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The Surreality of Acting by Dennis Cherry  •  last post Feb 12th

Surrealism has been a significant influence on acting, particularly in the realm of theatre. It encourages actors to explore the subconscious mind and access new emotional depths, leading to more authentic and innovative performances. With A.I algorithms being programmed to take over the creative processes of the craft, what other platforms outside of established studios can we truly create? 

Remembering James Van Der Beek by Ashley Renee Smith  •  last post Feb 11th

I’m honestly heartbroken writing this.

James Van Der Beek has passed away at 48 after his battle with colorectal cancer. Hollywood is pouring out tributes, and reading them has been both beautiful and devastating. Sarah Michelle Gellar called it “a huge loss,” Chad Michael Murray spoke about his humanity and impact, and so many others have shared how deeply he touched their lives. It’s one of those moments where you feel the ripple effect of an artist in real time.

You can read their tributes here: https://variety.com/2026/tv/news/james-van-der-beek-death-tributes-1236659903/ 

As a kid, I was a massive Dawson’s Creek fan. I grew up in a small town where pursuing film wasn’t exactly a common career path, and I was the kid who was obsessed with movies anyway. Friends and family used to compare me to Dawson Leery. Sometimes it was because I wouldn’t stop talking about film. Sometimes it was because I fell in love with my best friend. It was always said with a smile, and I always took it as a compliment.

Then years later, when James was cast in Pose, I was blown away. Suddenly, this actor who had shaped part of my teenage identity was involved in a project I was actually part of. That felt surreal. Full circle. Like some strange, beautiful merging of the fan and the professional worlds.

I just wish I had taken the opportunity to meet him in person when I had the chance.

Reading that he met his final days with “courage, faith, and grace” makes the loss feel even heavier. Forty-eight is so young. A husband. A father. An artist who kept evolving and surprising us. From teen drama lead to sharp comedic self-parody to layered dramatic work, he never stopped stretching.

But what strikes me most in the tributes is how many people called him kind. Grounded. Generous. One of the good guys.

That’s the real impact.

For those of you who grew up with Dawson’s Creek, worked with James, or were inspired by his work, I’d love to hear: What role of his stayed with you the most?

That Performance...: What's your Favorite Acting Interpretation...Right Now? by Juliana Philippi  •  last post Feb 10th

February...is moving fast, y'all. Alla vamos gente...actores!  Pregunta:

What's that performance, in Spanish we call it "la interpretacion", which translates as "interpretation" , that just fires you up, and makes you remember why on Earth, you would ever want to be an actor?

I actually like "interpretation" way better, because it already puts us, as translators of a character, we speak for them, we are connected with them, to them. Performance, sometimes feels like we are "putting on", "trying", "thinking about instead of being", separate from the character... I digress...

For the moment, because there have been so many that just move me and inspire me, awe me, the work of Emma Stone in "Bugonia". I mean...it's freakin' insane, raw, visceral, out there, grounded, and totally and completely, unexpectedly human.

Adding in a close second, is Helen Mirren in "Goobye June", an absolutely gorgeous movie actually written by Kate Winslet's son, Joe Anders, and with a stellar ensemble cast including Kate Winslet, Toni Collette, Andrea Riseborough, among other fantastic actors. Helen Mirren plays a woman dying of cancer right before Christmas, and she plays it with such delicacy, simplicity, humanity, and true love, she took my breath away.

Who has made you keep on going, who has lit you up, who has made you want to be an actor, time and time again?

Adam Sandler, Dwayne Johnson, Jacob Elordi, Michael B. Jordan & More at the THR Actor Roundtable by Ashley Renee Smith  •  last post Feb 9th

I just watched The Hollywood Reporter Actor Roundtable, and it’s one of those conversations that feels less like a panel and more like a masterclass in why people keep choosing this career, even when it’s brutal.


Watch the full video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OK0nnxG6dU 

This roundtable brings together Adam Sandler, Dwayne Johnson, Jacob Elordi, Jeremy Allen White, Mark Hamill, Michael B. Jordan, and Wagner Moura. What makes it special isn’t the resumes, it’s how candid they are about fear, doubt, and choosing the cliff over comfort.

A few moments that really stayed with me:
Mark Hamill talking about Star Wars and admitting he had no idea what it was going to be, so he made the choice to play it completely sincere. That decision alone shaped an icon.

Michael B. Jordan unpacking rejection, the power of saying no, and how doing the right work early opens doors later. His reminder that “what’s for me is for me” hit hard.

Adam Sandler reflecting on being trusted with dramatic roles and how playing characters who care deeply actually changes how you show up in your own life.

Jacob Elordi and Jeremy Allen White both talking about injuries, detours, and accidents that redirected their paths, and how seriousness about the craft gave them calm and focus when everything else felt uncertain.

Wagner Moura’s refusal to lose his accent or cultural identity, and how embracing where you come from can be the thing that makes your work resonate globally.

What I loved most is how often they come back to the same idea: preparation matters, but at some point you have to jump. You can’t control how it lands, only whether you show up honestly.

What moment in this conversation hit closest to home for you? Do you believe sincerity still cuts through more than perfection?

No Acting Experience? 2 Resume Secrets That Get You Noticed By Casting Directors & Agents by Aaron Marcus  •  last post Feb 9th

No Acting Experience? 2 Resume Secrets That Get You Noticed By Casting Directors & Agents


https://youtu.be/CZ7jKMNsSgs

Are you creating an acting resume, but don’t have much experience? Let us know if you have any interesting special skills on your resume. Share it here and on the channel so we can learn from you.

Are you observing yourself while you’re speaking? by Angelika Heeg  •  last post Feb 9th

Are you checking yourself while you’re speaking or acting? Do you think about what others might think of you? 

Voice Acting by Jessica Putnam  •  last post Feb 7th

does anyone know or have experience sites that hire voice acting? I am starting to look into it.

The Six Factors Casting Directors Use to Assess Risk (And Why You're Probably Focusing on the Wrong Ones) by Andrew Higgs  •  last post Feb 6th

When actors don't get auditions, they usually assume one of two things: they're not talented enough, or the industry is unfair.

Neither is usually true.
What's actually happening is simpler — and fixable.
Every time a casting director puts an actor forward, they're making an unspoken promise to the director: "This person can do the job." If that promise proves false, the casting director's reputation suffers. If it proves true repeatedly, their career thrives.
So casting directors assess risk. Six specific factors, every time.
Most actors don't know what those factors are. And even the ones who do often tackle them in the wrong order — pursuing agents before they have showreels, networking randomly instead of systematically, taking any work rather than building the specific credits that matter.
It's not a lack of talent. It's a lack of system knowledge.
In my latest article, I break down all six factors and explain why the sequence you address them in matters as much as addressing them at all. 
Read in full here: https://thealchemyofscreenacting.substack.com/p/the-six-factors-casting-directors
Visit: https://thealchemyofscreenacting.com/

Odessa A'zion Audition Tape | Marty Supreme by Pat Alexander  •  last post Feb 5th

From phone booth to the big screen. The self-tape that landed Odessa A'zion her role in MARTY SUPREME.


(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7YYRo0VzEY)

Why you can’t think clearly in stressful situations by Angelika Heeg  •  last post Feb 5th

The mind is ready and suddenly there’s fog. 
Where would you say stress begins?

The Problem-Solving Mindset: What Casting Directors Actually Look For by Andrew Higgs  •  last post Feb 5th

Most actors walk into auditions thinking:

“Am I good enough?”
 “Will they like my choices?”
 “Do I look right for the role?”
After nearly forty years directing actors, I can tell you:
 We’re not thinking about any of that.
< div> The real question in every audition is:
“Will this actor make my job easier — or harder?”
If you’re in the room, talent is already assumed.
 Casting directors have already decided you can act.
What we’re assessing is whether you arrive as:
a solution under pressure, or
another problem to manage.
By the time we’re shooting, time is locked. Budgets are fixed.
 There may be a hundred people standing around waiting for the scene to work.
Actors who work consistently understand this reality without resenting it.
 They arrive with something that already works — and can adjust intelligently.
Actors who struggle often arrive hoping the director will help them find the performance.
The difference isn’t talent.
 It’s preparation.
Careers aren’t built on being impressive.
 They’re built on being reliable under pressure.
I explore this mindset — and why it’s the foundation of a sustainable acting career — in full here: https://thealchemyofscreenacting.substack.com/p/the-problem-solving-mindset-what
Visit: https://thealchemyofscreenacting.com/

Will actors standing in one place while talking in paragraphs keep an audience's attention? by James Woodland  •  last post Feb 4th

https://youtu.be/KlYl9jaHM3g

What is the last you do before your entrance? by Suzanne Bronson  •  last post Feb 4th

Are there rituals or routines that you do before stepping on stage or in front of the camera? What is the last thing you do before your entrance? I always put myself in the moment before. Where am I coming from? Why am I going here?  I would love to hear your answers.

One of those Acting Turning Points -- by Pamela Jaye Smith  •  last post Feb 4th

IT COULD GO EITHER WAY….


Anthropologist Irv Devore used to tell his class: if two human beings look into each other’s eyes anywhere on earth for more than six seconds, then either they’re going to have sex or one of them is going to kill the other one.

“How Common Knowledge Shapes the World” with Steven Pinker
On STAR TALK with Neil DeGrasse Tyson.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTQsOBLEIV8

It’s at minute 26:50

As soon as it’s my turn, it feels like someone is squeezing my chest.. by Angelika Heeg  •  last post Feb 4th

When your heart is beating, your breath is going faster and all you can think is “please don’t shake”.
Do you know such situations when it’s your turn?

The Masterpiece of My Life – Why Acting Is More Than Just a Puzzle by Dan Martin Roesch  •  last post Feb 3rd

The Masterpiece of My Life – Why Acting Is More Than Just a Puzzle 

Have you ever felt like a single puzzle piece placed into a box filled with images that were never meant to be yours?

As an actor, I know this feeling intimately. We spend years trying to fit into other people’s visions, serving roles, sanding down our edges to remain “castable.” We learn how to adapt, how to disappear just enough to belong. And yet, when we look back, something often feels off. Pieces are missing. The picture looks pale, unfinished, sometimes strangely distorted. Not because we failed — but because the puzzle was never meant to be assembled according to someone else’s cover image.

If I had to describe the life of an actor honestly, I wouldn’t call it a straight line or a carefully planned career path. I would call it a puzzle. Not the kind that comes neatly packaged with a preview image on the box, but one where the pieces arrive slowly, unpredictably, sometimes painfully late, sometimes all at once.

Some pieces are already there from the beginning: where we come from, the family we grow up in, the place we were born, the body, voice, temperament, talents and limitations we didn’t choose but were given. These pieces form the rough edges of who we are before we ever step into a rehearsal room or audition for a role.

Around them, space remains — vast, undefined space — waiting to be shaped. And day by day, step by step, we collect new pieces along our path: people we meet, roles we play, rejections we survive, places we move to, moments of hope, moments of doubt, small victories, quiet heartbreaks. Some pieces feel like gifts. Others feel like burdens we never asked for.

The difficulty of this puzzle is that there is no final reference image. No guarantee. No certainty. We sometimes look at the puzzles of other actors for orientation — for inspiration, reassurance, or comparison. But in truth, each of us is responsible for what image emerges. We choose the colors, the shapes, the motifs, the size of our puzzle, and the connections to the puzzles of others. No two are meant to look the same.

Sometimes life throws puzzle pieces at our feet that we don’t want. Experiences we would rather discard. Failures, typecasting, silence, financial pressure. We try to push them aside, but they are fixed. We cannot erase them. What we can do is learn from them and decide how they shape the picture that follows.

At other times, a piece simply disappears. A role we thought was ours vanishes. A collaboration ends. A dream dissolves. A gap remains, and we stare at it, wondering how it will ever be filled. Often we sit in front of a chaotic pile of pieces, unsure how anything fits anymore. That is usually the moment we need distance — not to quit, but to step back. From a little further away, we begin to see what wants to emerge. Which pieces belong. Which do not. Whether we need to let go of familiar patterns and comfort zones to find pieces that truly align with who we are.

For a long time, I believed my puzzle would never be complete. Either the colors faded under the pressure of the industry, or that one decisive piece was missing — the one that would finally make the image tangible. I searched outside: in applause, recognition, expectations, comparison. The gap remained.

Today, I know something different.

My puzzle became complete the moment I understood that the missing piece was not another person, not another role, not another achievement. The missing piece was acting itself — my true calling. Not as a job, but as a vocation. This art, this craft, is what makes me whole as a human being. I am not completed by someone else; I am completed by the deep love for what I do. That realization brought fulfillment, gratitude, and a quiet kind of joy — the kind that doesn’t depend on applause.

But a calling without structure is like a puzzle without a frame.

To protect this image in the storm of the industry, I had to adopt the mindset of an Actorpreneur — the professional decision to not only wait for opportunity, but to become the entrepreneur of my own talent. This attitude forms the frame that holds the sensitive inner pieces of my artistic life together. It is not the opposite of art; it is its protection.

And still, no one assembles their puzzle alone.

Behind every visible career stands an invisible support system: mentors who guide us, colleagues who walk beside us, friends who catch us when we fall, and family — my wife, my children — who fill the spaces no role ever could. They are the grounding pieces that keep the picture from drifting apart when the stage threatens to carry us away. Through them, the image gains depth, stability, and meaning.

This reminds me of an old story: a boy was given a torn image of the world to reassemble. On the back of the pieces, there was a picture of a human being. He put the human back together first — and when the human was whole, the world made sense again.

That is the essence of it all.

Only when I began to assemble myself as a human being — through my calling, my values, and my relationships — did my place in the world begin to align.

Such a puzzle is rare. The motif — a life shaped by art and humanity — is unique. It will never exist again in this exact form. For that, I am deeply grateful. I will protect every piece: my calling, my relationships, my professional attitude. Because if one were lost, the harmony would break, and it would take time to find it again.

To everyone still searching:
do not stop puzzling.
Sometimes the most important piece lies at the very bottom of the box.
And when it finally clicks — with the right people by your side — the picture becomes more beautiful than you ever imagined.

The final pieces of our puzzle are not placed by us. They are placed by others — through what we leave behind in their lives: courage, kindness, professionalism, inspiration. That is what continues in their puzzle.

We are all small pieces in a vast puzzle of storytelling and human connection, each touching the other.

So I wish you patience, trust, and joy as you build your puzzle.
And I ask you:

What is the piece that completes your picture today?

Dan Martin Roesch
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6401783/

A Comedy Legend Goes: The Smart, Funny, Authentic, Unique Catherine O'Hara by Juliana Philippi  •  last post Feb 3rd

A few days ago, on January 30th, the lady of comedy we all know as "that mom" from "Home Alone", "Beetlejuice", "The Studio", "Schitt's Creek", among just a few shows and movies she graced us with, passed away.

There are many, many articles spotlighting her life's work, and her story, but I didn't want another day to pass by without mentioning her here on Stage 32, and thanking her spirit: for the joy, the laughter, the originality, and just the inspiration she has left behind.

Growing up, I watched a lot of movies, and I always knew her face: that out there, weird, funky mom...the outspoken, brave, crazy mom...and I loved every minute of watching her. She was real, believable, and yet completely out of the box.

Here's a link to just one article, Rolling Stone, featuring her career path and background:

https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-features/catherine-ohara...

Prepared so well and your mind went blank? by Angelika Heeg  •  last post Feb 3rd

Do you know that? 
When was your last moment of pressure?

Ethan Hawke on his first best actor Oscar nomination: ‘It’s been a long road’ by Pat Alexander  •  last post Feb 2nd

(https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/awards/story/2026-01-22/ethan-hawke-blue-moon-best-actor-oscar-nominations-2026)

Submitted 20+ Times, Still No Auditions? Try These 4 Things That Actually Work by Aaron Marcus  •  last post Feb 2nd

Submitted 20+ Times, Still No Auditions? Try These 4 Things That Actually Work

https://youtu.be/Fg530g2ayTE

Have you ever had 20+ submissions with no auditions? What did you do to help make more auditions happen? Share it here so we can learn from you.