with everyone. It’s a distraction […]

The 5 Biggest Mistakes Actors Make On Set

5 Tips for Performing Under Pressure
If you think back to times you’ve choked in the past—(and we all have)—you were probably worried before your performance. The fear of failure (or success), fear that you’ll look foolish or you won’t be up to the task make it difficult to perform even under low-pressure conditions. Much of the pressure we perceive is self-imposed. Consistently performing under pressure is largely a mental game. Understanding the rules can release that pressure so you can be your best when it counts the most. To perform well under pressure you must focus squarely on your task. When you’re worrying about how you’re performing, your attention is on yourself instead of on your task. With less focus on what you’re doing, you’re going to be less effective. Getting your body to respond positively under pressure requires a shift in how you think about pressure. Thinking, Don’t screw up, right before you go […]

5 Tips for Performing Under Pressure

12-Jaw-Dropping Singing Tips
Originally in Backstage Are you straining to sing your high notes? Is your voice tired or sore after long rehearsals or performances? If you want to sing with clarity, power, and less effort, here are a few singing tips that will help you sing better. 1. Warm up your body before your voice. Aerobic exercise is a great way to warm up before singing. When your body is energized, your voice responds faster. You’ll know you’re warm when you start to sweat. 2. Release tension. Tension is a singer’s worst enemy. Yoga or deep stretching before you sing will show you where you’re holding tension. Don’t hold your breath and try to push past your limit. Gently exhale deeper into each stretch. Your mouth and jaw should open and close freely, your facial muscles, lips, tongue, neck, and shoulders should move without tension, and your eyes should be relaxed and alive. 3. Don’t “take” a breath. When we speak, we […]

12 Jaw-Dropping Singing Tips

How to Learn Your Lines Without Memorizing
Originally in Backstage Have you ever wondered why young actors often sound like they’re speaking lines instead of expressing their own thoughts and feelings? One reason, of course, is inexperience. But another lies within the most basic of actor tasks: learning lines. How actors memorize lines can negatively impact the quality of their performance. In school we memorize dates, facts, and equations by rote. The result is we retain the information without understanding the subject matter and we forget what we “learned” soon after the test is over. Rote memorization is a perilous strategy for a young actor learning their lines because, unlike facts, lines aren’t static. Lines in plays and scripts are living expressions of a character’s thoughts as they respond to their circumstances and try to convey their ideas in a way that makes sense to them. People don’t speak in mindless streams. One line connects to the next […]

How to Learn Your Lines Without Memorizing