Interview: Nasim Pedrad on ‘Chad’ and Transforming into a 15-Year-Old Boy
“The goal was not to trick people into thinking I’m a little boy,” Pedrad says. “It was really to disappear into the character and play it as earnestly as I could.”
Interview: Voice-Over Casting Director Andy Roth on Reels, Auditioning and AI
Roth talks about the business of voice-overs, voice-over reels and what he’s listening for, what classes you should take and if actors should be worried about AI.
Jessica Chastain on Her Early Career Experiences and Auditions: I was “trying to do as much as I could”
Chastain notes that the residuals she received from her early projects helped sustain her before her career took off. “I don’t know what I’d have done without that residual money.”
Paul Giamatti Reflects on ‘The Holdovers’ and the Pleasure of Playing a Character “Pleased with His Own Intelligence”
“I had gone to a prep school,” Giamatti said. “I grew up around a lot of people like this. So, it was kind of like, ‘Ooh, this’ll be fun.’ I can just pull on this deep well of all these memories.”
Jeff Bridges on Collaborating with Actors: “Look it, we’re all in this together, man. Let’s make something beautiful”
Actor Jeff Bridges talks about his approach to acting and why he finds “jamming” with other actors to be his ideal way to work on a project.
Interview: Acting Coach Howard Fine on Insecurity, Technique and What Makes a Great Actor
Acting coach Howard Fine has spent decades guiding actors to their full potential. He’s worked with some of the biggest names in Hollywood, including Michelle Williams, Kerry Washington and Bradley Cooper.
‘The Bear’ Star Ebon Moss-Bachrach on His Characters: “I’m not ever concerned with whether they’re likable”
As an actor, Moss-Bachrach tries to focus on maintaining relaxation, saying that he tries to “relax and negotiate this tightrope walk of nerves. You need to be relaxed to be able to make art and surprise yourself.”
Xolo Maridueña on His ‘Blue Beetle’ Role: “I didn’t audition for this. How do they know that I’m the right person?”
Maridueña was concerned that most of the film would be shot with green screen, but he was pleased to find out that the green screen shots were limited.
‘Barry’ Casting Director: “I think actors sometimes need to be nurtured, and I like nurturing people”
Casting Director Sherry Thomas explains how she works with actors to unveil new approaches to characters in auditions.
Jason Segel on His New Career Approach with ‘Shrinking’: “The actual acting process to me is the most peaceful, simplest time of my life”
Segel spoke about how his approach to his career has changed with projects like ‘Shrinking’
WATCH: SAG Conversations on the Journey of the Working Actor
In this virtual panel working actors – Cristina Rodlo, Joseph David-Jones, Jona Xiao and Rome Flynn – talk shop about auditioning, casting, and landing that next part.
Jesse Eisenberg on His Directorial Debut ‘When You Finish Saving the World’
Eisenberg also shares a valuable lesson he learned about acting from director James Ponsoldt.
Michelle Williams on “Making Bigger Choices” in Her Acting Roles
“In the first part of my career, I was doing sitcoms, TV commercials, soap operas, and I started seeing this other style called naturalism. I wanted that for me, but I had to learn what that was and how to inhabit it,” Williams says.
Interview: Phoenix Best Talks LES MISÉRABLES, Playing Eponine and Life of Tour
Eponine has “such a special place in my heart, and so I get so excited to get to do it each time and bring something new to it,” Phoenix Best said as she was preparing for her return to the National Tour of LES MISÉRABLES.
Interview: Casting Director Cami Patton on SILO, Virtual Auditions and Self-Tapes
“I miss terribly being in the room with actors. I love that more than anything, but I have seen so many more people, been exposed to so many people I didn’t know, hired people from places that I can’t be.”
Henry Winkler on His ‘Barry’ Character: “I could not have done this character years ago”
While many would call Winkler’s performance on Barry masterful (he won an Emmy for the role), he says that he would not have been able to play the character earlier in his career.
‘The Crown’ Casting Director on Finding the Right Royal Actors
In addition to the challenge of casting actors portraying famous figures, casting director Robert Sterne also has to consider the continuity from one actor to the next playing the same role to ensure the transition is as seamless as possible.
Mindset is Key to Acting Success
Everyone can be the best that he or she can be, and that’s the first element of mindset: the aspiration. One has to aspire to a high level to be successful.
Christoph Waltz: “I don’t believe in good actor, bad actor”
Christoph Waltz is blunt about his feelings when it comes to whether an actor is good or bad — he only questions an actor’s competence and ability to pull off a role.
‘Atlanta’ Star Brian Tyree Henry: “I’m still learning that the camera catches everything”
Henry spoke about how “listening” influences his acting choices and why he finds theater so exhilarating.