Acting

Acting

Whether you’re an actor, voice actor, casting director or anyone else related to the profession of acting, this is the place to discuss, share content and offer advice and tips on technique, audition strategies, headshots and all other topics related to the sweet science of acting

Good evening, friends and comrades : )

Late night post, as the year kicks off officially, and time zooms by, my days flowing full of work, challenges, and much joy!

And because of this momentum, I've realized something, that has changed the way I begin an audition, before I get into position, set up t...

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Good evening, friends and comrades : )

Late night post, as the year kicks off officially, and time zooms by, my days flowing full of work, challenges, and much joy!

And because of this momentum, I've realized something, that has changed the way I begin an audition, before I get into position, set up the tripod, and press record on my phone, or when I am in the virtual callback room, or on Zoom, waiting to meet the casting directors, producers, or directors...

When you get busy, usually, the standard response of people, generally, is stress. Nerves, anxiety, and "perfection thoughts" running amuck in our heads. Particularly, as actors. And, I've experienced this, so many, many times. We start getting upset we have a few auditions in one day, we resent it even, we worry about how we are going to do it, what to wear, who will help me, etc...etc...etc...

But, this year, my now self, my wise, and centered self, endeavors every time I have the privilege to act, to allow myself one feeling:

Gratitude.

I'm so thankful for this audition, I'm so grateful I get to do this, I'm so happy I have three auditions back to back, I am grateful for this moment and this work...I can do this, because I am doing it...Wow, I'm awesome. Look at me go...thank you tripod! Thank you phone! Lol...

It changes your perception, and you become relaxed, and stop overthinking what you think you have to do to deliver the perfect audition, or how to impress the casting director with your acting skills. The fear is washed away by this gentle wave of love, and joy for the moment, and instead of stressing out and futurizing, and self-sabotaging, you realize you deserve this, you've already been chose, so you simply play.

If you got the audition,, if you got ten auditions in one week, they already think you can do them! And...this was just your headshot, or reel, or both...amazing, right?

Gratitude : ) The magical medicine for the stressed-out player. Available to you in your nearest hear-based feeling counter ( heart area of your chest ).

THE FIRST STONE – A MANIFESTO FOR MOMENTUM

Why mastery begins the moment we stop waiting.

THE FIRST STONE – A MANIFESTO FOR MOMENTUM

Why mastery begins the moment we stop waiting.

Over the years, I’ve noticed a pattern — not only in my own journey, but in countless conversations with actors, writers, directors, and producers across different countries and markets. Most of us don’t get stuck because we lack talent. We get stuck because we were trained to wait. We wait for permission, we wait for representation, we wait for the one role that is supposed to “change everything.” Waiting feels reasonable. It even feels professional. And yet, while we wait, nothing really moves.

I’ve seen incredibly gifted artists spend years in this quiet loop: hoping circumstances will shift, hoping the system will notice, hoping someone else will finally open the door. What makes this especially frustrating is that the external world often does change — new platforms emerge, formats evolve, opportunities multiply — but the internal pattern stays exactly the same. At some point, a difficult realization sets in: hope alone is passive. Not useless, but insufficient. Momentum is not granted. It is created.

I think of a career as a chain of dominoes. The industry teaches us to see ourselves as one stone somewhere in the middle — motionless, waiting to be pushed by a casting director, an agent, or a producer. But real agency begins when we understand something fundamental: we have to be the first stone. A single domino has the physical ability to knock over another that is significantly larger than itself. Its power is not in its size, but in the decision to move. Progress rarely starts with a dramatic leap. It starts with one conscious, deliberate step.

That step is uncomfortable. There is no applause for it. No guarantee. No immediate validation. But once it happens, something shifts internally — not because the industry suddenly becomes fair, but because you are no longer frozen inside it. From that moment on, you’re no longer waiting to be chosen. You are choosing to move.

One of the most important lessons I’ve learned is that success is not an accident. You don’t arrive where you want to be by chance — not in your career, not in your relationships, not in your life. Without intention and planning, you drift. And drift always has a direction, even if you didn’t choose it. Actorpreneurship isn’t about fear, control, or turning art into a sales pitch. It’s about conscious design: knowing where you are, knowing where you want to go, and being willing to take the next step — not all steps at once, just the one that’s required now.

Trying to change everything at once overwhelms most people. Momentum grows differently. Step by step. With clarity. With patience. With respect for your own capacity. When action aligns with intention, doors don’t need to be forced. They open because direction and timing finally match. Responsibility often gets mistaken for pressure. In reality, responsibility is freedom. It allows you to stop begging and start collaborating, to listen instead of chasing, and to enter rooms without needing to prove anything — because you are already in motion. From that place, conversations change. And relationships do too.

I’ll be in Los Angeles between March 31 and April 5, and it would genuinely be meaningful to continue this conversation beyond the screen — quietly, colleague to colleague. There’s a place in Hollywood, the Formosa Café, with a long history of exactly these kinds of exchanges: writers, actors, directors, producers sitting together without an agenda, simply talking craft, reality, and the work. If you’re around during that window and feel like continuing this dialogue over a coffee, I’d welcome the exchange.

Which brings me to something I’d genuinely love to hear from this community: At what point did you realize that taking full responsibility for your own momentum was unavoidable — even when it felt uncomfortable? And maybe even more important: what was your first stone this week?

Dan Martin Roesch

https://imdb.me/danmartin.imdb

Ashley Renee Smith

Head of Community at Stage 32 ♦ Creative Executive, Producer, Author

January 2026 Open House Webcast

Find Your Footing on Stage 32: Join Our January Community Open House!

Wednesday, January 28th at 12:00 pm PT!

Every success story begins with a first step.

If you’re ready to take yours, join me, Ashley Smith, Head of Community at Stage 32, for our January Community Open House Webcast happening Wednesday, January 28th at 12:00 pm PT!

Free Registration: https://www.stage32.com/education/products/stage-32s-january-2026-community-open-house-webcast

Whether you’re chasing representation, looking for collaborators, or simply ready to stop creating in isolation, the Stage 32 Community Open House is your moment to show up, be seen, and start making real progress.

This free live event isn’t a presentation—it’s a fully interactive session led by you and guided by Ashley Smith, Head of Community at Stage 32. You’ll have the opportunity to share your goals, ask questions, and tell us exactly what resources or support you’re looking for right now in your creative journey.

Ashley will walk you through the most powerful tools and features on Stage 32, including how to build a strong profile that acts as your virtual business card—clearly showcasing your skills, interests, and creative voice. You’ll learn how to participate in the free Stage 32 Lounges in a way that positions you as someone others want to collaborate with, including how to make a compelling post, contribute to ongoing conversations, and stay consistently active in a way that builds visibility and trust.

You’ll also learn how to keep up with the latest industry news, platform updates, and community insights through the Stage 32 Blog, and how to access Stage 32 Education, Certification, and Script Services that align with your next big move.

This session will close with a live Q&A tailored specifically to your goals and questions—whether you’re a writer, director, producer, actor, editor, or someone who wears multiple hats.

Wherever you’re starting from, this is your launchpad. Join us and take that first step with intention.

If you can’t attend live, don’t worry — registering ensures you’ll receive the full recording to watch anytime from anywhere.

Who’s planning to join me live for the Open House?

Click HERE to Register for FREE!

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Juliana Philippi

5
5 people like this
1 day ago

Natalie Diorio Thank you! And absolutely, that's exactly it. They want you to flourish!

4
4 people like this
1 day ago

Maurice Vaughan I love that...it isn't the last one...everything is constantly flowing, growing, responding to our choices, our energy. It's all up to us:)...

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Meriem Bouziani

6
6 people like this
23 hours ago

I agree with you—gratitude is a magical medicine. The more we feel grateful for the things we have and accomplish, no matter how small, the more inspired we become and ready to do even more. That’s when the magic begins, and we achieve things we never imagined we could.

4
4 people like this
23 hours ago

Meriem Bouziani Exactly Meriem, absolutely that. Yes :) Thank you my friend.

Suzanne Bronson

13 minutes ago

This is great Juliana Philippi Being grateful when we feel overwhelmed is a good way to take a step back and be glad we have the opportunity in the first place....

Leonardo Ramirez

3
3 people like this
1 day ago

This is great info and something I wasn't aware of that happens Juliana Philippi. I think it also applies to completing a script and is good advice for us in so many ways and in other areas. Great adv...

2
2 people like this
- Leonardo Ramirez
- Maurice Vaughan
1 day ago

Leonardo Ramirez I'm so happy it resonates with you, Leo! And for sure, definitely applies to after completing a script, all it's iterations, drafts, edits, and it's now being out there in the world....

2
2 people like this
- Juliana Philippi
- Maurice Vaughan
1 day ago

Absolutely agree Juliana Philippi. All its many, many, many, mucho mas iterations. And letting it go!

Joshua Young

What a beautiful question to sit with heading into the weekend. For me, it depends on the situation entirely. If it's an audition, I like to adhere to Bryan Cranston's advice: "It's not an audition, i...

1
1 person likes this
- Maurice Vaughan
1 day ago

Joshua Young Thank you, infinitely, for this marvelous share Joshua! I totally get that, it's an audition, but an audition is actually the job. You got it, flaunt it, lol. I've been working like this...

Maurice Vaughan

1
1 person likes this
- Natalie Diorio
1 day ago

You're right, Natalie Diorio. I've gotten better at pivoting when I write a spec script or ghostwrite a script. I also like coming up with alternative scenes and things in the outline in case I need t...

Natalie Diorio

Sorry, Maurice, only half of what I wrote got posted. That's the second time that's happened today. Going back to what I was trying to say... As stated before, there are many versions of pivot. A quic...

Wow, Natalie Diorio. Sounds like a scene from Twister/Twisters.

Maurice, it was interesting to put it mildly. And in NJ of all places! lol

Sounds like the start of a movie/show idea, Natalie Diorio.

3
3 people like this
2 days ago

Must-read post, Dan Martin Roesch! That's one reason I've been thinking about writing and making my own audio dramas.

Dan Martin Roesch Fantastic post Dan...and this week, my first stone was owning the fact, that there is actual, visible momentum, and instead of panicking, shrinking myself, or letting doubt turn into...

Alexandra Stevens

4
4 people like this
3 months ago

Really good questions Chikaima Uwakwe For me it's about reading the whole script and seeing how the character fits into the script. More specifically, what the function of the character is to the scri...

Vivian Agunmadu

6
6 people like this
3 months ago

for me it's about the circumstance and I also try to study that character ( the emotions, dialogue, storyline and character motivation)

Howard Koor

4
4 people like this
1 week ago

You asked "when you read a script, what’s the first thing you look for to find your way in to the character?" Overwhelmingly it is the dialogue the induces me to "feel" the character. Strong dialogue is so powerful.

Matthew Cornwell

4
4 people like this
3 days ago

I'm 20+ years into this journey, and having worn so many hats, I like to first get inside YOUR head as the writer. I want to see the world you were trying to build when you sat alone at that laptop.

T...

On the first day of acting school, they asked us a simple question: What is acting? By the end of the class, the answer became clear—acting is living believably, from moment to moment, within the give...

2
2 people like this
- Suzanne Bronson
- Maurice Vaughan
3 days ago

Anyone know why the thumbnails for YouTube videos get squished? I've noticed this for years on this website.

2
2 people like this
- Suzanne Bronson
- Matthew Cornwell
3 days ago

Must-watch video for actors, Matthew Cornwell! Thanks for sharing it.

Heidi Schussman

3
3 people like this
3 days ago

Very interesting. I'm not an actor, but I still found this to be valuable.

1
1 person likes this
- Maurice Vaughan
2 days ago

I have no answer to that Matthew Cornwell didn't really notice. Thank you for sharing.

Wendy Kay

2
2 people like this
- Brittany Christine
- Maurice Vaughan
3 weeks ago

Congratulations! Happy New Year!

Olivia Laine

This is amazing! I cannot wait until I can get to play one of those types of characters one day! My Christmas was well spent with family and friends, and last minute I got accepted for a lead role in...

Imola Orbán

3
3 people like this
3 weeks ago

My Christmas was really good :3. My dad cooked "töltött káposzta" (it's a Hungarian Christmas food, it's meat stuffed in cabbage. Btw, I don't like this food, I didn't eat from it), and my dad's girlf...

5
5 people like this
3 weeks ago

I watched Fatman and NFL, Imola Orbán. I love Home Alone 1-2. I'm writing a Home Alone type short script (Christmas Horror).

Ayesha Simra

Congratulations! Happy New year! Wishing you the very best in your journey ahead !

1
1 person likes this
- Maurice Vaughan
4 days ago

ICYMI SAG_AFTRA president Sean Astin is at CES checking out the AI situation.

Thanks for sharing!

I love how they make the headline seem so scandalous. The threat of a strike is the only real leverage we have as a union, so of course he would never rule it out months ahead of the deadline.

Find Your Footing on Stage 32: Join Our January Community Open House!

Wednesday, January 28th at 12:00 pm PT!

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