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“Act the part and you will become the part.” –the late 19th-century philosopher and psychologist William James  Acting is a mysterious art form. When actors try to define the craft of acting, expect creative and abstract descriptions that are unique… Read More

Brad Heller is a Los Angeles-based acting coach who has run The Heller Approach Professional Acting Studio since 1995. Brad is the founder of The Heller Approach, which teaches scene analysis, scene study, cold reading, audition technique, improv techniques, and… Read More

The “Actor’s Foundry” webinar led by master teacher Matthew Harrison delves into the topic of stillness in acting. Stillness, in this context, goes beyond simply not moving while in frame, but is more so defined as internalizing the character’s emotions… Read More

Michael Shurtleff was a major force in casting on Broadway shows during the 1960s and 70s. His casting work includes “Chicago” and “Becket,” as well as the films “The Graduate” and “Jesus Christ Superstar.” Shurtleff’s instruction on auditioning has been… Read More

The acting industry is exciting, fun and rewarding for performers. It’s also a competitive industry. When auditioning, you compete with a seemingly endless sea of thespians for the same role. Some actors find it daunting. Others revel in competition. You… Read More

The Chubbuck Technique is a 12-step method used by performers, writers and directors across the globe in their quest to bring their characters to life. Acting teacher Ivana Chubbuck created the process, and she details each step in her bestselling… Read More

Renowned New York City acting teacher and coach Suzanne Shepherd studied with Sanford Meisner, and her former students include Gregory Hines, Christopher Meloni, Helen Slater, Joan Allen, and Bebe Neuwirth. Shepherd is also a working actress herself, and has appeared… Read More

Sylvester Stallone once famously said, “Plan B. You’ve always got to have a Plan B.” This career approach certainly worked out well for the “Rocky” star, but not everybody follows that advice. In fact, some actors strongly oppose the idea… Read More

No two actors are alike, nor are their career paths. Robert Downey Jr.’s journey is very different from Morgan Freeman’s, which is very different from Meryl Streep’s. With so much variation, it becomes clear that there are a number of… Read More

Insights that others have about actors can be encouraging, or they can sting a bit as well. But those keen perceptions take on a greater significance when coming from those who hold the keys to an actor’s career. Here are… Read More

Award-winning London-based casting director Amy Hubbard, best known for her work on “The Hobbit,” “The Lord of the Rings,” the Showtime series “Homeland,” and the History Channel’s miniseries “Hatfields & McCoys” considers herself to be part of a casting dynasty…. Read More

Can you remember the first time you were inspired to pursue a career in acting? Were you watching TV, a feature film in a velvet dark theater, or maybe it was a play? There is that exquisite moment in any… Read More

The Kids Are All Right star Annette Bening shared a personal story with a group of theater students about her difficulty with listening early on in her training. An acting instructor had critiqued her performance with a scene partner, telling Bening,… Read More

An aspiring actor might consider working as a background actor, also known as an extra, to gain valuable on-set experience, meet new people and to receive a paycheck. But what should one expect while doing background work?   Looking for… Read More

Casting directors love to build their databases and get to know actors. However, they do have preferences as to how performers contact them. Here are some valuable insights from three casting directors as they share how to most effectively reach… Read More