When ever my students use “like” every other word I call it out and have them repeat their sentence with the word removed. I’m sure you’re not shocked to learn that many have no idea how unconscious their use of “like” is. It’s only after struggling to form a sentence without “like” do they admit … Read more
This guy goes to the Adele concert and films the whole thing, the next day his buddy says, “How did you like it?” and he says, “I don’t know, I haven’t watched it yet.” At my actor talk with Patrick Warburton I asked him to sing his favorite Pearl Jam song in the voice of … Read more
Seth Godin has a mantra of “do the hard work.” I think this over writes the oft used; “Do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life.” I just shot the second installment of a web series I created to have a place to “do the hard work.” Actors are always … Read more
Last week we lost Mike Nichols and deservedly the discussion about him has been loud. I watched Whoopi Goldberg attempt to make the announcement of his death the morning he died but her intense love for Mike overwhelmed her and she was unable to speak. He turned her talent into a Broadway show, that I … Read more
You can’t think that everyone is going to like your work. I just started my new class and in the first day talk, I ask them who they like as actors and they can always find someone and tell me why they like them. Then I point out that there are also many famous, iconic, … Read more
I’ve been at this 30 years and the fun of staying at any endeavor becomes the folks that come your way with every move throughout your many station stops. I have met the biggest stars and celebrities the biz has to offer. Carrie Fisher told me years ago; “money doesn’t change people, it just lets … Read more
I read a book that came to me in the most reliable way…it was left in my space so long that I took it as a sign to read it. It was a book written for the business world. Marketing. But…it came to me so I knew I had to read it, right? We love … Read more
As part of surviving the single worst year of my entire life, I decided that getting on stage this Summer, might help remind me of what it is I do, and why I do it. Sure this sounds dramatic but when you have had your whole life’s trajectory altered, you lose your compass and the … Read more
Consider this idea I found online this morning…advice from a CEO on how to be successful. Measure yourself in how many No’s you’re getting. Not many? You’re not trying hard enough. NewsCred CEO Shafqat Islam: If you’re not being told ‘no’ constantly, you’re not pushing hard enough. “Multiple people have told me this, and I … Read more
An episode I did of Major Crimes airs tomorrow Dec 2nd at 9pm. Here’s why it was more than just another job. For reasons I’m not going to expand on, this last summer was the single worst period of my life. In the middle of this I got an audition for Major Crimes, which in … Read more