Tips for Actors from film, TV and theater

Val Kilmer on Breaking into Hollywood: “Work till you cry yourself to sleep every night for months on end”

“Never, ever, ever, ever, ever take a day off.” – Val Kilmer on Breaking into the Acting Business

Gadot revealed what happened when she first attended a screen test for Batman v Superman director, Zach Snyder

“All I say is that if you HAVE to act, then you HAVE to make it happen.” – David Harbour

In this short video posted on The Atlantic, Carlson talks about his years working to try and get his clients wor

Oyelowo explains how he approached a key scene where he had to give a speech defending his character to his people.

“I get to the theater two hours early and run the play in my head, because it’s a lot of words and it takes me there.” – Bobby Cannavale

I create a workbook by which I go through and write down everything every other character says about my character, what I say about myself and others

“I still work pretty instinctually—it’s a little bit like hearing the rhythm of the character in your head.” – Michelle Pfeiffer

“Even though you’re on a giant movie with a huge budget and strange costumes, you’re still on a hunt for the truth of the character…” – Chris Evans

“There’s so much to nonverbal communication that I have yet to really understand as an actor” – Woody Harrelson

Dern reveals that she is simply following the advice given to her by her actor parents, Bruce Dern and Diane Ladd, decades ago.

“When people ask me, ‘What was your big break?’ I say it was going to Julliard.” – Laura Linney

“It’s difficult to keep an audience engaged unless they see some vulnerability or some weakness.” – Guy Pearce

“The only thing that works is hours and hours of saying them over and over and over again” – David Oyelowo

“Start with yourself and see what kind of lines up with the character” – Jeff Bridges

One way Mahershala Ali – especially while working on multiple projects at once -is that he makes music playlists for each individual character

“On Game of Thrones, [Drogo] doesn’t say much. So how do you convey him? There’s nothing in the script.” – Jason Momoa

“A lot of people say, ‘What’s more important: acting, singing or dancing?’ And I say, always acting.” – Sutton Foster

“I have to find an identifier, a silhouette which immediately radiates something for me.” – Tom Hardy on Creating a Character

“I’ve always stuck to a similar approach with each job. Show up on time and prepared, and pay attention.” – Viggo Mortensen