Take Care Of Your Older Actor
Think of yourself
I mean your older self
Think of the actor you have become 50 years from now
Sitting on a bench
Watching the horizon
Smelling eucalyptus trees in the breeze
Hearing bees dance between flowers in the warm air
When they are looking back at their career…
What are they feeling proud of?
What are they feeling grateful for?
What are they regretting not having done?
Are they surrounded by loved ones?
Do they wish they had worked more?
Do they wish they had worked less?
Do they wish they had worked differently?
Have they built meaningful relationships?
Do they have great colleagues they laugh with?
Do they wish they had sung and danced more?
Do they wish they had put on more sunscreen?
Are they grateful for all the adventures they have gone on?
Are they financially stable?
Are they financially free?
Do their joints ache?
Do they feel fulfilled?
What has the industry taught them about their craft?
What has the industry taught them about training?
What has the industry taught them about working?
What has the industry taught them about making mistakes?
What has the industry taught them about things like wealth and health?
Do they live where they want to?
Do they spend their time worrying about things out of their control?
Do they breathe deeply whilst focussing only on things they can control?
What has the industry taught them about achieving meaningful goals?
What has the industry taught them about giving up?
What has the industry taught them about making hard choices?
What are their thoughts on the career they’ve had?
What would you say to them?
What guidance would you ask from them?
What kind of listener are they?
I bet they listen with care
And love
If they had their old wrinkly hand on your shoulder right now
What would they say?
I bet they look at you with a cheeky smile, knowing they are about to give some very no-bullshit advice
So that you can go make them proud
Go take care of your older actor
Hope this helps
x
Build An Actor
We are all going to die one day
So in the meantime
Build towards something worthwhile
Build an actor
An actor who is honest
An actor who is clear
An actor who takes action
An actor who follows their curiosity
An actor who contributes meaningful work to the world
An actor who focuses on what they can control, and lets go of what they can’t
An actor who takes care of their inner child
An actor who is brave enough to be vulnerable
An actor who knows it might hurt, but who still tries anyway
An actor who practices self care
An actor who is able to find comfort in the chaos
An actor who manages their energy sustainably
An actor who listens to their body
An actor who greets their colleagues and asks them how they are
An actor who knows when to switch on, and when to switch off
An actor who is generous enough to know when it’s time to be selfish
An actor who takes care of their health and wealth
An actor who takes care of both the younger and older versions of themselves
An actor who gives themselves permission to feel what they’re feeling
An actor who trusts themselves, even when they have no idea what’s going on
An actor who says “yes, please” & “no, thank you”
An actor who knows how to wait well
An actor who knows how to rest well
An actor who takes responsibility for their professional relationships
An actor who has the difficult conversations
An actor who knows when to ask for help, and then does so
An actor who knows when to offer help, and then does so
An actor who is kind when they fall over
An actor who gives themselves permission to give up once in a while
An actor who knows when it’s time to get back on the horse, and then does so
An actor who makes intelligent, adaptive progress
An actor who makes sacrifices
An actor who falls asleep feeling proud and grateful
An actor who helps others breathe easier
This is worth building
Three Skills To Foster
3 Skills to Foster
What are the 3 most important skills for an actor to foster?
One.
Self awareness
“You have to know yourself, so you can use yourself” - Heath Ledger
Two.
Deep work
“Who you are, what you love, what you think, feel, and do - is the sum total of what you focus on” - Cal Newport
Three.
Inner child
(A healthy integration of your inner child into your adult life)
It is the most valuable currency you have & it is what separates you from the rest
Why Bother?
For most of human existence
The meaning of life was very simple
Survive
Why?
Because it was so bloody difficult
A human being
On its own
Is a feeble creature
A soft and vulnerable thing
But together
We have survived
How?
Connection
Connection allowed us to go from near the bottom of the food chain
To the top
Now, what helps build connections?
Stories
Meaningful stories
“Doug went to waterhole. Lion at waterhole. Lion ate Doug. Don’t go to waterhole” - Karen, the cavewoman
“Thank you, Karen. The rest of us will now survive today” - Joel, the caveman
Why is this important?
Because nothing has changed
The best in the business
Still do the exact same thing
They share meaningful stories
They help humans connect
They help the group survive
So…
Why bother?
Bring it back to something of importance
Help others survive
Help others connect
Share meaningful stories
Let’s break this down even more
What are ways in which we could share meaningful stories?
We could be a writer, director, producer, cinematographer, grip, assistant, comedian, etc, etc
Countless different ways
But lets focus on acting
Lets break down the craft of playing dress ups
An actor provides a character within a context
Acting = Character + Context
Character = Human
Context = Moment
Therefore…
An actor helps share meaningful sotries by providing human moments
Now…
Lets help ourselves put our heads on the pillow feeling proud
Lets make small, progressive steps toward meaningful goals
Lets get good at sharing a human moment
Build competence at being a human in front of the lens (or on stage)
Build competence at being that human within a given context
Hope this helps
m
Quote I’m Considering
“As actors, it is our responsibility to read newspapers, and then say what we read on television like it’s our own opinion”
- Team America, World Police
Be Here Now
Principle #8: Be Here Now
Game Day
Time to fly
All the prep
All the work
Done
Now
Time to give
Time to release
Time to play with peers
On cue
Repeatedly
Take after take
(or show after show)
All the work we do as artists
The training
The auditioning
The research
The preparation
Is funnelled down to one simple moment
The curtain rises
Or the camera has a little light which glows red
And someone says the last words
“Go”
“Action”
“When you’re ready”
Or, if you’re as demanding as Brando during the filming of The Score
The director will say these phrases using Miss Piggy’s voice (true story)
The last theatre show I did at the Opera House
I was fortunate to work with an incredible director
This person fostered the careers of actors like Sir Ian McKellon, Sir Patrick Stewart, Alan Rickman, etc etc
Many of the UK giants
I asked him
“Richard, you have worked with some of the greatest actors of the last century, is there one trait they have in common?”
He took a moment
And in his exquisite accent, replied
“They all have the ability to be here now… which makes them bloody dangerous”
Be here now
To trust the work has been done
And simply be present
Easier said than done
We can do all the homework, prep and planning in the world
But it doesn’t mean much unless we open up to what’s actually going on around us
Exercise: Game Day
Requirements: Paper & pencil, some private time, maybe some music, tea/water etc etc
Step 1. Set the timer for 15 minutes: Journal the most energising experiences you’ve had on set/stage & explore what you did which made them energising.
Step 2. Set the timer for 10 minutes: Notice the commonalities between those experiences. What are the shared underlying principles or actions you took?
Step 3. Set the timer for 2 minutes: Clarify how you would like to feel putting your head on the pillow after coming home from a day of giving your work on set or stage.
Step 4. Set the timer for 3 minutes: Write down your dream Game Day process for you to experiment with. Try keep it between 3-7 clear, doable points. Then repeat the 3 minute process. And finally, repeat the 3 minute a third time. See how it morphs and grows with each iteration. Build something which you feel energised about. Build it your way.
Curious to hear how you go with this one :)
Do What Ya Gotta Do
Principle #7: Do what you need to do, to get where you need to get, so you can give what you need to give
Phone rings…
“Hey, you got the job”
AWESOME
Goes to corner store
Buys an ice cream
20 minutes later
Oh crap…
Now what?
How do I translate the short audition experience into weeks or months of being on set or stage?
Okay
We got two points
Point A: Receiving the news you got the job
Point B: The night before the first day of shooting
Everything we do between these two points…
This is our Game Plan
Sometimes, we have months to prepare
(For Shakespeare’s Henry V, I had 9 months)
Sometimes, we only have a few days to prepare
(I was driving through the Utah Desert and got a call saying…“Hey, that BBC job you auditioned for 6 months ago? Yeah, you got that, so you need to be in New Zealand with a Scottish accent in 6 days time… Okay? … Mike? … Michael?”)
On many occasions, I have experienced huge overwhelm when it’s come to preparing for a gig
And overwhelm = inaction
When I left drama school
I had a list of around 200 things I told myself I needed to do in order to prepare like a good boy
I would do about 10 before falling over from exhaustion and not know how to move forward
I would then rock up to set and only think about all the stuff I didn’t get done in time
Every moment would be filled with the anxiety that I hadn’t done enough
And thus, the whole thing was a fairly miserable experience
It took me a little while to see things in a different way
What did I figured out from watching Oscar winners prepare?
Firstly
Do a few things only… but do them fucking well
Secondly
Real pros practice self care
They know how to get stuff done whilst being kind to themselves
(Nobody wins from you beating the shit out of yourself)
So lets make a simple Game Plan
Do it well
And go play
:)
Exercise: Game Plan
Requirements: Paper & pencil, some focussed private time, maybe some music, tea/water etc etc
Step 1. Set the timer for 15 minutes: Journal the most energising experiences you’ve had preparing for a job & explore what you did that made them energising.
Step 2. Set the timer for 10 minutes: Notice the commonalities between those experiences. What are the shared underlying principles or actions you took?
Step 3. Set the timer for 2 minutes: Clarify how you would like to feel putting your head on the pillow the night before you start the job.
Step 4. Set the timer for 3 minutes: Write down your dream Game Plan process for you to experiment with. Try keep it between 3-7 clear, doable points. Then repeat the 3 minute process. And finally, repeat the 3 minute a third time. See how it morphs and grows with each iteration. Build something which you feel energised about.
One last thing
Please
Take that goddamn moment to celebrate getting a job in this industry
Share it with people you love
Give yourself permission to enjoy the journey
A dear friend called me on Saturday to tell me she just got a US series
It made my bloody weekend
Nothin better than seeing someone you love work well toward a goal
And getting to share the joy along the way
x
Game Of Opportunities
Principle #6: Surrender to the game of opportunities
Opportunities
Auditions, self tapes, call backs, meetings, chemistry reads, test deals, etc etc
Opportunities to give our work professionally
From getting the news we have the opportunity
All the way through to putting our heads on the pillow after we’ve done it
Sometimes, It can be a long and arduous process
Other times, it can be a short and intense rollercoaster
But there is a massive elephant in the room here worth acknowledging…
As an actor, I cannot control the decision of casting
Yes, I can influence it
But I cannot control it
There is a huge amount of angst in this industry coming from the simple fact that we do what us humans are so good at doing…
Trying to control things we can’t
And how bloody understandable!
We give decades of time, energy and effort to this craft
And we get an opportunity which could mean the chance to play generously + pay rent
And then someone decides no, because…
Well… who wants to start counting the infinite reasons why someone gets cast over another?
Sidenote
I have sat in on casting processes before
I once watched a guy get cast over another because on the tape his hair seemed curlier & he had “somewhat of a sadder smile”
The job was for a major US network, negotiated at US$55k per episode… for 25 episodes per year… for 5 years
And the decision was made as we sat having a beer on the couch
Oh the games
However…
We have a choice
We can continue to try control something we can’t
Or, we can choose to surrender
The choice to stop fighting
To take that beautiful energy being spent on trying to control the un-controllables
And give it towards something we can
Our process
And what’s glorious and terrifying about that…
Is it requires a leap of faith
To say to oneself…
I give up
I give up trying to control the things I can’t
I will focus, instead, on playing
On creating a meaningful, sustainable and joyful process
I will stop chasing results
And instead
Allow the results to come to me
How bloody vulnerable
So lets surrender
And lean into the process of opportunities
A question worth pondering…
How can I make it easy for these people to hire me?
Think about it from the their point of view
If I was a director, producer or casting director
And I was trying to find my dream actor to cast in a role
I would want a few things done well
Competence - Can they contribute well to this story & do it on cue?
Professionalism - If we are going to spend months working together… can they rock up on time, hit their mark, whilst being kind and respectful?
Trust - Do they trust themselves enough to take care of themselves (sometimes that means knowing when to ask for help!)
So let me turn my attention onto those things which I can control…
Being damn good
Being professional
And trusting myself
Exercise: My Opportunity Process
Requirements: Paper & pencil, some focussed private time, maybe some music, tea/water etc etc
Next: Choose an opportunity category you would like to work on.
(For the following example, I will use the category of self tapes - as they have recently surpassed auditions as the most common form of opportunity)
Step 1. Set the timer for 15 minutes: Journal the most energising experiences you’ve had self-taping & explore what you did that made them energising.
Step 2. Set the timer for 10 minutes: Notice the commonalities between those experiences. What are the shared underlying principles?
Step 3. Set the timer for 2 minutes: Clarify how you would like to feel putting your head on the pillow after giving a self tape for a job you really want.
Step 4. Set the timer for 3 minutes: Write down your dream self-tape process for you to experiment with. Try keep it between 3-7 clear, doable points. Then repeat the 3 minute process. And finally, repeat the 3 minute a third time. See how it morphs and grows with each iteration. Build something which you feel energised about.
One last thing
In case I haven’t made it clear enough already
There ain’t nothing weak about surrendering
x
Practice Better
Principle #5: Practice better
Practice makes progress
One of the few things we can control in our industry
Is the ability to get better
And the better we get
The more of ourselves we can give to the stage or camera
Some important factors…
First: Intention
Why am I going to this practice session?
Is it to work on a particular skill set?
Is it to practice under pressure?
Is it to get a support from a colleague or coach?
Is it to practice giving yourself approval?
Is it to make new colleagues?
Is it to simply feel like you are a part of the industry?
Etc, etc
All wonderful intentions
My point is
Simply be clear about why you are spending your time, energy and dollar on the session
The more you are aware of why you are going to the session
The more choice you have in what you get out of it
Second: Time & Place
Allocate a clear time and environment
Spend 6 hours fluffing around in a de-energising distracted environment?
Or spend 45 minutes in a focused, engaged room?
Third: EA
External accountability
Who am I training with?
Who am I asking for help, education and guidance?
Do I feel energised or de-energised after the session?
I have found some commonalities between the people I love asking for EA…
They have growth mindsets - they replace good, bad, right, wrong thinking with curiosity
They focus on the process - rather than the result
They play the long game - building a sustainable process > short term results
They encourage me to do me - “you do you boo boo”
They don’t steal my lesson - they let me figure out the lesson on my own (maybe with the occasional nudge here and there)
They trust themselves enough to be silent and allow for space
Fourth: Distractions
Phone calls, emails, technology, interruptions, people, singing parrots, etc, etc
Remove them for the allocated time slot
And get shit done
Exercise: My Practice Process
Requirements: Paper & pencil, some focussed private time, maybe some music, tea/water etc etc
Step 1: Set the timer for 5 minutes - Identify your most important problem (MIP) - What are the most important skills to work on which would give you the biggest step forward in your craft/career?
Step 2: Set the timer for 5 minutes - Identify the most energising practice experiences you have had.
Step 3: Set the timer for 5 minutes - Notice the commonalities between those sessions. What did you do which made them energising?
Step 4: Set the timer for 2 minutes - Identify how you would like your dream practice session to feel at the end.
Step 5: Set the timer for 3 minutes - My Practice Process: Write down a practice process for you to experiment with. Try keep it between 3-7 clear, doable points. Then repeat the 3 minute process. And finally, repeat the 3 minute process again. See how it morphs and grows with each iteration. Build something which you feel energised about.
Throughout the steps, notice the shoulds and bring them back to the wants (are you doing it that way because you want to, or because you feel like you should do it that way?)
And finally, remember to ask yourself
What would it look like if it was easy?
x
Find Comfort in the Chaos
Principle #4: Find comfort in the chaos
Here’s a question…
Do you want a life with no storms?
Or
Do you want to be able to ride out the storms?
There is a bottleneck in this industry
Actor’s who can handle the storms of pressure move through the bottle neck
Stop
I really don’t like the sentence I just wrote
Do I think it’s actually true?
Nope
I have gotten main roles on TV shows when I literally was shaking in the audition in front of the director
So overwhelmed with nerves
And sometimes I haven’t even made it past the first round of casting when I have felt I was the coolest cucumber to grace the planet
So what are we actually talking about here?
Back to the biggest bad ass of the 80’s
Mike Tyson
Here’s some footage of him feeling terrified and crying before a fight (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKjK95aRrhc)
Now, what was that famous thing his coach said?
“The hero and the coward both feel the same thing, but the hero uses his fear, while the coward runs. It’s the same thing, fear, but it’s what you do with it that matters.”
How can I still go play and give my best work even when I’m feeling under pressure?
Let’s boil this down to one fundamental concept: Notice & Bring it back
Notice what?
Notice the dissonance
Dissonance = A lack of harmony in the mind/body
You know that moment when you’re feeling nervous and your body and mind start doing different things?
(Tight throat, sweaty palms, stiff neck, raised heart beat, cloudy mind, negative thoughts popping up, woozie tummy, etc etc)
Basically, when we start to protect ourselves from a perceived threat to our survival…
Let’s put them under the umbrella of “dissonance”
Side note
There is a requirement here
In order to notice the dissonance
You have to listen to your body
Obey nature
She will always win in the long run
So listen to her
What signals is she giving you?
Listen to them
Notice the dissonance
Then what?
Bring it back to process
What process?
Well
What process do you want to have?
Make it up!
You get to choose
Whatever you want
Try different things
See what works for you
I’ll point you in a direction to get you started
One: Shift your physiology
Work outside in
Do something physical to affect your brain chemistry
Move
Shake
Jiggle
Stretch
Dance
Sing
Pray
Bath
Jump in the ocean
Walk in nature
Exercise
Sweat
Sit in an ice tub
Have a cold shower
Do a breathing exercise
Yoga Nidra
Breath of fire
Wim Hof
Doesn’t matter what it is
Pick what works for you
What’s important is you shift your physiology
Two: Acknowledge & Accept where you are (give up on where you think/feel you should be)
I find Roy London’s Personal Inventory exercise really helpful
90 seconds of saying…
“I feel x, I feel y, I feel z”
Say what is so for you
Remember, it’s not what you’re feeling that causes issues
It’s judging those feelings which allows problems to arise
Ie, “I’m feeling nervous, and thats a bad thing”
There’s another important fundamental here of replacing a fixed mindset with a growth mindset
Fixed mindset: “Good, bad, right, wrong”
Growth mindset: “Curious, what is this telling me? What can I learn from this?”
Three: Clear your RAS (Reticular Activating System)
Help your brain help you
Be clear about what you want
2 simple questions to help you get clear
One: How do you want to feel at the end?
(Example: I feel proud of myself)
Two: What’s one action step to help you sustainably get there?
(Example: I am honest)
Okay
If I don’t stop now I will go down 23 more rabbit holes
I’ll leave the rest for the EBook
But to summarise
Create your own process for handling pressure
Turn it into a ritual
Freaking out in the trailer and only have 10 minutes before you’re needed on set?
Know your call to stage is happening in 5 minutes and feeling like you’re about to vomit?
About to step into the producer’s room for the final casting meeting and feeling yourself doing the fakest smile ever witnessed in the history of all mankind?
No problemo
Notice it
Then bring it back to process
Shift your physiology (mooooooove)
Acknowledge & Accept where you are (give up on where you “should” be)
Clear your RAS (help your brain help you)
Then go do you booboo
Hope this helps
Feel free to send me any questions as this is a massive topic that I love discussing :)
x
Behave Like a Pro
Principle #3: Try behave in a way which helps you sleep proudly
A helpful goal is one which reveals clear and immediate actions
It takes the imaginative future and brings it into the present
Using last weeks exercise: My Beautiful Day (https://www.michaelsheasby.com/sam-jul-12)
We are going to ask ourselves one question…
“How does that version of me behave?”
Simple
The industry will reflect your behaviour
It can act like a mirror
And sometimes we won’t like what we see in the mirror
Most actors will let their behaviour be dictated by the industry
Make the choice to go first
Real pros don’t wait for permission or a pay check to behave the way they want
So lets remove the “when I / then I”
(“When I get the big Netflix gig, then I will behave like a pro”)
Exercise: Behaviour
Step #1: Allocate some private, uninterrupted time to scribble
Step #2: Paper, Pencil, Music maybe?
Step #3: With reference to My Beautiful Day - Ask yourself: “How does that version of me behave?”
What action do they take?
What choices do they make?
What sacrifices do they make
What decisions do they make?
What difficult conversations do they have?
What habits do they have?
What rituals do they have?
Try keep this exercise as free flowing as possible
No editing or judging
Just write until you let it all out
Let it surprise you
Let it flow wherever it goes
Step #4: Action
Choose 1-3 of the behaviours you have scribbled
Apply them now
If that means putting it in the calendar
Sending that email
Paying for it upfront
Whatever it is… do it now
I’ll give some examples
I’ve been incredibly fortunate to work with some artists at the top of our field
Here are some of the behaviours I witnessed which inspired me to make some changes
They rock up on time
They know their lines
They greet people will kindness
They are ruthless about their 30 seconds before a take
They give everything in-between “action” & “cut”
They continue to study and learn with great mentors and coaches
They take their time
They are honest, even when its uncomfortable to do so
They have the difficult conversations
They stay hydrated
They ask for help
They know their worth
They speak their truth
They protect their character
They play
They understand their characters function within the story
They are able to switch their focus on and off
They work hard, and they rest hard
They treat themselves with self care
They take care of their health
They take care of their wealth
They know everyones name on set
They give themselves permission to feel what they are feeling
They keep going
Etc etc etc
Im curious what behaviour you have witnessed which has inspired you?
so…
Set yourself up to win
Have a brainstorm of how your best self behaves
Then try behave that way
And slowly begin to feel your spine grow taller
(Side note: There is a reason I have included the word try)
Hope this helps
x
Secret Sauce
Principle #1: Your inner child is your secret sauce, use it wisely
The more prestigious the acting coach
The less time they have for bullshit
$60 per hour?
“What’s your objective?”
$600 per hour?
“Tell me about your inner child”
Want to be the lead on set?
Lead roles are reserved for more generous actors
So be more generous
And what’s the most generous thing you can give that no one else can?
That makes you completely unique in a sea full of bland pleasers?
You
The real you
Your inner child is the most generous thing you can give
It is your secret sauce
It will carry you sustainably throughout your career
Look at your heroes
Look at the top performers in any field
This is what they do well
So begin the process of integrating your inner child into your adult life
So you can give a real piece of yourself when contributing your work to society
However
There is a sacrifice to be made
There is a price to pay
It costs something to give the real you to the world
Fear will raise its wonderful head
All the fascinating ways you learned to survive and protect yourself from the hurt and pain of this life
Be kind and careful with what shows up
The following work is for you, and no-one else
Step #1: Find a favourite picture of yourself as a child, preferably before age 6.
Step #2: Give them a name which resonates with you. Maybe a nickname people called you at that age.
Step #3: Put the picture somewhere you will see it every day
Your inner child is the cornerstone of your work moving forward
This will become clear as we go
Trust me
Better yet
Trust your inner child
Start at the End
Principle #2: To begin, start at the end
I spent some time a few years ago doing a holistic management course with farmers
The room was filled with old cockies who wanted to change the way they were working with nature
There was one exercise which I have never forgotten
When they were asked to write down what they wanted
(In order to build a plan to help them get there)
They wouldn’t do it
Pages sat blank
Grown ups turned into infants
Emotions ran high beneath stoic postures
Eventually, one farmer said:
“What if I write it down and it doesn’t happen?”
Bingo
In the years I have spent passing work onto artists
I have seen it over and over again
The avoidance to honestly and clearly state what someone really wants
To say it out loud
To see what it looks like on a piece of paper
As if letting it out into the world means something other than what it does
This is simply one step in the process
A step which will help the rest of the process flow
Start again
What’s your harbour?
Where is the place you would like to end up?
Be clear
And be honest
There are many exercises to help us
Lets just use one
Simple & effective
To begin
We start at the end
Exercise: My Beautiful Day
Step #1: Put aside a day. Clear it in the calendar. Communicate with any potential interruptions that you will be offline that day.
Step #2: On the day, turn all technology and distractions off. If you want to change your environment in order to feel more energised and focussed, do so.
Step #3: Pencil & Paper. Water. Music maybe?
Step #4: Begin writing.
Ten years from now
It’s July 2031
Write your day
Your beautiful day
From waking up to falling asleep
From pillow to pillow
Anything you want
Write the day your inner child would be proud of
What does your life look like?
How does it feel as you wake up?
How does it feel to place your feet on the floor beside your beside?
Where are you living?
Who are you living with?
What kind of home are you in?
What does your furniture look like?
What is your bed like?
What are your sheets like?
What kind of clothes do you wear?
What kind of vehicle do you drive?
Children? Friends? Family?
What do you want?
What are you reading?
What are you making?
What excites you?
What adventures are you going on?
What is your health like?
What is your wealth like?
What is your education like?
What skills are you working on?
Who are you sharing life with?
What are your relationships like?
What is your career like?
What is your day filled with?
What fills you with energy?
Where do you give your energy?
How does it feel to put your head on the pillow at the end of it all?
The more care and detail, the better
Write this one day
This one beautiful day
Ten years from now
Dream big
Dream without fear
Put your whole heart into it
Write like your life depends on it
Because it does
You don’t have to share this with anyone, its’s just for you
Then we can use this to make a plan
But thats for next week
Some notes…
They are called hidden gems for a reason
They are hidden
Your job is let it all out
Let your subconscious take you where ever it goes
No editing or judging
Let rip
Permission to dream on steroids
Find writing specific things too overwhelming?
Just stick to principles and values
You get to create anything you want - It’s just a piece of paper
And remember, at any point, if you don’t like it
Start again
Hope this helps
x
How to Be More Talented
I was asked last week
“How does one become more talented?”
My immediate reply
“I don’t think anyone is more talented than anyone else
But I do think some are simply better at releasing it
Or at least, getting out of the way of it”
Let me explain
I started acting when I was 14 years old
I happened to be in a class room with one of the greatest Shakespearean directors in the world
He had just had a child and needed some stable income
So he happened to start teaching at my school for the few years I was there
I had 4 years of training every week under his tutelage
I got into NIDA at age 18 and had 3 years of training (50-70 hours per week) at one of the most prestigious acting institutions in the world
Since graduating, I have worked privately with many of the worlds best acting and performance coaches
I have been in some terrible classes
I have been in some incredible classes
I have watched thousands of artists train in dark and dingy rooms around the globe
And in all that time
I don’t think I have never seen an artist be more talented than any other
I certainly have seen some true freaks of nature out there
A 52 year old mother in New York at 2am giving her soul to the camera
A 60 year old Portuguese actor in London playing Romeo (on stilts, whilst playing an accordion, whilst holding an umbrella)
Andrew Garfield on the set of Hacksaw Ridge (a performance which gained him an Oscar nomination)
But again
I don’t believe they were any more talented than anyone else
I believe they simply had the systems set up to help them release it
Lets get specific
I’ll break down a time when I felt I was at the peak of my talent
Once upon a time
I was cast in a film
From the second I read it
I shot up in bed (meaning I sat up quickly, not did heroin)
I thought it was the most important Australian film I had ever read
And I deeply wanted to give everything to it
So this was my schedule
I’ll describe 36 hours for you
Some of it was set up by me, and some of it was set up by the production team
…
00:00 - wake up & warm up
02:00 - 2 hour session with acting coach (Elizabeth Kemp - it was the only slot she could give me as she was busy working with Bradley Cooper & Lady Gaga at the time)
04:00 - sleep
06:00 - start again (run, breathing exercise, journal)
07:00 - email Angie (mindset coach)
08:00 - Irish language practice with coach
09:00 - cast read through
12:00 - horse riding practice with trainer
13:00 - rehearse scene 33 with cast & director
14:30 - Irish accent practice with coach
16:30 - stunt work for scene 33 with trainer
17:00 - rest, went fly fishing (it was Tasmania, so of course I took my fly rod)
19:30 - cast dinner
21:30 - sleep
01:00 - wake up & warm up
02:00 - 2 hour session with Elizabeth Kemp
04:00 - sleep
09:00 - start again (run, cold shower, breathe, vocal warm up)
10:00 - blacksmith training (if anyone needs some 1825 replica prison chains, yes I can forge some for you, just email me)
11:00 - driven to set / costume, hair, make up
12:00 - lunch on set (I don’t eat much, bit nervous)
12:45 - film scene 23 (30 second shot with no dialogue, it takes 6 hours)
Etc etc
…
And the results?
I was super proud of the work I gave to that film
But was it because of talent?
I absolutely don’t think so
I truly think it was a case of schedules, routines, habits, rituals, and external accountability
I simply didn’t have the time or energy to let any doubts or indecisions get in the way
I had to be at certain locations, at certain times, with certain external accountability
I only had time to just rock up and jump in
They did all the work (ps thanks to everyone who bossed me around on The Nightingale)
Now, do I feel like I’m currently giving the level of work that I was giving during that time?
Nope
Is it because I’m suddenly less talented than I was back then?
Nope
I simply don’t have the systems set up right now to help me release to that degree
But why not Michael!?
How could this be!?
I could easily go into push mode right now
Beat the shit out of myself for not being more disciplined
But the truth is
I simply don’t care as much at the moment
If I really cared, I mean, if I really really wanted to give so much to acting right now
I wouldn’t be here typing about it
I’de be too busy doing it
But I’m not
It ain’t good, bad, right or wrong
It’s just where I’m at
Right now, I have the systems set up to help me work on other processes I’m loving and curious about
I really wanted to get a blue belt in Jiu Jitsu this year
I wanted to get to that level of play on the mats
I gave myself twelve months to do it
I signed up to a new gym 5 minutes away from my nest
Got all my supplements to help me recover from all the suffering ahead
I listened to the wizard John Danaher’s audiobook over and over again
I did 4-6 classes per week, every week
And I got my Blue Belt after 5 months
Cool huh?!
Not really
It’s just kind of obvious
It’s not me
I’m not some freak at Jiu Jitsu
I’m not more talented than anyone else at the gym
I just set up the systems to help me play & release my work
Clarified my process, then did it, over and over
The hardest thing about it
Was occasionally, at 11:35, I had thoughts like;
“I could just not go today”
But that was always the moment I put my headphones on and played music from when I was 14 and began stretching my wrists
The switch would flick
And then suddenly
Hey presto!
My body would wake up
“Time to roll”
There were 3 times in those 5 months where I felt like genuinely crying on the mats
Times where I felt like an utter failure
Like I couldn’t do anything well enough and I would never improve and I would be stuck forever
But I’ve worked at my other crafts long enough to know those are the most important times to be kind and patient
So I would take a breath
Give myself permission to suck
Keep going
And start again the next day
Okay
To clarify
From what I’ve experienced
I truly believe we all have the ability to play and give as freely as we did as children
I do not believe in talent
But I do believe in the skillset of setting one’s self up to win
So
“How does one become more talented?”
Create systems to remove doubt and indecision
Hope this helps
x
Screw Maximising Efficiency
I spent the weekend helping my dad in the garden
My god
Beyond frustrating
Tasks that I believe could take 20 minutes were taking hours
Tasks being prioritised that I believed were far down the list of what was actually important
Objects being placed in the middle of pathways, creating transit friction points, thus increasing time required, thus decreasing efficiency
I clocked off around 14:30
I had gotten all my tasks done for the day
I spent the rest of the afternoon on the couch
Warm and cosy inside
Netflix, crackers and hummus
But as the sun went down and darkness washed over the garden
I realised Pop was still going
Slowly and carefully working away
I stood at the window watching him
I thought to myself
Why the hell is he still be out there?
Why the hell would he let things take so much longer than necessary?
What about maximising efficiency?
Then it hit me
Maybe he’s out there because that’s where he wants to be
Maybe he actually enjoys it
Maybe the process of being outside working away carefully on a project
Is what brings him joy…
This got me thinking
About the tasks I do in my life because I just want them to be done
Versus the tasks I do in my life because I simply love doing them
I’m an actor who hates learning lines
I think its such a waste of time
I want it to take the least amount of time and energy possible
I once wrote my lines out on a big piece of cardboard and asked the casting director to hold them off camera so I didn’t have to learn them
If only you could’ve seen their unimpressed face (side note: I got that job)
But then I think about last weekend when I was on a friend’s farm
We spent the day doing some amateur fencing
Wide open paddocks with cattle
A pair of wire cutters
Country music
A cold dam to jump in
I could do that all day
Curious
What am I doing in my life just to get done?
What am I doing in my life with the least amount of time & effort possible?
Versus
What am I doing in my life because I simply love the process?
What makes me forget to eat?
What makes time disappear?
Mmm
Thanks for the reminder Pop
Joy of Process
Several years ago, I went to a concert
Im not someone who goes to concerts
In fact, the only concerts I had been to before this one, I went because I wanted to try be cool
They didn’t go down well
(Seriously, I wore footy shorts to Nas, yeah homie)
Anyway, this one was a bit different
I was accompanying my mate who had been in an accident
Plus it was in the nosebleeds
So I knew I’de be able to sit down if I wasn’t interested
Which was likely
The crowd was a staggering eighty thousand people
I walked in with my baseball cap covering as much of the chaos as possible
It was going to be a long night
And then, some redhead walked onto the stage
And proceeded to blow my mind
Just him, his little ukulele, and some foot pedals
After the second song
And after coming out of my mesmerised state
I asked my mate
“Who the hell is this guy!?”
My friend had lost his ability to speak in the accident so he looked at me with as much confusion
Luckily, the person sitting on the opposite side overheard and informed me
“It’s Ed Sheeran you idiot”
I don’t have a TV or listen to the radio, so I forgave myself for happily living under a rock
But I spent the next ninety minutes as enthralled as the rest of the stadium
I was still standing by the encore
Not because I was singing along (I didn’t know a single word)
But because I had never seen such a pure transition of process
I mean, the guy could have been doing the exact same thing by himself in his bedroom
Just singing with a ukulele
But it happened to be in front of thousands
I caught the train home and listened to the whole album I had just heard again
I got home
Couldn’t sleep
Ed Sheeran
There is a documentary!?
Turns out his cousin and him had made a documentary about…
The process
Screw sleep
Click
The documentary opens with Ed walking off stage after performing to thousands
He gets a towel for his sweat
A water bottle to begin rehydrating
And he follows an assistant to a room about a 45 second walk away from the stage
He walks through a door
Inside is his producer at a computer
He is mixing some stuff Ed gave him before he left to do his concert
Ed literally just finished a concert and his first priority is to go make more music
An hour later
They are on the bus together
Off to the next city to do it all again
And instead of sleeping
Ed is writing a new song (this time its one which Bieber ends up buying and making a hit)
The entire doco is like this
It’s simply watching Ed’s process
But when I look at the process
There isn’t a single moment where I could honestly say
His process is reliant on fame or millions of dollars
He is literally doing exactly what he did for years
What I’m trying to get across here is…
I have never had a result which was more enjoyable than the process
And that if I’m not enjoying the process
Then that becomes my focus
To jiggle, update, reinvigorate things so the process becomes addictive again
A simple question which always seems to inspire me…
What if I did this the way I really wanted to?
Curious
The documentary is called Songwriter
I highly recommend it
Especially the first 9 minutes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cc2RlLK0YY&t=1285s
Something For Pressure
For those of you who want to be better under pressure
Here’s a free seminar I did
Performing Under Pressure: How to Find Comfort in the Chaos
The Secret to Networking
I was asked a few weeks ago by a fresh new actor
“Should I be finding out who the best up-and-coming directors are, and start relationships with them now?”
Mmm
Interesting
In 2015 I was sitting on a balcony, having no idea what to do with myself
I got a message from a fellow actor
Someone had just pulled out of a gig
They were looking for a replacement
It was an unpaid short film
I didn’t care
I hadn’t acted professionally in almost a year
I wanted to play
And when I found myself on set
I felt completely fulfilled
Free
It woke up that part of me that loved the craft of acting again
Something shifted
And 3 weeks later I booked an Australian television series and Mel Gibson’s Hacksaw Ridge
At the end of the year, I sat down with some external accountability to work on some things
Something that came up was the topic of professional relationships
What kind of relationships did I want to have in the industry?
What kind of colleagues did I want to play with?
Easy answer
I found a black and white picture of myself and the director working together on that unpaid short film
“I want more professional relationships like that”
The director was a nobody
In fact, I’m pretty sure it was his first crack a short film
Again, I didn’t care
Why?
He put the work first
And that made things so easy and fun
Everything he did was about telling the best possible story
About serving the script
Giving the most generous work possible
Regardless of all the challenges that come with making a short film with no money
The by-product of putting the work first?
It meant a freedom on set
An honesty, an openness to collaborate, a willingness to listen and play
A humility to let go of ideas and do whats best for the film
But most importantly
It was just goddamn fun
We would geek out on craft for hours
Spend long nights watching YouTube clips of Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Paul Thomas Anderson discussing tiny details about their work
Buy each other fast food when the other had no money (usually him buying for me)
My point?
I simply felt energised when we worked together and hung out
I only wanted to collaborate more
And we did
Over the last few years, I have been fortunate enough to find myself on several of Pete’s projects
And on Saturday night
I watched him stand in his kitchen (in his pyjama pants)
And accept St Kilda Film Festival’s coveted award for best film (via Zoom)
Yep
Pretty special
Australia’s most prestigious short film award went to Lost Boy
It’s a glorious external reference point
An objective “that’ll do pig”
But when I think about awards
Especially in the arts
I believe they are the manifestation of years of behaviour
The habits, choices, rituals and actions someone has made behind the scenes for years
The boring bits
The things no one else really sees (or wants to do)
Most people will wait for the industry to determine their behaviour
When I get that special gig, then I will behave like blah blah blah
What I have found thus far after my first decade out in the big wide industry
Is that the real pros…
They go first
They don’t wait for permission or a pay check to give everything they can to the work
So when Pete graciously accepted the award
As special as it was
I thought to myself
“I’m not surprised”
He didn’t get that award because of a few weeks of filming
He got that award because of years of loving the process
Years of sacrifice
And years of care
I’m going slightly off track here
Lets bring it back
“Should I be searching for who the best up-and-coming directors are, and start relationships with them now?”
My advice?
Hang out with people you love hanging out with
The rest will take care of itself
Hope this helps
x
Prada Prada Bling Bling
I remember a time when I was off to the Venice Film Festival a few years ago with a film called The Nightingale
I needed a suit
I did not have the money to buy a suit
A few phone calls later (and because it was an Italian film festival)
I was in the big golden dressing rooms at Prada, getting everything tailored to my size
When I went to pick up the bag a few days later (with suit, shirt, belt, bowtie & leather shoes)
I asked when I needed to return it by
They laughed
“No, no, this is a gift for you”
My eyes became slightly wetter
I’de never received anything like that before
I mumbled “thank you”
Covered my head with my baseball cap
And left the store
I walked down the street
Hopped on the bus
Took a big, grateful breath
And pulled my phone out to check my bank balance
I burst out laughing
$0.37
Oh… the dichotomies of this industry
Catching the bus home with no money
And a bag full of luxurious clothes in my lap for the red carpet at Venice
From one extreme to the other
Looking back at the past decade in this industry
I’ve noticed a few things
One in particular which is peaking my curiosity at the moment
I have never felt weaker as an artist than when I am reliant on my craft for income
On the flip side
I have never felt stronger as an artist than when I’m not reliant on my craft for income
Curious
Hope this helps
x
The Most Important Problem
I skipped SAM last week
I was running around on set being a production assistant
After working in this industry for over a decade
It was my first experience working on a set as a non-actor
I had a ball
Driving talent around
Moving lighting equipment
Getting everyone their coffee orders (and mucking it up repeatedly)
At the end of the day, I had to drive one of the performers home
We were talking about other interests
“I’ve spent the last 6 years studying to become a pilot” they said…
My head swivelled slowly to face them
“TELL ME EVERYTHING” I replied
I’ve always had a fascination with pilots
Because of the stakes
The requirement for keeping a cool head under pressure
The responsibility they have for people’s lives
He then proceeded to tell me story after story
About all the mistakes, miscommunications and close calls he has had
I listened (with sweaty armpits)
This is the second conversation I’ve had with a pilot in the last few years
They’ve both said the same thing
Being a pilot is all about managing problems
Problems happen on every flight
The better the pilot
The better their ability to decide which problem to work on
Bottom line: Indecision is death to a pilot
The second those lights start flashing
Decide
Decide what the most important problem is and get after it
It doesn’t even matter if its right or wrong
To simply work on one problem is better than staring at two
This stung for me a bit
How many times have a sat staring at problems and not worked on anything due to indecision
How many times have I thought myself out of making a decision and ended up doing nothing
Mmm
What I took from the conversation:
Decide what my most important problem is
And get after it
Whether it is actually the most important one or not is irrelevant
Repeat: To simply work on one problem is better than staring at two
Curious
What’s my MIP?
What’s my most important problem?
Decide
And go…
Hope this helps
x
Advice On Giving Up
“Hey Mike. I’m having one of those “I think I’m done with acting” moments. I had a shitty audition yesterday that was the last straw... it’s been a tough 6 months and acting was really the only thing that was bringing me joy, or so I thought. I just don’t know if I have anything left. Any advice?” - J
Hey J
I love this
Thank you for clicking “send”
Walking away from acting is something I have spent a lot of time thinking about over the last decade
I feel like no matter how much time and experience I get under my belt
The thoughts and feelings about “being done” still continue to show up every once and while
On top of that
Acting is so walk away-able!
There is not a lot that stands in between where I am right now as an actor, and where I could be by doing something completely different
Let my rep know, a couple of awkward conversations, brain storm how else I’de like to contribute to society, go up-skill in that area
Boom
Goodbye repetitive rejection
Hello consistent income
Goodbye having someone else determine if I get the job or not every week
Hello routine
Goodbye “hey can you spend several days giving your everything to this audition for no money and for a minuscule chance you will actually get it? K thanks”
Hello balance, safety and security
Im laughing as I type this because I think I’m convincing myself to walk away again
What I find interesting here
Is I notice the western mindset tends to sneak into the drivers seat during these moments
It becomes an all-or-nothing energy
Black or white
Give up, or smash forward
Force one way, or force the other
Do or die
Make a life long decision right now!
It’s exhausting
The sadness, pain, anger and disappointment that I’m not good enough to continue and now if I walk away it means I have failed
Why?
Why does it have to be this extreme?
Oh…
It doesn’t
Around 5 years ago I began approaching these moments slightly differently
I simply began giving up… in little bits
Little, kind bits
For the day
The week
The month
Even many months
By simply giving myself permission to give up
I took away its power
Like Kevin and the furnace in Home Alone (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5X2vXoR6XU8)
(God, I love that clip)
Once I gave my body permission to feel what it’s like to give up, I realised it wasn’t such a bad thing at all
In fact
It felt kinda wonderful
To just say see ya later and go buy an ice cream for a few hours
Play with sea anemones in the rock pool for a day
Go to the country and help friends out on the farm for a week
Sign up for that course I’ve always wanted to do for a few months
Giving up created the space for other things to come in
Life
Lets get to the point
I think something I now love about these “shitty audition” moments
Is they provide me a little nudge
A little reminder
For two things
One
Acting is only worth doing… if I do it my way, with love
And two
Put my life first
Two weeks ago I got released from the short list for an Apple series and a Netflix series… on the same day
I was pissed
Not because of the opportunity to play, contribute and give my work
But because getting either job would have a filled an area of emptiness in my life I haven’t been taking care of
So I got my little reminder
To put my life first
It hurt
For a little bit
But two weeks later
After taking care of some things, with kindness
I can feel a shift
I can feel my spine growing a wee bit
Standing slightly taller
Breathing slightly easier
And whether or not I get this next gig on Wednesday
Doesn’t seem to matter as much
J
What I’m trying to say is...
Permission to give up
It’s not good, bad, right or wrong
Give up
For a day
A week
A month
Heck, for as long as ya want
The craft of acting is not going anywhere
Shows will get cast, people will continue to graduate from drama schools, actors will become famous then disappear 2 years later
Babies will be born and people will be put into a box and either burned to ashes or eaten by worms
Acting will always be there for when you feel ready and energised to return to it with love
Permission to give up
Take a break
Take care of you
When your tank is full and you feel that urge to jump back in front of the lens with love and joy, it will be there, waiting for you, waiting for all you have to give
There is a you shaped hole in the universe only you can fill
It’s not going anywhere
Hope this helps
x
Transitioning To Screen
Hey Mike! How do you trust yourself with screen work? I trust myself when it comes to theatre but I can't seem to trust myself on screen - Sarah
Hey Sarah
Start again
Before we get into it, lets give up on any results, belief systems, or ideas of how screen acting “should” be that might be in the drivers seat
I had a bit of a shock when I realised how much other peoples’ ideas of performing on screen was driving my work
I wanted to bring it back to what made me light up - what energised me?
First - Purpose
I went for a walk, pulled out my phone, pressed record and spent 60 minutes recording myself trying to answer the question “why do I act?”
Whats my why for doing what I do?
Just talk, without editing, for an hour straight
An hour later (which, holy smokes, I found difficult) I discovered there were 2 ideas I kept looping back to on the recording
I wrote them down
Second - My Way
I pulled together my favourite screen scenes of all time, the ones which made me feel like life is worth living
What did I think they all had in common?
What was it about those performances which gave me clues as to how I could shift my paradigm about acting on screen
I wrote them down
I then thought about the moments when I felt like I had actually performed in a way which I was proud of
Even if there were only a few, I still had little glimpses, little wins of when I had experienced bliss in front of the lens
I wrote them down
Third - Practice
Go practice this where it actually counts
Normalise the new choices in front of the lens
Maybe include some external accountability in the form of a friend, colleague or coach
If its too uncomfortable, start smaller, lower the bar
Try find that wee bit outside of your comfort zone
Too much and it might be overwhelming
And overwhelm = inaction (shut down)
We want little wins here, Sarah
I know I’m not giving you direct answers
Because I’m trying to give you something which I believe to be far more important
Concepts
For me, I realised that when I pressed record on the camera it was like a dragon entered the room
My throat would close up, I would fake a smile or a look
I would protect myself from letting the camera see me
Why?
Because I felt like I wasn’t enough
That I had to do something more, be something more in order for the lens to accept me
I realised I had to make friends with my dragon
Make my dragon smaller :)
One way forward - lean in
I had to go first
I had to accept myself as I am, and thus the lens would accept me
Actually - side note here
Will Smith talks about this
He brings it back to the 101 of self development;
The lens represented the parent whom he had to work harder for as I child in order to achieve their love
Who did he believe he had to be in order to get their love vs who was he never allowed to be?
Some interesting questions.
For me, I realised I wanted to rebuild my foundations about what I thought screen acting was
So I started with a clean slate
Nothing
Can I do nothing?
Can I simply breathe as myself in front of the lens?
Actually be where I am as opposed to trying to show, pretend, protect, act, cover, hide
What am I really trying to get at here?
I needed to practice simply being me in front of the lens
Why?
Because I needed to let my body experience that its okay to simply be me in front of the camera
That I am enough
Even if I’m just breathing as myself
It’s enough
The more I trusted myself doing nothing, the more I began trusting myself doing something
Hope this helps
x