Every actor has self-doubts. And many never REALIZE how much work is involved. They may only really want to be stars, and imagine that some casting director will SUDDENLY SEE their talent even when they can't see it themselves. But if we study a script day and night, trying different 'methods' to discover what the lines really MEAN, and are HONEST about finding that meaning in ourselves, then we may find parts which SUIT us, and start being INVOLVED in the work. But we have to study hard. Drama schools and good coaching are just the beginning. John

@@NewYorkActingCoach Thank u so much sir...

Yes, and verybody's version of an accent will be different No two voices quite sound the same. SO what matters is that we speak clearly and that what we say (and what we really mean) is understood. So clarity and, probably, some note of kindness n our voice, may be what's usually needed. J.

Thanks for kind words. Yes, if we work on all the things you mention then we may find the 'deep fun' in acting, especially if we find some parts which 'suit' us (as, for me, with the blind stupidity of LANCE in TWO GENT'S OF VERONA or the selfishness of ANGELO in MEASURE FOR M'. And a voice can - amazingly - well, sometimes anyway, - have truth in it. Gold! J.

Thanks for yours. And fun that all sorts of things can suddenly help us with a character. And remember that nowadays, in 2024, nobody cares much about what accent a person has, (or even if some famous film-star's is accurate) - no, what we care about is understanding what people say, in other words that they speak clearly. People at the back of a theater mostly want to hear what is said. But it sounds as if you already know that (by saying it is "FOR a character". So all good wishes for it. John

Thanks for kind words, and - yes - small sounds, anything at all, can make scenes unexpectedly interesting suddenly! J.

THanks for kind words, and - if you don't mind me 'adding' that - nowadays we don't care (or even notice much) what 'accent a person has, because what matters is that we speak CLEARLY (and perhaps with some note of kindness in our voice sometimes ! THat's what even film-directors want from their actors. John

Laughter (and friendships with other actors) is what makes the 'search' possible. John.

Very mind. John.

There are too many different possible reasons for your problem for me to explain here, - and if you are serious enough to want a session with me then use the 'CONTACT' page on my website please. But basically you need to work MORE, not less, and see what your lines 'really' mean, and find what similar experience - however small it may seem (that, for example, you may hate spiders if you have to hate some actual people in a script), and make the part SUIT you, or realiize it doesn't. George Clooney doesn't play villains, he finds what SUITS him. JOhn

Well thanks for encouragement, but am insanely busy, and if I list all my ideas here nobody will come to me for personal coaching! I do have a video planned about what a terrible idea one-person-shows are BUT how useful to do a SMALL one is at some point in an actor's career,, - and why and how, But I've not thought up any good jokes for it yet! Maybe November.J.

It's great that you are looking see how everything we say nearly always has some other meaning, but you'll find that I say - in this video - that Hopkins "nearly always has subtext"". He sometimes seems to have a secret loneliness or a quiet anger, but he's been working at what lines mean it for fifty years, studying some scripts for months, and possibly going to an acting coach even at his age (not to me) to discover what some lines could really mean. John.

OK. good to ask any question, - but if we memorize lines BEFORE understanding what they really mean - how can the lines ever really make sense as we will be STUCK with a meaningless way of saying them. The whole point is that serious, successful, experienced actors "KNOW" their lines, by looking at them in every possible way, and priests, politicians, teachers and actors who do not work out first what they are really trying to say are probably not very interesting! JOhn

@@NewYorkActingCoach ok that sums up everything perfectly thanks

It's not my style to push people into coming to me, but if that's what you want please use the CONTACT page on my website and I'll send details, but honestly what matters with any accent is that we speak clearly and know what our lines mean: that is what casting directors notice and mostly want. John

By concentrating, and having a 'reason' to?

@@NewYorkActingCoach thanks but sometimes I’m bound to just laugh on impulse how do I have more impulse control ?

It's quite normal to feel that 'acting' is rather ridiculous sometimes, but as we get more experienced we see that the job is important, that we depend on being taken seriously if we want to keep being given jobs! And we also begin to learn that behind every line there is another meaning, and in every sentence there is one particular point, and that the character we play may be 'deep' - for instance, not just being a doctor or a lawyer but having been one for twenty years, not just for this one film or play. John

@@NewYorkActingCoach This some good stuff I definitely agree. The straight face comes from realizing the reason why I’m doing it. And even outside of acting I have too just realize it’s a time and place for certain things as ridiculous as things can be I always have to keep frame and keep the bigger picture in mind. Because if I let it get out of control people will take me for a joke.

@@FlyPolokid Concentrate. Sorry, but this is a serious job, and that's the right answer! John.

If we are fully awake there is always something in front of us which is a surprise. It may be a very small surprise, but we should still be able to notice that we did not EXPECT the floor to be clean, or the grass to be so green. ANYTHING can be a surprise if we open our eyes and our minds. Then the feeling is real. J.

Thank you! It seems that speaking clearly can bring the world together! John.

This is an important question, and don't think my answer rude, as I have coached many experienced actors who have got this wrong. The whole point about the 'prep' (done by the actor coming into the room/ space ) is that the moment after they have knocked on the door they put the prep completely OUT of their mind. THey are no longer looking for a book consciously, if at all. If the prep has been done well then they will still feel desperate to get in, and anxious, but no longer aware (in your example) of needing to find a book. They just RESPOND to the apparently rather insensitive OTHER person who is consumed with their own activity which may make you feel irritated, or helpful towards them, or certainly interested. The point is to be wide awake, which is what most beginner actors are simply not. John.

@@NewYorkActingCoach Thanks that makes a lot more sense. One last question, where can I find meisner classes? I’m in liverpool currently but are the best classes in London and so should I move to London to take them

@@samlynch1265 Yes, of course, London is more likely to have a good Meisner coach, and, again, of course, the U.S.A. even more. Try and look up the details of any 'teacher' t see if they actually studied with Sandy, and, unless it is an incredibly serious class (putting on some sort of productions) just attending a few classes won't be enough for most actors, Other issues - Speech problems, and other 'techniques' - are a normal part of any serious beginner's process, and even RADA and Juilliard don't guarantee any kind of actual future work. If you have to audition for any of these and need help, we could talk in mor detail on Skype. JOhn

@@NewYorkActingCoach I’ve googled some London meisner classes online and it seems like the “London Meisner Company” is the top choice, do you know if it is? Or do you know which the best meisner classes are in London (the very best) so I know which ones to apply for. Preferably people who have worked with sandy

@@samlynch1265 Please would you mind using my email for this as the conversation is getting a bit long! And send me your list of what seem to be active Meisner classes in London, with names of who runs them. I don't want to give names here of people whom I admire and those I don't ( ! ) Thanks, John My email is jwcactor@yahoo.com

Well I never normally make a negative remark, but - while it's good that you asked the question - it is an extremely bad idea. The idea that it might 'relax' you collapses because it may just as easily make you forget what you're doing! And actors need to have clever, smart, surprising ideas of how to play a part, which don't include the confusion of alcohol. The small number of actors who are famous for their 'drinking' are all probably pretending, and are definitely not going to be treated with respect. Sorry, but you asked. John

YOu're welcome to use my direct email jwcactor@yahoo.com

Hmm. Sorry, but 'safety' isn't a word which comes up often in the world of actors, and it's all up to you to find some reality in the lines, for you may feel Hamlet is hopelessly in love with Ophelia, or that he's in fact incredibly selfish, so your feelings may be too easy or perfect ! And I'm not sure an actor needs to "understand" his feelings because his feelings may be carrying him or her away! Just work hard enough to feel at home because too many actors just guess. John.

Yes, the 'C' has two sounds, and when followed by "a, o, or u," as in CAP, COP, CUP, we would not want the words to sound like SAP, SOP, SUP! There are other reasons which are less important than just speaking clearly, but anything that amuses you about speech is a good idea! JOhn

Congrats on being called in for the audition. If you've time, and if you're a bit bored with looking over whatever you have to do at the audition, then give a few minutes to see how some lines CONNECT in a more interesting way. That he knows he's said something before but has always 'personally' liked repeating this remark, or that he laughs at something he says in order to get it said. . . the connection BETWEEN lines can make them more fun to learn. John

@@NewYorkActingCoach thanks, this is my first audition, it’s like 1 in the morning where I am, I can’t sleep. Any tips for dealing with stress like that?

@@billjoe8734 Well, it's wonderful that you care so much about it,. One day you will learn how to use that energy in your acting. Every good, serious actor has a few worried nights. All you can do is try to do the audition well. They will glad that you seem serious about getting the job, so - you can thank heaven that you care! Many rather boring actors don't worry at all! You'll laugh afterwards. John

@@billjoe8734 Well, if the audition is early then you need to rest, and think about some of the lines while falling asleep, perhaps. It's normal to be excited about an audition, but what matters is that you have a simple understanding of what the lines mean. "Leave me alone" may really mean "Look, I'm tired", and "Come in and chat" may mean " you look cold out there". In other words, some lines may be easier than you think. John

How did it go?! I'm curious and hope for good news!

You're welcome! John

Yes, you're right: there are dozens of different British accents, but I can't cover them all here. If anybody wants a North- or West- Country English accent they can come to me personally on Skype. But, honestly, this is the accent most USA actors are asked to do, and which makes the others easier to learn. Plus, in the end, any mixture of accents may be realistic nowadays, so being clear and knowing what our lines really mean is what 'casters' most often want to see. But if I offend the wonderful Liverpool or Tyneside speakers in the UK, I apologize! John

Thanks for kind words. Of course there are even more 'details' which have to be understood in what all his characters say, but it's clever, it's about real life, and the plays being written nowadays are a bore to do because all the lines are predictable So hang in there if you're studying a Chekhov play, and you'll end up wishing he was one of your friends. John

​@@NewYorkActingCoach I need to know Chekhov because I am doing a Katherine Mansfield film and the author talks endlessly about Chekhov.

​@@NewYorkActingCoachI am doing the Dolls House.

@@jesseleeward2359 Well Ibsen and Chekhov both had severe mental problems, so all one can do with their plays is try to make them new. Which, of course, any careful performance, any truthful attempt, will be. DOLLS HOUSE can seem a bit obvious otherwise.

@@NewYorkActingCoach But this is Katherine Mansfield's The Dolls House

Yes, a fair question. the answer is that it's not a 'law' that the 'R' is always sounded before a word which starts with a vowel. It just sounds better MOST of the time. I may have 'skipped' doing it in something like "caR in" but not because it's an "i" but because I don't want to think about how I say everything ! IN other words it doesn't matter very much, it just sounds smoother when done usually. John. in August 2024-

@@NewYorkActingCoach That's a great answer. It sounded right and natural the way you said it. far-away flows (no forced stop that you'd have in fah-away, which might sound more Cockney perhaps) and cah-is flows too. I appreciate that you took the time to reply.