Melanie Lynskey on Building Her Acting Career and Gaining Confidence in Her Ability

Melanie Lynskey, despite being best known at the moment for her role on TV’s Two and a Half Men, has amassed an impressive list of acting credits since first appearing in Peter Jackson’s Heavenly Creatures at 16.  She also has appeared in the Oscar-nominated Flags of Out Fathers and Up in the Air and independent films like Win Win and Hello, I Must Be Going, which premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival.  Lynskey talks about how she built her career to Interview Magazine.

While Lynskey had the ambition to be an actor and admits it wasn’t difficult getting his first role in Peter Jackson’s Heavenly Creatures, she does explain that it was difficult landing future roles, saying, “I always wanted to be an actor, but I had this whole plan to go to a good drama school and do it that way. I wasn’t trying to get into movies; someone came to my high school and auditioned some girls, so it was a complete accident.  I lived in a pretty small, provincial town in New Zealand; there weren’t agents or anything like that, so I just had no way of going about it. I just thought ‘All right, I’ll carry on with that plan that I had to go to drama school.’  So yeah, there was a good straight year where I wasn’t working as an actor but it didn’t seem like such a crazy thing, I didn’t really have a fear of not being able to make it happen, because it seemed so impossible anyway.”  Read more

The 4 Principles to Captivating On-Camera Work – Part 3

Written by Jamison Haase, L.A. On-Camera Training Center

Don’t miss out on Part 1 and Part 2!

As an actor, I’m sure you watch a lot of film and television.  But have you really thought about what elements are used to create the performances you love?  Of course there’s talent and hard work, but what technical elements did those actors employ to make the greatest impact possible?

Over the course of the next several weeks, we’re going to distinguish and discuss the four principles to creating amazing on-camera performances, and give you real advice and tips that you can use in your auditions now. Three of these principles you are probably already highly trained in, especially if you worked in theater.  But it’s the fourth that makes all the difference in on-camera work.  It’s the fourth that most actors never learn. And it’s the fourth that can make or break any film or television audition.  Read more

The 4 Principles to Captivating On-Camera Work – Part 2

Written by Jamison Haase, L.A. On-Camera Training Center

Read Part 1 of The 4 Principles to Captivating On-Camera Work

As an actor, I’m sure you watch a lot of film and television.  But have you really thought about what elements are used to create the performances you love?  Of course there’s talent and hard work, but what technical elements did those actors employ to make the greatest impact possible?

Over the course of the next several weeks, we’re going to distinguish and discuss the four principles to creating amazing on-camera performances, and give you real advice and tips that you can use in your auditions now. Three of these principles you are probably already highly trained in, especially if you worked in theater.  But it’s the fourth that makes all the difference in on-camera work.  It’s the fourth that most actors never learn. And it’s the fourth that can make or break any film or television audition.  Read more

Sundance 2012: Monsieur Lazhar receives Standing Ovation at Sundance – then nominated for Academy Award as Best Foreign Language Film

Written by Sofia Gian

[For Sundance 2012, Daily Actor has actress Sofia Gian taking in the sights, sounds and films and writing it all down for us. Keep coming back for more Sundance!  - Lance]

Out of all the films I’ve screened so far here at Sundance, Monsieur Lazhar, written and directed by Philippe Falardeau is the only one that’s received a full standing ovation. To its merit, it was announced that it’s secured an Academy Award nomination for best foreign-language film.  Read more

Oscar Nominated Screenplay: ‘The Descendants’

Courtesy of Fox Searchlight, here is the script to The Descendants.

The screenplay was nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay.

Click here for the script

Director: Alexander Payne

Written by: Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash

Cast: George Clooney, Shailene Woodley, Beau Bridges, Robert Forster, Judy Greer, Matthew Lillard, Nick Krause, Amara Miller, Mary Birdsong, Rob Huebel, Patricia Hastie

Read more

Watch: The Auditions for ‘The Artist’

The New York Times Carpetbagger blog posted a video that has snippets of some of the auditions for The Artist.

Nominated for 10 Academy Awards, casting director Heidi Levitt did a super job with the cast.

In the video, you can see what Beth Grant (Peppy’s Maid), Harvey Alperin (The Doctor) and Joel Murray (The Policeman) did to win their roles in the film.

The auditions were filmed in black and white and when Levitt and casting associate Michael Sanford watched the tapes, they “usually turned off the sound,” she told the paper.

Interview with James Cromwell from The Artist

Check it out below!  Read more

Interview: James Cromwell Talks ‘The Artist’, Auditions and the Best Perk of an Academy Award Nomination

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 19:50 — 13.6MB)

Any day I can talk to James Cromwell, I consider a perfect day.

James has had such a wonderful career. He had his first TV appearance on a 1974 episode of The Rockford Files followed by a recurring role on All in the Family (which he auditioned for and “had a great time,” he told me).

Dozens (and dozens!) of TV and film work followed when, in 1995, he got a part in Babe as Farmer Hoggett. The role only had 16 lines but he was so memorable in the part that he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. 16 lines! 

As you probably know, The Artist was just nominated for 10 Academy Award Nominations, most notably for Best Picture, Actor (Jean Dujardin), Supporting Actress (Berenice Bejo) and Director (Michel Hazanivicus). 

Cromwell was a big part of the success of that film. As I told him in the interview, I saw a lot of The Artist through the sympathetic eyes of his character, Clifton, George Valintin’s (Deaudrin) devoted chauffeur.

The Artist is absolutely one of my favorite films of the year. If you haven’t seen it, what are you waiting for?

We talk about his work on the film, auditioning and his career. And check out the advice he gives – it’s great!

For the full interview, click the audio link above or download it from iTunes
Read more

Trailer: The Duplass Brothers’ ‘Jeff Who Lives At Home’ starring Jason Segel, Ed Helms, Judy Greer, Susan Sarandon

Jeff Who Live At Home: On his way to the store to buy wood glue, Jeff looks for signs from the universe to determine his path. However, a series of comedic and unexpected events leads him to cross paths with his family in the strangest of locations and circumstances. Jeff just may find the meaning of his life… and if he’s lucky, pick up the wood glue as well.

Directors: Jay Duplass, Mark Duplass

Cast: Jason Segel, Ed Helms, Judy Greer, Susan Sarandon

In theaters: March 16th, 2012
Read more

‘Downton Abbey’ Actor Dan Stevens: “I didn’t study acting – I learned on the job by watching”

The sophomore season of PBS’ Downton Abbey is now under way with the cast successfully engaging fans once again, even after a slew of early negative reviews hit the web. 

The time period series’ most appealing characteristics comes from it’s believable jump back in time, as well as Abbey’s interesting set, and of course plenty of amazing actors such as actor Dan Stevens, who plays Matthew Crawley.

For the unknown, Stevens’ alter ego is an attractive lawyer who ends up the designated heir of the late Hugh Bonneville’s country estate.  His wet t-shirt scenes while chopping wood, enough to make the most poised and proper of fans blush, was also a plus for the breakout star, who didn’t imagine himself ever playing a hero.

The twenty-nine year old shared in an interview with The Columbus Dispatch that “it’s fun to play that, but I never saw myself like that. It makes me smile.”  Admitting that he still sees himself “as a gangly 17-year-old, trying to work everything out.”  Read more

The 7 Steps To Think Like A Producer So You Can Act For A Living

by Emily Grace

I’ll let you in a secret…when it comes to your acting success, thinking like an actor is probably stalling your career.

How can this be, you may be wondering.  I’m an ACTOR.  That is my job.  How can thinking like an actor be stopping me from BEING an actor?

Well, my friend, I’ve got some news for ya that you may not want to hear.  But, just like a bandaid, we might as well just rip this thing off quick and get it over with.

If you don’t have the auditions, bookings, clout, opportunities or financial security you want from your acting career, than being an actor is not your job.

Your job is to be a producer.

Now – you may literally be a producer of your own content, but you don’t have to be.  What I’m talking about is being a producer of results.  Results like more auditions, more bookings, great connections, and ultimately getting the industry to come to you.

If that ain’t happening, but you’re spending tons of cash on acting class, improv, scene study, on-camera technique or any other class that only focuses on craft, it’s time to put on your producer hat and get serious about treating your career like a bidness.  

Because none of that technique can land you a job if you can’t get in the room to show ‘em what you got.

I’m going to share my trusty 7 steps to think like a producer so you can act for a living.  Read more

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