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A weekly newsletter by actors for actors, dedicated to providing actors with Advice, Industry Q&As, Self-Tape Challenges, Actor Spotlights and Movies of the Week.
OUR MOST RECENT BLOG POST
The industry likes to make us feel unworthy until we have reached what is known as 'making it'.
But what exactly is this elusive point? Is it when you have 10 million followers on Instagram? When you get #1 StarMeter on IMDBpro? Is it getting a lead role in a Film or TV production? Is it playing Lear on stage?
Let's reframe our idea of what 'making it' is…
You've already made it.
In acting, you are often called on to do outrageous things. You will be faced with a situation in a scene that requires you to express some side of humanity that is often kept locked behind closed doors, barred with a pipe and barricaded with a wardrobe, desk, filing cabinet, and standing lamp.
DON’T DO IT RIGHT
Do it. Right now.
As artists and humans, our chemistry is complicated and temperamental. We are full of great ideas, and passion, and energy, but also crippling anxiety, intrusive thoughts, self doubt and that nasty little inner voice judging our every move.
As actors and artists, we are tasked with accurately portraying humanity, and the world around us. While reading ‘An Actor Prepares’ over and over again may help us understand the process of being an actor, don’t think that is the whole piece of the puzzle.
As children, we failed all the time. You failed using a spoon, talking, walking, all the things. Things you probably take for granted right now. But through these failures you learnt the skills you needed to live.
As adults, we have the ability to structure our own environment in a way that we can literally avoid failure (and ultimately, stop growing). But, as an actor you are lucky…
You get to fail all the time!
OUR MOVIE OF THE WEEK
When Los Angeles private eye J.J. "Jake" Gittes (Jack Nicholson) is hired by Evelyn Mulwray to investigate her husband's activities, he believes it's a routine infidelity case. Jake's investigation soon becomes anything but routine when he meets the real Mrs. Mulwray (Faye Dunaway) and realizes he was hired by an imposter. Mr. Mulwray's sudden death sets Gittes on a tangled trail of corruption, deceit and sinister family secrets as Evelyn's father (John Huston) becomes a suspect in the case.
Seventeen-year-old Rose hails from an aristocratic family and is set to be married. When she boards the Titanic, she meets Jack Dawson, an artist, and falls in love with him.
The film follows Margaret "Maggie" Fitzgerald (Swank), an underdog amateur boxer who is helped by an under appreciated boxing trainer (Eastwood) to achieve her dream of becoming a professional.
In this 1971 psychological thriller, disc jockey Dave Garver attracts the attention of a mentally-deranged fan, Evelyn Draper.
OUR ACTOR SPOTLIGHT
Teressa Liane is an Australian actress born in Melbourne, Victoria.
Best known for her portrayal of ruthless heretic Mary Louise on the hit show "The Vampire Diaries" (Warner Bros./The CW) & Angelica on "Into the Badlands" (AMC). Teressa's first big break was on Australian television show, "Neighbours" (Fremantle Media) where she played the lovable, larger-than-life character, Rhiannon Bates.
Teressa continues to work on Australian and international projects, across a range of genres, from her portrayal of Agrippina the Younger in historical drama "Roman Empire" (Netflix), to her work in recently-released spy comedy "The Spy Who Never Dies" (Rhythmic Films) and action/survival thriller "The Reef: Stalked" (Universal Pictures).
Emily Coupe is a TAFTA Full Time Program graduate from 2012!
We asked Emily about moving to LA for Acting and Singing, and how to make the most of a transition to the United States. We also checked in on how being a multi-hyphenate has shaped her career. Read on for tips on how to prepare to move to the US, what to expect when your over there, and some handy tips on how to stand out from the crowd.
We got in touch with Stephen fresh off his role as Kevin in NBC’s Prime-time comedy Young Rock, the sitcom following Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson’s upbringing, and Stephen plays a pivotal role in Young Dwayne Johnson’s life!
Read on to learn a little more about Stephen’s Musical Theatre background - what his thoughts are on acting for the stage versus the screen, what it’s like to get punched in the face by The Rock and how he kept creative and was able to book this job from his bedroom in the middle of the pandemic!
Long time Sydney TAFTA student Lauren Hamilton Neill was in Los Angeles this time last year winning an award as Best Actress International for her work in a short film co-starring Zoe Carides.
She has recently heard that her new short film will be making its Australian premiere at MonsterFest!
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In a very special Spotlight edition, we spoke to our Melbourne & Sydney Showreel Cinematographer James Huynh about filmmaking, creating, failing, advice for actors working on camera, and handy tips if you are ever doing a fight scene (spoiler alert: STRETCH).