Actorcast Patrick McAndrew

For the season three finale of Actorcast, we are joined by entrepreneur, producer, writer, and Sundance award-winning actress, Emily Grace! Emily is teaching actors how to create opportunities for themselves through writing and creating their own work, which is a topic that I am very passionate about! We discuss how writing your own work can create opportunities for you as an actor, some of the difficulties actors struggle with that can be solved through writing, and how writing helps us grow as artists.

To learn more about Emily and to register for her free workshop, please visit https://writeyourdreamrole.com

Emily Grace is an entrepreneur, producer, writer, and Sundance award-winning actress. Through her company, Pickford West, she helps actors write their dream role so they can stop waiting for the industry to pick them and put themselves on the map. Inspired by the pioneering actresses of the Golden Age of Hollywood, Mary Pickford and Mae West, Emily helps actors create success on their own terms.

Sign up for the Actorcast Newsletter at Actorcast.

In episode 059, we talk about the importance of listening as an actor. We often focus on the lines we need to recite without realizing that listening to what is happening and reacting realistically is just as important. Some of the most powerful performances come from listening and it's often the listening that makes for more interesting acting rather than speaking.

Sign up for the Actorcast Newsletter at Actorcast.

For episode 058 of Actorcast, we are joined by Andrea Osvart! Andrea has had a successful career as an actress and now she is imparting her wisdom to fellow actors as a coach. In this episode, we talk about Andrea's career as an actress, why actors get in their own way, and what actors should prioritize. We also discuss our relationship to social media as actors. You won't want to miss this one!

To learn more about Andrea and her work, please visit https://andreaosvart.coach or book a call at https://andreaosvart.coach/book-in-a-call/.

Andrea Osvart is a multi-award-winning European actress, with nearly 25 years in the industry and over 50 credits starring opposite movie stars like Robert Redford, Brad Pitt, Heath Ledger, Clive Owen, and J.K. Simmons. Andrea's mission is to educate actors about long-term success and career longevity through her method.

Sign up for the Actorcast Newsletter at Actorcast.

For episode 057 of Actorcast, I am joined by actor, singer, and producer, Brennan Srisirikul! Brennan is truly an inspiration and I enjoyed my conversation with him immensely. Brennan is paving the way for disabled performers in the entertainment industry. In our discussion, we talk about how Brennan became a performer, how disability breeds creativity, and the struggles that exist for disabled performers in entertainment. We also discuss Disabled Down Center, the concert and training center that Brennan started alongside past Actorcast guest, Danielle Demchick Pretsfelder, and which is providing immense opportunities for disabled performers.

To learn more about Brennan and his work, please visit https://www.disableddowncenter.com

BRENNAN SRISIRIKUL (He/Him, Creator, Producer) – Born in Bangkok, Thailand, and diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy at birth, Brennan is a singer, actor, producer and speaker  He is proudly disabled. Favorite stage credits include: Pillowman, Breaking the Code and Titanic, the Musical. Film/TV: Yuna's Lunch. Music videos: "Sticks and Stones" (Atlantic Theatre Company). Brennan has also performed his solo show In My Own Little Corner around the East Coast.  He produced several short films as well. Brennan received his B.A. in Theatre with a concentration in Musical Theatre from Rhode Island College. Brennan is the creator and producer of Disabled Down Center, an annual benefit and training program of Disabled performers and allies.

Sign up for the Actorcast Newsletter at Actorcast.

In episode 056 of Actorcast, we talk about the age old dilemma of technique versus instinct. As actors, how much should we rely on technique, analysis, and psychology versus instinct, presence, and being in the moment? I'm confident that these two perspectives can work in harmony with one another and it's all a matter of when in the process to focus on each.

Sign up for the Actorcast Newsletter at Actorcast.

In episode 055, we are joined by none other than Austin Pendleton. Austin is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to the wide world of acting. Having trained with him myself, I was excited to share his perspective on the show. We talk about what initially fueled his excitement about acting, some of the strongest skills that successful actors have, and what were some of the biggest takeaways that Austin learned from his acting teachers.

Austin Pendleton is a playwright, actor, director, teacher, and a Steppenwolf ensemble member since 1987. He received critical acclaim in 1964 for his performance as Motel in the original Broadway cast of “Fiddler on the Roof.” He appeared in “The Last Sweet Days of Isaac” (for which he won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Performance and an Obie Award), “The Diary of Anne Frank,” “Goodtime Charley,” and “Up from Paradise” as well as many other plays. In August 2006, Pendleton played the Chaplain in Bertolt Brecht’s “Mother Courage and Her Children” with Meryl Streep and Kevin Kline in the Public Theater production. As a director, Pendleton has worked extensively on and off-Broadway. His direction of Elizabeth Taylor and Maureen Stapleton in Lillian Hellman’s “The Little Foxes” garnered him a Tony Award nomination. In 2007, Austin Pendleton received a Special Award for his contributions to American theater at the 52nd Annual Drama Desk Awards.

Sign up for the Actorcast Newsletter at Actorcast.