February 18, 2020 • 40 mins
A CALIFORNIA NATIVE, YOLANDA HUNT BEGAN HER CAREER IN CASTING WITH THE “LATE GREAT” DIRECTOR/PRODUCER JOHN SINGLETON ON THE MUSIC VIDEO CLASSIC “REMEMBER THE TIMES” BY THE LATE LEGENDARY POP ICON MICHAEL JACKSON. SOON AFTER, UNDER THE DIRECTION OF HER MENTOR CASTING GURU, ROBI REED. YOLANDA LANDED THE TITLE OF CASTING ASSISTANT ON THE CLASSIC MOVIE POETIC JUSTICE WITH RAPPER TUPAC SHAKUR AND YET ANOTHER JACKSON FAMILY GREAT, SINGER JANET JACKSON. YOLANDA HAS BEEN KNOWN FOR SOME OF THE BEST CASTING IN THE BUSINESS. HER NAME IS ON SPEED DIAL WITH MANY ENTERTAINMENT’S TOP BEHIND THE SCENES ELITE, SUCH AS KEENAN IVORY WAYANS, MALCOLM LEE, HUGHES BROTHERS, STAN LATHAN, DAVE MEYERS AND CASTING DIRECTORS: KIM HARDIN, LEAH DANIELS BUTLER AND RISA BRAMON GARCIA. HER CASTING ASSOCIATE TELEVISION AND MOVIE CREDITS INCLUDE; SISTER TO SISTER AND MOESHA, THE PJ’S, THE BEST MAN, CROOKLYN, KINGDOM COME, LIGHT IT UPAND GRIDLOCK’D. HER WORK HAS BEEN SEEN ON THE KEENAN IVORY WAYANS SHOW, COCOA COLA/SPRITE NATIONAL COMMERCIALS AND IN MUSIC VIDEOS FOR TOP ARTISTS; JAY-Z, WILL SMITH AND AEROSMITH. MOST RECENTLY, YOLANDA’S CASTING CAN BE SEEN IN THE PRODUCTION OF OSCAR AND EMMY AWARD WINNING REGINA KING’S DIRECTORIAL DEBUT “ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI”; ALSO CASTING ALONGSIDE HER MENTOR ROBI REED THE BET MINISERIES “UPTOWN RECORDS” ON THE LIFE OF ICONIC MUSIC EXECUTIVE ANDRE HARRELL.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
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 transition to
a celebrity acting coach after I cast a film New
Jersey Drive with executive producers Spike Lee and director Nick Thomas.
I audition every rapper from Biggie's Balls 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 Ye 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. Meditation of the day. Opportunity
(01:06):
does not send letters of introduction, Naomi Sims. We need
to be able to recognize the signs that are before us.
Miracles have a way of appearing through other people or
through something as simple as reading an article in a newspaper.
When I am against the wall, I sit back, quietly
and patiently wait for the right answer. I have learned
(01:31):
to not only recognize the signs, but to expect them.
I will have my antennas out and ready to grasp
the right opportunity. Welcome to the Spirited Actor Podcast with
me Tracy Moore, and going along with our theme this month,
which is January is renewing your talent. I would like
(01:55):
to renew your thoughts with my guests today. I get
warm and fuzzy when certain people come into the room
because casting director truly, casting director extraordinary, Yolanda Hunt is
with us today. And Yolanda is one of those people
that I don't have to see her every day, but
(02:17):
when I see her, the spiritual connection is there, and
then I miss her more and wonder why don't I
hang out with her? But I know she's busy. But
this is a reconnection renewal. I'm just so happy to
have you here, Yolanda Hunt. Thespians, put your hands together,
because you are about to hear the truth and we're
(02:40):
going to dispel these myths, because the truth is sitting
and you're listening to the truth right now, Yolanda Hunt,
put your hands together. I am beyond thrilled, delight, Oh god, yeah,
are we gonna schedule something because we're gonna eat and
we're gonna chat. They're not ready, No, they're not ready
(03:04):
for you, Yalanda. I'm going to start out by asking
you to, you know, tell us a little bit about
how you started as a casting director, your journey as
a casting director, and then I need actors to whatever
you use to document, whether you're physically writing on pen
and paper or in your phone. There's gonna be so
many jewels dropping right now. Treasure chest is here, treasure
(03:26):
chess here we go. Well, um, just to give you
a little bit of a brief, you know my journey. Um,
I started off on this little project called Poetic Justice
as an intern. Yes, and for one week I interned
and Robbie came to me and said, we want to
hire you as my sister. And that's Robbie, Ladies, I'm sorry,
by the way, one of my mentors and along with
(03:49):
my journey of my career has been fundamental to my
career and especially my growth and to this day. And
that started my journey. I got bit by the bug
and it was, you know, no holds back. And then
I you know, went on to did another project called
Minister Society with Tony Lee, another little project while he
was Robbie Reads associate, and then he became cast and
(04:10):
director of that. Brought me on that project and I
just kept going. And then Ralpharquar came into my life
and he gave me the opportunity to learn the back
into production. So he brought me in a Moeesha. So
I learned. I was an assistant and I learned to
do all of that. And he asked me when I
wanted to, uh, you know, when the show got picked up,
(04:31):
what did I want to do? I want to do casting.
I mean, that's what I do. And so he got
me and Kim Harden together. Wow, I love Kim Harden.
Shout out to him, Harden, Love Kim Harden. That's another
one of my mentors that definitely, you know, is an
influential in my life today as well. She hired me
and it's a funny story. She hired me to do
Moeesha and at that time, she didn't feel I was
(04:53):
ready to be an assistant, and she fired me. But
you know what that was an experience is for me
to know that I had to do better. Right. So
right after that, I got hired as an associate on
with Esa Braymond Garcia, another vent Billy Hopkins, Yes, Billy
Hopkins and Garcia, they were partners. And then she branched
(05:16):
off and did her own thing and she was doing
Speed Speed To Okay, So I got put on and
I wasn't the associate for speed To and I was
an associate for the Flood starting a driver later and
Ricky Harris rest in Peace with my favorite all time,
And it was just kind of like I just kind
of took off from there. And did you know, I
(05:38):
planted seeds to myself that I wanted to do and
I want to do a movie in New York. Two
years later I was doing Crookland. I was here as
an associate Crookland. I mean, I've had such a great journey.
Then after that Best Man, Yes, Best Man kind of
really put me on the map. I was a true
associate on that project. I was like hands on from
(05:58):
day one and just seeing how the hand pick and
bringing that great talent to Malcolm and and Sam. It
was just Malcolm ly Yeah, by the way, and I
worked with Monica Calhoun. Yes, Monica Calhoun is is she's
an extraordinary actors and writer. Yes, it's one of also
(06:21):
one of my close friends. And and she's still writing
right now to this day, so she's got a lot
of things going on with her as well. And that cast,
it just brought people to pay attention to what I
was doing and what I like. I knew I had
that I had an eye for talent, and it was like, Okay,
we can take a chance and that's all. That's all
(06:42):
she wrote. I moved to New York sixty years ago
and I was working at BT and I've been there
in house freelance gast and director e of since that's
a brilliant, brilliant journey and actors, I need you. I
always stressed for actors to I AMDB dot com so
that they can see the credit to the credits. But Elanda,
you have been a part of uh cinema, black cinema history,
(07:06):
like these are classics that you're talking about, I feel, so,
you know, there's a lot that I've left out Black panther,
I was gonna say, um, those are all like I
felt like when I was coming up into this, I
was I was in the gut of great African American
art being actually being put on TV. So I was
given that opportunity to work with the Keman Harvy Wayns
(07:28):
and working on his variety show, and then I had
that gave me a little real fast track of how
I had to you know, gotta call at ten o'clock
in the morning and I had to have a cast
by four, So that really gave me my my like jobs.
And then you know, working on those kind of shows,
and and then I mean, my journey has been so long.
Kingdom come getting to work, you know, with everyone, and
(07:50):
she still looks the same ladies and German. You don't
see her, but she doesn't. She look to say yes, well,
I think aunt, yes, But this journey has been so great.
But I'm not done. I'm haven't I haven't reached the crinical.
That's my journey. I'm just getting right there. And now
(08:13):
that I'm really starting to teach my acting classes here
in the Tri State and we need coaching and and
it's just been a whole other platform when I'm like
so happy that I'm being able to share to people
what I'm looking for in the room when they're coming
to audition for me as opposed to what you think.
Because you got those three minutes to shine, thank you.
(08:34):
And if you don't give me those three minutes of
what I remember you, then you're going to need the
fundamentals and I'm gonna try to give you to that.
So one of the things that you said, um, and
I can honestly say I went to one of your
classes and you were a totally different you are as
a Consey director, which I love. Yes, I mean, this
(08:55):
is what we're talking about. We're talking about the truth.
So absolutely, I feel like I I'm unorthodox. You're not
gonna go get oh the super training and I'm gonna
get this kind of the Meisner technique or no, you're
gonna get the technique of Yorlanda that's telling you this
is what you need to do when you get into
the room to get a call back, which you know,
that's what I know. This is what I'm I'm I'm
actively working, this is I'm still casting, I'm still looking
(09:17):
for talent. So and I'm I look to as the
person that brings new talent. So I'm always looking for
the underdog or somebody that hasn't had that exposure, or
doesn't have an agent, or doesn't have a manager, doesn't
have headshots. Those are the ones that really are the underdogs,
and I'm always looking for those and I'm that's why
I give that that platform and I do my acting
(09:39):
classes to you know, give them the the pillars that
they need and the points that they need and those
kind of molding that they need to become an actor
real Thespian, thank you. And the thing about that casting
room that you know we live in it, right, And
so I transition to UM when I just came on
(10:03):
board and really live with Buster Rhymes and Eve as
their coach. But the generation shift and they change. I
want to I want you guys don't see, but I
want you to talk about because Yolanda, I feel like
(10:23):
because I started my career in eighty seven at MTV
and it was just myself and Kevin Powell. So in
terms of people of color, Okay I'm exaggerating, but anyway,
there weren't a lot of people of color at that time.
So work ethics and me and and my work ethics
and how I pushed myself beyond what the expectations were
(10:45):
and I felt that that is the position that I
was in, and so generationally, I just I want you
to tap on some of that, but also talk about
this generation that your experience in your casting world and
their work ethics or beliefs. When I started out, you know,
you had to do the work. You had to put
(11:06):
the work in. You. You looked at you know, TV shows,
you looked at movies, you you studied actors. You had
to know actors names. You had to know who people were.
You had to know their resume. You had no producers
and you had no direct directors. You had to do
your research. And I didn't have that internet to do
that when I was coming up, So I had to
do my research, like you know, go look at their
(11:28):
resume and really get you know, the actual worker with
having things facts exactly. The computers were, you know, we
were just tapping into those. We were still using typewriters
when I started process so exactly. You know. So I
see that this generation, this wave of actors that I
have seen lately, feel like they're owed. It's not supposed
(11:51):
to wanting to do the work. They don't want to
do the research. And I really when it was doing
this last project that I worked on one night in Miami,
Gina King's directorial debut, associate on that along with Kim
harden Is the cast and director, and I noticed that
it took me about four months just to you know,
(12:12):
get people to really audition correctly for Mohammed Ali and
actually he was Cash Claire at that time. So it
was like people wanted to come in and they wanted
to come in as Mohammed Ali, but it was like,
did you do your research? Did you know who cash
is Clay was first before we Muslim? So it's like
you have why exactly, like you need to do your
(12:32):
research and know who these who these talents are, Who
who Jim Brown really was you know at that time,
and who Malcolm X was. What he was making the
transition of leaving the Nation of Islam. People were not
paying attention to that and they hadn't do their research.
And I noticed that that's what's being done. It's like,
if you're doing a bio on someone that is an
(12:52):
existing person, wouldn't you want to do your research on
them and be like them and all the information is
that it's a highway. You guys have it now. You
guys can go on the internet. You guys can go
to Netflix, you can go to Hulu. There's so much YouTube.
You can go to so many places now to do
your research on actors. But they still still like, you know,
it's the little baby steps that are going to get
(13:14):
you the job and the work. No, especially when you're
dealing with a director that is an actor, that's a
child actor that comes and knows the journey that they
have taken. So it's like an oscar exactly. I mean
multi actress actress. So it's like you have to know
that you're coming into auditions for someone like that, then
(13:35):
you have to she's done her work, absolutely do yours.
So I try to push my students to do the
research and to make sure that they know what they're
doing when they step into the room, because I know
what I'm doing, and so they need to learn how to,
you know, to do the research on an actor's period
and if you're doing a biopick and if you're creating
a character, to the research pull up stuff with your friends.
(14:00):
I have done so much to try to help actors
and little do you know people that my friends that
are actors, they take my personality and it will create
a character that has happened. I believe that it is truly.
That's great, that it's truly happened. So I know that
(14:21):
I know that that's what people you draw from. So
that's why you know, I try to teach my, my,
um my, my students. You know, the first choice is
the best choice. Don't overthink it as an actor and
just do your research. You know, you can never be
too perfect and acting. We have the Denzel Washington still
(14:43):
get coached. There's you know, there's actors because the Nicole
Kidman's they still get coached. Jennifer Lopez introduced me to
her acting coach on The Hustler. She was like, Tracy,
I've been with him twenty years. Why would I leave him?
That's the point. If you really are truly dedicated to this,
then that what you do. You do the work. And
I also have come across and this is going to
(15:03):
be a very touchy subject that actors domestically are not
so great with international actors, you know, are British actors.
They feel like Britishes are coming over here and doing
all the work. But that's what British actors are doing
a lot of work because they're learning our tongue, they're
learning our native song, they're learning how to be to
do our dialect. So why is it so hard for
(15:25):
you to learn to do their dialect? They go they
come over here to do do training, Go over, go
abroad and do training. There should be no and you
should want to as an actor to work outside. I
worked in Amsterdam recently. I taught a workshop and why
not go to Amsterdam? Why not explore outside of America
(15:46):
to do work. But one of the things I wanted
to touch base when you were talking about the audition
and people not doing their work, do you find that
actors don't read action inside? No, they don't read the
stage direction at all. Okay, they it wasn't alright, it's
not you, it's not And that's another thing that I
(16:06):
teached my read the stage direction. It's telling you what
to do in the scene. I mean, it's the most
self explanatory thing ever. So I was coaching this actress
and Gossip Girls coming back and I said, yeah, but
but they were cussing in the sides, and I said,
c w, it's on HBO Max. Oh yeah they did.
(16:27):
Um they picked it up. So there was some cussing.
So I said to the actress, you know Gossip Girls,
you know it was out before and she was like yeah,
I know. And I said, well, have you seen any
episodes of the I was like no, And I was like,
m So, what I'm gonna need you to do is
I'm gonna need you to see the episodes so that
(16:49):
you understand they're bringing it back. So just so you
can get an understanding, right, there was a line the
characters an African American girl and what the information that
we did not have is who she was. But she
has a line that she says to this white girl Jane.
She says, well, who are you an heir to the
Kogate dynasty or the niece of the Earl of Kensington.
(17:11):
So I said, do you understand the wealth of the
school that you're going to? And she was like, oh,
you know, it's like, you know one of the schools
in Manhattan, like a private schools that no no, no, no,
no no no, the air Cogate Air if you get
fortune five hundred the richest people in the world. When
that addition comes out, they list the airs of like
(17:32):
wal Mark, UM Pampers, you know, and these people are
like seventy eighty ninety. But when you deal with that
type of money, you're getting installments, like every two or
three years, you're getting millions, like you know, eighteen, you're
getting millions twenty one. Like And I have a friend
who is an air so I don't know how much
(17:53):
she gets, but like she gets this money in increments.
So these people seventy nineties still getting money. So I said,
you have to do your research to understand, and then
it says the Earl of Kensington and and the information.
I guess my challenge is how do we help actors today?
(18:16):
Because in this climate, I know what it's like to
stand up for like twelve hours exterior Chicago coaching, eve
on barbershop sixteen hours a day, six days a week,
and I wrote this book on my day off for
three months. So what do we do about the work
ethic of these actors? I mean, we have platforms like
(18:40):
this right here to be able to um promote what
they need to know. It's just it's on the receiver
and I can I can beat you in the head
all day long until you you know, it's green, but
you're gonna say it's blue. No matter what I can't.
I can only give you all the fundamentals that you need.
And I'm giving you all of those things. It's not
(19:01):
an orthodox way. It's the way that I know, as
a working cast and director expert in what you do,
that this is what I need to see. I need
to see this. I'm telling you that this is what
other casting directors need to see as well. When you
were walking into your room, I try to teach you
the etiquette. You know, it's like I make you feel
like when you walk into my room, like you've known
(19:23):
me for years, but you don't know me. So there's
a there's there is a boundary, there's a personable way
of you coming in. Be it feeling comfortable, because I
would be doing a disservice if I made you uncomfortable
to myself and you, Because I need to cast a role.
So if you're not comfortable in doing the character, how
am I gonna How am I gonna get my cast role? Right?
(19:44):
So I set that premise. But people need to know
the etiquette of it. You know, it's not you know, hey,
home girl. You know, and I've come across that because
some people feel like they do know me, And that
goes back to social media now allowing people to get
closer to you casting director. You know, in the eighties
and the nineties, we didn't have that connection. You don't
(20:04):
even know what I looked like. So, you know, social
media came into play facebooks, and then you know, people
wanting to know no more, and then you know, the
avenues of technology is just getting bigger and bigger, bigger,
and just trying to stay in the know of that
and you and you can't be our keg in our game.
You have to be in the know. Even though I
might not, you know, be on social media as much
as I should be. I am active. I still try
(20:26):
to stay active. I try to let people know what's
going on with me because you want to know why
I'm working. I want to keep you guys. So if
I if I'm not on social media as much, it's
just because I'm working to try to keep you guys working.
And if not, I'm teaching classes to keep you guys
working exactly. So it's it's it's a process and I'm
constantly trying to stay busy. I have I have another
(20:46):
sex of seven week course coming. So let's talk about
your classes. Where do you teach? Where can we get
the information because actors need to be there. Well, I
teach at Express Newark. In my new seven weeks course
is going to be every Wednesday starting January twe ninth.
I give seven weeks and I give you the fundamentals
of what I'm looking for to get a call back. Okay, okay,
(21:07):
you're gonna do monologue, You're gonna do comedy, you're gonna
do drama, you're gonna do improv, You're gonna give me
character build. I'm going to give you a character. I
want you to build it and you're gonna act it out.
I give you. I do those things because you need
to be able to be just as creative in the
room as you are is doing an audition, because that's
how you bring a character to life. So I try
(21:27):
to give them all those fundamentals. And this is my
next one is kids. This is my first challenge with that.
I'm doing it with two other cast and directors who
actually a casting director and a talent agent. Charlie is
out of Los Angeles and here he does his his
workshop here and Sandy mendel Hat Mendenhall. She's like, you know,
Sammy is more of a reality commercial talent that casting
(21:51):
retal like she did um kids say the darkest things,
so she does like those kind of cat talents. And
then it's me coming in showing the theatrical and it.
So you got your talent agent, You've got your commercial
and commercial modeling, and then you have your theatrical kids.
That's great, and that's my one day siminar coming up
on February first, February first at Express Network as well.
(22:14):
So where can we actors? Event Bright, event Bright, all
of those has my upcoming events and then I promote
everything on my social media. You want Behind Entertainment on
Facebook and also my I G Casting Diva. Alright, yes
(22:36):
we have um so in your classes. I want to
ask you because I used to sort of gauge, right, like,
let's say you have twenty students in your class. Out
of those twenty students, how many are going to take
(22:57):
your jewels and parlay it to the next level in
their acting class I mean their acting career. And so
funny you said that because the last class I just had,
I aged. I started off with twenty five students wonderful, amazing.
First class was like oh my god, until they had
to know what the work was going to be. By
the time I was done, I had six. So that's
(23:22):
a third of my class. That's a third of the
people that want to do the work, that actually want
to learn. I actually want to feel like they're doing
something and not being given something. Because I also realized
that people when they take my class, they think, because
I am a vetting this game, they're going to get
something out of this. No, I'm giving you all of
the things that you need to know. It's not about you.
(23:44):
You learned from me. You get an audition just so happens.
Sometimes you might get blessed with that because you might
be that talented and what are project I'm working on
at that time? I'm going to give you an audition.
I give you shots all the time. I have students
that I haven't seen in five years, but I think
about them, I remember for them, I've given them auditions.
One of my former students got my called me and
asked me. She said, I really want audition for coming
(24:05):
to America too. It was a phone call away. I
called Leo Daniel's butler out of the audition she put
herself on tape. That's the kind of things if I
know that you are well worthy of that and you've
done the work that I'm actually gonna do it. Wow.
Let me just say this. I love my casting director friends,
and I celebrate them. So if you thought this was
(24:27):
the last time you were going to hear from Yolanda Hunt,
you are sadly mistaken. Lando. You are coming back. There's oh,
thank you. I didn't even ask her, I apologize. I
just assumed sorry. When you come back. I just feel
like there's things that still need to be covered. Yes,
like Cathie Diva is coming back. He Okay. So in
(24:50):
these moments that I have with you, I want you
two things. One, I want you to share your pet peeves.
Give us a couple of your pet peeves. Okay. My
biggest pet peeves is, like I said, when you come
into the room, you should never want to shake my hand.
That is one of my biggest pet peeves. I see
fifty plus people a day. I don't want to give
you anything, and I don't want you to give me
anything that is really truly. That is one thing. I'm
(25:12):
not a germophoe, but I just am conscious of the
fact that I am dealing with a lot of people
on a regular basis. Love it other pet peeves. Don't
call me maw, do not call me maun. I dropped
the mic. I agree, I'm not I'm not your mom.
I'm just I'm just a casting director, Miss Hunt, Miss Landa.
(25:33):
I have no problem with that. But Mom, what don't
jenia flat? I just I'm saying I like you said.
You know, I can see me what I look like
right now, but I know I don't look like a mount. Okay, No,
she does not, thank you very much. Okay, And what
I'm sorry, do not say I'm sorry when you're auditioning
(25:58):
and you fumble. That should have actually been my number
one because honestly, when you're auditioning and that's that your
three minutes, I'm okay with you missing a couple of
lines or you're having to stop and start, because that's
gonna make you better. But as soon as you say
i'm sorry, you broke character, you broke my interest, you
(26:19):
broke my my whole attention. So now I'm going to
just go through the motions because now you're gonna mess
yourself up even more because when you're saying I'm sorry,
it's just like now you're fumbling, then that the beads
of sweat come out of your and then everything and
then the little brow comes out, and then you're looking
at me like for an answer, like I'm a lifeline.
I'm not. I'm not a lifeline now, I'm just I'm
watching you. Just do what you do, So don't say
(26:41):
you're sorry. Give yourself three seconds, count to three, breathe,
pick up from that last line and keep going. We're
not gonna stop you. We're gonna let you go ahead
and go because we want to see you shine. You
want to see you deliver, you want to see you
be able to win. So when you start saying i'm sorry,
you're you're you're shooting your own self and the actors
(27:03):
I listen, I'm so excited because whenever I have a
casting director, I feel like we speak the same language
and I'm like, thank you, thank you, like we do
we we have our code, we do it. It's I
just there's just such a comfort in knowing that there's
(27:23):
someone like you that I am not consistently casting anymore,
but to know in terms of casting and teaching that
you are out there that honing these actors empowering because
that's what you're doing when when you are talking about
the etiquettes and when you're talking about research and all
of this stuff is empowering. And so we need you
(27:45):
guys to receive it. No, it is. It is. And
so when we come back for part two of Casting
Diva Extraordinaire Yolanda Hunt, We're gonna have some other stuff
that we're going to touch upon as well. But the
great thing is is that we still have Yolanda for
our next segment. Class in session with Spirit actor alumni
who you know as well, Leanne Amato and Amani Patterson
(28:10):
is going to be calling in for us. Okay, look
forward to it. I do too. Oh my god, my
heart is filled. I could just levitate for the rest
of the day. Thank you so much. Thank you for
having me. Thank you for, like you know, allowing my
voice to be heard to the actors that I would
love to reach and meet. Well, we're also going to
reinforce all of this information about your workshops and your
(28:33):
classes for the adults and children as well. Thank you.
You're welcome. Oh man, Okay, thank you. And next we'll
have class in session with Spirited Actor alumni Leanne Amato.
Welcome back to the Spirited Actor Podcast with me. Tracy
Moore and Landa are casting director of Stordin. They are
(28:54):
casting Diva is still with us and I'm so excited.
Thank you, Landa, thank you for still having me. Yeah
we go, kidnap. You look awesome, good spirited stuff though. Yes. Um. So.
We also have Spirited Actor alumni Leanna Motto. Hey, Leanne,
(29:15):
so glad you're here, the best girl, Okay, I apologize,
and spirit Actor alumni Emani Patterson Emani Hey, Hello, Hey,
(29:39):
we're great, Thank you so much. Okay, so let's get started,
you guys. So this is how we play this game.
Alanda I will read the slug lines the action, and
then Leanne and Imani are just going to read their lines,
and you know, we're gonna breathe life into it for
Landa so that she can give you guys some constructive criticism,
and then we're gonna read again. Ilani and I will
(30:01):
not participate. Okay, here we go. Interior living room night.
Rebecca and Eric sit at the opposite end of the couch.
The tension fills the room. Eric leans forward, ah do
you want to talk. Rebecca glances sharply at Eric. You
know what's funny to me? Now you have lots of conversation, Rebecca,
(30:27):
I don't know what to say. Well, I cannot take
another apology from you. Eric, Rebecca, I am sorry. I'm
not accepting your apology. What do you want to do?
Rebecca laughs and cries at the same time. You want
me to make this easy for you. You want me
(30:50):
to end this. God, you're so pathetic. I'll accept my responsibility.
But Rebecca approaches him, But what I have some responsibility
in this? Eric walks away. She stands in his way. No, no, no,
don't walk away from me. What do you mean? Eric
(31:12):
tries to get away without touching her. Alright, alright, Rebecca
slowly backs off. She sits, I never meant to hurt you.
It wasn't supposed to happen this way. I had too
much to drink. Rebecca laughs. I got a lift share
I was on my way home to you. Rebecca tears up.
(31:34):
What are the chances that my ex girlfriend would get
in the car. It didn't mean anything, h it never does.
Do you want this to work? Eric? Of course I
wanted to work even after you had sex with your
ex ex girlfriend on your way home my engagement party. Yes,
(32:05):
you don't think that might be a problem. Eric paces
that could. It meant nothing and it will never happen again.
I promise you that. Yeah, I really want to believe
everywhere coming out of your mouth, but you can't. Rebecca
removes the ring from her finger and places it in
(32:27):
Eric Sam, keep it. You deserve it. See. Eric walks
out the door. Okay, thank you, thank you. Wow, Okay, Landa,
it's on you. Um. First off, you guys have a
good chemistry together. UM, but I am gonna have you
do it again. And lean key thing is that when
(32:51):
she's doing those dage directions, when she's making those those
points that you laugh, and then you need to add
those in that incorporate that because it makes us seem
a little bit more real. Um, and just watch out
for the beats that you guys are allowing that the
space and didn't have the real moments. You know you've
you've experienced some kind of you know, heartbreak and maybe
(33:13):
not this magnitude, but you know that you've had that,
and you're pleading should be really sincere I should be
able to really know that you you're dead wrong for
actually sleeping with some your ex girlfriend on your engagement.
That's what I want to feel. But I definitely want
to pay at into these stage direction because those are
they're they're playing a factor with you giving your emotion off. Okay, okay,
(33:35):
so Imani and Lean, I'm not reading the stage direction,
but you know where those moments are. Okay, So let's
incorporate what Landa has given you. Um to take a
breath and you guys ready, okay and action? Do you
want to talk? You know what's funny to me? Now?
(34:02):
You have lots of conversation from Decca. Ah, I don't
know what to say. I cannot take another apology from you.
Eric say, I am sorry. No, I'm not accepting your apology. Yeah,
(34:27):
what what do you want to do? Oh? You want
me to make this easy for you? All right? You
want me to end this? You're pathetic? H I'll accept
my responsibility, but but what I have some responsibility in this? No? No, no, no,
(34:55):
don't walk away from me? What do you mean? Hm?
All right, back, all right, all right, I never I
never meant to hurt you, all right, Well, it's supposed
to happen this way. I had so much to drink.
(35:19):
I got a lift share. I was on my way home.
To you, what are the chances that my my ex
girlfriend would get in the car? I didn't mean anything. Yeah,
it never does. Do you want this? Do you want
(35:40):
this to work? Eric? Of course I wanted to work
even after you had sex with your ex girlfriend on
your way home from our engagement party. Yes, and you
don't think there might be a problem back. Okay, it
meant it meant absolutely nothing if we never happened again.
(36:01):
I promise you that. Yeah, I really really want to
believe every word that's coming out of your mouth, but
I can't. You keep it. You deserve it and see
(36:24):
much better they to you. I don't know. I'm glad.
That's That's what I consider myself workable actors that take
direction and apply it and use it and go ahead
and redo the scene and actually make me feel I
felt like that second time around, you guys were more
into it and felt it, and it might be channeled
(36:46):
somebody else's relationship or your own, or a present or current,
you know, a previous situation, but it actually was incorporated.
I believed it. I didn't want to pay atten to
the paper. I wanted to pay attention to the actor too.
Great directions from miss Alanda Hans and thank you a
Monnie Patterson. We appreciate love you. Yeah, mon I'm looking
(37:11):
forward to seeing and meeting you. Okay, So Monti, this
is this is how it's going down. This how it's
going down because you allant is coming back. So when
Yolanda comes back, I'm going to have the date and
then you come in live and you and Leanne will
have another scene. Awesome to work with them, hands on. Yeah, okay,
(37:32):
so that's that's a date that's done. Okay, thank you
so much, Leanna, And I was getting ready to cry.
Leanne always you know, she's tears man. She's passionate about
her her craft. She is. I'm gonna levitate today because
of the love that I have received on this show.
I can't even tell you Landa like how you've touched
(37:55):
my spirit and it is just it's be utiful to
know that after all these years, we still know each
other and we still are in touch with each other.
That's a wonderful thing. And we love each other. So
this has been a really, really powerful, powerful show, and
you guys have to tune in again because part two
(38:17):
is going to be even more explosive. I'm going to
ask you to put on seatbelts for part two because
I know listen, she and I know you allowed to
go home, and she gonna be like, yeah, bring it all,
bring it for part two. Thank you so much, thank you,
Thank you guys out there as well. Yeay, and thank
(38:37):
you again Amani for jumping on board. Okay, thank you
so much. Yay, thank you, thank you for class in session.
And now it's time for give love. So I went
to Amsterdam in October and incurred a large amount of
(38:57):
expenses on my cell phone. And I'm not going to
say who the carrier is, but I called my carrier
to see if I could could negotiate some of these
additional fees, which kind of exceeded into like six hundred dollars, right,
So I called the carrier and the guy picks up
(39:17):
the phone and he says, hello, miss Moore, how can
I help you? My name is Jesus. You cannot make
that up. I said, excuse me, sir, what is your name?
He said, my name is Jesus. I said, are you
sure your name is not hey Sus? He said, no,
my name is Jesus. I said, thank you, Jesus. I
know a miracle has gonna happen there because Jesus is
on the phone. And he was like, yes, Miss Moore,
(39:40):
I will see how I can help you. He said,
can you hold on the line, Miss More. I said yes, Jesus,
I can hold on the line, knowing that a miracle
is going happen Jesus. So he put me on hold
and he came back and he said, Miss More, I
think we can help you. I said, oh Lord, thank
you Jesus. I knew you would gonna help me, Jesus.
I knew from the minute you picked up the phone, Jesus,
(40:00):
that you are on my side. Jesus, I am here
to tell you. Signs are everywhere. What are the chances
that I needed help? And Jesus answered the phone. The
moral of the story is pay attention to the signs.
They are right in front of you, and Jesus is
always on the line. Thank you for joining us on
(40:22):
the Spirited Actor podcast with me Tracy Moore. I looked
forward to our next Spirited podcast. Thank you
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 transition to
a celebrity acting coach after I cast a film New
Jersey Drive with executive producers Spike Lee and director Nick Thomas.
I audition every rapper from Biggie's Balls 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 Ye 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. Meditation of the day. Opportunity
(01:06):
does not send letters of introduction, Naomi Sims. We need
to be able to recognize the signs that are before us.
Miracles have a way of appearing through other people or
through something as simple as reading an article in a newspaper.
When I am against the wall, I sit back, quietly
and patiently wait for the right answer. I have learned
(01:31):
to not only recognize the signs, but to expect them.
I will have my antennas out and ready to grasp
the right opportunity. Welcome to the Spirited Actor Podcast with
me Tracy Moore, and going along with our theme this month,
which is January is renewing your talent. I would like
(01:55):
to renew your thoughts with my guests today. I get
warm and fuzzy when certain people come into the room
because casting director truly, casting director extraordinary, Yolanda Hunt is
with us today. And Yolanda is one of those people
that I don't have to see her every day, but
(02:17):
when I see her, the spiritual connection is there, and
then I miss her more and wonder why don't I
hang out with her? But I know she's busy. But
this is a reconnection renewal. I'm just so happy to
have you here, Yolanda Hunt. Thespians, put your hands together,
because you are about to hear the truth and we're
(02:40):
going to dispel these myths, because the truth is sitting
and you're listening to the truth right now, Yolanda Hunt,
put your hands together. I am beyond thrilled, delight, Oh god, yeah,
are we gonna schedule something because we're gonna eat and
we're gonna chat. They're not ready, No, they're not ready
(03:04):
for you, Yalanda. I'm going to start out by asking
you to, you know, tell us a little bit about
how you started as a casting director, your journey as
a casting director, and then I need actors to whatever
you use to document, whether you're physically writing on pen
and paper or in your phone. There's gonna be so
many jewels dropping right now. Treasure chest is here, treasure
(03:26):
chess here we go. Well, um, just to give you
a little bit of a brief, you know my journey. Um,
I started off on this little project called Poetic Justice
as an intern. Yes, and for one week I interned
and Robbie came to me and said, we want to
hire you as my sister. And that's Robbie, Ladies, I'm sorry,
by the way, one of my mentors and along with
(03:49):
my journey of my career has been fundamental to my
career and especially my growth and to this day. And
that started my journey. I got bit by the bug
and it was, you know, no holds back. And then
I you know, went on to did another project called
Minister Society with Tony Lee, another little project while he
was Robbie Reads associate, and then he became cast and
(04:10):
director of that. Brought me on that project and I
just kept going. And then Ralpharquar came into my life
and he gave me the opportunity to learn the back
into production. So he brought me in a Moeesha. So
I learned. I was an assistant and I learned to
do all of that. And he asked me when I
wanted to, uh, you know, when the show got picked up,
(04:31):
what did I want to do? I want to do casting.
I mean, that's what I do. And so he got
me and Kim Harden together. Wow, I love Kim Harden.
Shout out to him, Harden, Love Kim Harden. That's another
one of my mentors that definitely, you know, is an
influential in my life today as well. She hired me
and it's a funny story. She hired me to do
Moeesha and at that time, she didn't feel I was
(04:53):
ready to be an assistant, and she fired me. But
you know what that was an experience is for me
to know that I had to do better. Right. So
right after that, I got hired as an associate on
with Esa Braymond Garcia, another vent Billy Hopkins, Yes, Billy
Hopkins and Garcia, they were partners. And then she branched
(05:16):
off and did her own thing and she was doing
Speed Speed To Okay, So I got put on and
I wasn't the associate for speed To and I was
an associate for the Flood starting a driver later and
Ricky Harris rest in Peace with my favorite all time,
And it was just kind of like I just kind
of took off from there. And did you know, I
(05:38):
planted seeds to myself that I wanted to do and
I want to do a movie in New York. Two
years later I was doing Crookland. I was here as
an associate Crookland. I mean, I've had such a great journey.
Then after that Best Man, Yes, Best Man kind of
really put me on the map. I was a true
associate on that project. I was like hands on from
(05:58):
day one and just seeing how the hand pick and
bringing that great talent to Malcolm and and Sam. It
was just Malcolm ly Yeah, by the way, and I
worked with Monica Calhoun. Yes, Monica Calhoun is is she's
an extraordinary actors and writer. Yes, it's one of also
(06:21):
one of my close friends. And and she's still writing
right now to this day, so she's got a lot
of things going on with her as well. And that cast,
it just brought people to pay attention to what I
was doing and what I like. I knew I had
that I had an eye for talent, and it was like, Okay,
we can take a chance and that's all. That's all
(06:42):
she wrote. I moved to New York sixty years ago
and I was working at BT and I've been there
in house freelance gast and director e of since that's
a brilliant, brilliant journey and actors, I need you. I
always stressed for actors to I AMDB dot com so
that they can see the credit to the credits. But Elanda,
you have been a part of uh cinema, black cinema history,
(07:06):
like these are classics that you're talking about, I feel, so,
you know, there's a lot that I've left out Black panther,
I was gonna say, um, those are all like I
felt like when I was coming up into this, I
was I was in the gut of great African American
art being actually being put on TV. So I was
given that opportunity to work with the Keman Harvy Wayns
(07:28):
and working on his variety show, and then I had
that gave me a little real fast track of how
I had to you know, gotta call at ten o'clock
in the morning and I had to have a cast
by four, So that really gave me my my like jobs.
And then you know, working on those kind of shows,
and and then I mean, my journey has been so long.
Kingdom come getting to work, you know, with everyone, and
(07:50):
she still looks the same ladies and German. You don't
see her, but she doesn't. She look to say yes, well,
I think aunt, yes, But this journey has been so great.
But I'm not done. I'm haven't I haven't reached the crinical.
That's my journey. I'm just getting right there. And now
(08:13):
that I'm really starting to teach my acting classes here
in the Tri State and we need coaching and and
it's just been a whole other platform when I'm like
so happy that I'm being able to share to people
what I'm looking for in the room when they're coming
to audition for me as opposed to what you think.
Because you got those three minutes to shine, thank you.
(08:34):
And if you don't give me those three minutes of
what I remember you, then you're going to need the
fundamentals and I'm gonna try to give you to that.
So one of the things that you said, um, and
I can honestly say I went to one of your
classes and you were a totally different you are as
a Consey director, which I love. Yes, I mean, this
(08:55):
is what we're talking about. We're talking about the truth.
So absolutely, I feel like I I'm unorthodox. You're not
gonna go get oh the super training and I'm gonna
get this kind of the Meisner technique or no, you're
gonna get the technique of Yorlanda that's telling you this
is what you need to do when you get into
the room to get a call back, which you know,
that's what I know. This is what I'm I'm I'm
actively working, this is I'm still casting, I'm still looking
(09:17):
for talent. So and I'm I look to as the
person that brings new talent. So I'm always looking for
the underdog or somebody that hasn't had that exposure, or
doesn't have an agent, or doesn't have a manager, doesn't
have headshots. Those are the ones that really are the underdogs,
and I'm always looking for those and I'm that's why
I give that that platform and I do my acting
(09:39):
classes to you know, give them the the pillars that
they need and the points that they need and those
kind of molding that they need to become an actor
real Thespian, thank you. And the thing about that casting
room that you know we live in it, right, And
so I transition to UM when I just came on
(10:03):
board and really live with Buster Rhymes and Eve as
their coach. But the generation shift and they change. I
want to I want you guys don't see, but I
want you to talk about because Yolanda, I feel like
(10:23):
because I started my career in eighty seven at MTV
and it was just myself and Kevin Powell. So in
terms of people of color, Okay I'm exaggerating, but anyway,
there weren't a lot of people of color at that time.
So work ethics and me and and my work ethics
and how I pushed myself beyond what the expectations were
(10:45):
and I felt that that is the position that I
was in, and so generationally, I just I want you
to tap on some of that, but also talk about
this generation that your experience in your casting world and
their work ethics or beliefs. When I started out, you know,
you had to do the work. You had to put
(11:06):
the work in. You. You looked at you know, TV shows,
you looked at movies, you you studied actors. You had
to know actors names. You had to know who people were.
You had to know their resume. You had no producers
and you had no direct directors. You had to do
your research. And I didn't have that internet to do
that when I was coming up, So I had to
do my research, like you know, go look at their
(11:28):
resume and really get you know, the actual worker with
having things facts exactly. The computers were, you know, we
were just tapping into those. We were still using typewriters
when I started process so exactly. You know. So I
see that this generation, this wave of actors that I
have seen lately, feel like they're owed. It's not supposed
(11:51):
to wanting to do the work. They don't want to
do the research. And I really when it was doing
this last project that I worked on one night in Miami,
Gina King's directorial debut, associate on that along with Kim
harden Is the cast and director, and I noticed that
it took me about four months just to you know,
(12:12):
get people to really audition correctly for Mohammed Ali and
actually he was Cash Claire at that time. So it
was like people wanted to come in and they wanted
to come in as Mohammed Ali, but it was like,
did you do your research? Did you know who cash
is Clay was first before we Muslim? So it's like
you have why exactly, like you need to do your
(12:32):
research and know who these who these talents are, Who
who Jim Brown really was you know at that time,
and who Malcolm X was. What he was making the
transition of leaving the Nation of Islam. People were not
paying attention to that and they hadn't do their research.
And I noticed that that's what's being done. It's like,
if you're doing a bio on someone that is an
(12:52):
existing person, wouldn't you want to do your research on
them and be like them and all the information is
that it's a highway. You guys have it now. You
guys can go on the internet. You guys can go
to Netflix, you can go to Hulu. There's so much YouTube.
You can go to so many places now to do
your research on actors. But they still still like, you know,
it's the little baby steps that are going to get
(13:14):
you the job and the work. No, especially when you're
dealing with a director that is an actor, that's a
child actor that comes and knows the journey that they
have taken. So it's like an oscar exactly. I mean
multi actress actress. So it's like you have to know
that you're coming into auditions for someone like that, then
(13:35):
you have to she's done her work, absolutely do yours.
So I try to push my students to do the
research and to make sure that they know what they're
doing when they step into the room, because I know
what I'm doing, and so they need to learn how to,
you know, to do the research on an actor's period
and if you're doing a biopick and if you're creating
a character, to the research pull up stuff with your friends.
(14:00):
I have done so much to try to help actors
and little do you know people that my friends that
are actors, they take my personality and it will create
a character that has happened. I believe that it is truly.
That's great, that it's truly happened. So I know that
(14:21):
I know that that's what people you draw from. So
that's why you know, I try to teach my, my,
um my, my students. You know, the first choice is
the best choice. Don't overthink it as an actor and
just do your research. You know, you can never be
too perfect and acting. We have the Denzel Washington still
(14:43):
get coached. There's you know, there's actors because the Nicole
Kidman's they still get coached. Jennifer Lopez introduced me to
her acting coach on The Hustler. She was like, Tracy,
I've been with him twenty years. Why would I leave him?
That's the point. If you really are truly dedicated to this,
then that what you do. You do the work. And
I also have come across and this is going to
(15:03):
be a very touchy subject that actors domestically are not
so great with international actors, you know, are British actors.
They feel like Britishes are coming over here and doing
all the work. But that's what British actors are doing
a lot of work because they're learning our tongue, they're
learning our native song, they're learning how to be to
do our dialect. So why is it so hard for
(15:25):
you to learn to do their dialect? They go they
come over here to do do training, Go over, go
abroad and do training. There should be no and you
should want to as an actor to work outside. I
worked in Amsterdam recently. I taught a workshop and why
not go to Amsterdam? Why not explore outside of America
(15:46):
to do work. But one of the things I wanted
to touch base when you were talking about the audition
and people not doing their work, do you find that
actors don't read action inside? No, they don't read the
stage direction at all. Okay, they it wasn't alright, it's
not you, it's not And that's another thing that I
(16:06):
teached my read the stage direction. It's telling you what
to do in the scene. I mean, it's the most
self explanatory thing ever. So I was coaching this actress
and Gossip Girls coming back and I said, yeah, but
but they were cussing in the sides, and I said,
c w, it's on HBO Max. Oh yeah they did.
(16:27):
Um they picked it up. So there was some cussing.
So I said to the actress, you know Gossip Girls,
you know it was out before and she was like yeah,
I know. And I said, well, have you seen any
episodes of the I was like no, And I was like,
m So, what I'm gonna need you to do is
I'm gonna need you to see the episodes so that
(16:49):
you understand they're bringing it back. So just so you
can get an understanding, right, there was a line the
characters an African American girl and what the information that
we did not have is who she was. But she
has a line that she says to this white girl Jane.
She says, well, who are you an heir to the
Kogate dynasty or the niece of the Earl of Kensington.
(17:11):
So I said, do you understand the wealth of the
school that you're going to? And she was like, oh,
you know, it's like, you know one of the schools
in Manhattan, like a private schools that no no, no, no,
no no no, the air Cogate Air if you get
fortune five hundred the richest people in the world. When
that addition comes out, they list the airs of like
(17:32):
wal Mark, UM Pampers, you know, and these people are
like seventy eighty ninety. But when you deal with that
type of money, you're getting installments, like every two or
three years, you're getting millions, like you know, eighteen, you're
getting millions twenty one. Like And I have a friend
who is an air so I don't know how much
(17:53):
she gets, but like she gets this money in increments.
So these people seventy nineties still getting money. So I said,
you have to do your research to understand, and then
it says the Earl of Kensington and and the information.
I guess my challenge is how do we help actors today?
(18:16):
Because in this climate, I know what it's like to
stand up for like twelve hours exterior Chicago coaching, eve
on barbershop sixteen hours a day, six days a week,
and I wrote this book on my day off for
three months. So what do we do about the work
ethic of these actors? I mean, we have platforms like
(18:40):
this right here to be able to um promote what
they need to know. It's just it's on the receiver
and I can I can beat you in the head
all day long until you you know, it's green, but
you're gonna say it's blue. No matter what I can't.
I can only give you all the fundamentals that you need.
And I'm giving you all of those things. It's not
(19:01):
an orthodox way. It's the way that I know, as
a working cast and director expert in what you do,
that this is what I need to see. I need
to see this. I'm telling you that this is what
other casting directors need to see as well. When you
were walking into your room, I try to teach you
the etiquette. You know, it's like I make you feel
like when you walk into my room, like you've known
(19:23):
me for years, but you don't know me. So there's
a there's there is a boundary, there's a personable way
of you coming in. Be it feeling comfortable, because I
would be doing a disservice if I made you uncomfortable
to myself and you, Because I need to cast a role.
So if you're not comfortable in doing the character, how
am I gonna How am I gonna get my cast role? Right?
(19:44):
So I set that premise. But people need to know
the etiquette of it. You know, it's not you know, hey,
home girl. You know, and I've come across that because
some people feel like they do know me, And that
goes back to social media now allowing people to get
closer to you casting director. You know, in the eighties
and the nineties, we didn't have that connection. You don't
(20:04):
even know what I looked like. So, you know, social
media came into play facebooks, and then you know, people
wanting to know no more, and then you know, the
avenues of technology is just getting bigger and bigger, bigger,
and just trying to stay in the know of that
and you and you can't be our keg in our game.
You have to be in the know. Even though I
might not, you know, be on social media as much
as I should be. I am active. I still try
(20:26):
to stay active. I try to let people know what's
going on with me because you want to know why
I'm working. I want to keep you guys. So if
I if I'm not on social media as much, it's
just because I'm working to try to keep you guys working.
And if not, I'm teaching classes to keep you guys
working exactly. So it's it's it's a process and I'm
constantly trying to stay busy. I have I have another
(20:46):
sex of seven week course coming. So let's talk about
your classes. Where do you teach? Where can we get
the information because actors need to be there. Well, I
teach at Express Newark. In my new seven weeks course
is going to be every Wednesday starting January twe ninth.
I give seven weeks and I give you the fundamentals
of what I'm looking for to get a call back. Okay, okay,
(21:07):
you're gonna do monologue, You're gonna do comedy, you're gonna
do drama, you're gonna do improv, You're gonna give me
character build. I'm going to give you a character. I
want you to build it and you're gonna act it out.
I give you. I do those things because you need
to be able to be just as creative in the
room as you are is doing an audition, because that's
how you bring a character to life. So I try
(21:27):
to give them all those fundamentals. And this is my
next one is kids. This is my first challenge with that.
I'm doing it with two other cast and directors who
actually a casting director and a talent agent. Charlie is
out of Los Angeles and here he does his his
workshop here and Sandy mendel Hat Mendenhall. She's like, you know,
Sammy is more of a reality commercial talent that casting
(21:51):
retal like she did um kids say the darkest things,
so she does like those kind of cat talents. And
then it's me coming in showing the theatrical and it.
So you got your talent agent, You've got your commercial
and commercial modeling, and then you have your theatrical kids.
That's great, and that's my one day siminar coming up
on February first, February first at Express Network as well.
(22:14):
So where can we actors? Event Bright, event Bright, all
of those has my upcoming events and then I promote
everything on my social media. You want Behind Entertainment on
Facebook and also my I G Casting Diva. Alright, yes
(22:36):
we have um so in your classes. I want to
ask you because I used to sort of gauge, right, like,
let's say you have twenty students in your class. Out
of those twenty students, how many are going to take
(22:57):
your jewels and parlay it to the next level in
their acting class I mean their acting career. And so
funny you said that because the last class I just had,
I aged. I started off with twenty five students wonderful, amazing.
First class was like oh my god, until they had
to know what the work was going to be. By
the time I was done, I had six. So that's
(23:22):
a third of my class. That's a third of the
people that want to do the work, that actually want
to learn. I actually want to feel like they're doing
something and not being given something. Because I also realized
that people when they take my class, they think, because
I am a vetting this game, they're going to get
something out of this. No, I'm giving you all of
the things that you need to know. It's not about you.
(23:44):
You learned from me. You get an audition just so happens.
Sometimes you might get blessed with that because you might
be that talented and what are project I'm working on
at that time? I'm going to give you an audition.
I give you shots all the time. I have students
that I haven't seen in five years, but I think
about them, I remember for them, I've given them auditions.
One of my former students got my called me and
asked me. She said, I really want audition for coming
(24:05):
to America too. It was a phone call away. I
called Leo Daniel's butler out of the audition she put
herself on tape. That's the kind of things if I
know that you are well worthy of that and you've
done the work that I'm actually gonna do it. Wow.
Let me just say this. I love my casting director friends,
and I celebrate them. So if you thought this was
(24:27):
the last time you were going to hear from Yolanda Hunt,
you are sadly mistaken. Lando. You are coming back. There's oh,
thank you. I didn't even ask her, I apologize. I
just assumed sorry. When you come back. I just feel
like there's things that still need to be covered. Yes,
like Cathie Diva is coming back. He Okay. So in
(24:50):
these moments that I have with you, I want you
two things. One, I want you to share your pet peeves.
Give us a couple of your pet peeves. Okay. My
biggest pet peeves is, like I said, when you come
into the room, you should never want to shake my hand.
That is one of my biggest pet peeves. I see
fifty plus people a day. I don't want to give
you anything, and I don't want you to give me
anything that is really truly. That is one thing. I'm
(25:12):
not a germophoe, but I just am conscious of the
fact that I am dealing with a lot of people
on a regular basis. Love it other pet peeves. Don't
call me maw, do not call me maun. I dropped
the mic. I agree, I'm not I'm not your mom.
I'm just I'm just a casting director, Miss Hunt, Miss Landa.
(25:33):
I have no problem with that. But Mom, what don't
jenia flat? I just I'm saying I like you said.
You know, I can see me what I look like
right now, but I know I don't look like a mount. Okay, No,
she does not, thank you very much. Okay, And what
I'm sorry, do not say I'm sorry when you're auditioning
(25:58):
and you fumble. That should have actually been my number
one because honestly, when you're auditioning and that's that your
three minutes, I'm okay with you missing a couple of
lines or you're having to stop and start, because that's
gonna make you better. But as soon as you say
i'm sorry, you broke character, you broke my interest, you
(26:19):
broke my my whole attention. So now I'm going to
just go through the motions because now you're gonna mess
yourself up even more because when you're saying I'm sorry,
it's just like now you're fumbling, then that the beads
of sweat come out of your and then everything and
then the little brow comes out, and then you're looking
at me like for an answer, like I'm a lifeline.
I'm not. I'm not a lifeline now, I'm just I'm
watching you. Just do what you do, So don't say
(26:41):
you're sorry. Give yourself three seconds, count to three, breathe,
pick up from that last line and keep going. We're
not gonna stop you. We're gonna let you go ahead
and go because we want to see you shine. You
want to see you deliver, you want to see you
be able to win. So when you start saying i'm sorry,
you're you're you're shooting your own self and the actors
(27:03):
I listen, I'm so excited because whenever I have a
casting director, I feel like we speak the same language
and I'm like, thank you, thank you, like we do
we we have our code, we do it. It's I
just there's just such a comfort in knowing that there's
(27:23):
someone like you that I am not consistently casting anymore,
but to know in terms of casting and teaching that
you are out there that honing these actors empowering because
that's what you're doing when when you are talking about
the etiquettes and when you're talking about research and all
of this stuff is empowering. And so we need you
(27:45):
guys to receive it. No, it is. It is. And
so when we come back for part two of Casting
Diva Extraordinaire Yolanda Hunt, We're gonna have some other stuff
that we're going to touch upon as well. But the
great thing is is that we still have Yolanda for
our next segment. Class in session with Spirit actor alumni
who you know as well, Leanne Amato and Amani Patterson
(28:10):
is going to be calling in for us. Okay, look
forward to it. I do too. Oh my god, my
heart is filled. I could just levitate for the rest
of the day. Thank you so much. Thank you for
having me. Thank you for, like you know, allowing my
voice to be heard to the actors that I would
love to reach and meet. Well, we're also going to
reinforce all of this information about your workshops and your
(28:33):
classes for the adults and children as well. Thank you.
You're welcome. Oh man, Okay, thank you. And next we'll
have class in session with Spirited Actor alumni Leanne Amato.
Welcome back to the Spirited Actor Podcast with me. Tracy
Moore and Landa are casting director of Stordin. They are
(28:54):
casting Diva is still with us and I'm so excited.
Thank you, Landa, thank you for still having me. Yeah
we go, kidnap. You look awesome, good spirited stuff though. Yes. Um. So.
We also have Spirited Actor alumni Leanna Motto. Hey, Leanne,
(29:15):
so glad you're here, the best girl, Okay, I apologize,
and spirit Actor alumni Emani Patterson Emani Hey, Hello, Hey,
(29:39):
we're great, Thank you so much. Okay, so let's get started,
you guys. So this is how we play this game.
Alanda I will read the slug lines the action, and
then Leanne and Imani are just going to read their lines,
and you know, we're gonna breathe life into it for
Landa so that she can give you guys some constructive criticism,
and then we're gonna read again. Ilani and I will
(30:01):
not participate. Okay, here we go. Interior living room night.
Rebecca and Eric sit at the opposite end of the couch.
The tension fills the room. Eric leans forward, ah do
you want to talk. Rebecca glances sharply at Eric. You
know what's funny to me? Now you have lots of conversation, Rebecca,
(30:27):
I don't know what to say. Well, I cannot take
another apology from you. Eric, Rebecca, I am sorry. I'm
not accepting your apology. What do you want to do?
Rebecca laughs and cries at the same time. You want
me to make this easy for you. You want me
(30:50):
to end this. God, you're so pathetic. I'll accept my responsibility.
But Rebecca approaches him, But what I have some responsibility
in this? Eric walks away. She stands in his way. No, no, no,
don't walk away from me. What do you mean? Eric
(31:12):
tries to get away without touching her. Alright, alright, Rebecca
slowly backs off. She sits, I never meant to hurt you.
It wasn't supposed to happen this way. I had too
much to drink. Rebecca laughs. I got a lift share
I was on my way home to you. Rebecca tears up.
(31:34):
What are the chances that my ex girlfriend would get
in the car. It didn't mean anything, h it never does.
Do you want this to work? Eric? Of course I
wanted to work even after you had sex with your
ex ex girlfriend on your way home my engagement party. Yes,
(32:05):
you don't think that might be a problem. Eric paces
that could. It meant nothing and it will never happen again.
I promise you that. Yeah, I really want to believe
everywhere coming out of your mouth, but you can't. Rebecca
removes the ring from her finger and places it in
(32:27):
Eric Sam, keep it. You deserve it. See. Eric walks
out the door. Okay, thank you, thank you. Wow, Okay, Landa,
it's on you. Um. First off, you guys have a
good chemistry together. UM, but I am gonna have you
do it again. And lean key thing is that when
(32:51):
she's doing those dage directions, when she's making those those
points that you laugh, and then you need to add
those in that incorporate that because it makes us seem
a little bit more real. Um, and just watch out
for the beats that you guys are allowing that the
space and didn't have the real moments. You know you've
you've experienced some kind of you know, heartbreak and maybe
(33:13):
not this magnitude, but you know that you've had that,
and you're pleading should be really sincere I should be
able to really know that you you're dead wrong for
actually sleeping with some your ex girlfriend on your engagement.
That's what I want to feel. But I definitely want
to pay at into these stage direction because those are
they're they're playing a factor with you giving your emotion off. Okay, okay,
(33:35):
so Imani and Lean, I'm not reading the stage direction,
but you know where those moments are. Okay, So let's
incorporate what Landa has given you. Um to take a
breath and you guys ready, okay and action? Do you
want to talk? You know what's funny to me? Now?
(34:02):
You have lots of conversation from Decca. Ah, I don't
know what to say. I cannot take another apology from you.
Eric say, I am sorry. No, I'm not accepting your apology. Yeah,
(34:27):
what what do you want to do? Oh? You want
me to make this easy for you? All right? You
want me to end this? You're pathetic? H I'll accept
my responsibility, but but what I have some responsibility in this? No? No, no, no,
(34:55):
don't walk away from me? What do you mean? Hm?
All right, back, all right, all right, I never I
never meant to hurt you, all right, Well, it's supposed
to happen this way. I had so much to drink.
(35:19):
I got a lift share. I was on my way home.
To you, what are the chances that my my ex
girlfriend would get in the car? I didn't mean anything. Yeah,
it never does. Do you want this? Do you want
(35:40):
this to work? Eric? Of course I wanted to work
even after you had sex with your ex girlfriend on
your way home from our engagement party. Yes, and you
don't think there might be a problem back. Okay, it
meant it meant absolutely nothing if we never happened again.
(36:01):
I promise you that. Yeah, I really really want to
believe every word that's coming out of your mouth, but
I can't. You keep it. You deserve it and see
(36:24):
much better they to you. I don't know. I'm glad.
That's That's what I consider myself workable actors that take
direction and apply it and use it and go ahead
and redo the scene and actually make me feel I
felt like that second time around, you guys were more
into it and felt it, and it might be channeled
(36:46):
somebody else's relationship or your own, or a present or current,
you know, a previous situation, but it actually was incorporated.
I believed it. I didn't want to pay atten to
the paper. I wanted to pay attention to the actor too.
Great directions from miss Alanda Hans and thank you a
Monnie Patterson. We appreciate love you. Yeah, mon I'm looking
(37:11):
forward to seeing and meeting you. Okay, So Monti, this
is this is how it's going down. This how it's
going down because you allant is coming back. So when
Yolanda comes back, I'm going to have the date and
then you come in live and you and Leanne will
have another scene. Awesome to work with them, hands on. Yeah, okay,
(37:32):
so that's that's a date that's done. Okay, thank you
so much, Leanna, And I was getting ready to cry.
Leanne always you know, she's tears man. She's passionate about
her her craft. She is. I'm gonna levitate today because
of the love that I have received on this show.
I can't even tell you Landa like how you've touched
(37:55):
my spirit and it is just it's be utiful to
know that after all these years, we still know each
other and we still are in touch with each other.
That's a wonderful thing. And we love each other. So
this has been a really, really powerful, powerful show, and
you guys have to tune in again because part two
(38:17):
is going to be even more explosive. I'm going to
ask you to put on seatbelts for part two because
I know listen, she and I know you allowed to
go home, and she gonna be like, yeah, bring it all,
bring it for part two. Thank you so much, thank you,
Thank you guys out there as well. Yeay, and thank
(38:37):
you again Amani for jumping on board. Okay, thank you
so much. Yay, thank you, thank you for class in session.
And now it's time for give love. So I went
to Amsterdam in October and incurred a large amount of
(38:57):
expenses on my cell phone. And I'm not going to
say who the carrier is, but I called my carrier
to see if I could could negotiate some of these
additional fees, which kind of exceeded into like six hundred dollars, right,
So I called the carrier and the guy picks up
(39:17):
the phone and he says, hello, miss Moore, how can
I help you? My name is Jesus. You cannot make
that up. I said, excuse me, sir, what is your name?
He said, my name is Jesus. I said, are you
sure your name is not hey Sus? He said, no,
my name is Jesus. I said, thank you, Jesus. I
know a miracle has gonna happen there because Jesus is
on the phone. And he was like, yes, Miss Moore,
(39:40):
I will see how I can help you. He said,
can you hold on the line, Miss More. I said yes, Jesus,
I can hold on the line, knowing that a miracle
is going happen Jesus. So he put me on hold
and he came back and he said, Miss More, I
think we can help you. I said, oh Lord, thank
you Jesus. I knew you would gonna help me, Jesus.
I knew from the minute you picked up the phone, Jesus,
(40:00):
that you are on my side. Jesus, I am here
to tell you. Signs are everywhere. What are the chances
that I needed help? And Jesus answered the phone. The
moral of the story is pay attention to the signs.
They are right in front of you, and Jesus is
always on the line. Thank you for joining us on
(40:22):
the Spirited Actor podcast with me Tracy Moore. I looked
forward to our next Spirited podcast. Thank you
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