English Actors

The Swedish actress Ingrid Bergman was one of America’s most beloved and successful performers. She was drawn to acting at a young age and was delighted to be invited to Hollywood in 1938 for the American remake of Intermezzo. With her flawless natural beauty and talent for acting, she was an instant success.

In studying the acting process, what I have found is that acting styles change, just like cinema. What were considered compelling, powerful acting choices in the 1950s and 60s, might be considered “over the top” film acting today. Since the art of film is connected to culture, it shifts and changes with societal tastes. Now, let’s focus on your desire to be an actor in an industry that’s always changing. So, you want to be an actor. That’s great! You want to be on television or in film – awesome!

Nicolas Cage: leading man or character actor? Action hero or goofball comedian? Internet joke or one of the greatest actors of his generation? Beyond the gif bait and easy punchline, Nicolas Cage continually frustrates easy categorization or understanding. In National Treasure, pop culture writer Lindsay Gibb studies Nicolas Cage’s acting style and makes sense of the trajectory of his eclectic career. In the process, Gibb debunks the common claim that Cage makes bad choices.

Veteran character actor Nick Searcy takes you through his wide-ranging career, from both sides of the camera as an actor and director, to guest-hosting for Rush Limbaugh, managing a professional wrestler, costarring in the hit show Justified—and somehow continuing to work in Hollywood even after he went to Washington DC on January 6, 2021.

These recollections cover the time from the very early 1960s until after my last significant acting role. After that I pulled a disappearing act and became a regular bloke for the most part. The transition from child/youth actor through to adult is notoriously difficult, some have succeeded, some spectacularly so. Some have stumbled along and sadly, some have fallen. I chose to take a break, which I’m still on. I’ve been the subject of many 'where are they now?' articles and musings. Well, I’m here now, writing this.

The following recording is a 1977 interview with Steve McQueen (March 24, 1930 - November 7, 1980) was an American actor whose antihero personae, emphasized during the height of the counterculture of the 1960s, made him a top box-office draw for his films of the 1960s and 70s.

The following recording is a discussion between movie star Vivien Leigh, film producer Samuel Goldwyn and British Theatre critic Kenneth Tynan.

This is a combo of 16 topics, and unique artists, composers, writers, and actors, compiled into a comprehensive biography guide. Listen to the struggles, the background, the poverty and wealth, and genius brains from the16th to the 20th century - all of which have brought certain insights, and understandings in artistic, literature, musical, or dramatic movements, to the next level. You will understand the motivation and circumstances of these great artists better. It will help you rethink your own life, your own legacy, and your plans for the future.

When I coach speaking under pressure, my specialty is to help the speaker make a real and significant change during one private session of less than two hours. I learned this from the culmination of my life's journey, as told in these true memoirs of my real-life experiences being an actor, a spy, and a licensed private eye. There are no unrealistic techniques or made-up theories in this book. Every solution given to you has been actually done by me or witnessed in others. Everything is proven, and everything works - tried and true.

Working in an environment that often stereotypes or attempts to “universalize” experiences, it’s more important than ever that actors consider how culture, race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, and ability are inseparable and important parts of their identity that should not be minimized and can instead enhance their work. In Breaking It Down: Audition Techniques for Actors of the Global Majority, Nicole Hodges Persley and Monica White Ndounou share real-world audition strategies that center the experiences of actors of color.

Joan de Beauvoir de Havilland (October 22, 1917-December 15, 2013), known professionally as Joan Fontaine, was an English-American actress who appeared in more than 45 films in a career that spanned five decades. She and her older sister, actress Olivia de Havilland, had a well-documented rivalry. Fontaine won an Academy Award in 1941 for her role in the film, Suspicion. She and de Havilland remain the only siblings to win lead-acting Academy Awards. The following recording is from a 1977 television interview.

Professional stage actors are expected to have ready knowledge of a multitude of unwritten yet well-established protocols. Traditionally, this knowledge was passed along from one generation of stage actors to the next via word of mouth, or were learned by having one’s missteps corrected—until now.

Ousted by the Solar System Exchange in favor of an Artificial Intelligence, Greg Body has turned to space exploration. Hiring a team of highly talented personnel, he’s going to take on the Lloyd’s of London odds and colonize the star L98-59. Long-distance telescopes have rated the system as having a “medium probability” of containing an Earth-like world. Greg has decided to take his chances as a post-Singularity Earth has become overcrowded.

Barbara Stanwyck, born Ruby Catherine Stevens (July 16, 1907 - January 20, 1990), was an American actress, model and dancer. During her 60-year professional career, Stanwyck was known for her strong, realistic screen presence and versatility.

You look so familiar, where have I seen you? Mira Tzur repeatedly hears this statement when she enters a room. The answer to this question is what inspired Anonymously Famous. Mira Tzur is best known for her multifaceted talents and familiar, warm presence. She is an Israeli American Founder & President of One Circle Productions & Consulting Group, actress, theater and film producer, social philanthropist, French Countess, former counterintelligence IDF officer, and Senior Vice President of a next gen fintech company.

Marilyn Monroe, born Norma Jeane Mortenson (June 1, 1926 - August 4, 1962), was an American actress and model. Known for playing comic "blonde bombshell" characters, she became one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1950s and early 60s, as well as an emblem of the era's sexual revolution. She was a top-billed actress for a decade, and her films grossed $200 million (equivalent to $2 billion in 2022) by the time of her death in 1962.

A short story from the British Library Crime Classic collection Final Acts. The third act of a play is cut short by the death of an actor onstage. Inspector Bristow must delve into the man's past and relationships with his colleagues to solve the mystery.

Six years ago, Kitty Valentine took the book world by storm when her sweet debut romance hit number one on the New York Times best sellers list, which was followed by a string of successful releases. Her latest novel, however, totally bombs, causing her editor to suggest she write much sexier books. To Kitty, writing smut is the literary equivalent of stripping. But with no advance coming in and her royalties dipping to an all-time low, Kitty has no choice.

Debra Wanger knows how difficult it can be to pursue your dream of acting without compromising your health or your sanity. She drew wisdom from decades of working as an actor, talent manager, and wellness coach to write The Resilient Actor and give emerging and experienced actors a holistic approach to their profession that marries mind, body, spirit, and craft. Sustaining a healthy and satisfying career requires more than just talent - go beyond the skills you learned in your BFA program.

A little guidebook for those in the acting business, or those who want to be in the acting business, written by Jane Merrow, a professional, nominated actor, active in the entertainment industry for over 50 years.