Producers hire the best writers to write their shows.

Try not to confuse your personal viewpoint and taste with the particular writing that makes that show exactly what it is.

He who …

The young Canadian actor goes to Hollywood to read for a lead in a movie.

It goes well. 

Later that morning in the producer’s office, the young actor is about to leave when the producer ...

You didn’t get the part, but you’d like to know who did.

Why?

It might seem as if knowing is part of your education of the acting business. You might want to know who the competition is so you can be …

Are there less working-class actors today then when I was in drama school in 1972?

Reading the Guardian article by Carole Cadwalladr Why Working-Class Actors are a Disappearing Breed prompted my writing on the question.

We could also ask, ‘Are there less movies today showing the life of …

Learn to recognize and appreciate the toll it takes on you being an actor.

Certain roles are demanding emotionally – Desdemona -  and they can have a real effect on you. 

A regular role on a series, a long-running play or a lead in a feature, all have their own …

Don’t be pressured to think that your acting should be somewhere other than where it is.

It isn’t realistic, and you need to be if you want to improve.

This doesn’t mean you don’t have aspirations. Of course you do, but you …

Try and present your work.

A common trait today, once someone has achieved a certain position of power, is to learn how to hold on to it. That can include kicking down the ladder anyone trying to come up and sucking up to those above.

If you get desperate you may find yourself trying to do that.

Presenting your work in a ...

Why should you feel bad playing a small role?

If you’re in a large company such as Stratford Festival where the season is long it means you have work for a good period of time.

You deserve it.

Sometimes you get work ...

That’s what you need when acting on camera. It’s both literal and figurative.

Let us see you. 

When you drop in and believe, your skin literally changes. It softens and opens. We go in with you. As you have …

Try not to get diverted, so you can do your job well.

Take note of what diverts you.

Do you sit in the front seat of the transport vehicle and talk to the driver because you want to ...

On set and in acting class put yourself first. 

If you look after yourself, take your space then you will be a good scene partner. 

Putting yourself first is key in your relationship with the collective of film workers making the movie. Each must do their job the best they can making the whole better.

Don’t get confused by

When you feel attacked or put on the spot it’s great to have a good comeback answer. 

Even a simple, common question from a fellow actor can throw you off.

If you meet colleagues every day and answering the usual questions puts you down that makes for a long day of …

You and all of us want to be needed.

It’s only human.

When you’re cast in a show part of the good feeling is that the movie needs you. It can’t be made without you playing that role. You’re now an integral part of the whole.

You’re needed.

If you’re not booked on a show and not getting auditions you can start to feel like you’re not …

Some actors are movie stars.

You may be one now or in the future.

Most of what you need to learn as a movie star is different from what you’ve learned as an actor. They’re two – often overlapping – different jobs.

Everyone knows the things movie stars do. Interviews on talk shows, red carpets, posing for pictures, promoting movies, getting involved with social questions of the day, being famous. You know all this …

If you’re a lead on a series you have a particular responsibility.

A lead is a leader on set. 

Doing your job professionally and getting what you need to do that is the best way to lead. It helps the show. Cast and crew will see that and emulate…

Any two actors who have acted together have a special bond.

You’ve crossed into the imaginary world with your partner and that is never forgotten. You both honoured the agreement to give and take. You held the …

You often hear your fellow actor on set saying that. It isn’t a bad thought but you should watch carefully where it might lead you and if you want to go there.

If the idea of turning the one-episode role into a recurring one takes hold, it may have you trying hard to be liked by the producers, director and series regulars. 

That could ...

You want to do all you can to promote yourself. 

How to do it is a complicated and difficult job.

The producers – through the casting directors and agents – keep a pretty tight rein on how much you can do. For instance, it’s considered a no-no to bypass the casting system and …

Even though the ideas of equality are all there, female actors are still under a lot of pressure. The reality is these ideas are yet to be fully realized.

You see it on set.

Actresses often flirt with the directors. The directors ...

Thank-you.

That’s the best answer to a compliment you receive about your work.

You may be confused as to what to say to a colleague after watching them in a show. If they wanted your reviewer’s opinion they would ask. If they wanted your acting coach’s advice ...