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By Sophie Monks Kaufman
Even by January standards, 2020 started in a grim fashion. Fires raged through southern Australia and President Trump assassinated Iranian general Qassem Soleimani, leaving many to wonder whether World War 3 was just around the corner. These global augurs of doom would justify the average person in stripping back their new year’s resolutions in favour of simple survival. 
But Tom Hanks is still trying to be good.
At the 77th annual Golden Globes Ceremony, held in Los Angeles on Sunday 5 January, the 63-year-old actor, was given the Cecil B DeMille award, an honorary award given to people whom the Hollywood Foreign Press Association deem to have made “outstanding contributions to the world of entertainment.” 
In his acceptance speech Hanks charmed the room, and millions watching, by getting choked up not once, but twice, about how much he loved his family.
Furthermore he shared the credit for his body of work with all the actors he’s ever stolen from, all the directors and screenwriters he’s ever worked with, and straight up everyone who ever showed up and hit their mark on his film-sets, shouting out specifically to make-up artists and focus-pullers.
He also dispensed sage words about the fundamentals of acting, impersonating Dan Sullivan, a director he had in his first big break at the Great Lakes Shakespeare Festival in 1977. “We had partied a little bit too much the night before,” said Hanks, “We were showing up for the rehearsals and he screamed at us – well, he did actually scream at us – he said, ‘Hey look, you guys! You actors! You know what your job is? You have got to show up on time, and you have to know the text, and you have to have a head full of ideas. Otherwise I can’t do my job.’ That was the greatest lesson a young actor could possibly ever get.”
This taster of Hanks will be followed by a full meal on 31 January with the UK release of A Beautiful Day In The Neighbourhood, a film drenched in humanist brilliance and the third feature to be directed by Marielle Heller, whose previous two, Diary of a Teenage Girl and Can You Ever Forgive Me? are both exquisite character studies of unusual female creatives.
In A Beautiful Day In The Neighbourhood, Hanks plays Fred Rogers, the cherished, red-cardigan-wearing, American children’s TV host, whose show Mister Rogers’ Neighbourhood ran from 1968-74 and 1979-2001. He and supporting characters, including puppets, helped children to deal with weighty emotional matters. The film is an adaptation of a 1998 Esquire magazine article called Can You Say… Hero? by Tom Junod, an investigative journalist and hardened cynic who was emotionally transformed by the process of spending time with Mister Rogers.
Marielle Heller focuses on the journalist, redubbed Lloyd, bringing to life the anger that flares up whenever personally difficult feelings come to the surface, eventually tracing this back to unresolved childhood traumas. Welsch actor Matthew Rhys gives a deep and understated performance of a man whose interior world is made vivid through tiny tells: a small eye movement here, a mouth flicker there. He is able to change the temperature of a scene through a protracted silence, or the hardening of his voice.
His opposite yet equal, his co-star, Tom Hanks rolls out a much softer and more reflective performance. In an interview published by The New York Times under the headline This Tom Hanks Story Will Help You Feel Less Bad, Hanks told journalist Taffy Brodesser-Akner that he studied hours worth of tapes of Misters Rogers speaking, trying to nail both his specific cadence and his intimate mode of address. Hanks said of Mister Rogers that he was “always talking to a single kid, a single person two feet on the other side of the camera screen. They said when you were talking to Fred, you felt as though you were the only person in the world that mattered to him.”
Hanks has mirrored this to-camera technique. With it comes the sense that he is talking to you as you watch the film. It is this fourth-wall-breaking delivery of loving kindness and empathy that makes A Beautiful Day In The Neighbourhood so moving. Watching it, I felt that Hanks through Heller was telling me, as Mister Rogers told so many kids: “You’re enough as you are.
#youareenough #goldenglobes #TomHanks #Actor #Inspiration #FilmJournalist #Movie #FilmReviewIn #ABeautifulDayInTheNeighbourhood #ABeautifulDayInTheNeighbourhoodReview #MovieReview #Actors #Touching #MarielleHeller #OnlyPersonInTheWorld #Hollywood #Blog #FilmBlog

The foundation journey is different for everyone and we love to hear your experiences. Actor Willa Main came to Actors’ Temple after studying in New York to jump back into the training and keep her emotions open. See her journey below!

Find out more about our upcoming courses here.

#Actor #vlog #vlogger #actingvlog #blog #acting #theatre #meisner #meisnertechnique #repetition #journey #journeys #passion #art #film #hollywood #newyork #london #actingclasses #drama

The foundation journey is different for everyone and we love to hear your experiences. Actor Willa Main came to Actors’ Temple after studying in New York to jump back into the training and keep her emotions open. See her journey below!

For this week’s blog we spoke to Ashlie Walker about her upcoming Mindset Matters Workshop. Ashlie Walker is a personal life coach and acting teacher integrating the powerful benefits of Meditation, Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapy & Embodiment. She began her career as an actress in TV & Film, before moving into Coaching. She has dedicated her life to understanding the way of the actor and teaches Meisner technique in London and Internationally. Alongside industry knowledge and experience, Ashlie holds a Bsc in Psychology and is a trained Cognitive Behavioural Hypotherapist.

Once you can acknowledge there is always an excuse for failure, always a reason to suffer and always an opportunity to ‘not do something’ you hold the power to acknowledge the opposite. It’s time to start finding an excuse to win, a reason for joy and opportunities to ‘do the thing’.

This 3 day workshop is borne out of several decades of study around success, happiness and health. Utilising modern coaching techniques, meditation, mindfulness, cognitive behavioural hypnotherapy tools, underpinned by an integrative spiritual methodology- this unique workshop can quite literally change you’re life, if you’re ready

What does mindset mean to you?

Our minds begin to ‘set’ from birth- when we are absorbing information from our experiences, collating, organising and making sense of it all. These experiences shape our thoughts, beliefs and subsequent behaviour. Any experiences that come with a strong emotional charge will have a impact on your ‘mindset’.

If you want to make a change, we start by looking at your current ‘mindset’ so you can make a choice about what’s helpful and what’s holding you back. Sometimes there is trauma and sometimes a pile up of unprocessed experiences- either way, our minds are malleable and we can change them! And if we commit to doing this, there are infinite possibilities for ‘success’.

Why is mindset important for actors?

There is no denying that working in a creative field where you are continually exposed to your vulnerability and potential rejection requires resources of strength, confidence and self-belief. It’s easy to think you are working hard, doing all the right things and yet feel frustrated at little to no progress. Do you want to look back on your life and think I tried really hard, made loads of sacrifices and ended up failing. Or find a way to be present, fulfilled and in your creative flow NOW. This isn’t about changing the industry, it’s about shaking up your approach.

How would you describe the workshop in 5 words?

What is the biggest thing you see limiting actors work?

Doubt steals people of their flow, their joy and their potential. Quitting robs people of their dreams. Perfectionist tendencies stop people even trying. Dependency on others approval means you feel like your life is out of your control.

Do you think there is an ideal ‘time of life’ to do this work?

When you’re ready to take full responsibility for where you’re going in life.

What is the most important thing you’ve learned for yourself doing this?

That it takes commitment ‘to do things differently’. That we can be kinder, more compassionate and more present with ourselves and others once we’ve let go of our own insecurities. That human potential is extraordinary. That being afraid is wetting your pants – and courage is what you do with wet pants on!

Book your space HERE or give the studio a call on 0203 004 4537 to find out more!

#actors #mindset #blog #responsibility #life #insecurities #mindsetforactors #approval #actingblog #mindsetblog #health #blogs #healthblog #doubt #strength #rejection #belief #absorb

The purpose of ’cold reading’ is to equip the actor with the skills necessary to deal with the ‘real life’ situation of:
Being asked to read a completely different scene at a casting to the one you have prepared because of last minute script changes.
To read off camera at a casting or self tape session when you will have had little or no time to prepare.
To read in for an actor who is ill or otherwise absent from a rehearsal. 
Here are basic principles:
1) Hold the script close enough to glance down quickly and keep it at the same position throughout the reading. Use your upstage hand to hold the script. At about 45 degrees. Make sure the script is stapled or held in page order so you can turn/drop  pages quickly and keep your thumb in the  margin of the script at all times so you don’t lose your place. Practise until you can master this physical skill.
2) Establish a CONNECTION with your partner first of all by LOOKING at them and silently noting something about them which strikes you or has interest for you. 
3) If your the first person with the line then LOOK Down at the script and read the line silently to memorise it before looking up and feeding the words into your partners eyes. As you read and memorise silently allow the words to AFFECT you in any way they do. There’s no right way. Include their response to what you’ve said as you sit there silently waiting before you look down and repeat the process to pick up the next line phrase or sentence.
4) If you’re LISTENING then listen to the very end of your partners speech. Don’t cheat by looking down whilst they’re still speaking. You’ll know it’s your turn (cue) to speak when they STOP speaking. 
The above process is effective for any kind of script and any length of speech. practise it daily yourself with any kind of text. You can do this alone or with someone, but do it aloud.
Good luck! 
#blog #actor #actingblog #industry #theatre #film #selftape #advice #actingtip #actorstemple
For this week’s blog we spoke to Ashlie Walker about her upcoming Mindset Matters Workshop. Ashlie Walker is a personal life coach and acting teacher integrating the powerful benefits of Meditation, Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapy & Embodiment. She began her career as an actress in TV & Film, before moving into Coaching. She has dedicated her life to understanding the way of the actor and teaches Meisner technique in London and Internationally. Alongside industry knowledge and experience, Ashlie holds a Bsc in Psychology and is a trained Cognitive Behavioural Hypotherapist.
‘Once you can acknowledge there is always an excuse for failure, always a reason to suffer and always an opportunity to ‘not do something’ you hold the power to acknowledge the opposite. It’s time to start finding an excuse to win, a reason for joy and opportunities to ‘do the thing’.
This 3 day workshop is borne out of several decades of study around success, happiness and health. Utilising modern coaching techniques, meditation, mindfulness, cognitive behavioural hypnotherapy tools, underpinned by an integrative spiritual methodology- this unique workshop can quite literally change you’re life, if you’re ready’
What does mindset mean to you?
Our minds begin to ‘set’ from birth- when we are absorbing information from our experiences, collating, organising and making sense of it all. These experiences shape our thoughts, beliefs and subsequent behaviour. Any experiences that come with a strong emotional charge will have a impact on your ‘mindset’.
If you want to make a change, we start by looking at your current ‘mindset’ so you can make a choice about what’s helpful and what’s holding you back. Sometimes there is trauma and sometimes a pile up of unprocessed experiences- either way, our minds are malleable and we can change them! And if we commit to doing this, there are infinite possibilities for ‘success’.
Why is mindset important for actors?
There is no denying that working in a creative field where you are continually exposed to your vulnerability and potential rejection requires resources of strength, confidence and self-belief. It’s easy to think you are working hard, doing all the right things and yet feel frustrated at little to no progress. Do you want to look back on your life and think I tried really hard, made loads of sacrifices and ended up failing. Or find a way to be present, fulfilled and in your creative flow NOW. This isn’t about changing the industry, it’s about shaking up your approach.
How would you describe the workshop in 5 words?
Revealing
Liberating
Daring
Inspiring
Dancing 
What is the biggest thing you see limiting actors work?
Doubt steals people of their flow, their joy and their potential. Quitting robs people of their dreams. Perfectionist tendencies stop people even trying. Dependency on others approval means you feel like your life is out of your control.
Do you think there is an ideal ‘time of life’ to do this work?
When you’re ready to take full responsibility for where you’re going in life.
What is the most important thing you’ve learned for yourself doing this?
That it takes commitment ‘to do things differently’. That we can be kinder, more compassionate and more present with ourselves and others once we’ve let go of our own insecurities. That human potential is extraordinary. That being afraid is wetting your pants – and courage is what you do with wet pants on!
Book your space HERE or give the studio a call on 0203 004 4537 to find out more!
#actors #mindset #blog #responsibility #life #insecurities #mindsetforactors #approval #actingblog #mindsetblog #health #blogs #healthblog #doubt #strength #rejection #belief #absorb

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The purpose of ’cold reading’ is to equip the actor with the skills necessary to deal with the ‘real life’ situation of:

Being asked to read a completely different scene at a casting to the one you have prepared because of last minute script changes.

To read off camera at a casting or self tape session when you will have had little or no time to prepare.

To read in for an actor who is ill or otherwise absent from a rehearsal. 

Here are basic principles:

1) Hold the script close enough to glance down quickly and keep it at the same position throughout the reading. Use your upstage hand to hold the script. At about 45 degrees. Make sure the script is stapled or held in page order so you can turn/drop  pages quickly and keep your thumb in the  margin of the script at all times so you don’t lose your place. Practise until you can master this physical skill.

2) Establish a CONNECTION with your partner first of all by LOOKING at them and silently noting something about them which strikes you or has interest for you. 

3) If your the first person with the line then LOOK Down at the script and read the line silently to memorise it before looking up and feeding the words into your partners eyes. As you read and memorise silently allow the words to AFFECT you in any way they do. There’s no right way. Include their response to what you’ve said as you sit there silently waiting before you look down and repeat the process to pick up the next line phrase or sentence.

4) If you’re LISTENING then listen to the very end of your partners speech. Don’t cheat by looking down whilst they’re still speaking. You’ll know it’s your turn (cue) to speak when they STOP speaking. 

The above process is effective for any kind of script and any length of speech. practise it daily yourself with any kind of text. You can do this alone or with someone, but do it aloud.

Good luck! 

The foundation journey is different for everyone and we love to hear your experiences. Actor Willa Main came to Actors’ Temple after studying in New York to jump back into the training and keep her emotions open. See her journey below!

Find out more about our upcoming courses here.
#Actor #vlog #vlogger #actingvlog #blog #acting #theatre #meisner #meisnertechnique #repetition #journey #journeys #passion #art #film #hollywood #newyork #london #actingclasses #drama
Our students are all individuals and all have joined our journey from different perspectives which is why we love to check in and find out more! This week we’re chatting to Advanced student Nina Dylan.
How did you get into Acting?
The truth of the matter is it was by fluke, I was working in the west end and a film crew were filming a Superdrug advert and looking for background artists. I popped my head out and that was that.
What do you love most about performing?
The freedom to be an authentic truthful version of myself.
What led you to train at The Actors Temple?
I wanted to explore Meisner because there was something about the way you train, to find the truth, following that quick impulse and what it means. I had heard so many positive things about the place and I wanted to give it a go.
What was the biggest lesson you learnt during your Core training?
For me it was that it’s actually ok to be silly. Not to put so much pressure on myself and to be willing to fall over and get egg on my face. I mean – I rapped for goodness sake, I just did it and it was hilarious.
If you could play any character- who would it be and why?
Everyone usually goes to the classic females but for me I’d love to play a female version of Luther.
If you weren’t an actor, what alternate career would you have?
I used to do window dressing and I loved working with fashion – I think it would still be in the creative field.
What motivates you, when things get tough?
That things don’t last forever
If you could write a letter to your younger self, what would you say?
Don’t be scared and take the opportunities when they come.
What advice would you give to someone thinking about training with The Actors’ Temple?
Try it, you’ve got nothing to lose.
Whats next for Nina?
Finish the advanced and see what happens…
Find out more on how to start your journey here or give us a call on 0203 004 4537.
#actor #fluke #actingblog #blogs #wisdom #fear #scared #opportunities #motivation #actors #film #commercials #training #actingtraining #passion
There is a reason good actors become friends with fear. Firstly, it never really leaves. It’s hard wired into our genetic make-up to keep us alive. Secondly, if we’re always growing & evolving, we will be repeatedly stepping into the unknown, of which fear is a side effect. 
It’s not just actors who experience fear & stage fright. We all experience fear. It is a healthy sign we want to stay alive. However when this fear mechanism gets out of whack, going off at the slightest thing, hindering our process, enjoyment or stopping us from taking risks, it’s time to break it down and get to the root of it.
No matter what your triggers are, these are some simple steps you can take when ‘fuck everything and run’ isn’t the answer.
CURIOSITY. Fear thrives off ‘what ifs’. It doesn’t want you to question it- it just wants you to respond. Literally fuck everything and run. That’s the card it plays, again & again. The very act of approaching your fear with curiosity, takes the edge off its power. You are literally switching modes in your brain- from panic to enquiry. It’s not possible to do both at the same time. So get curious. What is this fascinating mechanism we all have hard wired into us, what was its purpose? How does it work? What can I learn from it? 
FEEL. ‘Fear’ as a sensation is a healthy physical response. Blood is rushed to the heart and muscles so we pump oxygen quickly and get ready to fight or take flight. The twist is, most of the time we’re not actually in danger. Animals experience this regularly- but they’re not neurotic or plagued with doubt. Why? Because they allow their bodies to process the fear. The Adrenalin runs through without resistance, they run, they shake, they resume their business. Humans however, resist, question, push down, until the harmless sensation of fear becomes a pressurised panic container. Step in the brain. Highly evolved for problem solving, and yet seemingly useless at managing fear. Why? Well firstly, because the blood has left the brain. Secondly, the mind loves to ‘make sense of’. If fear is felt, the mind will give you a million reasons why this is justified. It loves a good problem. It will justify anything! So if the mind is no help, what do we do? We simply take our lead from animals. FEEL. Come into your body, be present with the sensations, be curious & feel. The body just wants to process the fear. Panic arises when we ignore it or try to suppress it. So time to become friends with what is. Feel deeply into the present. Shine a light. Breathe into yourself. Deeply. Your body will know it is safe, when you are present in it. Moving from your ‘head’ to your ‘heart’. Mind to Body. Ego to Soul. This is a powerful tool for actors. It literally turns a potentially panic inducing experience into a full bodied, wholehearted presence. Which is not only life-changing, but engaging to observe. Good actors do this all the time. It’s a way of coming face to face with what is, bringing awareness, curiosity and love to Experience. 
EVERYTHING. If we combine curiosity with feeling, we get a profound understanding of what it is to be human. This means we don’t resist or judge. We don’t label feelings as good or bad, acceptable or unwanted. We give space to all. Everything. Through this we can see that underneath the fear, there are some pretty simple mechanisms at play. Once we realise our life is not in danger, we will see what is in danger is our ‘ego’. We can understand our ego as the ideas we have about our self, literally our sense of self. We prefer to be right, than happy. So we are very attached to who we think we are. We’ve spent our whole lives, building an identity. An identity we think serves us. Makes friends. Gets us likes. Makes us successful. Helps us belong – and if we belong, as a pack animal, we are safe. So we will defend our ego, who we think we are, with everything we’ve got. This can come under threat, not when our life is in danger, but when how we are perceived by others is out of our control. Our lives might as well be in danger as far as our ego is concerned. 
And finally…. RELAX. When we feel everything, we can transcend this need to defend who we are, protect our sense of self. We are not attached to one way of being. We welcome everything. We observe it changing, moving, in motion. We release judgment with curiosity and suddenly…. we are free. Relaxation is often understood as something we do with effort. I prefer to see it as the absence of doing. We walk around with tensions & resistance all day long. Relaxation is a chance to give these up. A Giving in. A Surrendering. We can become very purposeful with relaxation so that it becomes a more habitual way of being and interacting with the world. Relaxation in the face of fear takes practice. Our body learns quicker than the mind. So it requires a purposeful undoing of our habitual response to fear…. Practice!
What a funny little survival mechanism gone awry! 
When understood, you can see how we would all experience ‘threat’ from different things. For example, If your ego thinks it’s safe to go unnoticed & blend in- there will be huge resistance to stepping out & speaking up, or appearing successful, proud, confident even. As these are not in line with your beliefs about who you should be. 
Can you see through the lie: that the only thing in danger, is your ‘sense’ of self. Not YOU. 
There is no bigger threat to the ego than when how we are being perceived is out of our control. 
You can see the problem for actors right?
The work of the actor begins with transcending fear. Anything else is putting a lie on top of a lie. 
There is a specific and simple way to get out of your head, where fear percolates: Embodied Connection.
Actors in ongoing training with me can expect this to be a deeply inherent part of our process. Find out how you can get involved with training here.
If you’re not an actor- we can still get to the route of your fear, get in touch to find out how: www.ashliewalker.co.uk
#acting #actor #actress #film #model #theatre #actors #tiktok #love #photography #theater #music #movies #movie #comedy #act #cinema #modeling #hollywood #tv #bollywood #director #instagram #like #fashion #follow #drama #art #bhfyp #filmmaking #casting #cinematography #action #tiktokindia #losangeles #singing #fun #instagood #artist #musical #play #entertainment #performance #singer #filmmaker #india #cute #teatro #films #style #photoshoot #actinglife #musically #shortfilm #stage #musicaltheatre #photooftheday #beautiful #actingschool #london #blog #actingblog #fuck #fuckpolite
Catching up with our diverse community is important to us! This week we checked in with Core student Lisa-Marie Spiegel.
How did you get into Acting?
As a little girl I always dreamed of becoming an actress. The older I got, the more I felt the pressure of society and having a “normal”, corporate job. I earned a business degree and worked in financial services and fashion for a while. When I moved to London, I decided to finally give acting a shot and immediately feel in love with it!
What led you to train at The Actors Temple?
I was looking for a structured training that would teach me proper technique. The Actors Temple provided such structured approach and also offered lots of complimentary classes which was a convincing combination.
What is the biggest thing you have taken away from the training so far?
It was such a surprise to see what things trigger me and how hard it was for me to let go and simply be. We are all conditioned by society and insecurities come in so many different forms! I have learnt to be myself more and to trust my instincts – they are usually right.
What has been the most challenging part of the training so far?
I have used the better part of term two of my core training to address my fears and insecurities. My independent activities were usually based on aspects that terrify me and put me out of my comfort zone – super challenging but unbelievably liberating!
If you could play any character- who would it be and why?
This is a bit of an odd one, but I would love to play Bridget Jones. I think that comedy is one of the hardest genres and creating a character with depth that also has a natural comedic side sounds like a fun challenge.
If you weren’t an actor, what alternate career would you have?
After my first acting class I knew there was nothing else I wanted to be doing. However, if I had to choose, I would probably be focusing on my management career for now, but would start my own business venture eventually as I have always been quite the entrepreneurial type.
What motivates you, when things get tough?
When things get tough, I remind myself of where I want to be in five years and why I had started in the first place. I also believe in a good support system and I am very lucky that my family is only one phone call away whenever I need to talk about my struggles.
If you could write a letter to your younger self, what would you say?
I would tell my younger self to relax more and simply be myself. Life is a journey and you should enjoy the ride. Trust yourself more, you already know the answer.
How would you describe your tutor?
Tansy is amazing. She is very demanding in class but at the same time incredibly patient and understanding. She has an amazing instinct – she regularly scares me with the accuracy of her feedback and observations.
What advice would you give to someone thinking about training with The Actors’ Temple?
Just do it! The Actors’ Temple does not only provide superb training, but it also comes with an amazing community. I have made such great friends in a very short amount of time, all while honing my skills in all the different classes offered, from acting to signing to accent work. Also, be ready to give it your all. If you are willing to fully commit to the training, it will become a life-changing experience.
#actor #actress #lifechanging #blog #actorblog #blogging #training #dramaclasses

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