Acting

Thank you Timothy Miller for the reminder! I need to refocus - and Focus on my goals.

It brings me joy to help others stay focused on their goals! Just keep that momentum going and don't let the noise drag you down. Remember, you’re the main character in your own story; the only person who can truly hold you back is yourself. Rooting for you Debbie Seagle

send me a role I’ll see if it’s fits to me

Hi Adebola Sanusi that is not how it works. Please only answer the posted question. You can go to the jobs tab if you are looking for acting jobs.

Should I ever be so lucky, my top 3 are Johnny Depp, Ryan Gosling, and Tom Felton.

Suzanne, love this question—having a “dream list” is a great way to stay inspired while also being intentional about where you're headed. As you continue building toward those opportunities, Stage 32’s networking and industry access can help create those connections, and we’re always here to support and guide you!

That's a great list Banafsheh Esmailzadeh

Love this insight, hearing how Anne Hathaway drew inspiration from Beyoncé really shows how powerful cross-medium influence can be in shaping performance. For actors, studying moments like this and applying them through intentional choices is key, and we’re always here to support and guide you in refining your craft!

Hey Laquan Copeland you're an actor so I'd love your opinion. Do you like / find value in seeing interviews from famous actors about their process / inspirations? Does it help you think about your craft differently? Or is it just noise? Idk just curious :)

Pat Alexander Awhh man, thanks so much for recognizing that and asking! For me, it’s super helpful, honestly. For one, it shows you that there’s no single “right” process, and you can actually take pieces from actors you admire and shape them into something that works for you.

It’s also inspiring—it reminds you where you’re headed and helps you think about your craft in a bigger way, not just moment to moment but as a whole journey.

your right Colin Hussey

acting is different from celebrity

Colin Hussey

Colin, this is a really thoughtful perspective—acting and celebrity truly are two different skill sets with very different demands. For actors navigating this balance, focusing on craft while building a sustainable presence over time is key, and Stage 32 offers great resources to support both sides—we’re always here to help guide you!

Jim France I love how you reframed the question. The fact that you walked into acting already knowing how to read a room, manage difficult personalities, and believe in yourself when no one else does? That is not starting late. That is starting loaded. Most actors spend years trying to learn the emotional resilience and professional discipline you had already earned the hard way across eight countries and three languages.

And that final line says everything. The people who believed in you were right. The naysayers have had plenty of time to think about it.

Tomás Daniel The fact that you are thinking this way as a filmmaker, intentionally building connections rather than rushing opportunities, puts you ahead of a lot of people who are still trying to force their way through doors that open much more easily from the inside. Keep at it — the recognition you are building right now is going to matter more than you know.

Laquan Copeland Thank you!

Laura Hammer I really appreciate that — thank you.

That’s exactly what I’m starting to understand more clearly now. It’s not just about getting in, but about growing into the space in a way that’s sustainable.

I think the challenge is staying patient while still moving forward with intention, especially when everything feels like it needs to happen quickly.

But I’m learning that the long game is where the real value is.

Thanks again for the encouragement — it genuinely means a lot.

Love all of your points, Laura Hammer

Here's my perspective, which is someone who's co-owned a taping service since 2010 and has worked as an actor since 2001.

In the Southeast, getting an agent has become astronomically harder in the last 10 years. In 2002, I was able to get an agent very easily. And up to around 2015, I could just give a referral to an actor, and my agent would take them at my word.

Now? Even with my referral (and I've been with the same agent for 24 years), there's a slim-to-none chance they will get offered representation. The reason is that leading up to Covid, our market was booming and growing. That allowed all the agents to become more selective, set higher standards, etc. Then with Covid, dual strikes, the contraction of the whole industry (along with more production fleeing overseas), and the work has become scarcer. The result is that most agents are cutting people and not looking for new talent.

That said, every agent is ALWAYS willing to snatch up someone they think is a valuable investment. But that will be based on résumé, look, and a referral. If the agency already has 5 people that look like you, it would take a MASSIVE résumé for them to consider you. If you have a unique look, or are in a category that they're lacking, then you experience isn't as important. That's where your research ahead of time can make your search more targeted and potentially yield better results.

In short, our perspective in the Southeast US is that it's a difficult time for any actor to find their first agent.

If you are wanting to have meetings to sell scripts, maybe you could connect with some agents who represent writers. It can be hard to pitch ideas to producers that are unsolicited.

Right. Which is why I suggest Delphine Herrmann in signing up for a pitch session through Stage 32 because those executives are looking for material. Otherwise, sending in unsolicited material is more about a who you know kind of situation.

Yes Suzanne, I had asked the organizers of Stage 32 for advice on which producers would be best suited to my univers .That's planned; I need to practice my English pitching skills.

Aaron, this is a great conversation, audition-to-booking ratios can be helpful for perspective, but they don’t always reflect growth, momentum, or the full picture of an actor’s journey. For members navigating this, focusing on craft, consistency, and using Stage 32 resources like labs and industry access can be more impactful, and we’re always here to support you!

Thanks Laquan, if you get a chance to watch my video, I also talk about not relying on the numbers. They really don't give actors the information they are wanting.

that is very true, having the understanding of the characters emotions and acting on those emotions can bring to light a better acting performance.

making things more natural and having a better flow with the performance.

I've always thought the best way to act was to make sense of what the character is feeling in a given situation. Understand motives to understand reactions.

How do you find your emotional truth Ana Rodrigues ?

Ana, beautifully said, emotional truth is what ultimately grounds a performance and makes it resonate with audiences. For actors looking to deepen this, exploring character work and feedback through Stage 32 labs and coaching can be incredibly helpful, and we’re always here to support and guide you!

that is quite an interesting article, thank you Pat Alexander for sharing this with us. it is quite a shock seeing the dancing with the stars host as an MMA fighter.

playing against type!

Andrew Higgs

thank you for sharing this, I enjoy how it utilizes The Wizard of Oz characters to illustrate how actors often possess the necessary skills for success, such as strategy (Scarecrow), authenticity (Tin Man), and confidence (Lion), but require a shift in perspective to realize it. By comparing the journey to Dorothy's, the analysis suggests overcoming common career barriers involves finding the "inner wizard" or a mentor to guide them toward actionable, realistic goals. nicely done ✅

Thanks, Timothy. The Wizard of Oz parallel is actually about something more specific — the three intelligence centres (Head, Heart, Gut) that the alchemists identified as catalysts for transformation. The Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion each lack one of those centres, and the article maps how actors get stuck when the same imbalance occurs in their process. Glad it connected.

What about one on Creating A Demo Reel? That question gets asked a lot here.

Awesome question Suzanne!

James Lagrimas, this is such a fantastic roundup, thank you for pulling all of these together. It’s been so exciting to see how many actors on Stage 32 are leveling up their craft, and having resources taught by people actively working in the industry makes such a difference.

Here are a few additional acting-focused topics I’d love to see explored next year:

Self-Tape Mastery for the Modern Casting Landscape

A deep dive into framing, eyelines, reader strategies, lighting, pacing for comedy vs drama, and making bold choices that pop in a crowded inbox.

The Actor’s Business Blueprint

A class dedicated to the practical side: contracts, agents vs managers, branding essentials, building a sustainable workflow, and long-term career planning.

How to Build a Reel That Books Work

Not just “what to include,” but how to shoot your own scenes if you need to, how to structure your reel for different rep meetings, and how to tailor it for film vs TV vs commercials.

Scene Study Labs with Working Directors

Ongoing work that lets actors practice scenes and get direct notes from directors currently in production, great for understanding set expectations and communication styles.

Working Actors Roundtable Panel: The Reality of Building a Career

Multiple actors from different career stages sharing what’s really working right now: networking, audition routines, self-marketing, and mental health strategies.

Voice and Movement for Film and Streaming

Training that helps actors build physical and vocal awareness specifically for intimate, micro-expressive camera work.

Voiceover Training for Film, Games, and Animation

Voiceover opportunities are exploding right now, especially with animation, video games, dubbing, audiobooks, and branded content. A class breaking down home studio setup, vocal health, character voice creation, audition workflow, and how to approach VO agents would be incredibly valuable.

Excited to hear what everyone else is hoping for, 2026 is already shaping up to be a strong year for the Acting community here.

This is actually really useful, appreciate you sharing it. I’m a student too and always looking for useful stuff like this, and these webinars look really solid, especially the AI and casting one since that area is changing fast. There are so many educational resources and opportunities nowadays, it’s honestly hard to keep up sometimes. I also came across this site https://edubrain.ai/ recently which seems pretty helpful for learning and organizing study work. Content like this is great though since it’s coming from people actually working in the industry, not just theory.

I've been performing and teaching improvisation in some capacity or another for thirty years (yikes!), and I have no intention of stopping any time soon. I could talk improv for hours! Even led a session or two on improv for writers. Would definitely be interested in a webinar on that (either attending or participating).