Tag Archives: Acting

Debra Messing ‘Pressured’ to Go Nude in A Walk in the Clouds

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Debra_Messing_at_the_2009_Tribeca_Film_FestivalDebra Messing has revealed she was “pressured” to shoot a nude scene in 1995 film A Walk in the Clouds by the director Alfonso Arau and the film’s producers.

The Will & Grace star starred opposite Keanu Reeves in the film, it was her first major film and was not a pleasant experience. She also said that she contacted her agent about the directors request and was then informed she would likely be fired if she said no.

She went on to say that she was berated after approaching Arau about the scene. “Your job is to get naked and to say the lines. That’s it,” he reportedly said. When the time came to film the scene the filmmaker made her feel uncomfortable “He lifts (the sheet up), scans my naked body, then drops the sheet on top of me like a used Kleenex,” she said at the MAKERS conference in California, “He walks away without a word…The whole thing was a power play, a game. And the goal, to demean me, to strip me of my power and make me feel on a cellular level his dominance over me.”

 

In the end only her back was exposed in the film. The 48-year-old actress also reportedly had issues with Alfonso after he berated her for how she looked.

“How quickly can we get a plastic surgeon in here’, ‘Her nose is ruining my movie! I can’t do this! Look at this!”‘ Alfonso reportedly said.

Messing was “frozen, horrified, mortified” and “felt deep shame” about her Jewish heritage after his comments.

Monday Club A Collective For Actors and Creatives

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ttf-photographer-tom-metcalfe-1Monday Club is a collective of creatives who meet once a week as a company of actors, dancers, writers, directors and more to generate new ideas and to share skills from our various artistic backgrounds. We encourage collaboration and the development of new writing and performance, and support individuals in the exploration and achievement of their artistic goals.

TAKE THE FLOOR

Take the Floor is an exciting new scratch night, hosted by Monday Club at Chelsea Theatre. The night promotes new work within all forms of the arts and forges connections for collaboration between these varying mediums. At the event, we encourage creative support between participants and we provide ‘no pressure’ networking opportunities. All of our pieces are handpicked from a variety of promising new artists with fresh and dynamic ideas.

The evening begins at 6pm when visual artists exhibit their new work in and around the bar. The auditorium then opens at 7pm for a number of eclectic ten-minute performances on Chelsea Theatre’s wonderfully spacious stage. The twenty minute interval sees the first of our selected singer-songwriters perform in the bar, with the second musician playing at the end of the night, when performers and audience members discuss what they’ve seen, and perhaps even swap details for future collaboration over a very reasonably-priced drink at the bar.

Following our first Take the Floor in October, writing partnerships have been formed, advice has been shared from participant to participant, and pieces shown have continued on their various trajectories with feedback from our Take the Floor audience to help shape their development.

A celebration of diversity and collaboration within the arts, Take the Floor is a stimulating evening of creativity for those interested in seeing short bursts of varied entertainment, and those who are looking for inspiration to create their own work.

Visit www.mondayclub.co.uk to find out more.

Date: Sunday 15th January 2017

Time: 6pm for visual art; 7pm for performances on stage

Location: Chelsea Theatre, 7 World’s End Place, King’s Road, London, SW10 0DR

Tickets: £6 for one or £10 for two tickets for the whole night; £3 entry on the door for music only.

Tickets available from www.chelseatheatre.org.uk soon!

Take the Floor is run by James Bailey, Charlotte Whitaker, Robyn Hoedemaker and Guy Remy.

info@mondayclub.co.uk

 

Michelle Williams: “I Have Struggled To Find Acting Work For Three Years”

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michelle williams i haven't find work in three yearsActress Michelle Williams has opened up about her difficulty finding acting work in the past three years.

She is getting acclaim for new film, indie drama Manchester by the Sea, which is one of only three films she has been in since 2013. In an interview with Porter magazine she put it down to trends:

“In the past three years I have found it really hard to get work, It is very seasonal, you know, your popularity or marketability or whatever these things are, and I’ve been like in a little bit in a winter… My expectation, because of my early experiences, is failure, and so when something good happens for me, I am dazzled by it, I am like on my knees, I am just so grateful, so happy, so excited, because it’s not what I expect,”

Luckily she has two films coming out in 2017 Wonderstruck and The Greatest Showman.

The 36-year-old actress is also worried that roles might dry up when she turns 40.

“People talk about it like it’s a sort of cliff that everybody gets pushed off! It’s hard to imagine that you’ve reached this kind of age where suddenly the rug is pulled from underneath your feet.”

 

What do you think?

 

If you are an actor then check out my book How To Be a Successful Actor: Becoming an Actorpreneur. It is available in print and in all eBook formats on both Smashwords and Amazon.

 

 

Stepping Out: Review

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Stepping Out

stepping-out-rehearsal-nicola-stephenson-tracy-ann-oberman_-photo-johan-persson_00571

In rehearsals for Stepping Out

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At Chichester Festival Theatre until 19 November (Booking: 01243 781312; www.cft.org.uk)

At the Vaudeville Theatre, London, 1 March – 17 June 2017 (Booking: www.nimaxtheatres.com)

Directed by Maria Friedman

Cast: Amanda Holden, Angela Griffin, Tracy-Ann Oberman, Tamzin Outhwaite, Nicola Stephenson, Judith Barker, Rose Keegan, Sandra Marvin, Jessica-Alice Mccluskey, Dominic Rowan, Janet Behan, Emma Hook, Katie Verner and Nick Warnford

A weekly tap dancing class in a community hall is the setting for a story that follows the lives of a group of ladies and a solitary man. Like many adult education classes, all human life is here.

Boasting a cast that includes several popular faces from television, Tracy-Ann Oberman is on superb form as wise-cracking Maxine. Glamorous in a wardrobe of nearly new and knock-off, the more-front-than-Brighton exterior conceals a tender and vulnerable heart. Tamzin Outhwaite as is also touching in her role class teacher Mavis. With her dreams of being a dancer dramatically reconfigured and an unhappy relationship to cope with, teaching is both her salvation and a constant needling reminder that she never quite made it. Amanda Holden as posh but tactless neat freak Vera delivers some of the production’s funniest moments, admitting only towards the end that her perfect life isn’t quite so perfect after all.

Everyone, in fact, has a secret to reveal, but the audience is short changed; what the final outcome is for each of the characters is anyone’s guess. Pace, too, is a frustration. A lethargic beginning gives way to a gentle potter before coming to a rather abrupt and inconclusive ending.

But the dialogue is sharp enough, the performances are (largely) accomplished and the familiar theme of trying to get along with people with whom one has little in common will surely resonate. Touring prior to the West End next year, hopefully the tempo will pick up and settle along the way. Then, no doubt, Stepping Out will be packing ‘em in.

stepping-out_image

 

Interview With casting director, coach, actress & founder of Sound Advice Kate McClanaghan

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Interview With casting director, coach, actress & founder of Sound Advice Kate McClanahan voice over work1. Tell us a bit about yourself. 

I’m a seasoned casting director, producer, coach, actress and founder of SOUND ADVICE, a unique, one-stop option for unparalleled voice over coaching, and exceptional demo production for all skill and experience levels.

I had been a freelance producer since I was 19 years old, producing commercials for Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, Dodge, JC Penney, FORD, Sprint, SEARS, and Kraft, to name a few. I had always been freelance because I’m a union actress as well. I’ve studied with the Royal Shakespeare in London, and came up through Chicago’s Second City and ImprovOlympic (IO), and even brought 9 shows to the Edinburgh Fringe.

2. What made you start Big House Casting & Audio and Actors’ Sound Advice?

BIG HOUSE came about to service the various casting and production demands that consistently kept coming in the door after I had produced a number of freelance projects for NPR. I was already freelance, I just named it after the enormous, greystone building we worked and lived in, in Chicago.

I started SOUND ADVICE because I couldn’t find a single, reliable source that would take me through the entire process of voiceover training, demo production, branding and marketing the career I was after. There were random people who did pieces, but didn’t have the whole in mind. I wanted a single source that honestly had my best interests in mind, understood my greatest commercial assets (perhaps even better than I did), and could produce my demos well enough to truly advance my career, not just my voiceover!

I began assisting friends, and after coaching and producing more than 100 demos for them and seeing them achieve remarkable results rather quickly, I realized my casting and production skills had a greater purpose!

3. How important is training?

It’s imperative. Without it, regardless of how naturally talented, smart, and mellifluous the voice might be… you’re dealing with a loose cannon. You can’t rely on a talent who doesn’t know their job. Trusting a million-dollar campaign to a complete hack puts everyone’s reputation on the line. And your mettle will be tested. There are no beginner, intermediate and advanced talent in this industry. You’re either a professional… or you’re not. Training defines your professionalism and instills confidence. And commerce is confidence.

4. Any tips for acing an audition?

Instead of trying to second-guess what those auditioning you are thinking, give them something interesting to think about. That’s the job! Besides they honestly aren’t thinking a thing. It’s precisely why you’re there. How would YOU play it?

THINK for yourself! In fact, entertain yourself and you’ll find your audience!

5. How different is voice over acting from acting?

There is very little, if any difference at all. Acting is acting is acting.

Voice acting is closest to film acting than any other medium, because they both demand a very vivid imagination and the desire to tell a story, often in the most constricting conditions. Personality and the ability to self direct are key attributes as well.

Perhaps the greatest difference is the fact that in nearly all voiceover scenarios, you’re all by your lonesome in the booth with no one to play off but yourself.

6. Tell us about your books.

The SOUND ADVICE Encyclopedia of Voice-over & The Business of Being a Working Talent is currently in its third edition. (There will be a fourth sometime next year.) It’s more than 500 printed pages of well-vetted industry insider information as well as How To Get An Agent, the branding, marketing and promotion of your career, to more than 100 printed pages of terms and phrases commonly used in all manner of acting for recorded media.

7. How do you become a successful voice over actor?

Do your homework. Practice. If you were to honestly dedicate 25 to 30 hours a week, what would be considered part-time for any other business, for a year or more to creating a voiceover career for yourself, then the chances of becoming successful in this field is more likely—provided, of course, you have realistic expectations and you wisely allocate your time.

You need a proper Vocal Warm Up, and maintain it 4 to 5 times a week for a solid half hour to 45 minutes at a time. Granted it may take you a couple weeks to incorporate it into your weekly routine, but without it your vocal precision and stamina won’t be as reliable as it should be.

Check out our website www.voiceoverinfo.com. Study up. Listen to a lot of demos.

Listen to our podcasts then email us. We have talent all over the world. Provided you have a reliable computer and stable Internet service, we can generally work with just about anyone from anywhere—we just don’t invite everyone to do a demo. (Our name is on it too. We don’t produce a demo track in an hour. Nearly every other demo production house does.)

Everything we do as SOUND ADVICE, just like in nearly everything in voiceover, is one-on-one. We don’t cookie-cutter anything. And we offer the best insight because we continually survey the industry as to what’s needed and wanted from talent in every aspect of the industry.

 

 

Chichester’s summer musical is a top dollar delight

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Half a Sixpence
Chichester Festival Theatre
Until 3 September. www.cft.org.uk 01243 781312

Photo credit: Manuel Harlan

(ArthurKipps)inCFT'sHALFASIXPENCEPhotobyManuelHarlan-289
Taking David Heneker’s original musical and giving it an almighty kick up the behind, the result is a slick, stylish and fabulously feel-good show.

Set in Edwardian England and based on a story by H.G. Wells, Arthur Kipps is a young lad with dreams beyond selling curtain fabric to the well-to-do. Bidding farewell to childhood sweetheart Ann (Devon-Elise Johnson) to take up an apprenticeship as a draper in Folkston, Kipps splits a sixpence in half so they will each have a memento of the other. Alas, our hero has his head turned by the genteel Helen Walsingham (Emma Williams) and, following a stroke of good fortune that transforms him into a man of means, he promptly proposes to her. But getting to grips with etiquette is a minefield that he struggles to navigate and makes him wonder if becoming a gentleman is all it’s cracked up to be.

sterFestivalTheatre'sHALFASIXPENCE.PhotobyManuelHarlan43Chichester’s sixpence is definitely all the richer for having been overhauled. Thanks to Julian Fellowes new book and George Stiles and Anthony Drew’s additional songs, and their arrangements of the original score, the simple story is now fluidly told to sparkling effect.

Under the direction of Rachel Kavanaugh a superb and energetic cast give their all, with no shortage of oomph, flash, bang and wallop. But it is to newcomer Charlie Stemp as Kipps that the big applause belongs. The full triple threat, with buckets of charm and a beaming grin that warms right up to the back row and beyond, this young man is surely destined for a career that is going to give him plenty to keep smiling about.

A co-production between Chichester Festival Theatre and Cameron Mackintosh Productions, there’s simply not a  duff element. A musical gem that shines as brightly as a newly minted coin, the title may be low budget but Chichester’s big summer musical is a top dollar delight.

Zoe Saldana: Being a Working Mother is The “Biggest Battle”

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Zoe_Saldana_at_82nd_Academy_Awards_(cropped)Avatar actress Zoe Saldana has said that juggling her career while raising her twins is her “biggest battle”, because her requests for childcare is seen as a perk. Zoe and husband Marco Perego welcomed their twins, Bowie and Cy, 19-months ago.

“It should not be considered a perk, I’m not asking for a masseuse on set. I’m asking you to pay for my children to have proper care so that I can give your film the proper care it needs too.” She told the Evening Standard. The 38-year-old actress also said that she wants to “contribute to a greater good” by only doing films that further gender and racial equality. She also said she would not do any jobs which are “objectifying or gratuitous”.

“Studios are the ones that are not green-lighting black projects, they’re the ones sending internal emails and laughing, And bullying women and bullying people of colour. I am speaking up and I am stepping down as well. Sometimes by saying no (to some roles), you’re helping – you’re contributing to a greater good. Women have been compelled to be quiet for too long. We have to shed light on things that are obviously unfair, uneven, unequal – things that should be illegal.”

She said about her role in blockbusters: “In a world where there’s so much turmoil, maybe what our children need is to believe in superheroes,”

 

Elisabeth Banks Was “Too Old” To Play Tobey Maguire’s Girlfriend In Spider-Man At 28

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Elizabeth_BankstoooldtoplaytobymaguiresgilfriendIn an interview with the ever-amazing Glamour Magazine, Elizabeth Banks has revealed that she was deemed “too old” too play Toby Maguire’s Girlfriend in Spider Man, despite being close in age.

Now 42, Banks had a screen test with Tobey Maguire for the film that was released in 2002. She was rejected for the role because of her age, even though she is just 16 months older than Maguire.

“I screen-tested for the role of Mary-Jane Watson in the first Spider-Man movie, opposite Tobey Maguire,” she told Glamour magazine. “Tobey and I are basically the same age and I was told I was too old to play her. I’m like, ‘Oh, okay, that’s what I’ve signed up for’.”

Kirsten Dunst, who is six years younger than Maguire -34 to his 40- ended up playing the part. Banks played a minor role in the movie. As the Daily Bugle secretary Betty Brant.

The actress, director and producer recently directed Pitch Perfect 2, which grossed $285 million worldwide. She won’t be directing the sequel as she wants to spend more time with her family. “The new schedule butts up against my parental responsibilities in a way I’m not really comfortable with,” she said.

 

If you are an actor then check out How To Be a Successful Actor: Becoming an Actorpreneur. It is available in print and in all eBook formats on both Smashwords and Amazon.