My Blog

How i learned to sing professionally
People often ask me how I learned to sing and how I was able to sing both the baritone role (Javert) and the tenor role (Valjean) in Les Miserables on Broadway.  Although this is a blog about singing, those actors among you who don’t sing should still find the discussion of vocal technique interesting as it applies to speaking on stage as well. I began vocal lessons, as a baritone, with an opera teacher at age 16 but I grew up listening to rock and roll, jazz, R&B, funk and soul.  When my friends were starting bands I couldn’t figure out how to use the technique I was learning to sing the contemporary music I loved.  My voice training only equipped me to sing opera, operetta and some of the “golden age” musical theatre repertoire. . My voice teacher warned me that “belting” was dangerous, would damage my “instrument” and […]

How I Learned To Sing Professionally

why acting on-camera is easier (and harder) than acting on stage
You’re in a play.  Rehearsal ends and you and your scene partner decide to grab a bite to eat together.  After your meal you decide to work through the lines to your “last date” scene.  You quietly begin talking, exploring the script together, just talking, like the married couple who decide to divorce over dessert in the play.  Now you’re on stage in the same scene in front of an audience.  But the audience is now several yards away and you must include them by making physical and vocal choices ample enough for them to see, hear and follow your story.  You are also influenced by and make adjustments to your performance based upon the feedback you receive from the audience.  In the restaurant you were talking with just one person across a table.  Onstage you talk to your scene partner and the audience at the same time. On-camera, there […]

Why Acting On-Camera Is Easier (And Harder) Than Acting On ...

can I use my facebook as my actor website
Two Actors this week asked me the same question: “I have a Facebook page.  Does that count as an actor website?” So I figured some of you might be wondering the same thing. . As an actor, having social media accounts, including a Facebook, is great! But Facebook is not a website for many reasons: *On FB you have no control over what people post, on a website you have total control. *Posts are fleeting. Approximately 10-15% of posts in a news feed are even seen and those just scroll down and disappear. On your own website you decide where to prominently place a resume, headshots, news about your career, your reel, etc. *Social media sites are someone else’s real estate. Facebook changes their rules on posts and what people see on your wall all the time. Facebook, tumblr, etc. could also just disappear.  It’s not likely anytime soon but […]

Can My Facebook Page Be My Actor Website?

8 things to do after you get an agent
Getting an agent is certainly an important step in any actor’s career but it’s not necessarily the answer to all your prayers.  Here are 8 things you can do to maximize this important opportunity. . . 1. Keep self-submitting and looking for work on your own. Think of your agent as a new team member rather than someone who will do the work of finding work for you.  Now is not the time to sit back and relax.  You only had one person (you) looking for work for you before you got an agent.  Think what you might accomplish with both of you working together! I list some sites where you can self-submit here. 2. Give them great tools. Supply great pictures and a beautifully formatted, up to date resume for them to represent you with.  Your reel should rock and be posted on Actors Access and/or your IMBD Pro account. […]

8 Things To Do When You Get An Acting Agent

act like no one's watching Philip Hernandez
. I often hear actors talking about acting in abstract terms as if it were some elusive mystery you had to somehow “feel” your way to discovering . They ‘ll endlessly debate what is means to be “in the moment” or how to “emotionally prepare” for a scene, etc.  All that is fine but I can’t help feeling they’re forgetting that acting, at its essence, is really just pretending. It’s the same kind of pretending kids do effortlessly without all the philosophizing.  They just leap right in exploring how the person they’re playing  acts.  They instinctively know how important the way they walk, and talk is to being believed.  They listen to what their playmates say, decide how they feel about it, then respond and go full tilt after what they want.  It’s so simple. I rarely hear actors talking about the physical aspects of creating a role and, not […]

Act Like No One Is Watching!

The world is your acting teacher
The difficulty many young actors have creating multi-dimensional characters often lies in the degree of self-knowledge they possess. Before you start analyzing characters you need a point of reference.  Want to be an actor? Then start working – on yourself.  Characters on the page confront challenges that often shake them to the very core of who they are.  Sometimes they know very well what drives them and sometimes they are completely unaware.  Actors must understand the very real emotional life of the character and connect with it if they are to tell their story so that others will recognize themselves in it. To do that you must have some experience navigating your own inner world. Acting problems are often life problems. If you have difficulty revealing some aspect of yourself in life, it certainly won’t be easier when you get onstage or in front of a camera. Acting teacher Eric Morris’ […]

The World Is Your Acting Teacher

Difference between acting on-stage and acting on-camera
Stage actors worry they’ll be “too big” on camera.  Often their solution is give small, whispered, lifeless performances lacking feeling, intention and point of view.  That’s the exact opposite of every great film performance I’ve ever seen. Great performances come in all shapes and sizes.  What they have in common is that they are all intensely human and humanity can be loud, obnoxious, aggressive, dance on the ceiling happy, heartbreakingly funny or shamelessly stupid.  The camera handles larger than life-sized performances beautifully – as long as they’re genuine.  Acting is acting in both mediums. The moment to moment work is the same.  You must know where you come from, who you are physically and emotionally, what your specific, personal relationships are to the people you encounter and talk about, what your dream is and what you are willing to do to get it, etc. The differences are technical.  Knowing the […]

The Difference Between Acting on Stage and Acting On Camera

are you ready for an agent?
One of the biggest questions students ask is “How do I get an agent.”  Some of these people have coached with me for awhile, have credits and are truly ready for representation but many are just starting off and need to get a few more ducks in a row before seeking representation.  Here are 5 ducks you need to have lined up before you ever contact an agent! . . 1. Training  In no other profession would you advertise your services for hire without being trained to provide that service.  I’d like to be a doctor but I know before I start performing surgery I should probably go to medical school.  Yet “actors” think they’re ready for an agent just because they want to be an actor.  To be an actor you need to learn your craft.  Start by reading books.  For a list of great suggestions, click here.  Take […]

Are you ready to get an Agent?