The Spirited Actor - Leslie M. Greene

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hello, and welcome to the Spirited Actor Podcast with me
Tracy Moore. I was a casting director for film and
TV and commercials for over thirty years. I transitioned to
a celebrity acting coach after I cast a film New
Jersey Drive with executive producers Spike Lee and director Nick Domez.
I auditioned every rapper from Biggie Smalls to Tupac, and

(00:24):
I realized that rappers and musical artists they needed help
transitioning to acting. My clients consist of musical artists from
Buster Rhymes to Eve, Missy Elliott, Angela Yee from The
Breakfast Club, and Vanessa Simmons, to name a few. I
also coach sports stars and host as well. I feel

(00:45):
I have the best of both worlds. As a casting director,
I know exactly what they're looking for, and as an
acting coach, I can coach you to be remembered in
that room. Now I know, I know actors want to
get the job. I get that, but being remembered by
casting director that is powerful.

Speaker 2 (01:03):
And now it's time for meditation of the day.

Speaker 3 (01:07):
Most people rush after pleasures so fast that they rush
right past anonymous. I want people to slow down all
I want you to do is when you've reached a

(01:27):
goal or when you celebrate yourself, to just send.

Speaker 2 (01:33):
In it for at least a day.

Speaker 3 (01:36):
I was talking to an actor that got booked and
they were so excited.

Speaker 2 (01:43):
We were so proud of them, we were happy.

Speaker 3 (01:47):
And then in the conversation they were already anxious about
the next.

Speaker 2 (01:53):
Gig that they were going to get.

Speaker 3 (01:56):
So I said, well, if you do a great job
in this project, it's only going to put more eyes
on you and more opportunities. And then I stopped myself
and said, you should sit in the greatness, the greatness
of this moment. You should sit in this because you're

(02:18):
missing the joy. You're already thinking about something else in
the next Today, I will sit in my greatness.

Speaker 2 (02:28):
I will sit in my joy. I will sit in
my piece.

Speaker 3 (02:34):
Before we get started, I like to remind everyone to
go to Krackle Network to use seasons one and two
of my show Inside the Black Box that I co
host with the great Emmy Award winning Joe Morton. Look
out for news on season three soon. Welcome to the

(02:55):
Spirited Actor Podcast with me Tracy Moore. I just want
to say, and you know when I say this, you
know it's coming from the depths of my soul. Because
when you meet people in this industry and you magnetically, spiritually,
soulfully connect, and then you kind of question like, well

(03:16):
did we need how do I know?

Speaker 2 (03:18):
And then you realize you haven't. You don't know.

Speaker 3 (03:21):
That's someone that's familiar in your soul vibration and you
should lat onto them because there are very few of
those energies around. And I just met this woman and like,
I care so much about her. She is my fan,
she really is, Like she's such a good person. Forget

(03:44):
about what she does, but she's a good person. And
she came up to me on the set of Lifetimes
Abduction at an HBCU in which she is the casting
director on, came up to me, introduced herself and I

(04:04):
had been talking about her earlier with Ntori Non and
I couldn't wait to meet her. And when we met,
I was we were hugging you guys on the set.
It was so crazy, but that was the love we
were just I just remember hugging up with her on
her and saying, wait.

Speaker 2 (04:23):
Is this two single black female Because I.

Speaker 3 (04:26):
Was just like, I didn't care ladies and gentlemen, I
cannot go on and on and on about this beautiful,
beautiful soul, beautiful sister. And she has the same vibration
passion that I have for actors.

Speaker 2 (04:44):
So that was another common denominator.

Speaker 3 (04:47):
Please stand up and put your hands together for castine, director, extraordinaire, producers,
so many multi hyphenated Leslie M Green CSA.

Speaker 2 (04:58):
Please welcome, Thank.

Speaker 4 (05:04):
You, thank you for having me, Thank you. I want
to meet me. After that introduction, I want to meet me.

Speaker 2 (05:15):
Yes see you see what I see?

Speaker 4 (05:18):
Yes for having me?

Speaker 5 (05:22):
Go ahead, Leslie.

Speaker 4 (05:23):
I held no, I'm just saying thank you for having me.
I appreciate you. We've been trying to make this happen
for a while.

Speaker 3 (05:29):
Now it's here, and you know what. It's all into
vine timing, so I trusted. I want to start off.
Oh my god, I have so many things and I
feel like this pressure. But it's okay because there can
be part two and part three. So I want to
start off with how did you get started as a

(05:51):
casting director?

Speaker 2 (05:52):
Because these are the.

Speaker 3 (05:54):
Stories that we rarely hear. We'll hear how a director, producer, writer?
Because there are no casting schools, there are no casting courses,
there are no casting books.

Speaker 2 (06:10):
How to surf for you?

Speaker 4 (06:13):
Well, so I was working in marketing promotions and I
was doing marketing promotion for Tyler Perry when he was
first getting started with his plays here in Atlanta. But
even further back, I always wanted to be in the industry.
I knew I wanted to be in the industry, and
I went to college to be a film editor and

(06:34):
that was just horrible. Well, you know back then, the
tapes for this big Yeah, he had physically put it
to turn that's so far. So they didn't have put
in all of these Adobe systems. They didn't have all
of that, And I missed out a lot of fun
in college being in the in the rooms, right. But

(06:57):
I graduated and then came down here and I did
some PA work in Philly. But I still didn't hadn't
figured out what I really wanted to do. So I
was doing a marketing promotion for Tyler Perry's plays and
I started. This was when Constant Contact was like so new,

(07:17):
like it was twenty.

Speaker 2 (07:18):
Dolls remembers, it was new.

Speaker 4 (07:22):
So I was like, well, this is what we're going
to do. We're going to create a database and whoever
goes to the concerts. We'll offer them like discount tickets,
you know, we're prizes for them to win tickets to
Tyler shows and different things like that. So I started
doing that and my database was like seven thousand strong Black.

(07:47):
Anybody that went to any black play or concert at
the Philadelphia I mean at the Atlanta Civic Center or
at the Fox Theater, I had their email addresses. And
I did that for like years, and one day a
friend of mine was like, hey, can you send a
blast through your database because these guys I know are

(08:08):
doing a film here and they need extras.

Speaker 5 (08:11):
I was like core, I.

Speaker 4 (08:12):
Said, you know. They was like, they gave me the
specifics and I was like cool, And it's so funny
because I didn't know anything about casting at that point,
and I just put the power you know, the presentation
together on constant contact, said hey, if you want to
be in a movie, this is what you need to do.
Will Nobody followed directions and they sent everything back to me,

(08:35):
their head shots, all their contact information. So I was like,
what is all this? So I put it on a
PowerPoint presentation, everything every contact information, and then I sent
it put it on the jump drive because it was
so large, sent it off word to rainforest. The movie

(08:59):
ended up it was called Stepping at the time. It
ended up being stopped the Yard, and so I was like,
this is a job getting people to be in a movie,
that's the thing. So I started looking into casting from
that point on and then I made my decision and
that was it.

Speaker 2 (09:21):
Wow.

Speaker 3 (09:22):
You know, it's interesting because there's so many common denominators.
Because I was working on Oh my God, chub Rock
his for this is going so back but one my
first music video, and I was a PA and so
from being that day, I did slate makeup, set, designed

(09:47):
the bar, put I put in color in clear glasses,
I put food color, different colors right, And the producer
was like, oh my god, you set design and I
was like, yeah, you know, and that and that became
my job.

Speaker 2 (10:04):
It was so crazy. I just kept sliding into these
different positions. But the thing that.

Speaker 3 (10:10):
I love in hearing your story is the resilience. And
this is what I feel like I'm missing with a
lot of actors of this generation is the taking the
no and turning it into pushing on until you get
that yes, and creating a way that's you.

Speaker 2 (10:28):
Leslie.

Speaker 4 (10:28):
I got so many noes, so many news. It was
ridiculous because I get to the point I got so
many news. I was just like, are you serious right now? Like, Okay,
you're gonna regred that in my head after a while, right, Okay,
you're gonna see me again. And by the time you
see me again, it's gonna be too lead. But it's

(10:50):
so funny because you know, rain Forest and Stomping Yard
being my introduction into casting, right. I had a friend
working at BT, so she was like, oh, that's what
you want to do. I know Robbie read, and I
can introduce you too. And I don't know that Robbie
took me serious or that, you know, she was already
forming her unit with her her brother and.

Speaker 2 (11:12):
Her and her sister.

Speaker 4 (11:14):
Yeah, so she was like, Okay, that's cute, so you know,
just keep doing what you're doing. And I'm just like, okay,
But you know, I studied her and then I went
back to Will and Rob and I.

Speaker 3 (11:33):
Was like, Rainforest Films, you guys, because I just want
to say, Leslie, you're dropping a lot of jewels and
I want to say, you guys, Rainforest Films. That is
Will Packer and Rob Cardy that's their production Yeah, their
production company. And that was in the beginning, the beginning.

Speaker 4 (11:52):
And it's crazy because so and I went to them
and I was like, hey, guys, I know you don't
know me, but because of you, I'm a casting director now.
And you know, I worked on your project Stamped the Yard,
and I remember when it was stepping and y'all asked
for and you know, And I told them some of
the people I sent. I was like, Shaila is one

(12:13):
of the people I sent over. And they was like really,
and I was like yeah, Adrian, and I'm you know,
so Adrian Deuce now writes for All American and other
big show and you know Shayla is now uh Will
Packer's like right hand person over at his new production

(12:33):
Will Packer Studios. So and it's like I'm telling them like, yeah,
I send these people over, so I'm here. You know,
I would love to be a part of this and
DA DA D D and they was like, oh, okay, Yeah,
that's great, We'll keep you in mind. And I was like,
oh okay, and I was still excited. But this is

(12:55):
the day something when you're passionate about something. Yeah, the
money for me because I was willing to do it
for free. I was willing to pay for my tidnts
get to wherever you are. Yeah about money for me,
it was just about getting the experience and learning the
things that I do about casting, right, So I was
all I was at the time. In Atlanta. The only

(13:18):
casting director was Shay and she was.

Speaker 2 (13:20):
Yeah, and she was doing all everything.

Speaker 3 (13:26):
Every time before Atlanta blew up, every time people would
talk about Atlanta, they would talk about Shad you know,
until I, you know, realized that's her territory I had.
And the People's store, That's what they would the two
things people would bring up, right, I want to say.

Speaker 2 (13:41):
Something about now.

Speaker 3 (13:42):
I started casting in eighty six, eighty seven, right at MTV,
And let me tell you, I love when you were
doing the shoulders thing, like that's okay. But because because
life itself comes around, I don't care what people say, karma,
whatever you want to call it, it does come.

Speaker 2 (14:01):
Around in divine timing. Right.

Speaker 3 (14:03):
So I got in an eighty seven. You know, there
weren't a lot of people come especially in New York.
There was you know, I can name all of them
in New York. But the thing is is that when
people don't share their knowledge.

Speaker 2 (14:24):
You know.

Speaker 3 (14:24):
When they don't, you know, take you on as an
intern or spread, you're limiting the growth that you can
really have.

Speaker 2 (14:33):
Because I did work for free.

Speaker 3 (14:37):
I had to learn my whole way through because everybody
said no. But the same people do come around, and
that's when you're not available, and you're really not available.
It's not being revengeful, you really aren't available or they
see the growth in which you know. This business is
so much about the visuals and proving yourself what have

(14:59):
you done late? But that's the thing that I love
about you. You stay true to yourself and it has
nothing to do with the noise.

Speaker 2 (15:05):
You're still going to work. You're still going to create
the journey books, like.

Speaker 4 (15:10):
You know what I mean.

Speaker 2 (15:10):
So like, I also want to ask.

Speaker 3 (15:13):
You because I'm being so conscious of the time, I
want to really spend the last part of the time
talking about what you've created in terms of you're giving back.
And then so when with the Lifetime film.

Speaker 4 (15:34):
Okay you had to be proud, Yes I am.

Speaker 2 (15:38):
How did you feel?

Speaker 6 (15:42):
You know?

Speaker 4 (15:42):
When I got the call for it, At first, I
was nervous because it was just like, Okay, hey, I
got a project in Atlanta. I want you to cast
okay cool, send me the script. And when I saw
the title of the script, I was like, ooh, I
don't do scary more. I don't want to watch you.
So I want to read the script because it won't

(16:03):
be in my head. But the more we talked about
what it was, I was like, Oh, I read the
script and I was like, Yo, this is gonna be epic,
this is going to save lives. And then I had
my first conversation just with the Lifetime exects, which, let
me tell you, in the indie world, casting directors, even

(16:24):
in the real world and all the world spaces, casting
directors get no love. They are not invited to the
table until it's time for them to bring you actors.
They get no love, no respect. They you know, we
out here doing what they need and time crunches consistently.

(16:46):
And once you do and you get them all the
beautiful people that make this story come to life. They
forget who you were. They forget your last name, first name,
they forget the like they forget everything about you. That's
another reason why I show up on set. That because
it's to build relationships, to make beyond the emails back

(17:08):
and forth beyond once I solidified your full cast. Now
I'm showing up because I want to connect with my
producers to make sure that they're happy and everybody's an alignment.
Like you know, you don't want you don't want to
hear anything bad about the people you send, because if
that happens, I won't send these people going forward. They
might knock get out the park in an audition, but

(17:30):
if your an etiquette on set sucks, I can't send
you because you're a representative of my casting company. Because
I'm putting you out there saying I'm behind this person's work,
their work ethic, all of the things, and if you're
not doing set, then I need to know because that's
the person I won't send to the next set. So

(17:51):
the relationship based industry, and so yeah, I show up
on set to build relationships with the talent, to find
out who they are and what other things they want
to do, because then when I have something that's in alignment,
I know they already can act hey, and I know
that's going to help them get to the next level

(18:11):
in their career, or it's something that they've never done
it they want to challenge themselves now to do. Now
I know who they are and now they know that
the trade are so I love it. And even though
it's not about it's not about money, but.

Speaker 2 (18:27):
I do like the care.

Speaker 4 (18:28):
I love candlelight dinners, but I don't want to get
shot and all the other things, you know, But I
love it and you know, and I go to the
premieres if they have a premiere there, if it's an
on set in l if I'm casting something in La,
I'm showing up, you know, I put that in. I
make sure I set that money's aside so that I

(18:50):
can be present. And so if they forget me, it's
just because somebody was being mean and facetious a petty.
So most I don't get forgotten. So but it's something
that you have to like, you have to be seeing.
And you know, I talked to my assistant, who is
my part beat like I'm trying to I'm treating her

(19:12):
like I wish somebody had treated me. In this industry.
I'm getting opportunities so that if she decides to do
her own thing, she's doing.

Speaker 2 (19:20):
A great job.

Speaker 5 (19:22):
And it's no animosity.

Speaker 4 (19:24):
Is that I know she can do it, and it's
just builds our fortitude longer and wider as competition, right,
And I noticed that in our community so often we
feel like we got to be gatekeepers. And I have
to say it's because a Twinkie that I no longer
feel like I have to be a gatekeeper over information.

Speaker 5 (19:47):
Right.

Speaker 4 (19:48):
Wow, I would be like, yeah, I can't help you,
but her mentorship and her opening doors for me with
no fear of you know, And this is the thing
when you somebody does something for you, if you're a
solid person, there's a lot of loyalty that that breeds.

(20:10):
So Twinki can ask me to do it. Could be like, oh,
but it's only paying five hundred dollars because it's her,
I would do that, right, right, you tell five hundred
dollars in twenty twenty four.

Speaker 2 (20:23):
She knows that.

Speaker 4 (20:25):
All she got to do is ask me. And I'm
sure because of what you hand them for me in
the past.

Speaker 3 (20:32):
And I've known you twenty minutes and already I've recommended you.
So no, oh my god, Leslie, Leslie. Like the thing
is is you've touched upon so much and there is
going to be a part to you.

Speaker 2 (20:47):
Guys, it has to be. We can't cram and rush
and all of that.

Speaker 3 (20:51):
I do want to talk about what you touched on
in terms of casting directors getting the proper credit and accolades,
because my first job when I saw that the way
this industry worked is that even though the writer wrote
the film, it's a film by the director, right and.

Speaker 2 (21:16):
And we're the ones who I know on New York Undercover.

Speaker 3 (21:19):
I went to bed at ten am, I mean two
am sometimes, and I was doing extras on New York Undercover.

Speaker 2 (21:26):
So the you know.

Speaker 3 (21:29):
When the thank yous go out, it's the director that
found the talent, you know, or the producer that found
the talent. And it's like, if the talent doesn't appreciate,
love us and acknowledge us, because that's where the value,
right then you know, our name just exists as like

(21:49):
not people on this credit, But you wouldn't have the
actors if it, or the ideas because we just don't
find talent. We beg we plead, wear.

Speaker 4 (22:04):
Many, we get this many auditions, we get like and
by the time the producer director sees it is this
many right, right, h But we go through all of
this many to give you the solid the jewelry that

(22:25):
they can say, oh, I'm having such a right decision
this person and that person. We're like, yeah, talk about it,
uh five hundred, talk about that. We like late at night.
I remember one time I was on a project with
Tweakie and I did not sleep at all. And when
she found out, she was like yo, timeout says nah,

(22:47):
we're not doing it. And I was just just wanted
to make sure everything was done and right like, no,
it's going to be there tomorrow. It's great, So yeah,
time management. But I just didn't want to stop.

Speaker 2 (23:00):
Yeah, I mean I used to.

Speaker 3 (23:05):
I definitely didn't eat when we had live casting.

Speaker 2 (23:08):
I don't remember eating.

Speaker 3 (23:10):
And then I started to have my assistant incorporate lunch
at least thirty minutes because then I wasn't functioning.

Speaker 2 (23:17):
And you have to take care of yourself.

Speaker 4 (23:21):
And you sit in all day although I was racked,
and you're sitting and you're seeing people in the seat,
no food, you just like no water maybe yeah, And.

Speaker 3 (23:38):
You know, like I applaud you and other casting directors
still casting, and you know, I that is my love
and that's where I come from. I was just so
I think towards the end of my full time.

Speaker 2 (23:54):
Career as a casting director.

Speaker 3 (23:55):
I was so challenged with the indecisiveness of director and
and and you know, like you know, how do you
know talent? Like actors are probably like what do you see?

Speaker 2 (24:08):
What are you looking for? But we as casting directors,
I feel like we know right away, we do we know,
So what's your process?

Speaker 4 (24:18):
So it's funny because it's a it's an energy. I
look at people's energy like that is so and it
radiates when they're auditioning, because this is the most actors
really don't get. And I love that y'all want to
get y'all tapes in early and y'all want to just

(24:39):
have it out there. But did you connect with the character?
We can see that there's no connection to the in
the audition, like you just did it and you know
you're just saying the lines. You're not bringing anything unique
to the character. Now, mind you. We got to watch
the same lines like at zillion times and you just

(24:59):
like regurgitating lines. Those are easy swipes. Those are easy
people that don't take time to do a backstory and
connect with the character. Y'all make it easy for us
to just keep on. Oh they didn't connect. You can
see it when they speak that they didn't have a backstory.
They just jumped in right where where the sides start

(25:21):
and then they stop on foard like anything about this person?
Did you connect in any way with what you read?
And if you didn't, did you build a backstory so
that you can connect? Like, but we see it. It's
trans It's so transparent. You cannot make this right. Not faith,

(25:43):
it's so funny. It's that one actor. It's a couple,
but it's particularly the one who is so branded and
marketed for who she is. It's hard for me to
see her in a in a real role because she's
gonna always be who she is as a person because
of the brand. So she has to really jump through

(26:06):
hoops for her name to be on my list right outside.
But then there's a and I'm saying the Taraji and
Octavia Spencer of Viola Davis who become that person. So
you don't even think about all of the other works
that they did. Now you don't see them as like

(26:27):
with the Tory, you don't see the Tory as Tasha
from you know, you don't see that. You see Ellen
is getting to oh this counselor ain't no joke? Like
she ain't playing with hers. So it's it's those moments
when you become you immerse yourself into that character all

(26:47):
of the other things. Yeah, I can talk about this
thing forever, h.

Speaker 2 (26:52):
But you know what I do want to say the
character King Guys.

Speaker 3 (26:56):
I had the pleasure of him at coming into you know,
trailer talking with Naturia. At one point, I am so
happy that I didn't see any footage of him because
I was I hated him so much and I said
to him, but in real life he was the sweetest,
most genuine spirit.

Speaker 2 (27:17):
I loved him, and I said to.

Speaker 3 (27:20):
Myself, see this, this is what I'm talking about from
Leslie's point of view. You come in as your person,
who you are, and then you morph into being this
other person.

Speaker 2 (27:32):
Now you know we deal with actor because I never
saw that in like seeing him at craft service or whatever.
We'd be like, hey, I saw the film.

Speaker 3 (27:42):
I was like, I just want to choke him, pick
up something to stab him.

Speaker 4 (27:50):
He is amazing. And even when I went to talk
to him, he was like, this is something that is
so like his parents I think are like ministers and
her and so he was like, you know, I do
this because what it what the story is so people aware, right,

(28:12):
it's a whole. It's deeper and you can that's when
you tell people are not motivated by the money. It's
craft and what doing the craft can, How it saves lives,
how it motivates, how it encourages.

Speaker 3 (28:28):
All right, So I want to I'm Leslie. It's gonna
come back on for part two. You guys, that's the
done deal. But I want to shift over to I
don't even know what to call it. Merchandise literary, like
I she.

Speaker 2 (28:46):
Is so multi high Canadian.

Speaker 3 (28:48):
When we were on the set, she was like, Tracy,
we're getting ready to leave and she's like, Christy, come
to my car.

Speaker 2 (28:53):
She opened up her truck.

Speaker 4 (28:55):
I was like, who are you? Are you?

Speaker 2 (28:59):
That's why I said who are you?

Speaker 3 (29:01):
So Leslie, as Andy has come on, we have five minutes,
use them all, tell us book everything.

Speaker 4 (29:09):
Okay. So yeah, So it's weird because I have such
a hard time talking about myself. It's always about, you know,
the job and how can I do something to help
other people? So the books came about for the intent
and purpose because a lot of actors, you know. Okay,
So I had a conversation with Louis Gotsi Jr. Before

(29:29):
he passed away. So I used to work with him
a lot, and I would go to his house and
sit with him and he would just drop gems and
gems and gems. So when we were talking about doing
his life story at the time, and I was like,
what if it was a book that you had where
people you could just say, Okay, here's these books. It's
information about all of the projects that I've done. Read

(29:52):
what you want and take notes and then we'll talk
about those projects. And so that's where the actor's journey
that this one right here, that's this one. So what
you do every audition, every time you go out, every
time you get an audition, what do you feel about it?

(30:12):
It tries to help you build your backstory. It makes
you and it helps you set goals. What acting coaches
you want to work with, What directors do you want
to work with?

Speaker 2 (30:22):
Who else?

Speaker 4 (30:23):
What other actors do you want to be on the
same set with. It helps you to write the vision.
The worst that's write the vision, making plans so he
who reads it can run. You're the person reading it
so that you can run with it. So write that vision,
keep writing those things and then it's some steps so
that when you are on set or you're going to
how to be preferred for your headshot, you know some

(30:43):
steps that you can take to make sure that when
you go to the headshot and you remember that the
photographer is working for you, don't let them tell you
that other thing. Have a mirror so that if you
don't have one of your bfs, who's a woman that's
going to see I saw a thing the other day
and you can see the I was like God. So
you know, it's things to give you to think about.

(31:05):
And that's what the producer because I produce as well,
and it's so many things that go into produce. I
wrote some checklists because I live by checklists. The casting direction.
A lot of people do indie projects and they cast
for indie projects. I'm not concerned with being, you know,
sewing that into other people that they become my competition.

(31:28):
What's for me is for me. I understand that the
people I'm going to touch, the actors, the projects, that's
all for me. What's for me is for me. But
I want these young independent filmmakers and that have they
little sisters and cousins and friends doing casts, and I
want them to follow some steps so that they have
all the proper paperwork, knowing that you get forms from

(31:50):
these people that you putting on camera, because if they
change their mind or in two years they blow up
and be like, well, I ain't getting you no release
for that, so now you can't got illegal to and
now your project is dead in the water, and you
might have got some good traction. So it's just all
of these books have different things to make you think
about that thing that you say you want to really

(32:10):
do so, and then it's the clothing line and the whole.

Speaker 3 (32:15):
Where can they find you because we're gonna pump you up?

Speaker 2 (32:18):
What is the website that? Where can they get all
of this?

Speaker 5 (32:23):
Okay?

Speaker 3 (32:23):
Because I have mine, you guys, this is my minus
the casting book.

Speaker 2 (32:27):
That's what I have.

Speaker 4 (32:28):
Yes, yes, I thought I gave you one of each.
Oh that was the tour because you did direct and
I was like, yeah, all of these yet all of them?

Speaker 2 (32:38):
Kay?

Speaker 4 (32:39):
So everything is on www dot l m G originals
with an s dot net. And if you are an actor,
it doesn't matter where you are in the world. And
if you want to send me your information, go to
r t SE Casting Company dot com and that we

(33:01):
have a database and that's where everybody is in one space.
So if I'm looking for something, I can go in there.
I can filter it by city and state, I can
filter it by you know, ethnicity. I could filter it
by age. And it's a place for you to put
your agent to the managers. If you don't have an
agent and manager, it's a place for you to put that.
And that's okay. Because when I did Good Times the animation,

(33:25):
I created a database for that and actually two people
were allowed to participate that would have never had an
opportunity to audition for because we didn't do auditions right.
And then one of the roles that we did it
was so under the coff these people we wouldn't And

(33:47):
I did that based on relationships that I made on clubhouse.
So this is a relationship based industry. It is kindness
and respect at all times, even if you're driving. That
was a new to self. And if you're driving, people
were kind of service because this is a relationship based industry.
And who knew that the two people, you know, anybody

(34:09):
that I had met off a club house would have
gotten an opportunity to be in one of Netflix. Yeah,
controversial you know, yes, at some point Animation and she
was on my bucket list. So even in these journals,
you can write who you want to work with, and

(34:30):
Free Summer is one person that has been on the
top of my list. It manifested. So yeah, I love
these books, and you know I can't for me.

Speaker 3 (34:40):
I just want to say that these books are there's
something about putting pen to paper. I know that we're
in the digital age, I don't care, but pen to
paper writing it authentically, you guys, you are literally writing
down your manifestations and holding the vision of the in

(35:00):
these books. So I because my first experience with something
like this was the Artist Way.

Speaker 2 (35:07):
And that's my son was in it. He was a preemie.

Speaker 3 (35:11):
So I picked up that in ninety six and started
doing it and it just the morning pages and journaling.
I've always journaled, but it took my journaling to a
different level in terms of the manifestation that was going on.

Speaker 4 (35:24):
At that time.

Speaker 3 (35:25):
So you guys, we I know Elsa wrote down everything,
and so we're gonna pump that on the I'm gonna
make sure that Calvin puts your information when you do
your drop, put it there so that people can get
it from my ig as well.

Speaker 2 (35:42):
I want to come to Atlanta and go to mid Tikit.

Speaker 4 (35:47):
I'm coming that way. I'm coming that way.

Speaker 3 (35:49):
Yeah you are, because I definitely have a meetings for you.

Speaker 2 (35:55):
I talked too, So.

Speaker 4 (35:58):
I'll fly up August fifteenth. I think I fly up
on Thursday or Wednesday, and I come back Sunday or Saturday.

Speaker 2 (36:07):
I gotta laugh to see you August fifteenth. When you
get here.

Speaker 3 (36:10):
August fifteenth, nineteen eighty three is when I landed in
New York City from San Francisco with two hundred dollars
in one way ticket in a Trump.

Speaker 4 (36:18):
Yeah we question. Let me tell you. I when we
met and you just shared a little bit of your story,
I was tiny. I'm like in the first two minutes,
I was like, I'm keeping her forever. I don't even know.

Speaker 3 (36:30):
Yea, and even even this is I have to bring
on your actors and Elsa.

Speaker 2 (36:39):
They're gonna ask you some questions. But I want to
say this that when we were.

Speaker 3 (36:44):
By the car, I totally forgot why I was on
the set, who I was on the set with.

Speaker 2 (36:49):
So when the toy was like, Tracy, we're gonna leave them,
I was like, oh god, yes, that's why.

Speaker 3 (36:56):
In that moment, I was like, I'm gonna jump in
her trunk and then we could.

Speaker 4 (37:02):
I'm taking home with me. I said. That was like,
uh no, right.

Speaker 3 (37:07):
Come on, Elsa, come on, Deborah, Lisa, you guys, come on.

Speaker 2 (37:11):
Because for real, we'll never stop.

Speaker 3 (37:14):
This will be a podcast marathon of the Spirited actor.

Speaker 5 (37:21):
Honey, it's been great, all the knowledge, wonderful. Hi, Leslie.
So today we have two of our spirited actors with
us to ask you questions. Lisa White Spivey can come
on camera, and Miss Deborah Spears you can come on camera,

(37:42):
tells some Spiveys.

Speaker 2 (37:44):
Yes, yes, Delaware, they're from New York.

Speaker 7 (37:53):
How are you? First of all, hello, nice to finally
see you and meet you. I am from West Philly
and the Splavies are originally from south West Philly.

Speaker 4 (38:09):
Nice, So y'all are related and West Philly is southwest?

Speaker 2 (38:14):
I did such?

Speaker 4 (38:18):
Yes, yes, okay, well that's from Maryland.

Speaker 2 (38:20):
Maybe y'all got some cousins.

Speaker 4 (38:22):
Up there right, I'm trying to figure out how to
get some credit from Maryland. Actually I'm originally from DC,
so oh yeah, yeah, it's transmissioned into Maryland in my
adult life. Yeah, that's so nice to meet you. Excited
to be here?

Speaker 2 (38:40):
Is here right? And Tracy, I didn't know how to
do the hearts back. I'm gonna learn it so I
could do that with Leslie. Okay, go ahead, you guys, Okay.

Speaker 5 (38:55):
What's your question?

Speaker 7 (38:57):
Well, you know where you dropped so many greats. Tracy
asked every question and oh my gosh, thank you for
being so transparent. I mean, it was just that it
was good. You dropped a lot of good information, especially
about what you look for and talent and being authentic

(39:17):
and the study of the character. All that was so good.
That's so important. And Tracy has been expressing that. I
just wanted to ask, Zoom is just the future the president?
It's here. How do you feel about zoom versus in
person auditions? Like does it matter? That is important?

Speaker 4 (39:41):
You know, I love either or you know, it's a
different connection. When they're in front of you. You can
give direction, you can help them along, you can send
them out and say, hey, I want you to do
this again, but just give it this twist, or sometimes
they can just do it on that drop off the dime,
which is great. I love in person, but a lot
of times, what I'll find is it's up to the
producer will say, hey, we want to do in person,

(40:04):
or if it's funded, if it's an indie project and
it's funded by the director, they'll say, you know, I
just want to get my hands on people. I want
to be able to go back and forth, so they'll
want to do in person. I haven't really done zooms
as much as I use breakdown services actors access and
those are similar to zooms. But but yeah, I love it.

(40:29):
I just I love being in the space of it
all because the energy and you can tell when somebody's struggling.
But for me, the struggle comes when you didn't connect
to the character, because then you can trust yourself with
what you got. And then before you walk in any audition,
whether it's the zoom or in person or you're putting
a self tape together, build your backstory so that you

(40:53):
trust yourself and the fear of it. You just use
that as your energy, like that's your motivation, that fear.
Turn it into this is my project, I'm geady, show
them that they need me and they leave it on
the floor. Then then in your mind there's no doubt
that you did your best.

Speaker 7 (41:16):
Just good, thank you, welcome, awesome.

Speaker 5 (41:19):
Thank you, and miss Deborah, what is your question?

Speaker 6 (41:22):
Uh? So my question has changed in my hat so
many times because I'm listening and awkwuay she's already addressed
that where you don't want to go again, so I.

Speaker 4 (41:30):
Don't know, but in the in the middle of me changing.

Speaker 6 (41:34):
My question, sobody her just actually obvious question, which is
the nerves that I have right now and on every
other thing that I do, and like, how do you
deal with that? Because I'm nervously switching my questions around
my brain. I'm nervously trying to, you know, get the character.
But still it's the lines and make sure they like you,
but don't do it right. Those those tell the wrong

(41:54):
things the wrong person or hoose that person standing next
to me?

Speaker 8 (41:57):
Or do I have the camera in the lights right?
And what is the casting director really looking for?

Speaker 6 (42:03):
And just how do you deal with the nerves that
just sort of take over and trust yourself?

Speaker 4 (42:12):
Sis? This is so you know what you're capable of.
Right as I'm looking at you, I don't see that
you're nervous. You just told me you were nervous, but
it didn't resonate on camera. Right, And so sometimes that
nervous energy can be used. And that's one of the
things I love about actors, how y'all can use your hurt,

(42:36):
your pains, your joys, your nervousness to build that character
and make them believable.

Speaker 2 (42:41):
Right.

Speaker 4 (42:42):
So, if you're doing a character and it's an emotional
scene and you can tap into that with we don't
know what you're pulling from, right, we just see the
end results. So right now, I'm hearing what you're saying
about the nervousness and the questions that you had. But
as I look at you, I see a woman who

(43:03):
is posh, who is you know, walking in perfection? Like
I see everything's lined up, So I don't see anything
that would make me even believe that you don't trust yourself,
And I feel like nervousness comes inn when we self doubt.
Don't self doubt. Don't doubt yourself. It's enough people in
the world that's going to do that for you when

(43:25):
you are comfortable with something. For me, when I talk
about this, I'm passionate. I can talk about it forever, right,
But if you ask me to talk about myself, I
love myself and I'm passionate to an extent because I'm private.
I'm an introvert, right, so it makes me uncomfortable to
tell people about me so an actor. On the other hand,
when y'all are in acting, mold, y'all feel all that

(43:49):
to the wind, and y'all become this persona And when
you become that, that person's not nervous, that person you
just read about in them sides? Is this the she's
the mother of she's the police officer, and walk in
those authorities that you're given. I hope that I want to.

Speaker 3 (44:10):
I want to add to that because Leslie knows this too.
It's also cutting out the noise, because the noise noise
becomes a distraction to the work. And I say this
if and I just you know, say this for me,
but I need to see a resume of thirty five
years and plus of they and then we can have

(44:31):
a conversation. If not, then I don't know what you're
talking about. And I am not using your hypothesizing to
validate the truth of what goes on in this business.
And so I know Leslie eats it and lives it
every day. I know I eat it and live it
every day. And this is the other thing I have

(44:53):
to say, Debrah, is that as you progress and go
more and more to your dreams, and this is a
part of the process.

Speaker 2 (45:02):
The joy is in the journey.

Speaker 3 (45:04):
You must there are people who aren't going with you.
They can't go with you because people, if people don't
dream like you dream, then they become distractions. Yes, because
they you are a constant reminder that they are not
pursuing their dreams, and.

Speaker 2 (45:22):
They're fearful you're gonna change, You're gonna leave them. You
get all this.

Speaker 3 (45:26):
It's all about people allowing them themselves to dream big
and know that you're worthy of them. Because to me,
that's when even right leslie your your core of people
gets smaller and smaller and smaller the more you rise
and rise and runs.

Speaker 4 (45:44):
My circle is a lowercase. Oh. I told people that
all the time. But you know what, I'm gonna tell
you something. While while Tracy was talking, remember when we
were kids and we were in like middle school and
elementary school, and we used to write tattoos on our bodies.
Something says, write the word careless on your finger, and
every time you get nervous, look down fearless. Like everything

(46:08):
in life is mental how much control. That's why people
like you know back in the day, remember somebody be like, ooh, girl,
I gotta tell you something, and you be like what,
and they be like, but I'm gonna tell you later,
And then the whole rest of the day you're thinking
about that, right had I got to a place where

(46:29):
I tell myself either you're gonna tell me or you're not.
And I don't know that information, so it doesn't matter
whether you never aten. So I'm not excited for you
with your news until you tell it to me. I'm not.
Don't allow people to jerk your emotional chain. And that's
what happens when you become nervous. You are jerking your

(46:53):
emotional chain and everything is all over the place. Real
yourself back in. What do you tell yourself to get
you in the space of calm right, Begin to have
those affirmations or a space in your house or whatever
helps you to get to a level of peace and
be there before you do the next thing. Before you

(47:16):
do the self tape, don't let the lights and the
is it, don't let all that get to you, because
once you watch it, then you'll see, Okay, this is
what I need to do better and if you have
to do it over for you, that reiterates your connection
to the character. So each time it's not a lost time.

(47:36):
So don't be in a rush, just take your time
and just be in a moment each time.

Speaker 3 (47:42):
Thank you, but Deborah, Leslie's coming back, Lisa, She's coming back, Elsa.
Thank you so much for the actors and Leslie. These
are your testings for class and sessions, So everybody sit
tight when we come back on the Spirit Podcast with
me Tracy Moore and the amazing Leslie M Green CSA,

(48:06):
We're going to do class and session.

Speaker 2 (48:10):
Welcome back to the Spirited Actor.

Speaker 3 (48:11):
Podcast with me Tracy Moore, and you are so blessed
and I am beyond grateful to still have casting director
extraordinaire multi hyphenated Ah the love of my life. Right now,
Leslie M Green, CSA, We're going to do class and session.
Elsa's coming on, Elsa Laythan, Co executive producer of the podcast.

Speaker 5 (48:36):
Hello, Hello, welcome Leslie. Thank you for being with us.
So today's class in session. We have that two of
our spirited actors. We have miss Lisa White Spidey. Welcome back, Lisa,
thank you, thank you. Hello, Hello, and we have that,
Miss Deborah Spears. Welcome back, Deborah, thank you so much. Hello, Hello,

(49:01):
And today's scene is just breathe written by Tracy Moore,
What interior coffee shop to day? The coffee shop is
quaint and cozy, filled with the soft moment of conversations.
Monica and Tanya sit at a corner table, sipping there
lot tastes.

Speaker 7 (49:23):
It's so real, really, fourteen years, just like that, it's over.

Speaker 8 (49:34):
I'm so sorry, Monica. I can't imagine what you're going through.

Speaker 7 (49:44):
You know, it's not even the end of it. That's
so deep. That's it's all the pretending that we did,
you know, being fake, pretending to be happy, pretending to
be perfect.

Speaker 8 (50:05):
Yeah, I suppose it's hard keeping up appearances.

Speaker 7 (50:11):
Speaking of appearances, how we're things with you and David.

Speaker 8 (50:16):
Oh, we're we're great. Work is crazy, busy, but we manage.

Speaker 7 (50:24):
Yeah, do you?

Speaker 2 (50:28):
Yes?

Speaker 5 (50:28):
Of course? Monica leans in lo.

Speaker 7 (50:38):
Tanya, Yes, this is me. I know you. I'm your bestie.
I know the cracks and I can see them.

Speaker 8 (50:54):
Ah what cracks? The no cracks. We're fine.

Speaker 7 (50:57):
Really talk to me, this is me. You can be
honest with me.

Speaker 5 (51:12):
Tanya's facade begins to crumble. She looks away, her eyes listening.

Speaker 8 (51:22):
Things are not that's the way they look.

Speaker 4 (51:26):
David than I. We're not okay.

Speaker 5 (51:29):
Monica reaches across the table, taking Tanya's hand.

Speaker 7 (51:35):
Give me your hand, tell me, talk to me.

Speaker 5 (51:46):
It's sort.

Speaker 4 (51:49):
We're two strength, just living in the second house. We
haven't been happy for years. I just.

Speaker 8 (52:00):
I never wanted to admit it, not to myself, not
to anyone.

Speaker 7 (52:07):
Listen, you know I know that, oh too well. You
don't have to be unhappy. You deserve to be happy.

Speaker 4 (52:21):
It's so complicated.

Speaker 2 (52:24):
It's just.

Speaker 8 (52:26):
Our family, our friends, our careers are hit me.

Speaker 7 (52:30):
To listen, listen. None of that matters when you're miserable.

Speaker 4 (52:35):
None of that matters.

Speaker 7 (52:38):
Now, trust me. You know I've been through this. No
more lies, No more lies.

Speaker 5 (52:46):
Time. Tanya wife's her eyes, taking a deep breath. Maybe
you're right, Maybe.

Speaker 4 (52:58):
It's time we stop tending.

Speaker 7 (53:02):
I know him right, and you know what. You're strong,
and I want you to know something else, No matter what.
I'm here for you.

Speaker 4 (53:13):
Okay.

Speaker 5 (53:14):
Kanya squeezes mind his hand, a small waateful smile for me.

Speaker 4 (53:25):
Yeah, I don't need to hear that.

Speaker 5 (53:33):
The two women sit in silence for a moment, their
bond stronger than ever. See.

Speaker 3 (53:41):
Okay, ladies, all right, I'm gonna throw it to you
as a lady and have you give your notes.

Speaker 4 (53:52):
I loved I loved it. I love you know, being
able to connect right with characters. So Deborah, let me
ask you this. When did you have you had an
opportunity to read this prior to right? Yes? So were
you able to connect because you made a choice and

(54:13):
how you delivered it right? So what was your choice?
What made you connect? To begin to go sullen even more?
You know, as you continued, I thought you were about
to cry at some point, but I'm glad you held on. Yeah,
so we decided.

Speaker 6 (54:30):
So we were friends. We were friends for since college
and good friends. And our husbands are former football players,
but they were not high school college but they're not professionals,
so they're not as their finances are not as good
as ours were more successful than her husbands.

Speaker 4 (54:47):
And she divorced hers.

Speaker 6 (54:49):
And I still kept mine, but you know, I was
I was holding on to that image for a really
long time, and she knew that because we were such
close friends. But after her divorce, and I just kind
of broke, and we decided that there was going to
be a period where I just kind of surrendered to
Although it's hard to me to do a fake criede Invesse,

(55:11):
I can't surrender to, you know, giving in, the giving
up the appearances that we both started out holding on too.
She let hers go earlier than I did, and that's
that's how we made that choice.

Speaker 4 (55:25):
We talked about it last night. Did you guys decide
who was going to be who or Tracy? Did you
decide who was plagued?

Speaker 2 (55:34):
Which was I decided? I think Lisa. She was so.

Speaker 4 (55:45):
Like that was her, Like I can see you be
in that friend and be like, come on now, like
I can see through all the stuff, take this is me. Like,
you know what I'm saying. You were very personable in
that you sounded like you look like and when you
leaned in, it was the I'm really here for you,

(56:07):
you know what I'm saying. Like some and so when
you are watching somebody else auditioned, in my head, I'm
always saying, is it believable? Can somebody fall in love
with this person? Or would they hate this person? What
emotions are you invoking? So with Lisa, you were like
so gentle with her, but you kept at a hundred,

(56:29):
like yeah, girl, come on, wait wait wait, this is
me you talking to We know each other, we go back,
so I already see it and it's okay to break
these walls down with me. I got you, and so
I loved how the two of you played back and
forth on each other with that. But yeah, I saw
that a lot, and that's why I was wondering, did

(56:49):
y'all pick who was going to do well? Or did
Tracy pick.

Speaker 3 (56:54):
Quite opposite of both of them wanted to challenge. And
I'm just giving it all to Leslie because you know,
I hate to end with Leslie. But again we are
going to have a part too, because you think you
guys are walking away with like treasure chest. Now please

(57:17):
come with those big target storage containers when you come
back to part two, because that's what she's feeling. Up,
Ladies and gentlemen, I and Lisa and Debora, thank you
so much, Please please everyone, Sincerely, genuinely, lovingly, the miss

(57:37):
Ooh casting director, multi hyphened hyphenated genius Leslie M Green CSA.
I'm gonna get her a chain and a tattoo CSA
has she earned that, Ladies and gentlemen. She earned it
all right, Yes, Lisa, it agreed CSA and ladies and gentlemen.

(57:58):
When we come back on the Spirit to podcast with
me Tracy Moore, that's all about love.

Speaker 2 (58:03):
That's all we've given. Love forget I'm the worst. Thank you.

Speaker 3 (58:09):
Welcome to Kudo's Corner. Kudo's Corner is where we celebrate
and support all of our spirited actors and we share
them with you. This week's Kudo's Corner put the spotlight
on spirited actor Deja Anderson Ross. Originally from Chicago, Desia

(58:30):
got her start with Roles and Spike Lee's Shyrek and
the episodic Chicago Fire, leading to a co starring role.

Speaker 2 (58:39):
In twenty twenty three season finale of The Equalizer.

Speaker 3 (58:44):
Most recently, Deja starred in the Philadelphia production of Susan
Lori Park's award winning play father Come Home from the
Wars Part one, two and three. Desa is also working
on From the Shoulders I Stand, a pointed documentary about

(59:05):
her grandparents' migrant journey from the South to being business
owners in Chicago. Kudos Todasia Anderson Ross and Now It's
time to give Love so I grew up with a
group of women. We all went to Saint Dominic's together.

(59:26):
We've known each other since we were six years old.
And what I find interesting is that when you're younger
and you talk about things or you're formulating your life
at a very young age, that all of us grew
up to be exactly what we said we wanted to be.
In some aspect, people change and shift in life to grow,

(59:53):
and sometimes everyone doesn't make that shift at the same time,
or some people like where they are.

Speaker 2 (01:00:01):
I feel like.

Speaker 3 (01:00:04):
When I talk and I'm around this energy, it's a
great reminder because not a lot of people have friends
of like fifty something years, So I'm grateful for that,
but I'm empowered, and I'm empowered because I feel like
I have the comfort of knowing them and the trust

(01:00:27):
and the friendship and sisterhood.

Speaker 2 (01:00:30):
But inclusive of that, when you are surrounding yourself around
people who are for you, it's important that you understand
and appreciate.

Speaker 3 (01:00:43):
Love that that is a gift, because not everybody on
your journey will pour into you like the people that
really know you, really love you, and really want you
to continue to win, succeed, live your best life.

Speaker 2 (01:01:06):
Those are the people you want to be around.

Speaker 4 (01:01:08):
Hi.

Speaker 3 (01:01:09):
Everyone, The Spirited Actor Podcast with Tracy.

Speaker 2 (01:01:12):
Moore now has a YouTube channel.

Speaker 3 (01:01:16):
You'll get to see exclusive video footage from our podcast taping,
as well as your favorite segments from the show. Make
sure to like our videos, subscribe to our channel, and
share with all your friends. Don't forget to also follow
us on Instagram, at the Spirited Actor, and at both

(01:01:37):
Tracy Moore and at The Spirited Actor Podcast with Tracy
Moore on Facebook and X.

Speaker 1 (01:01:45):
Thank you for joining us on The Spirited Actor Podcast
with me Tracy Moore. I look forward to our next
Spirited podcast. Thank you, assass