Acting Skills Blog Posts

“Listening is with your blood, with your heart, with your talent, with your life … streaming through to the person who’s talking to you, who is communicating with you.” —Stella Adler Tony Award-winning actor Reed Birney who stars in Fran… Read More

Sometimes simple tricks can be very effective tools when it comes to character development. These can range from drawing from memories and experiences to fleshing out the character on your own. In the video below, Casting Director Erica Arvold and… Read More

“You’re not simply entitled to be an actor. You’re not an actor just because you call yourself one. You earn it. You earn it by working.” —Larry Moss   Legendary acting coach Larry Moss has a contagious passion for the… Read More

Whether it’s working on a new character, auditioning for acclaimed casting directors, or working on the set of an Oscar-worthy film, actors know a lot about vulnerability. They’re used to breaking through barriers to express their characters’ genuine emotions with… Read More

Screen chemistry is that magical connection that actors create on camera that makes us want to keep watching. We see it on daytime soaps, shows like Empire and almost every movie ever made. Chemistry between actors include Margot Robbie and… Read More

Have you ever noticed how British actors regularly come to America and start booking roles that would normally go to Americans?  Like their American counterparts, British actors possess stellar training, a disciplined, serious approach to the work, and a keen… Read More

Whether you’re acting in a play or a movie, every scene counts. Each scene will call for a different range of emotions, with some being more demanding than others. The emotional climax of a piece is always one of the… Read More

Legendary actor Ian McKellen has been acting since 1959—that makes his career a whopping six decades long. In the clip below, the English thespian speaks with the talk-show host Dick Cavett in an episode of The Dick Cavett Showthat aired… Read More

If you were given the instruction manual for a new product but the manual was meant for a different product, do you think you’d have much success properly operating that product? Not likely. Holding a script that you haven’t correctly… Read More

A successful sitcom is like a big house filled with funny, topical storylines, memorable, identifiable characters and a plethora of laugh-out-loud jokes. Just think of I Love Lucy, Friends, All in the Family, Seinfeld and Modern Family, and how hysterically… Read More

When you’re crafting an authentic performance, you’re riding your character’s varying waves of emotions moment by moment. When your character is called to chuckle, giggle, or produce a belly laugh, genuine laughter will be available to you. But what if… Read More

As an actor, you are always training regardless of whether you are seasoned or just beginning a career in acting. You want to say, “I have a craft.”  You are always in the pursuit of sharpening your tools as you… Read More

When Judy Greer first arrived in Hollywood seeking an agent, she found one who, rather than sign her, sent her on auditions to see what kind of feedback she’d receive from casting. It was 1997, and within a week she… Read More

In the acting world, there are a number of things every actor wants to master, some more difficult than others. Learning lines is a perennial challenge for some actors, and many have tried valiantly not to break in a comedy… Read More