A Grain of Salt

As Erin Brockovich said in the movie: “See, now that just pisses me off”.

I recently stumbled across a post by Secret Agent Man of Backstage in February, entitled Finding The Right Teacher.

I was interested to read it. Secret Agent Man’s posts sometimes contain useful insights, and agree or disagree,  there’s often something in there to tickle the old grey matter mixed with a strand of humor to lighten his character’s habitually condescending tone. I immediately discovered a blog devoid of humor, leading me to believe he is very serious about the contents of this particular sermon.

His advice? Work only with well-known acting teachers. Not BAD teachers, he qualifies, and not teachers you don’t connect with, just GOOD well-known teachers.

I have so many problems with this, I’m going to bullet-point them:

• WHO should be taking these classes? (Surely not beginner actors. Why would they need to be in front of a famous teacher’s contacts?)
• Should good actors in a state of transition (Ie: Not ready to launch into the bigtime, or at a fragile time in their learning) also work with these teachers? Only if the teacher also possesses an uncanny ability to determine when the time is right for their client
• Does ‘reputation’ = Great teacher? (I have audited a number of the Great Teachers myself and they do not teach anything. They direct. And they don’t do it very well. Hearing a teacher’s opinions does not a brilliant actor make)
• Forget about ‘Not clicking’ with a teacher, many just do not actually TEACH. Egos do not equal Education
• Has no-one ever been successful without a famous acting teacher? (Thousands would scoff at the suggestion as they walk onto the sets of jobs around the world today…)
• Are you telling me you’d seriously look at an actor’s exceptional work on stage, at a showcase, on their demo reel, and then write them off because they’re taught by Joe Blow in Glendale? Or the opposite, seeing a terrible performance from Howard Fine’s client book them immediately?
• And what of teachers like myself, from another country? What about teachers like Anthony Brandon Wong, an Australian actor with exceptional acting credits and tremendous feedback from his students? Few bigwigs in the industry will recognize HIS name as a teacher on your resume. Should you avoid him?

And so much more.

There is no doubt that sensationalism grabs the eye. If you had ‘Johnny Depp One-on-One Mentoring’ on your resume, of COURSE it will grab the eye. It will inspire conversation. It will stand you out from the crowd. But don’t forget one thing: sensationalism gets attention, nothing else. It doesn’t necessarily attract respect, it doesn’t necessarily lead to work and it almost never generates improvement in your abilities. In my experience it more reliably foreshadows vanity and complacency in an actor. Johnny Depp, though a good actor and massive Hollywood star, may be a terrible teacher, as many well-known teachers are. And any industry professional swayed by WHO taught you, instead of WHAT you were taught, is likely to dump you as quickly as they picked you up when another more glittery object flashes before their eyes.

But what of all the people who praise these teachers? So what? What of all the people who praise Secret Agent Man? What of all the people who praise me, Anthony or your carpet cleaner? Praise is but one factor in choosing a teacher, just as successful graduates/clients, compatibility, timetable, syllabus, cost, location, class size or technique should be.

Most of the casting directors and agents in Australia (Sydney, in particular) know who I am. Almost every single one of them represents or has cast at least one of my clients. If an agent or casting director in Australia has not heard of me, they have only appeared in the business since I moved to LA almost two years ago. Yes, this is definitely an advantage to my clients. But only if I talk about my clients in the industry and only if they ask about my clients. It happens, but it doesn’t happen all the time. My clients frequently have a CD or agent say “Oh, you studied with Paul Barry, he’s a friend of mine”, which doesn’t hurt. But when you begin to act, this connection is no longer relevant. Unless they call me to ask if I can keep working with this client because they like the look but they’re undercooked (which has happened), they either hire the actor or represent the actor, or they don’t. The same way they do with someone taught by Joe Blow in Glendale. Trust me, nepotism fails more often than anonymity succeeds.

Beware the temptation to gravitate toward all things with ‘names’ and ‘popularity’. Do you realize that the iPhone is NOT the best phone, it is just the best PUBLICIZED phone? Do you acknowledge that Macdonald’s is NOT the best ‘food’, though its marketing is recognized by 90% of the planet’s inhabitants? As one seeks Quality at times not just Quantity, one should additionally endeavor to find Education, not just Elevation. Attracting attention through ‘quick fixes’ and sensationalism is like climbing the show business ladder by sleeping with famous people. Remember, you can only sleep your way to the middle. Talent is the only reliably long-term factor.

If you want different advice on how to select a teacher, read my blog: 7 Clues Your Acting teacher Sucks (Or Rocks!). But please, like reading Secret Agent Man’s blog, take my suggestions with a grain of salt and season to taste.

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