You often have to stand with both arms by your sides. Not holding on to anything.

It’s just you in space. At first it can seem awkward. 

Learn to do it by standing well and easy, with your feet really on the ground, breathing regularly, arms hanging heavy, shoulders down, ribcage holding …

I often act with food in my teeth. 

No, not big pieces of green spinach in my front teeth that we all check for before our close-up.

Just some food that’s left there because I didn’t brush my teeth. I like it. I like it because it’s a …

When you’re playing a scene consider if you want to lead (drive the scene), or stay with your partner (equal), or follow.

To follow is to be very active. But you lay back. Like a lion.

Very quick of mind but following. It’s deceptive. It’s lighter. 

It’s not slow and heavy, no – it’s a different ...

You’ll find threes in the scenes you learn, the movies you act in and life around you.

As an actor working in film and television, your interest in three can be both specific and broad. 

Specifically, as you examine the script you may notice parts of the writing are in groups of three. A speech giving the character’s position could ...

For many years I have characterized my training work as Proper Practice. 

Some of the ideas in my practice come from Geoff Colvin’s book Talent Is Overrated where he cites Anders Ericsson’s idea of ‘deliberate practice’ which is …

The phrase ‘Dear dirty Dublin’ comes from James Joyce’ novel Ulysses.  

An actor from Cork taught me the trigger phrase of ‘Dear ol’ dirty Dublin, da mess on da doorstep’. He said if I got that right I’d be off to the races with the Dub accent.

When learning an accent ...

When playing these iconic roles some guidelines might be useful.

A useful start to playing any role is to ask, ‘How would I act in a situation like this.’

First and foremost, all of these roles are people at work, doing their jobs. They’re good at them, they like them, it’s always just another day at work, they don’t have …

You have practiced and heard so much about breathing.

We breathe all day long so why the focus on something normal.

My experience is that it takes a long time – a lifetime – to assimilate the best breathing practice into your acting. To make it yours.

Your goal should be to breathe as you when you’re acting. Not to be imitating ...

Acting class is a place where you can practice details of your work.

You’ll see some actors trying to be good or interesting. They aren’t practicing – they’re indicating.

Working on one little thing is enough of a reason to be practicing.

To make the point I asked the actors if we were making spaghetti sauce what ...

I’m quoting below from Walter Murch’s book In the Blink of an Eye.  I’m not going to add much, if anything, to Murch, but I’m including it as one of my Tips & Thoughts because of the specific and singular nature of his point.

A blink isn’t much.

Yet, Murch takes this act and elaborates up and out from it. See here how …

A successful acting teacher tells his actors to, ‘Be compelling.’

I don’t know what that means.

In acting class I’ll have an actor get up and wait for a bus. Then, I’ll say, ‘OK, do it again, but this time be compelling.’

The teacher and the student both have obligations.

In the actor training circles the actor-talk is generally focused on what the teacher was like and/or was it a good class.

Very seldom do the actors seriously discuss their own work and more importantly whether they fulfilled their responsibility.

Being a proper student is simply ...

Whether acting in an audition, on set, or in class, a real person is always in front of you.

So, there’s no need to pretend.

Try to catch their attention.

Really try.

It won’t be easy to attract ...

You don’t have to make any sense when you talk about your work.

Your talk should reflect whatever you are grappling with at that moment.

This doesn’t mean actors are nonsensical. No.

Directors and acting coaches need to be clear and make sense as they are running the ...