July 10, 2025 • 66 mins
🎙️New Episode of Actors! You Are Enough!!!
Stop Just Trying and Start Booking Acting Jobs!
In this powerful episode, Master Acting & Booking Coach Amy Lyndon—creator of the revolutionary The Lyndon Technique: A 15 Guideline Map to Booking and Ophelia Habelt, Talent Agent at Johnson Talent Agency, lay down the real talk about what’s really keeping actors from booking roles.
They dive into the origins of Amy’s game-changing booking technique, the mindset shifts actors need to make, and why just “trying” isn’t enough in this industry. If you’ve ever felt stuck or confused about why you're not landing the part, this episode will give you the clarity and tools to move forward.

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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:01):
Hey guys, welcome back to actors.
You are enough. Ophelia and I decided that we
should probably do a tell me about yourself because like, you
don't really know much about us.I mean, you see me all over.
I'm just spit on myself. You see me all over the
(00:23):
Internet. You.
See me spitting all. Over spitting all over the
Internet. But you don't really know much
about me and I and I know you don't know anything about
Ophelia. So like, didn't.
You all want to know. I think they should want to know
because like, we're spitting outinformation.
(00:43):
Yeah, like should you even trustus?
I mean, really think about it. I know, you know, that's the
thing I hear all the time. They're like, oh, everybody
tells me so many different things.
I don't know what to listen to. That is a fact.
That is very true. That's very true.
We live in such an age of massive information.
(01:06):
You kind of always got to be questioning this stuff, you
know? Yeah.
I mean, I just think that a lot of people just put the shingle
up and they go, yeah, I'm a consultant.
I'm a consultant kind of person.Yes, yes, 100%.
Gave me this much money because of whatever, whatever whatever.
Like how do you know who's legit?
(01:27):
Yeah, exactly. Well, it's the same idea of like
both like coach, like coaches, like health coaches for a while
or life coaches for a while. People could just call
themselves that. And then I think at some point
in time there is some law passedthat you actually can't just do
that. You have to like have.
Oh well that's good. I know it is good.
(01:49):
That's good because I mean, like, you know, you look them up
and they're like, like a former drug addict or something, you
know, like, like, I don't know, should I listen to you?
Seriously, they have all kinds of, you know, train wreck in
their past. And yeah.
Although that is a journey, so maybe, you know, you plot a
(02:09):
wisdom out of that train wreck. So, so there's a lot of that,
but but I think to be certified,I think it's important.
Absolutely. In our industry, there's like
what is the certification really?
Yeah, well, like managers you're, I mean, my next door
neighbor could wake up one day and decide I'm going to be a
(02:30):
manager, you know. And they can, they can, they
don't have to do any licensing they don't have, you know, and
so that's a little sketchy. They, you know, ideally like a
manager, you'd want them to be bonded, but.
Most don't get bonded. And most don't.
So there's really out there thataren't either.
So you can't just use that. It's that's a whole other thing.
(02:53):
You know you have to. I think the legitimacy of a
manager is to look up on IMDb Pro or IMDb and and look at
their clients and see if their clients have been booking
anything recently. Yeah, exactly, exactly.
And and then sometimes by referral too, you know, that's a
good way too, but. Yeah.
(03:15):
In general, you want to, you want to make sure like it's, you
know, like our, our agency is, is SAC franchised, you know, or
licensed. Yeah, there's a lot of agencies
that aren't, but that doesn't make them not legitimate though.
It doesn't make them. Do you think so?
It doesn't necessarily make themnot legitimate, but if you have
(03:36):
no other way of knowing, that isone way that you make sure
they're licensed, your agents licensed, at least you know
this. Oh license for sure, but there's
a lot of agencies that aren't sad.
Well, the top that like the top main big, big agencies, they
(03:57):
like went to court and got permission to get out from under
SAC. So they're they, you know,
obviously they're legitimate agencies and they're not SAC
franchise. Yeah.
So I don't know if that's an indicator, you know what I mean,
but definitely a license. Definitely a license and then if
it's not one of the big bigs being SAC franchise can just be
(04:18):
help a helpful assurance becauseyou know that they can't break
Zack rules. You know that they won't break
Zack rules because they'll get in trouble with Zack.
So it's just an extra assurance,but it doesn't it's still not a
guarantee. You know, it's you know, but but
yeah, you you want to make sure people are listening to you are
really they're really speaking from their like people on
(04:41):
podcasts are talking about acting.
Yeah, it's like. You know that they have a back,
some kind of background like whyare you?
Listening to them, there's somebody, there's a couple
people there like they booked a bunch of Co stars and all of a
sudden they're like this expert.Yeah, yes, yeah.
Or they start trying to coach 'cause they're.
Yeah, yeah, that's crazy. Yeah, that's happens.
(05:01):
That happens. I know, I know.
Yes, I know. You know, I mean, I actually was
talking to a girl the other day and she's finally leaving her
her class because it's become cult like, you know what I mean?
You know, you got to be careful of that too.
Like the people that aren't teaching you, Like what's their
(05:23):
track record? Exactly what's their track?
How is it impacting your career?You know too.
Like, yeah, I mean, like you can't call yourself like a like
an expert. Like I can go, oh, OK, I've been
doing this 30 years. Yeah.
OK, I hate to say that 'cause itmakes me look really.
Oh, but I, I have a good experience.
(05:44):
Yeah, I've created the technique, like, thank you.
I created a technique like 30 years ago, which is crazy.
And, and it's, and it's turned out, I like to say, turned down
56 series regulars so far and, and then just won a Critics
Choice Award, a Golden Globe nomination, an Emmy Award, an
(06:06):
Imogen Award. And, and it's international.
So that that alone should tell you the the legitimacy of the of
the teaching. Totally.
Yeah, I mean, that should tell you like right off the bat.
Yeah, off to absolutely off the bat.
And it just didn't happen, you know?
Right, exactly. It takes experience to.
(06:29):
Absolutely. Yes.
Exactly. You know, like I'm an expert of
my own technique. 100% and also the fact, just the fact that you
that you created the technique too it, it's, it's something
that is, it's, it's in your likeDNA.
And so you're going to have, youknow, an insight into it that
(06:52):
maybe someone who has a teachingtechnique, they could be a
really good coach, but they it'sbeen passed on through, you
know, teaching. Yeah, exactly.
They they have like, you know, dinosaurs and pre Astoria in
their technique. Yeah, yeah.
I mean. You know, it might be legitimate
to today's day and age. And since I am an actor, I am
(07:13):
you. I'm in the rooms with you.
I understand what you go through, you know, And the
technique was built specificallyat that time for television.
Yeah, right. Absolutely.
The fact that you're also currently acting, not just acted
once a long time ago. Yeah.
Coach, but you're still in it and and being able to experiment
(07:37):
and with this technique and use it and I mean I just saw this
movie that you were in that was so fun to go to that that.
Yeah, my, my students were like,we were hoping you were good,
but we didn't know you were brilliant.
I know. I'm like, well I better be it.
Was right, it was really fun to watch you and it was like, Oh
(07:58):
yeah, she's still she's acting in the technique is what it it's
still working because she's working on her, you know, so
it's yeah, it's really all thosethings matter, you know, all
those things make a make a difference and inform you about.
Is this someone that I should betaking advice from, you know, or
counsel from? Yeah, I, I, I the things some
(08:21):
people say, you know, but don't say to me sometimes.
Well, one teacher told me this. I said, well, the teacher could
tell you whatever they want to tell you, but they have to tell
you how to fix it. So what bothers me is that a lot
of teachers will tell somebody, oh, you're too big, but they
won't explain, like why that's happening.
They won't fix it. So then let's say the following
(08:46):
month, the actor gets an audition that the character is
flamboyant. They're going to underplay it.
Maybe what the teacher said about maybe a scene that they
were doing that maybe needed to be more subtle for whatever
reason. And so they're going to apply
that note going forward for likethe rest of their life.
(09:09):
That's a really good point. So if they get a character
that's a a lot bigger, they're going to say, oh, I can't do
that, it'll be too big. Yeah, right.
That's such a good point. There's like there's one of my
first questions for you. How did you, how and why?
So it's like 2 questions. How and why did you come up with
(09:31):
the Linden technique? How did that happen and why did
it happen? Well, I've been acting since I'm
10 years old. I was one of those people that
I, I literally, I literally wrote in like I knew at Ted what
I wanted to do. I literally wrote an indelible
ink in the bathroom stall at school 'cause that's you were
(09:55):
able to like write in the stall.There was like graffiti all over
the stall. And I write Amy Lynn 'cause I
changed my name back then in my mind, you know, but it was like
Amy Lynn with an E. So I would like underline the E
an actress forever, right? Right.
(10:18):
It's not like me and my crush forever.
It's like an actress forever. Like that was your crush is like
the idea of being an actress. That was fantastic.
I mean, don't get me wrong, it would be Amy and Joey.
And then the next week I'll crush Joey out and write Anthony
and cross Anthony out because you remember in school you would
(10:40):
like. Oh yeah?
Well, if your boyfriend's reallyfast.
I. Just sweat it, you know?
Every like month and 1/2 or you know.
Yeah. Yes.
So I couldn't erase them becausewe wrote in this ink.
I would just go like this and then write a name under them.
Yes. Oh, that is so interesting that
(11:00):
you knew that young. Yeah, so I was, I did everything
and anything that I could do, you know, like get my hands on
as a child and at 16 when because my parents weren't
interested in helping me. That's why any time I meet a
parent that really helps their kid, I taught.
(11:20):
I tell them, look, you're amazing.
You're amazing that you're therefor your child.
You're amazing. And you know, back in the day
when I used to have parents comein with their kids, I would have
the parents sit in the coaching because a lot of coaches didn't
allow, like most coaches don't allow the parents involved.
(11:41):
Right. So I would have parents sit in
to educate them on the techniques so they would speak
the same language. That seems so smart to me.
It's logical. Also like it just seemed also
seemed this day and age it seemssafer even, you know what I
mean? Well, then when the kid comes
out of the audition, because thekids are always like, they're
(12:03):
like, so what'd you do? Because they're so invested.
The kid. Gets bothered by it, and so that
goes into their audition to do well for the parent.
Yes, that's so true. That is so true.
And so it shouldn't be about theparent, it should be everybody's
working together for the same goal.
And so then they could talk technique to each other, you
(12:26):
know? Right, exactly they can.
Go Ah mom, I think my jump off wasn't strong enough I picked up
some of the energy in the room. I.
What in the common language? Yeah, absolutely.
So I would teach the parents thetechnique.
As well. That's really brilliant.
So anyway, so when I came out toHollywood after college, like I
(12:48):
I at 16, I would jump on a trainand go into New York City to
study at the Neighborhood Playhouse.
That's incredible. Yeah.
So Sanford Eisner. Was like in in like, do you see
Valhalla? Is that where you were?
No, it was in New Rochelle. You're New Rochelle.
That's right. OK.
Yeah, so just because my parentswouldn't drive me and they said
(13:09):
at 16, if you want to study in New York or if you want to do
anything in New York, you have to wait till you're 16.
So at 16, I signed up for the Junior School at Neighborhood
Playhouse. That's why.
That's why when I talk to peopleand talk about your dedication
and your discipline and what that's all about, I lived it and
I still live. But you know what that really
(13:31):
is? Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Yeah, so I did that for two years and I like it.
It's there's nothing like the independence of getting on a
train by yourself to do what your passion is, you know?
Yeah, I would always like get a Nathan's hot dog and some French
(13:52):
fries on the way home. And Oh my gosh, what what
memories. Oh, these are so that's great.
I could just I can picture. It Yeah, I was just.
And then I would just sit in thetrain eating my hot dog, feeling
like, oh, I'm an actor, you know?
Today it's like, you just don't do that, you know?
(14:13):
But it's harder to do that. But that doesn't mean you
shouldn't. Yeah, exactly.
Or that there's not other ways to to to express to yourself and
other people how dedicated and passionate you are.
Yeah, 'cause I mean, people write me all the time, I'm 14
and my parents, blah, blah, blah.
There's always something to do. Yes, yeah, yes.
(14:36):
There's always a play you can bein.
Yeah, absolutely. And then at 17, my 17 1/2, I
went to London and studied in London Shakespeare at the
University of London. I know if I knew that you went
to London at 17, no way. Oh, my gosh.
(15:00):
This is new for me. I'm loving.
I'm just so fascinated by this. Yeah.
You what you went to. Oh, my gosh.
So you have to like. It went through a program.
Money and oh, the program. Went through a program.
So, you know, we figured out this program and I went through
this program, studied at the London Academy of Performing
Arts, whatever it was called, university.
(15:21):
And, and so we studied Shakespeare and, and then, and
then I got, I sang my way into Syracuse University.
Wow. Yeah, because my SAT scores,
remember I talked about SAT scores, my SAT scores were
really low. So.
So don't let that stop you either guys.
(15:42):
You know, it's, there's other ways to make things happen for
yourself, you know there. So my acting and my singing
skills were high enough to get apartial scholarship.
Wow, amazing. Yeah.
So I was there and you know, that was an extreme because it
(16:03):
was a Conservatory. So it was hooked into an Equity
theater and the the guy that ranat Arthur Storch, he was a
director on Broadway and he was just really tough and like
strong and, and they had this role.
If you were late twice, you werethrown out of the program.
Oh. My gosh.
So you couldn't be late. I think 830 was the cut off in
(16:27):
the morning. And so finally I'm like, screw
that. I'm going to, I'm going to like
get an apartment across the street, which is what I did.
I left campus and went downtown in my sophomore year to get an
apartment across the street because I didn't want to get
thrown out of the program. Right, that's that's again
dedication. Yeah, and they would do an
(16:47):
annual thing. And right before I went in for
my annual, it was like an evaluation.
You could hear this girl crying,and it felt like boxes were
being from, I don't know. And I'm like, Oh no, I have to
go next. Right.
Oh, that's so gnarly. Well, obviously I, I've passed
(17:07):
the program. I was there for four years and,
you know, incredible during whenI was in, I think it was a
freshman and caught in high school, my uncle made Rocky and
it and Rocky won all these Academy Awards and and you know,
(17:28):
my whole family ended up moving to California.
I was still in New York. You stayed in New York.
Yeah, so and then after I graduated college, my parents
brought me out to San Diego. What, you didn't come out to
California until after you graduated in London?
No way. That is phenomenal.
(17:51):
Yeah. And so then I came out here and,
you know, opportunities come andgo.
I remember John Avildsen had called me to do this, this voice
over kind of a thing for for a movie, and I had just gotten my
wisdom teeth out and I couldn't do it.
(18:12):
And I didn't realize at the time, like what a huge
opportunity that would have been.
But late. I met him later on when I did A
Night in Heaven with Andy Garcia, which is where I got my
SAG card, which was a mistake. So you guys don't get your don't
get your SAT card early? Yes.
(18:33):
Oh, I try my talent that all thetime.
Don't get your SAT card early. You're not legitimate if you
have a SAT card. You're legitimate because you
say you are, and so that was a big mistake.
Was it the the the kinds of credits that you have?
Yeah, what are you going to do? So now as a non union person,
(18:55):
you have a lead in a movie that goes on Lifetime and nobody's
going to know. It's a non union movie.
That's like, like nobody's goingto know.
Right. It doesn't say like see bottom
this is a non union movie but when you get your union card
you'll be lucky to get one line.I know exactly you have no
(19:15):
credits. So stupid and nobody called me
that. No, and people don't find that
out. We, we've had, we have some
people I can't sign because it'slike their union because of
background work or, you know, and it's like, oh, I'm sorry,
I'm not going to be able to helpyou, you know, I'm so.
No, because they have no credits.
(19:36):
Yes, exactly. Exactly.
So so I spent many years doing alot of independent movies and I
I also I actually had a fake name that I used for all the non
union films. Her name was Lindsay Carr with
two Rs and. Curious.
(19:59):
And Lindsay worked. Away Lindsay booked a lot and.
Lindsay worked a lot. Well, nobody was going to stop
me, you know? And like I realized at that time
how stupid it was to get my SAG car early that I wasn't able to
to all these things that I wanted to do.
Right, right. It was in the road.
(20:21):
Yeah, I mean, I was in heaven. There was one movie that I did.
We were out in the middle of thedesert and I said, where's the
bathroom? And they gave me a shovel and
some toilet paper. Oh no, I.
Was in heaven. I'm like, as an artist, you're
like, oh, this is it. I'm really doing.
(20:42):
It this is so, this is so artistic.
Yes, suffering in the desert. Yes.
Gosh, which is so different thanhow most actors look at
something like that today. It's, you know, and I'm not, I'm
not saying that's a great thing to do for.
Oh, but how much do you want it?But how much do you want it and
and how much you want it? And also like, you know, we get
(21:04):
people complaining if you know, the the craft services doesn't
have a gluten free options or you know what it's like, what do
you know? What do you where do you think
you're you're going to go here? Like you don't, you don't,
you're not at a recognized hotel.
Like, why do you think you can make a fuss about that, you
(21:26):
know? Yeah, you know, bring your own
eggs. You know, it's like just boil
them at home. Just bring it with you.
Like, you know, I mean, how muchdo you want it?
I and today I still do films whether I'm paid or not paid
because I love it, because I'm an, I'm a real actor.
You know, I, I hate to say this,but if you don't do it because
(21:52):
you love it, then why are you doing it?
It's the most inconvenient, hardest business ever.
Yeah, it's not it's not like a acakewalk.
It's yeah. No, it's.
Hard. It's hard.
So everything to step back and think about why am I doing this.
(22:12):
Yeah, Why are you doing it? So I did anything I could get my
hands on, just like I did as a child, you know, for like shows.
And I booked so many movies. I don't know how many, like
ridiculous amounts of movies, like, oh, I got to tell you this
one story. This is really, really funny.
I did this one movie where I wasplaying this prostitute and it
(22:34):
was a great scene with the guy and then the the guy.
And then they said, Amy, would you be OK if you were dead and
hung up in a, in a, in a warehouse meet lock like a
warehouse meet thing? My God, I.
Well, I mean, yeah, I mean, my butt looked that good then.
So I'm like, if you're just shooting me from behind, yeah,
(22:56):
OK, I'm dead. And it's so shoot me from
behind. And so I'm there.
I'm there on the meat hook, right.
Like this. And then I forgot about the
detectives coming in from the front to examine the body.
I totally didn't even think. Oh my gosh.
(23:21):
No, they're they're like this looking at my naked butt.
I'm like, I didn't even think about it.
They. Didn't even have like a front
cover thing. Didn't even think about it.
Well, my gosh. That was one of that was like my
first job. I think like when they were
shooting video, but I I like I didn't even think about it.
(23:46):
That is actually hilarious. Not sure, but that is so funny.
Oh, actress. Actress.
Yeah. So they're sitting there going,
yeah, abrasions on the upper, you know, and I'm going how?
How about they? Have to act.
(24:07):
How do they have to be to not bereactive to that?
You know what I mean? To not be able to walk in and
have some like weird look come on their face or you know what I
mean? Like.
I think they were just there to do their job and find out how
the victim died. You know, they were good.
They were good. OK Anyway, so for years, but but
(24:37):
just stuff, you know, and then, and then my first TV job was
General Hospital. I was recurring on General
Hospital as Missus Talbot's maid.
Amazing, amazing. And that was my favorite show as
a kid, I read. Oh, I Luke and Laura.
Yeah, that. Was Yeah.
Oh. My gosh, I don't think anyone
didn't watch General Hospital. And that was like probably close
(25:00):
to that time, right? No, it was way way after.
It was way after OK. Yeah, it was way after, but I
was so excited. I was so excited to be in the
show that I used to like, share my schedule just to watch.
Oh my gosh, that show is that has got it is like really one of
(25:22):
the most popular. I mean, there's so many a
listers that there's there's many a listers have gotten their
start doing soaps. Oh, people don't understand that
to do a soap opera. Yeah.
It's the most incredible training, yes.
And they love Disney actors. Like right out of school.
(25:44):
They're the best kind of actors for that show.
Totally, yes. Yeah, and you know, and they
don't really. I have.
I've done 5 soap operas. Oh.
That's so fun, yeah. All the Sunset Beach Remember
Sunset Beach I did. Sunset Beach I did.
Both of the beautiful young and the restless General Hospital
(26:06):
days of our lives, all five of them.
But it's a certain kind of acting, you know.
But anyway, so I, I was booking all along, you know, but I mean,
there's only so much you could say.
Can I take your code? And there's like a phone call
for you, Mr. Quartermaine. Mr. Curtin Yes, yes, totally
(26:31):
right. And so it's like, well, you, you
have to level up, right? You know, that I got from just
a, like just a contact, you know, along the way.
But in order to audition for real TV, you need, you need an
agent, right? You need an agent, you need a,
(26:52):
you need a strong manager and and you need to know how to book
it. Right, right.
Exactly. And so I was getting screwed up
in the room because, you know, coming from theater, you go to
the audience for your feedback. Right.
(27:13):
But if you and then I also had alot of Meisner training, which
was an exchange of energy. 'Cause you see, you have to have
other people. Yes, yeah.
It would exchange energy back and forth and that's, that was
the whole training was emotionalenergy.
And then and then I was also very broken as a person.
(27:35):
I got really caught up in judgement.
Wow. So those three things kept me
from booking when I went into the TV rooms, which were were
very corporate. Interesting.
In the corporate. Like, well, yeah, when there was
in person interviews or if I do a call back, there's people in
(27:55):
the room. But there's there's a difference
between an audience and a corporate group.
There's these are two different energetic entities.
Yeah. So I would pick up the their
energy in the room. I would pick up also the energy
of how the reader was readed. Oh, gosh.
OK, like I or if the casting director wasn't looking at me,
(28:19):
I'd take it personally. I mean, there was like a million
things where if somebody was whispering, they could have been
whispering something good about me.
I would think it was bad, you know what I mean?
I wasn't focused. I was focused on what the room
was doing and. That was part of your training.
That was my training and that was also my life was was worried
(28:41):
about other people. Yes.
OK, so the Linden technique was was born out of me figuring out
how to protect myself from the room.
Wow, wow, that's really interesting.
And so every single guideline, like Guideline 10 handles all of
(29:04):
those people that are, are MIFRAtrained that and, and really
can't handle a bad reader or, orenergy around them, you know,
and the opening emotion, making sure it's at 90%.
If I'm not, if my generator is not already running and I'm not
(29:25):
doing Guideline 15, which is theenvironment, if I'm not fully in
the environment, in my imagination and in the emotion,
I'm going to pick up the office and the people in it.
Wow, that's crazy. So every single guideline
handles every single one of my insecurities.
Wow. And that that was born out of
(29:48):
having to go and examine every single insecurity that you were
struggling with that in reality 99.9 of actors are struggling
with and you had to go and do a deep dive from my hearing and,
and determine what specifically are these obstacles and then
figure out. Yeah, I was like, why isn't this
(30:11):
working? You're like, I know, but I have
the training, I booked all this other stuff like what's
happening? Couldn't figure it out.
I mean, here you have this person that trained.
I trained with Stella Adler. I mean, she was like right
there. Like I trained with her.
I trained with Harry. Master George, I trained with,
(30:35):
I, I had the London training. I had ABFA from Syracuse
University. I backed it since I'm 10 and I
couldn't book television. So I had to figure it out and I
did. And that's when the link
technique was born. And then my friend, then I was
started booking television. I'm like oh shit, this is
working right? Right, right, right.
(30:57):
And then said as it worked, you started booking.
Yeah, I was booking and then my friend says to me, can you coach
my kid for Prius, Prius stereo 2of that studio movie?
I'm like, I'm not a coach. She's well, just teach her
exactly what you're doing. Yeah, I.
(31:17):
Said OK, she booked it. He rolled in a studio movie.
My first student, Oh, my first coach on his technique.
That's crazy. And I'm like, oh, I might be on
to something. I think, yeah.
Wow. And so that started thinking
(31:39):
like 2004, yes. Wow, that's that's amazing.
In 2009 I wrote the book. OK, Well, this, that is such a
fabulous origin story. That is such a good orchestra.
Now tell me this. How so?
Well, you're training because I know that you coach people for
(32:02):
also for film, not just. Yeah.
Yeah, it's for everything. The the techniques for
everything. What's different between?
You know, you're talking specifically about TV, but film
is, is a little different, right?
It's like a different kind of audience, right?
That's. Well, in TV Guideline 14 says
why am I in the script? I might just be moving the story
(32:24):
along. I just needed to know my batting
order. I, I, my ego wouldn't allow me
to be submissive to their show. Interesting.
Well, I got all my training. I'm like, how are they going to
notice me and how are they goingto Remember Me?
They're not supposed to. Oh my gosh.
(32:48):
Wow. I bet how many actors do you
think are thinking that way? Don't even know they're thinking
that way. Probably.
Hard to like just, you know, OK,OK, to sit on the bench.
It's really hard to sit on the bench and just go, OK, I'm in
the outfield just catching ballsand it it's really hard to do
that. Yeah, but.
(33:08):
When I was able to figure that out I started booking a lot of
Co stars. You let go of your ego.
That's so interesting. Now film is different.
Film is like every single role is important in film.
So, you know, I had to know the difference between film and Tele
and network television. Not like we didn't have
(33:30):
streaming back then. So network television, like what
was the difference? And and film, every single
character is important. So you can get you can let your
freak flag fly. For any role.
For any role. That's a huge, that's a huge
distinction, right? Yeah, they, I mean, they want
(33:55):
people. Remember, I think we talked
about this on a previous podcastabout Joe Beth Williams.
Can we talk about that? So Joe Beth Williams and Kramer
versus Kramer won an Academy Award.
Yes, yes. Yes.
Yeah, yes, that's right. In a feature film, so yeah.
(34:17):
Yeah. Yeah.
What do you focus on? I mean, I know like you, it's
like you're not going to share all your training secrets, but
like, what do you what, what do you focus on for people that are
like, Oh man, I'm, you know, I'mhave, I'm booking all these
commercials or I'm booking, you know, episodics, but I I can't
(34:41):
get in the door with film. Like how?
Like where? How do you pivot your training
to to like? Well, I, I, I and that's more
psychological. Interesting.
Because those people that have been doing a lot of commercials
in your, if you're booking a lotof commercials, you're used to
(35:01):
being like subservient. You're used to being like
wallpaper. You're used to not having a
voice. Right, right, right.
You're. Having like a, you know, small
moment, small moment, small moment, small moment.
Yeah. And the same thing with coasts
with like I'm talking about waitress or, or ENT or guard #2
(35:22):
you know, that those kind of roles, when you start moving up
the ladder, you get to have a bigger voice.
And so if you're auditioning forlead roles or series regulars,
do we want to see a lot of you? And if you don't know who you
are, what's special about you, we we're not going to see that.
(35:45):
You know, I mean, there are people that aren't aren't
necessarily going to think aboutJustin Hartley and things like
Charlie from Track, not necessarily like this drop dead
actor. Right, yeah, that his depth is
not like incredible, but. He knows who he is.
Yeah. He brings, he knows what.
(36:07):
Works. Yeah, that is a true statement.
Like Tom Cruise never took an acting class.
He learned on the job training when he learned fast.
In order to stick out in a lead role, he needed to have charisma
and you needed to know who you were and what you were bringing.
(36:28):
Yes, like like it like the attitude is like, look, hey, I'm
here. Aren't you glad?
It's like if you if someone has that, it, it that's, that's kind
of the recipe for charisma. It's so sexy, right?
If you think about it right, Yeah.
Yeah, I mean, like that's I think one of the biggest things
(36:50):
that draws people into like a like a watching someone on
screen is like, Oh my gosh. Like they they're they're like
I'm here, you know, there's a confidence.
It's like. Yeah.
And then, you know, and that's, that's what I had to contend
with as a, as an artist, is thatI needed to get that under
(37:11):
control because if I wanted to move up.
Yeah. Then I better know what I'm
contributing. Right.
And feel really confident about about it.
Yeah. Wow, that's that is so good.
So the the linen technique was born.
(37:33):
And that's why 1/4 of my series regulars have no other training
but my technique. They haven't trained anywhere
else. Yeah.
And so to learn how to tell a great story, you want to show up
in the slot that you're given. Right.
But to and protect yourself philosophically, protect your,
(37:55):
your, your instrument so you don't falter because of
judgement and nerves. Because I was very, very, very
nervous. Yeah.
Right, yes, How to get a handle on that I?
Was very nervous, but if you create this world that you live
in and you buy it and then sell it, then you'll be busy in that
(38:18):
world and not busy in the room. So all those freaking people
that says win the room, you're not talking to the actor.
The actor, if they are going to win the room, then they're going
to be in the room and not in thescene.
Wow, right? So what you want to say to them
(38:39):
is be so sold on what you're doing so the room comes to you.
Wow. Stop going to the room.
So we should not be saying like you need to book the room.
You will book the room if you create the world that you live
in, great. Right, like that will just
(38:59):
happen as a result. Yeah, because people will be
like, what are they doing? What are what are they doing?
What are they? And then they're going to be
interested in you. But if you keep going to them,
then that's that's a dysfunctional quality of the
same reason why you became an actor.
Wow. Wow.
(39:19):
Truth bomb. Yeah, stop going to them.
And that includes like trying tofigure out what they want.
Trying to. Like do, is this what they mean?
What do they mean? What do they mean?
Yeah, that's that is a oh, that is such a good.
Yeah, yeah. So the linen technique is not
only a technique, but it's also a philosophy.
(39:41):
Yeah. Absolutely.
It's two things. It's, it gives you a way of
working, but there's also a, a deep philosophy behind it that
if you're clear about who you are, what you're bringing, then
that's how you will stand out and, and move in the way that
you, you need to be moving. Exactly.
(40:05):
Yeah, That's that's powerful. That's really powerful.
Yeah, but it and so the compliments that I always get is
people say thank you for giving me my career back.
That's profound. Yeah, and I hear that all the
time. I'm so free, Amy.
I'm so free. I'm off book really fast and I
feel so free and that is the best thing that I can do for
(40:28):
people. Yes, it must be so rewarding.
It's. It's why you've been doing it
for SO. Long.
Yeah. I mean, one of the girls is on a
movie right now. This girl, Isabella, and she
wrote me on Instagram this earlythis morning because it's
probably 3 hours ahead over there.
She's been on set shooting and she said that the director
(40:51):
pulled her aside and told her that she is the best actress
he's seen in a long time. Gosh, what's this?
Really. She's a young actress too.
I think she's only 19 because ofthis training.
Yeah, that makes a lot of sense.I mean, I said, wow, thank you
(41:12):
for telling me that and and you're on your way.
Not right. Oh, that's so good.
I love that. She took a lot too.
Yeah, that's. Yeah, I mean like, of course he
said that. You know, I'm not surprised.
The bad part that she was doing in class.
(41:34):
Yeah. Too.
And a lot of her work wasn't herwork as an actress, but her work
on her confidence. Right, right, yeah, You know, by
and large, it's so interesting. I I it's like when cast your
nerves are working with agents, they kind of they've kind of
like assumed that the agents already weeded out people who
(41:55):
can't like act. And so they're not, they're not
even, they're not Even so much trying to see like, OK, let's,
let's, I like this person's look, let's see if they can act
like they kind of already trusted that agents, you know,
at least legitimate agencies have we did some of that, But
they start looking for other stuff like the IT factor and and
(42:17):
of course, there's all these other things too, you know,
putting it's like putting together a puzzle.
Are they the right height? Do they, do they the right
ethnicity that goes with the lead?
Are they the right this or, you know, the all these other
things? Right?
But then there's also like they are looking for, like, do I want
to keep watching? It's not because they can't act,
but is there something pulling me in?
(42:37):
And there's the confidence factor, right?
Like that's a big part of like kind of what they're looking at.
They're looking for whether or not you're representing.
And that's why I was going to represent, represent, represent,
represent who this is represent and in the in the fullest way
(42:58):
possible in what they've given you, nothing more, nothing less.
You know, and, and you're right,they're looking at the missing
piece to the puzzle, which is like, if we have to put together
this ensemble, how is this person going to fit?
Exactly. But if you're not strong in who
you are, then how are you going to represent who this person is?
(43:22):
Totally. Because otherwise you're going
to blend. You can't blend into another
character. Right.
Exactly, exactly. Oh, this is so good.
So, so good. Yeah.
So if, if, if I help people be become singular, you know, and
(43:44):
then there's a degree of it. So if you're a florist, then
singularly be that florist in all its glory.
Yeah, yes. But if you're a serious regular,
then you better really understand that I want to meet I
I'm going to need to watch you every week.
Yeah. And how is that going to happen
(44:07):
if you're not interesting? Right.
Yeah. Yep, it's.
And what makes somebody interesting is, is confidence.
Yeah, yeah. Everybody's trying to do
interesting things, all to to move away from doing the most
(44:28):
important thing, which is figuring out who you are.
Yes, yeah. You know, we, we, you know, we
tell people like when you do your tape, I can't tell you how
to do this 'cause I'm not a coach, but you should be working
with your coach to figure this out in the first like 3 to 5
seconds. You better catch their
attention. And so we see people trying
little gimmicks, right? And and and sometimes it's like,
(44:51):
OK, I can see that that could behelpful, but there.
But it's like that is not going to be what gets books you the
job like come in off screen, youknow, So it makes it a little
catch your, you know, you can come in from off screen, you can
be sideways and turn around the first, you know, 5 seconds.
But those are really more gimmicks than, you know what I
(45:14):
mean, than actually like me as an actor, I'm going to get their
attention in the first 3 to 5 seconds, you know?
Yeah. Like you have to just come on
screen like knowing all the stuff that you're talking about.
Well, I think that, and I say this a lot and I don't
(45:35):
understand it, but actors spent a long time learning how to act,
but they haven't spent a long time learning how to book.
That there is a difference. There is a big difference.
And so when you bring somebody on, you brought them on because
their their demo reels were great.
They have a great look and look like they could really act.
(45:56):
And so then when they disappointwith these self tape auditions,
they get frustrated. They're like, yeah, but I know
how to act. But no.
But you don't know how to book. Right, exactly.
I think this is what we should title this like you don't know
(46:18):
how to. Book, you know.
How to book? We just shorten it.
You can. You know how to act, but you
don't know how to book. Yeah, you're acting, but not
booking. You should.
Yeah. And that is the truth.
Yeah. Book.
Stop acting. Book.
Book. Yeah, it's.
(46:40):
But that is the truth though. Yeah, you have to do what that
means that that's a true statement.
And there's so much that goes into it.
You know, I mean, I've talked a lot about what goes into it, but
one of the biggest things is to stop looking for what other
people think you should be doing.
Yeah, yes. But that's why one of the
(47:02):
guidelines is what am I doing? But you have to know what you're
doing. Yeah.
What is that encompass? It encompasses like, like, what
is this that you're doing it in?Like, what is this, You know, is
it sci-fi? Like, like I tell people, like,
a good way to figure it out is like, how would you pitch this?
(47:23):
If this was a show? How would you get to pitch this?
This is a cross between, I don'tknow, that girl like that girl
and the bear. OK, now we got a head on it.
Right. You don't understand.
He can't. He can't play it.
Yeah, right. You're trying to like.
(47:46):
Constantly force something rounded to something square.
Yeah. Yeah, you know, instead of just
sitting back and just analyzing it and going, what is this?
Right, exactly. What am I doing?
Yeah, yeah, you have to. You have to be able to answer
(48:06):
all those questions and not justshow up and try to pretend
you're that character. Exactly.
And like your tricks that you used way back in the day, not
necessarily the tricks that are going to be used for yourself.
Tape. Exactly.
(48:28):
Some of the some of the ways I think people are trained I think
are helpful, like when you get on set.
Oh yeah, absolutely. Or you're on set and you need
those that training in those tools that comes after.
You can't get on set unless you book the job.
And so you have to, you have to know the skill of booking.
(48:50):
You know the big skill of booking is to is to know who
your buyer is. Mm, hmm, yes.
So if you're the product. No, you're, you're acting as a
business of sales in so many ways it.
Really is because I mean your buyer is a corporation really.
Yeah, yeah, right. The the people that the people
(49:14):
who end up watching you once youare buckting on set, they're not
the ones buying. They're not.
No, they're not the ones buying.You like, you know, you watch
the Oscars and you see like I think of like, you know, this
year, you know, the the winner for the animated and everyone
knows you can look up the numbers that inside out two it
(49:38):
it was like the highest level and the highest watch, largest
grossing animation in the UnitedStates.
And like, I don't even know how long it was like decades.
It's not ever. And then I think Japan was
something in Japan ended up likea few months later, get the game
doing a little bit more. I don't even know how, but but
(50:01):
that was a box office, that one,that one.
But the the person who won the Oscar was it was someone else.
It was it was the what was it the cat one or so I forget what
it was, but but that's that's also why, like for the Golden
Globes, they have, they finally developed another category of
(50:23):
like, you know, the the box office winner, you know, so
people are not the ones booking,booking you, you're, you know,
so you can't it's like you, it should be that way, you know,
and it really, but it's not. So you have to understand that
that is a super important, important piece of information
(50:45):
that you have to understand who,who am I?
Who? Am I selling to who's the buyer,
you know, and and what, what have they bought before?
You know, like years ago, I usedto look at TV Guide and they
always had these TV shows and they were all the same.
They were all standing in formation, you know, and like
(51:07):
the girl was like this, you know, and then the lead was like
like this, you know, and then they were flanked by different
people in different positions, but they were all flanked to the
start. And they all look different.
Yes. OK.
And I and if you looked at everyshow on network TV, they all
(51:30):
hired the same kind of differentpeople, you know, like, and and
I always used to be like, well, where am I?
I couldn't see like, like, you got to be able to see where you
are. And so where I ended up was
guest starring in all the supporting comedy plot lines in
(51:55):
a drama show. And that was my sweet niche that
he kept booking over and over and over again was the subplot.
Right, right. Oh, that's fun.
That's the levity, the levity ofthe heavy drama show.
I would have the cute toff bead.Funny.
Yeah, yeah, totally. Yeah.
(52:17):
What? What you're selling?
Yeah, that's what it ended up being, you know, through the
years. But if you're like, if you can
look at the series regulars and recognize yourself as like that
person has my job and you got tobe working really hard to get
(52:38):
that job 'cause they're really buying your type.
Right, right. That's so good.
Like figuring out, like where, where do you fit in the
industry? You know, everybody's doing
these branding exercises, but are you watching enough TV?
Like what are you watching on TV?
Are you just like watching YouTube?
(52:59):
Right, exactly. Oh gosh, this is a whole other
opening can of worms. Yeah, yeah, you have to know
what's what streaming service are you watching.
That's those are all big things too.
You know, if do you want to be, are you trying to be on Apple
TV? Well, you need to figure out who
(53:20):
you are, figure out what kind ofshows are they airing.
There's a certain kind of show. That there's yes, yes.
Showing on on HBO Max on. Yeah, today in today's world,
they hire so many different types.
Like my type works all the time in streaming.
Yes. Not necessarily on network TV,
(53:42):
but on streaming. Like I've seen my type a lot and
you know, and Jennifer Coolidge is playing it.
But but it's OK. I mean, she can't take all the
jobs. But but I'm just saying that
like, where are you in the stream of people working?
(54:03):
Right. Totally, yeah, get a real
understanding of what you're, what you have to offer.
You know, even if you can do, even if you can do lots of
different stuff like figure out like that.
You know, when when I do post boarding with people, I sign
that. What's 1 of the questions I
always ask like who have you what, what are you mostly
(54:23):
getting called in for and getting callbacks for and what
do you, what have you mostly been booking at this point?
What do you when you do a scene in with your coach or class,
like what do you get the most positive feedback about?
And it's not that I'm not going to submit you for other stuff,
but let's figure this out so we know how to you know where to do
some strong pitches for you. Let's.
(54:43):
Yeah, because you're niching them.
You're niching them. And you know, and you guys out
there that say that you don't want to be typecast, Well, you
should be, you should be typecast.
You got to get going somehow, sothat's the way to get going
because you're all over the place.
You don't know what you're shooting for.
If you don't have a target, you're going to miss.
(55:04):
You're going to miss it. If you don't know what the
target is, you keep shooting at stuff, you're going to miss the
target. You have to have some kind of
target to start out with. And loving something isn't
necessarily meaning that that something is what they're not.
They're buying your type for, you know.
So if you tell somebody I reallywant to be on this one show, but
(55:26):
we don't see any you on the showanywhere, anytime, then you have
to be realistic about what showsdo you belong on.
Like, like I might look at somebody and go, Oh my God,
there's this girl on this one show that reminds me so much of
you. You know.
(55:50):
Like, I watch a lot of television.
I'm ATV junkie, I really am. But but that's part of my job
too, is to look at somebody and and go, this is where you fed.
Right, exactly. But that's something that you
guys need to know where you fed.Yep.
And you're not going to get thatfrom watching like, old movies.
(56:13):
Right, which is sometimes a suggestion and it and it and
like you, you, you need to do that too.
If you're you know, if you're because again, there's some
training that you need when you once you get on set, you need to
be able to pull out, particularly for film.
But if you're trying to book, you also need to be making sure
that you're watching current stuff and watching a fair amount
(56:33):
of it, you know, to understand what it what is selling right
now like. Not you know what I mean.
People just brag. You know what they do?
They brag. They're like, Oh yeah, these
people have called me back 345 times.
I'm like, yeah, they like you, but they're not coaches.
They're not going to try to figure out why the producers
aren't picking you. They they just know you look
(56:55):
good bringing them to bringing you to the producers because
you're never going to disappointbecause you're a really great
actor. But are you a great actor for
those producers? That's something I think people
don't think about. And they're, and they might kind
of know, but they forget like the casting directors aren't
making the final decision. Like they're helping, they're
(57:16):
helping the producers and directors narrow stuff down.
That's, that's what they're, that's all they're doing.
And they can give their, they'llgive their opinion, you know,
and, but, but the directors and producers are the ones making
the decision. They're the ones buying, doing
the buying. Well, on television, it's the
producers and the network, right?
Right, exactly. Film.
(57:38):
It's the director. It's mostly the director or the
person writing the chat. Right.
Exactly. The executives.
Yeah, totally. That's something.
Yeah. So it's like if it's Catherine
likes and keeps calling in, but you're not booking, it's like,
well, that's great that they like you, they're trying to hire
(57:59):
you. That's awesome.
But then, but why? What's happening then?
Like something needs to something need, some adjustments
need to be made. Yeah, you need to sit and figure
out like what it is. Yeah, because they're not.
Again, they try to figure it outwith the directors and produce
like their. Yeah, I mean, you'll fit if you
can fit, if you figure out whereyou fit.
You know, I remember years ago, I I auditioned for Jag.
(58:22):
Remember Jag? It was the Don Bellisario show
It it was before before they didNCIS.
Jack came before NCIS, right? Oh.
My gosh, that's a blast. So I was, I was going in for a
guest star of this, this girl who beat up another officer, OK.
(58:45):
And they had me in the Brig, right?
But I, I had already been in twice before and they didn't
hire me and I'm like God damn it, just going to hire me.
I'm going to figure this out. OK, so you see the difference
guys. I always said I'm going to
figure this out. So I figured it out.
(59:06):
I wasn't walking in like a military person.
I didn't sit like a military person.
I didn't have the posture of a military person.
I was just playing the actor, you know, the best acting job
with the character. But I forgot it was a military
show. Interesting.
(59:29):
So. So that's so much wisdom right
there. It just really like, it was like
being it's a military show. So I walked in and I the way I
sat in the chair. Yeah.
And delivered this person who beat up this person.
I was the suspect. They thought I'd killed him.
(59:49):
You know, I'm like. Right.
Right. I punched him or something like
that. And that's why I was in the Brig
and they had me all like, they, they, they made me all sweaty
and you know, but I booked it atthat point and I figured out.
It's not like my 2 auditions before that was any less of a
(01:00:11):
performance. Just was not a military officer
like I should have been in the two previous.
Right. OK, this is really interesting
because and I think after this, I think we we used up our time.
There's so much more. To.
Again, but we I think like what we tell, you know, as agents,
(01:00:33):
because we're not coaching people with some time to coach
people. We give we give basic feedback
on tapes. We always watch before we send
them out. But This is why people need to
have coaches because here's the thing, when we, you know, talent
doesn't, it's hard. Every time you don't get any
response from an audition, whichis the majority of time for all
(01:00:53):
actors, it's hard. And if you've been doing it a
long time, it in some ways it gets easier, but also in some
ways it gets harder. And so you know, the, the
general advice out there, like this is the advice we were given
when you know, our, our kids arestill acting, but you know,
which is just the momager, This is what you know, it would be
hard and you're trying to like help your kids walk work through
(01:01:16):
it. And it was like, you know, the
best thing you can do is after your audition, just forget about
it. And like, yeah, that is
definitely is like help. You don't want to be obsessing
about it and going back and thinking about it and
overthinking it. And you're in start looping, you
know your mind, but you at the same time it's I love how you're
(01:01:38):
like, you know what, I'm going to figure this out.
You know, like you did. You didn't just forget about it.
You actually were like, hey, I'man actor, this is my job and I'm
going to figure this out that casting directors aren't going
to give any feedback. So I need to figure out what is
what is happening? What's happening here?
(01:02:00):
I mean, like, that's why you know, in my club, I have this, I
have the self tape class and we look at self tapes and, and as
of recently, I've been doing a lot of coaching on looking at
people's self tapes. Is, you know, you guys, you have
to figure it out. Like you have to figure out
(01:02:21):
like, is your lighting right nowwith the self tape, it's like,
is lighting right? Is the setup right?
Am I, am I moving around too much in front of the camera?
Is the camera loving me enough? Am I, am I looking away too
much? Am I looking down too much?
Am I looking up too much? Like what am I?
Am I moving my hands too much? Like, am I in this genre, tone
(01:02:45):
and style? There's 100 million questions
you need to ask that you're not asking.
Yes. OK, that is but, but you're also
not figuring. It out right That is a such a
great right Exactly. That is such a great way to do
this is to be in a community of people that are passionate
(01:03:08):
acting skilled at it have the training as well and getting
getting the feedback. Like, if you're not sure what to
do, that's what you should be doing instead of just
forgetting. Like, forget about it in the
sense of like, don't obsess over, you know, why didn't I get
this? No.
Analyze it, analyze it, analyze it, sit and look at it and
(01:03:29):
analyze it. You could also watch the show,
like watch a bunch of episodes of the show and then ask
yourself, do I did I miss fitting into that show?
Did I miss that? What's the color palette of the
show? You know, like what, what what's
the like? How is it shot?
(01:03:50):
You know, is it fast like pick up, like like Suits?
You know, Suits is a very fast-paced, very fast pick up
drama, right? Exactly types drama D But but
like if you're slow on the pickup, it doesn't matter how
great of an actor you are, you're not right for that show.
(01:04:11):
Right, right, exactly, exactly 100.
Percent Like you could be a great actor, but you're going to
feel bad because they didn't choose you because they don't
know. Yes, right.
And that's the worst. It's to me, it's almost like
(01:04:33):
it's almost better not to get booked because you're like a
novice beginning actor who's like not great at it yet, but to
be so good and people not know that's.
They're not gonna know, they're not gonna see your talent if
you're not doing the talent for what they're looking for as a
producer, as a show, not what they're looking for in the
breakdown. What are they looking for to
(01:04:54):
fill this specific missing pieceto the puzzle for the producers
of that network show, right? Right.
Given the tone and the style andeverything else and the genre.
Exactly. Yeah, That's so good.
Yeah. Are we done?
I'm sad. I think that I know this is so.
(01:05:17):
So that's a big. Conversation.
Hey, let's cover what we can fortoday.
Yeah. A lot of meaty stuff.
Yeah. This will help you.
They will help your other fellowactors.
Yes, and if you want a free weekon my The Actors toolbox.net,
just go there. You'll watch me coach so many
(01:05:39):
people and you win technique on there or sign up for class or
whatever. I'm here.
I don't chase after people, so if you want me, you have to
chase after me. That's pretty much how I do it.
I love it. That's how you roll.
That's how she rolls people. Yeah, just how it is.
Also, I'm throwing summer deals.Summer deals is your coupon code
(01:06:01):
to Summer deals. Not one word, 2 words.
Look at this shirt. It's called peaceful.
It's on there. It's the definition of peaceful.
I need to get one of those. Yeah, this is on.
I need to get rid of those rightnow.
Peaceful and this is in the hunter Forest Green.
(01:06:23):
No, it's Forest Green, Heather Forest Green.
So anyway, we love you guys, right?
You do, and you are enough. You are enough.
Hey guys, welcome back to actors.
You are enough. Ophelia and I decided that we
should probably do a tell me about yourself because like, you
don't really know much about us.I mean, you see me all over.
I'm just spit on myself. You see me all over the
(00:23):
Internet. You.
See me spitting all. Over spitting all over the
Internet. But you don't really know much
about me and I and I know you don't know anything about
Ophelia. So like, didn't.
You all want to know. I think they should want to know
because like, we're spitting outinformation.
(00:43):
Yeah, like should you even trustus?
I mean, really think about it. I know, you know, that's the
thing I hear all the time. They're like, oh, everybody
tells me so many different things.
I don't know what to listen to. That is a fact.
That is very true. That's very true.
We live in such an age of massive information.
(01:06):
You kind of always got to be questioning this stuff, you
know? Yeah.
I mean, I just think that a lot of people just put the shingle
up and they go, yeah, I'm a consultant.
I'm a consultant kind of person.Yes, yes, 100%.
Gave me this much money because of whatever, whatever whatever.
Like how do you know who's legit?
(01:27):
Yeah, exactly. Well, it's the same idea of like
both like coach, like coaches, like health coaches for a while
or life coaches for a while. People could just call
themselves that. And then I think at some point
in time there is some law passedthat you actually can't just do
that. You have to like have.
Oh well that's good. I know it is good.
(01:49):
That's good because I mean, like, you know, you look them up
and they're like, like a former drug addict or something, you
know, like, like, I don't know, should I listen to you?
Seriously, they have all kinds of, you know, train wreck in
their past. And yeah.
Although that is a journey, so maybe, you know, you plot a
(02:09):
wisdom out of that train wreck. So, so there's a lot of that,
but but I think to be certified,I think it's important.
Absolutely. In our industry, there's like
what is the certification really?
Yeah, well, like managers you're, I mean, my next door
neighbor could wake up one day and decide I'm going to be a
(02:30):
manager, you know. And they can, they can, they
don't have to do any licensing they don't have, you know, and
so that's a little sketchy. They, you know, ideally like a
manager, you'd want them to be bonded, but.
Most don't get bonded. And most don't.
So there's really out there thataren't either.
So you can't just use that. It's that's a whole other thing.
(02:53):
You know you have to. I think the legitimacy of a
manager is to look up on IMDb Pro or IMDb and and look at
their clients and see if their clients have been booking
anything recently. Yeah, exactly, exactly.
And and then sometimes by referral too, you know, that's a
good way too, but. Yeah.
(03:15):
In general, you want to, you want to make sure like it's, you
know, like our, our agency is, is SAC franchised, you know, or
licensed. Yeah, there's a lot of agencies
that aren't, but that doesn't make them not legitimate though.
It doesn't make them. Do you think so?
It doesn't necessarily make themnot legitimate, but if you have
(03:36):
no other way of knowing, that isone way that you make sure
they're licensed, your agents licensed, at least you know
this. Oh license for sure, but there's
a lot of agencies that aren't sad.
Well, the top that like the top main big, big agencies, they
(03:57):
like went to court and got permission to get out from under
SAC. So they're they, you know,
obviously they're legitimate agencies and they're not SAC
franchise. Yeah.
So I don't know if that's an indicator, you know what I mean,
but definitely a license. Definitely a license and then if
it's not one of the big bigs being SAC franchise can just be
(04:18):
help a helpful assurance becauseyou know that they can't break
Zack rules. You know that they won't break
Zack rules because they'll get in trouble with Zack.
So it's just an extra assurance,but it doesn't it's still not a
guarantee. You know, it's you know, but but
yeah, you you want to make sure people are listening to you are
really they're really speaking from their like people on
(04:41):
podcasts are talking about acting.
Yeah, it's like. You know that they have a back,
some kind of background like whyare you?
Listening to them, there's somebody, there's a couple
people there like they booked a bunch of Co stars and all of a
sudden they're like this expert.Yeah, yes, yeah.
Or they start trying to coach 'cause they're.
Yeah, yeah, that's crazy. Yeah, that's happens.
(05:01):
That happens. I know, I know.
Yes, I know. You know, I mean, I actually was
talking to a girl the other day and she's finally leaving her
her class because it's become cult like, you know what I mean?
You know, you got to be careful of that too.
Like the people that aren't teaching you, Like what's their
(05:23):
track record? Exactly what's their track?
How is it impacting your career?You know too.
Like, yeah, I mean, like you can't call yourself like a like
an expert. Like I can go, oh, OK, I've been
doing this 30 years. Yeah.
OK, I hate to say that 'cause itmakes me look really.
Oh, but I, I have a good experience.
(05:44):
Yeah, I've created the technique, like, thank you.
I created a technique like 30 years ago, which is crazy.
And, and it's, and it's turned out, I like to say, turned down
56 series regulars so far and, and then just won a Critics
Choice Award, a Golden Globe nomination, an Emmy Award, an
(06:06):
Imogen Award. And, and it's international.
So that that alone should tell you the the legitimacy of the of
the teaching. Totally.
Yeah, I mean, that should tell you like right off the bat.
Yeah, off to absolutely off the bat.
And it just didn't happen, you know?
Right, exactly. It takes experience to.
(06:29):
Absolutely. Yes.
Exactly. You know, like I'm an expert of
my own technique. 100% and also the fact, just the fact that you
that you created the technique too it, it's, it's something
that is, it's, it's in your likeDNA.
And so you're going to have, youknow, an insight into it that
(06:52):
maybe someone who has a teachingtechnique, they could be a
really good coach, but they it'sbeen passed on through, you
know, teaching. Yeah, exactly.
They they have like, you know, dinosaurs and pre Astoria in
their technique. Yeah, yeah.
I mean. You know, it might be legitimate
to today's day and age. And since I am an actor, I am
(07:13):
you. I'm in the rooms with you.
I understand what you go through, you know, And the
technique was built specificallyat that time for television.
Yeah, right. Absolutely.
The fact that you're also currently acting, not just acted
once a long time ago. Yeah.
Coach, but you're still in it and and being able to experiment
(07:37):
and with this technique and use it and I mean I just saw this
movie that you were in that was so fun to go to that that.
Yeah, my, my students were like,we were hoping you were good,
but we didn't know you were brilliant.
I know. I'm like, well I better be it.
Was right, it was really fun to watch you and it was like, Oh
(07:58):
yeah, she's still she's acting in the technique is what it it's
still working because she's working on her, you know, so
it's yeah, it's really all thosethings matter, you know, all
those things make a make a difference and inform you about.
Is this someone that I should betaking advice from, you know, or
counsel from? Yeah, I, I, I the things some
(08:21):
people say, you know, but don't say to me sometimes.
Well, one teacher told me this. I said, well, the teacher could
tell you whatever they want to tell you, but they have to tell
you how to fix it. So what bothers me is that a lot
of teachers will tell somebody, oh, you're too big, but they
won't explain, like why that's happening.
They won't fix it. So then let's say the following
(08:46):
month, the actor gets an audition that the character is
flamboyant. They're going to underplay it.
Maybe what the teacher said about maybe a scene that they
were doing that maybe needed to be more subtle for whatever
reason. And so they're going to apply
that note going forward for likethe rest of their life.
(09:09):
That's a really good point. So if they get a character
that's a a lot bigger, they're going to say, oh, I can't do
that, it'll be too big. Yeah, right.
That's such a good point. There's like there's one of my
first questions for you. How did you, how and why?
So it's like 2 questions. How and why did you come up with
(09:31):
the Linden technique? How did that happen and why did
it happen? Well, I've been acting since I'm
10 years old. I was one of those people that
I, I literally, I literally wrote in like I knew at Ted what
I wanted to do. I literally wrote an indelible
ink in the bathroom stall at school 'cause that's you were
(09:55):
able to like write in the stall.There was like graffiti all over
the stall. And I write Amy Lynn 'cause I
changed my name back then in my mind, you know, but it was like
Amy Lynn with an E. So I would like underline the E
an actress forever, right? Right.
(10:18):
It's not like me and my crush forever.
It's like an actress forever. Like that was your crush is like
the idea of being an actress. That was fantastic.
I mean, don't get me wrong, it would be Amy and Joey.
And then the next week I'll crush Joey out and write Anthony
and cross Anthony out because you remember in school you would
(10:40):
like. Oh yeah?
Well, if your boyfriend's reallyfast.
I. Just sweat it, you know?
Every like month and 1/2 or you know.
Yeah. Yes.
So I couldn't erase them becausewe wrote in this ink.
I would just go like this and then write a name under them.
Yes. Oh, that is so interesting that
(11:00):
you knew that young. Yeah, so I was, I did everything
and anything that I could do, you know, like get my hands on
as a child and at 16 when because my parents weren't
interested in helping me. That's why any time I meet a
parent that really helps their kid, I taught.
(11:20):
I tell them, look, you're amazing.
You're amazing that you're therefor your child.
You're amazing. And you know, back in the day
when I used to have parents comein with their kids, I would have
the parents sit in the coaching because a lot of coaches didn't
allow, like most coaches don't allow the parents involved.
(11:41):
Right. So I would have parents sit in
to educate them on the techniques so they would speak
the same language. That seems so smart to me.
It's logical. Also like it just seemed also
seemed this day and age it seemssafer even, you know what I
mean? Well, then when the kid comes
out of the audition, because thekids are always like, they're
(12:03):
like, so what'd you do? Because they're so invested.
The kid. Gets bothered by it, and so that
goes into their audition to do well for the parent.
Yes, that's so true. That is so true.
And so it shouldn't be about theparent, it should be everybody's
working together for the same goal.
And so then they could talk technique to each other, you
(12:26):
know? Right, exactly they can.
Go Ah mom, I think my jump off wasn't strong enough I picked up
some of the energy in the room. I.
What in the common language? Yeah, absolutely.
So I would teach the parents thetechnique.
As well. That's really brilliant.
So anyway, so when I came out toHollywood after college, like I
(12:48):
I at 16, I would jump on a trainand go into New York City to
study at the Neighborhood Playhouse.
That's incredible. Yeah.
So Sanford Eisner. Was like in in like, do you see
Valhalla? Is that where you were?
No, it was in New Rochelle. You're New Rochelle.
That's right. OK.
Yeah, so just because my parentswouldn't drive me and they said
(13:09):
at 16, if you want to study in New York or if you want to do
anything in New York, you have to wait till you're 16.
So at 16, I signed up for the Junior School at Neighborhood
Playhouse. That's why.
That's why when I talk to peopleand talk about your dedication
and your discipline and what that's all about, I lived it and
I still live. But you know what that really
(13:31):
is? Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Yeah, so I did that for two years and I like it.
It's there's nothing like the independence of getting on a
train by yourself to do what your passion is, you know?
Yeah, I would always like get a Nathan's hot dog and some French
(13:52):
fries on the way home. And Oh my gosh, what what
memories. Oh, these are so that's great.
I could just I can picture. It Yeah, I was just.
And then I would just sit in thetrain eating my hot dog, feeling
like, oh, I'm an actor, you know?
Today it's like, you just don't do that, you know?
(14:13):
But it's harder to do that. But that doesn't mean you
shouldn't. Yeah, exactly.
Or that there's not other ways to to to express to yourself and
other people how dedicated and passionate you are.
Yeah, 'cause I mean, people write me all the time, I'm 14
and my parents, blah, blah, blah.
There's always something to do. Yes, yeah, yes.
(14:36):
There's always a play you can bein.
Yeah, absolutely. And then at 17, my 17 1/2, I
went to London and studied in London Shakespeare at the
University of London. I know if I knew that you went
to London at 17, no way. Oh, my gosh.
(15:00):
This is new for me. I'm loving.
I'm just so fascinated by this. Yeah.
You what you went to. Oh, my gosh.
So you have to like. It went through a program.
Money and oh, the program. Went through a program.
So, you know, we figured out this program and I went through
this program, studied at the London Academy of Performing
Arts, whatever it was called, university.
(15:21):
And, and so we studied Shakespeare and, and then, and
then I got, I sang my way into Syracuse University.
Wow. Yeah, because my SAT scores,
remember I talked about SAT scores, my SAT scores were
really low. So.
So don't let that stop you either guys.
(15:42):
You know, it's, there's other ways to make things happen for
yourself, you know there. So my acting and my singing
skills were high enough to get apartial scholarship.
Wow, amazing. Yeah.
So I was there and you know, that was an extreme because it
(16:03):
was a Conservatory. So it was hooked into an Equity
theater and the the guy that ranat Arthur Storch, he was a
director on Broadway and he was just really tough and like
strong and, and they had this role.
If you were late twice, you werethrown out of the program.
Oh. My gosh.
So you couldn't be late. I think 830 was the cut off in
(16:27):
the morning. And so finally I'm like, screw
that. I'm going to, I'm going to like
get an apartment across the street, which is what I did.
I left campus and went downtown in my sophomore year to get an
apartment across the street because I didn't want to get
thrown out of the program. Right, that's that's again
dedication. Yeah, and they would do an
(16:47):
annual thing. And right before I went in for
my annual, it was like an evaluation.
You could hear this girl crying,and it felt like boxes were
being from, I don't know. And I'm like, Oh no, I have to
go next. Right.
Oh, that's so gnarly. Well, obviously I, I've passed
(17:07):
the program. I was there for four years and,
you know, incredible during whenI was in, I think it was a
freshman and caught in high school, my uncle made Rocky and
it and Rocky won all these Academy Awards and and you know,
(17:28):
my whole family ended up moving to California.
I was still in New York. You stayed in New York.
Yeah, so and then after I graduated college, my parents
brought me out to San Diego. What, you didn't come out to
California until after you graduated in London?
No way. That is phenomenal.
(17:51):
Yeah. And so then I came out here and,
you know, opportunities come andgo.
I remember John Avildsen had called me to do this, this voice
over kind of a thing for for a movie, and I had just gotten my
wisdom teeth out and I couldn't do it.
(18:12):
And I didn't realize at the time, like what a huge
opportunity that would have been.
But late. I met him later on when I did A
Night in Heaven with Andy Garcia, which is where I got my
SAG card, which was a mistake. So you guys don't get your don't
get your SAT card early? Yes.
(18:33):
Oh, I try my talent that all thetime.
Don't get your SAT card early. You're not legitimate if you
have a SAT card. You're legitimate because you
say you are, and so that was a big mistake.
Was it the the the kinds of credits that you have?
Yeah, what are you going to do? So now as a non union person,
(18:55):
you have a lead in a movie that goes on Lifetime and nobody's
going to know. It's a non union movie.
That's like, like nobody's goingto know.
Right. It doesn't say like see bottom
this is a non union movie but when you get your union card
you'll be lucky to get one line.I know exactly you have no
(19:15):
credits. So stupid and nobody called me
that. No, and people don't find that
out. We, we've had, we have some
people I can't sign because it'slike their union because of
background work or, you know, and it's like, oh, I'm sorry,
I'm not going to be able to helpyou, you know, I'm so.
No, because they have no credits.
(19:36):
Yes, exactly. Exactly.
So so I spent many years doing alot of independent movies and I
I also I actually had a fake name that I used for all the non
union films. Her name was Lindsay Carr with
two Rs and. Curious.
(19:59):
And Lindsay worked. Away Lindsay booked a lot and.
Lindsay worked a lot. Well, nobody was going to stop
me, you know? And like I realized at that time
how stupid it was to get my SAG car early that I wasn't able to
to all these things that I wanted to do.
Right, right. It was in the road.
(20:21):
Yeah, I mean, I was in heaven. There was one movie that I did.
We were out in the middle of thedesert and I said, where's the
bathroom? And they gave me a shovel and
some toilet paper. Oh no, I.
Was in heaven. I'm like, as an artist, you're
like, oh, this is it. I'm really doing.
(20:42):
It this is so, this is so artistic.
Yes, suffering in the desert. Yes.
Gosh, which is so different thanhow most actors look at
something like that today. It's, you know, and I'm not, I'm
not saying that's a great thing to do for.
Oh, but how much do you want it?But how much do you want it and
and how much you want it? And also like, you know, we get
(21:04):
people complaining if you know, the the craft services doesn't
have a gluten free options or you know what it's like, what do
you know? What do you where do you think
you're you're going to go here? Like you don't, you don't,
you're not at a recognized hotel.
Like, why do you think you can make a fuss about that, you
(21:26):
know? Yeah, you know, bring your own
eggs. You know, it's like just boil
them at home. Just bring it with you.
Like, you know, I mean, how muchdo you want it?
I and today I still do films whether I'm paid or not paid
because I love it, because I'm an, I'm a real actor.
You know, I, I hate to say this,but if you don't do it because
(21:52):
you love it, then why are you doing it?
It's the most inconvenient, hardest business ever.
Yeah, it's not it's not like a acakewalk.
It's yeah. No, it's.
Hard. It's hard.
So everything to step back and think about why am I doing this.
(22:12):
Yeah, Why are you doing it? So I did anything I could get my
hands on, just like I did as a child, you know, for like shows.
And I booked so many movies. I don't know how many, like
ridiculous amounts of movies, like, oh, I got to tell you this
one story. This is really, really funny.
I did this one movie where I wasplaying this prostitute and it
(22:34):
was a great scene with the guy and then the the guy.
And then they said, Amy, would you be OK if you were dead and
hung up in a, in a, in a warehouse meet lock like a
warehouse meet thing? My God, I.
Well, I mean, yeah, I mean, my butt looked that good then.
So I'm like, if you're just shooting me from behind, yeah,
(22:56):
OK, I'm dead. And it's so shoot me from
behind. And so I'm there.
I'm there on the meat hook, right.
Like this. And then I forgot about the
detectives coming in from the front to examine the body.
I totally didn't even think. Oh my gosh.
(23:21):
No, they're they're like this looking at my naked butt.
I'm like, I didn't even think about it.
They. Didn't even have like a front
cover thing. Didn't even think about it.
Well, my gosh. That was one of that was like my
first job. I think like when they were
shooting video, but I I like I didn't even think about it.
(23:46):
That is actually hilarious. Not sure, but that is so funny.
Oh, actress. Actress.
Yeah. So they're sitting there going,
yeah, abrasions on the upper, you know, and I'm going how?
How about they? Have to act.
(24:07):
How do they have to be to not bereactive to that?
You know what I mean? To not be able to walk in and
have some like weird look come on their face or you know what I
mean? Like.
I think they were just there to do their job and find out how
the victim died. You know, they were good.
They were good. OK Anyway, so for years, but but
(24:37):
just stuff, you know, and then, and then my first TV job was
General Hospital. I was recurring on General
Hospital as Missus Talbot's maid.
Amazing, amazing. And that was my favorite show as
a kid, I read. Oh, I Luke and Laura.
Yeah, that. Was Yeah.
Oh. My gosh, I don't think anyone
didn't watch General Hospital. And that was like probably close
(25:00):
to that time, right? No, it was way way after.
It was way after OK. Yeah, it was way after, but I
was so excited. I was so excited to be in the
show that I used to like, share my schedule just to watch.
Oh my gosh, that show is that has got it is like really one of
(25:22):
the most popular. I mean, there's so many a
listers that there's there's many a listers have gotten their
start doing soaps. Oh, people don't understand that
to do a soap opera. Yeah.
It's the most incredible training, yes.
And they love Disney actors. Like right out of school.
(25:44):
They're the best kind of actors for that show.
Totally, yes. Yeah, and you know, and they
don't really. I have.
I've done 5 soap operas. Oh.
That's so fun, yeah. All the Sunset Beach Remember
Sunset Beach I did. Sunset Beach I did.
Both of the beautiful young and the restless General Hospital
(26:06):
days of our lives, all five of them.
But it's a certain kind of acting, you know.
But anyway, so I, I was booking all along, you know, but I mean,
there's only so much you could say.
Can I take your code? And there's like a phone call
for you, Mr. Quartermaine. Mr. Curtin Yes, yes, totally
(26:31):
right. And so it's like, well, you, you
have to level up, right? You know, that I got from just
a, like just a contact, you know, along the way.
But in order to audition for real TV, you need, you need an
agent, right? You need an agent, you need a,
(26:52):
you need a strong manager and and you need to know how to book
it. Right, right.
Exactly. And so I was getting screwed up
in the room because, you know, coming from theater, you go to
the audience for your feedback. Right.
(27:13):
But if you and then I also had alot of Meisner training, which
was an exchange of energy. 'Cause you see, you have to have
other people. Yes, yeah.
It would exchange energy back and forth and that's, that was
the whole training was emotionalenergy.
And then and then I was also very broken as a person.
(27:35):
I got really caught up in judgement.
Wow. So those three things kept me
from booking when I went into the TV rooms, which were were
very corporate. Interesting.
In the corporate. Like, well, yeah, when there was
in person interviews or if I do a call back, there's people in
(27:55):
the room. But there's there's a difference
between an audience and a corporate group.
There's these are two different energetic entities.
Yeah. So I would pick up the their
energy in the room. I would pick up also the energy
of how the reader was readed. Oh, gosh.
OK, like I or if the casting director wasn't looking at me,
(28:19):
I'd take it personally. I mean, there was like a million
things where if somebody was whispering, they could have been
whispering something good about me.
I would think it was bad, you know what I mean?
I wasn't focused. I was focused on what the room
was doing and. That was part of your training.
That was my training and that was also my life was was worried
(28:41):
about other people. Yes.
OK, so the Linden technique was was born out of me figuring out
how to protect myself from the room.
Wow, wow, that's really interesting.
And so every single guideline, like Guideline 10 handles all of
(29:04):
those people that are, are MIFRAtrained that and, and really
can't handle a bad reader or, orenergy around them, you know,
and the opening emotion, making sure it's at 90%.
If I'm not, if my generator is not already running and I'm not
(29:25):
doing Guideline 15, which is theenvironment, if I'm not fully in
the environment, in my imagination and in the emotion,
I'm going to pick up the office and the people in it.
Wow, that's crazy. So every single guideline
handles every single one of my insecurities.
Wow. And that that was born out of
(29:48):
having to go and examine every single insecurity that you were
struggling with that in reality 99.9 of actors are struggling
with and you had to go and do a deep dive from my hearing and,
and determine what specifically are these obstacles and then
figure out. Yeah, I was like, why isn't this
(30:11):
working? You're like, I know, but I have
the training, I booked all this other stuff like what's
happening? Couldn't figure it out.
I mean, here you have this person that trained.
I trained with Stella Adler. I mean, she was like right
there. Like I trained with her.
I trained with Harry. Master George, I trained with,
(30:35):
I, I had the London training. I had ABFA from Syracuse
University. I backed it since I'm 10 and I
couldn't book television. So I had to figure it out and I
did. And that's when the link
technique was born. And then my friend, then I was
started booking television. I'm like oh shit, this is
working right? Right, right, right.
(30:57):
And then said as it worked, you started booking.
Yeah, I was booking and then my friend says to me, can you coach
my kid for Prius, Prius stereo 2of that studio movie?
I'm like, I'm not a coach. She's well, just teach her
exactly what you're doing. Yeah, I.
(31:17):
Said OK, she booked it. He rolled in a studio movie.
My first student, Oh, my first coach on his technique.
That's crazy. And I'm like, oh, I might be on
to something. I think, yeah.
Wow. And so that started thinking
(31:39):
like 2004, yes. Wow, that's that's amazing.
In 2009 I wrote the book. OK, Well, this, that is such a
fabulous origin story. That is such a good orchestra.
Now tell me this. How so?
Well, you're training because I know that you coach people for
(32:02):
also for film, not just. Yeah.
Yeah, it's for everything. The the techniques for
everything. What's different between?
You know, you're talking specifically about TV, but film
is, is a little different, right?
It's like a different kind of audience, right?
That's. Well, in TV Guideline 14 says
why am I in the script? I might just be moving the story
(32:24):
along. I just needed to know my batting
order. I, I, my ego wouldn't allow me
to be submissive to their show. Interesting.
Well, I got all my training. I'm like, how are they going to
notice me and how are they goingto Remember Me?
They're not supposed to. Oh my gosh.
(32:48):
Wow. I bet how many actors do you
think are thinking that way? Don't even know they're thinking
that way. Probably.
Hard to like just, you know, OK,OK, to sit on the bench.
It's really hard to sit on the bench and just go, OK, I'm in
the outfield just catching ballsand it it's really hard to do
that. Yeah, but.
(33:08):
When I was able to figure that out I started booking a lot of
Co stars. You let go of your ego.
That's so interesting. Now film is different.
Film is like every single role is important in film.
So, you know, I had to know the difference between film and Tele
and network television. Not like we didn't have
(33:30):
streaming back then. So network television, like what
was the difference? And and film, every single
character is important. So you can get you can let your
freak flag fly. For any role.
For any role. That's a huge, that's a huge
distinction, right? Yeah, they, I mean, they want
(33:55):
people. Remember, I think we talked
about this on a previous podcastabout Joe Beth Williams.
Can we talk about that? So Joe Beth Williams and Kramer
versus Kramer won an Academy Award.
Yes, yes. Yes.
Yeah, yes, that's right. In a feature film, so yeah.
(34:17):
Yeah. Yeah.
What do you focus on? I mean, I know like you, it's
like you're not going to share all your training secrets, but
like, what do you what, what do you focus on for people that are
like, Oh man, I'm, you know, I'mhave, I'm booking all these
commercials or I'm booking, you know, episodics, but I I can't
(34:41):
get in the door with film. Like how?
Like where? How do you pivot your training
to to like? Well, I, I, I and that's more
psychological. Interesting.
Because those people that have been doing a lot of commercials
in your, if you're booking a lotof commercials, you're used to
(35:01):
being like subservient. You're used to being like
wallpaper. You're used to not having a
voice. Right, right, right.
You're. Having like a, you know, small
moment, small moment, small moment, small moment.
Yeah. And the same thing with coasts
with like I'm talking about waitress or, or ENT or guard #2
(35:22):
you know, that those kind of roles, when you start moving up
the ladder, you get to have a bigger voice.
And so if you're auditioning forlead roles or series regulars,
do we want to see a lot of you? And if you don't know who you
are, what's special about you, we we're not going to see that.
(35:45):
You know, I mean, there are people that aren't aren't
necessarily going to think aboutJustin Hartley and things like
Charlie from Track, not necessarily like this drop dead
actor. Right, yeah, that his depth is
not like incredible, but. He knows who he is.
Yeah. He brings, he knows what.
(36:07):
Works. Yeah, that is a true statement.
Like Tom Cruise never took an acting class.
He learned on the job training when he learned fast.
In order to stick out in a lead role, he needed to have charisma
and you needed to know who you were and what you were bringing.
(36:28):
Yes, like like it like the attitude is like, look, hey, I'm
here. Aren't you glad?
It's like if you if someone has that, it, it that's, that's kind
of the recipe for charisma. It's so sexy, right?
If you think about it right, Yeah.
Yeah, I mean, like that's I think one of the biggest things
(36:50):
that draws people into like a like a watching someone on
screen is like, Oh my gosh. Like they they're they're like
I'm here, you know, there's a confidence.
It's like. Yeah.
And then, you know, and that's, that's what I had to contend
with as a, as an artist, is thatI needed to get that under
(37:11):
control because if I wanted to move up.
Yeah. Then I better know what I'm
contributing. Right.
And feel really confident about about it.
Yeah. Wow, that's that is so good.
So the the linen technique was born.
(37:33):
And that's why 1/4 of my series regulars have no other training
but my technique. They haven't trained anywhere
else. Yeah.
And so to learn how to tell a great story, you want to show up
in the slot that you're given. Right.
But to and protect yourself philosophically, protect your,
(37:55):
your, your instrument so you don't falter because of
judgement and nerves. Because I was very, very, very
nervous. Yeah.
Right, yes, How to get a handle on that I?
Was very nervous, but if you create this world that you live
in and you buy it and then sell it, then you'll be busy in that
(38:18):
world and not busy in the room. So all those freaking people
that says win the room, you're not talking to the actor.
The actor, if they are going to win the room, then they're going
to be in the room and not in thescene.
Wow, right? So what you want to say to them
(38:39):
is be so sold on what you're doing so the room comes to you.
Wow. Stop going to the room.
So we should not be saying like you need to book the room.
You will book the room if you create the world that you live
in, great. Right, like that will just
(38:59):
happen as a result. Yeah, because people will be
like, what are they doing? What are what are they doing?
What are they? And then they're going to be
interested in you. But if you keep going to them,
then that's that's a dysfunctional quality of the
same reason why you became an actor.
Wow. Wow.
(39:19):
Truth bomb. Yeah, stop going to them.
And that includes like trying tofigure out what they want.
Trying to. Like do, is this what they mean?
What do they mean? What do they mean?
Yeah, that's that is a oh, that is such a good.
Yeah, yeah. So the linen technique is not
only a technique, but it's also a philosophy.
(39:41):
Yeah. Absolutely.
It's two things. It's, it gives you a way of
working, but there's also a, a deep philosophy behind it that
if you're clear about who you are, what you're bringing, then
that's how you will stand out and, and move in the way that
you, you need to be moving. Exactly.
(40:05):
Yeah, That's that's powerful. That's really powerful.
Yeah, but it and so the compliments that I always get is
people say thank you for giving me my career back.
That's profound. Yeah, and I hear that all the
time. I'm so free, Amy.
I'm so free. I'm off book really fast and I
feel so free and that is the best thing that I can do for
(40:28):
people. Yes, it must be so rewarding.
It's. It's why you've been doing it
for SO. Long.
Yeah. I mean, one of the girls is on a
movie right now. This girl, Isabella, and she
wrote me on Instagram this earlythis morning because it's
probably 3 hours ahead over there.
She's been on set shooting and she said that the director
(40:51):
pulled her aside and told her that she is the best actress
he's seen in a long time. Gosh, what's this?
Really. She's a young actress too.
I think she's only 19 because ofthis training.
Yeah, that makes a lot of sense.I mean, I said, wow, thank you
(41:12):
for telling me that and and you're on your way.
Not right. Oh, that's so good.
I love that. She took a lot too.
Yeah, that's. Yeah, I mean like, of course he
said that. You know, I'm not surprised.
The bad part that she was doing in class.
(41:34):
Yeah. Too.
And a lot of her work wasn't herwork as an actress, but her work
on her confidence. Right, right, yeah, You know, by
and large, it's so interesting. I I it's like when cast your
nerves are working with agents, they kind of they've kind of
like assumed that the agents already weeded out people who
(41:55):
can't like act. And so they're not, they're not
even, they're not Even so much trying to see like, OK, let's,
let's, I like this person's look, let's see if they can act
like they kind of already trusted that agents, you know,
at least legitimate agencies have we did some of that, But
they start looking for other stuff like the IT factor and and
(42:17):
of course, there's all these other things too, you know,
putting it's like putting together a puzzle.
Are they the right height? Do they, do they the right
ethnicity that goes with the lead?
Are they the right this or, you know, the all these other
things? Right?
But then there's also like they are looking for, like, do I want
to keep watching? It's not because they can't act,
but is there something pulling me in?
(42:37):
And there's the confidence factor, right?
Like that's a big part of like kind of what they're looking at.
They're looking for whether or not you're representing.
And that's why I was going to represent, represent, represent,
represent who this is represent and in the in the fullest way
(42:58):
possible in what they've given you, nothing more, nothing less.
You know, and, and you're right,they're looking at the missing
piece to the puzzle, which is like, if we have to put together
this ensemble, how is this person going to fit?
Exactly. But if you're not strong in who
you are, then how are you going to represent who this person is?
(43:22):
Totally. Because otherwise you're going
to blend. You can't blend into another
character. Right.
Exactly, exactly. Oh, this is so good.
So, so good. Yeah.
So if, if, if I help people be become singular, you know, and
(43:44):
then there's a degree of it. So if you're a florist, then
singularly be that florist in all its glory.
Yeah, yes. But if you're a serious regular,
then you better really understand that I want to meet I
I'm going to need to watch you every week.
Yeah. And how is that going to happen
(44:07):
if you're not interesting? Right.
Yeah. Yep, it's.
And what makes somebody interesting is, is confidence.
Yeah, yeah. Everybody's trying to do
interesting things, all to to move away from doing the most
(44:28):
important thing, which is figuring out who you are.
Yes, yeah. You know, we, we, you know, we
tell people like when you do your tape, I can't tell you how
to do this 'cause I'm not a coach, but you should be working
with your coach to figure this out in the first like 3 to 5
seconds. You better catch their
attention. And so we see people trying
little gimmicks, right? And and and sometimes it's like,
(44:51):
OK, I can see that that could behelpful, but there.
But it's like that is not going to be what gets books you the
job like come in off screen, youknow, So it makes it a little
catch your, you know, you can come in from off screen, you can
be sideways and turn around the first, you know, 5 seconds.
But those are really more gimmicks than, you know what I
(45:14):
mean, than actually like me as an actor, I'm going to get their
attention in the first 3 to 5 seconds, you know?
Yeah. Like you have to just come on
screen like knowing all the stuff that you're talking about.
Well, I think that, and I say this a lot and I don't
(45:35):
understand it, but actors spent a long time learning how to act,
but they haven't spent a long time learning how to book.
That there is a difference. There is a big difference.
And so when you bring somebody on, you brought them on because
their their demo reels were great.
They have a great look and look like they could really act.
(45:56):
And so then when they disappointwith these self tape auditions,
they get frustrated. They're like, yeah, but I know
how to act. But no.
But you don't know how to book. Right, exactly.
I think this is what we should title this like you don't know
(46:18):
how to. Book, you know.
How to book? We just shorten it.
You can. You know how to act, but you
don't know how to book. Yeah, you're acting, but not
booking. You should.
Yeah. And that is the truth.
Yeah. Book.
Stop acting. Book.
Book. Yeah, it's.
(46:40):
But that is the truth though. Yeah, you have to do what that
means that that's a true statement.
And there's so much that goes into it.
You know, I mean, I've talked a lot about what goes into it, but
one of the biggest things is to stop looking for what other
people think you should be doing.
Yeah, yes. But that's why one of the
(47:02):
guidelines is what am I doing? But you have to know what you're
doing. Yeah.
What is that encompass? It encompasses like, like, what
is this that you're doing it in?Like, what is this, You know, is
it sci-fi? Like, like I tell people, like,
a good way to figure it out is like, how would you pitch this?
(47:23):
If this was a show? How would you get to pitch this?
This is a cross between, I don'tknow, that girl like that girl
and the bear. OK, now we got a head on it.
Right. You don't understand.
He can't. He can't play it.
Yeah, right. You're trying to like.
(47:46):
Constantly force something rounded to something square.
Yeah. Yeah, you know, instead of just
sitting back and just analyzing it and going, what is this?
Right, exactly. What am I doing?
Yeah, yeah, you have to. You have to be able to answer
(48:06):
all those questions and not justshow up and try to pretend
you're that character. Exactly.
And like your tricks that you used way back in the day, not
necessarily the tricks that are going to be used for yourself.
Tape. Exactly.
(48:28):
Some of the some of the ways I think people are trained I think
are helpful, like when you get on set.
Oh yeah, absolutely. Or you're on set and you need
those that training in those tools that comes after.
You can't get on set unless you book the job.
And so you have to, you have to know the skill of booking.
(48:50):
You know the big skill of booking is to is to know who
your buyer is. Mm, hmm, yes.
So if you're the product. No, you're, you're acting as a
business of sales in so many ways it.
Really is because I mean your buyer is a corporation really.
Yeah, yeah, right. The the people that the people
(49:14):
who end up watching you once youare buckting on set, they're not
the ones buying. They're not.
No, they're not the ones buying.You like, you know, you watch
the Oscars and you see like I think of like, you know, this
year, you know, the the winner for the animated and everyone
knows you can look up the numbers that inside out two it
(49:38):
it was like the highest level and the highest watch, largest
grossing animation in the UnitedStates.
And like, I don't even know how long it was like decades.
It's not ever. And then I think Japan was
something in Japan ended up likea few months later, get the game
doing a little bit more. I don't even know how, but but
(50:01):
that was a box office, that one,that one.
But the the person who won the Oscar was it was someone else.
It was it was the what was it the cat one or so I forget what
it was, but but that's that's also why, like for the Golden
Globes, they have, they finally developed another category of
(50:23):
like, you know, the the box office winner, you know, so
people are not the ones booking,booking you, you're, you know,
so you can't it's like you, it should be that way, you know,
and it really, but it's not. So you have to understand that
that is a super important, important piece of information
(50:45):
that you have to understand who,who am I?
Who? Am I selling to who's the buyer,
you know, and and what, what have they bought before?
You know, like years ago, I usedto look at TV Guide and they
always had these TV shows and they were all the same.
They were all standing in formation, you know, and like
(51:07):
the girl was like this, you know, and then the lead was like
like this, you know, and then they were flanked by different
people in different positions, but they were all flanked to the
start. And they all look different.
Yes. OK.
And I and if you looked at everyshow on network TV, they all
(51:30):
hired the same kind of differentpeople, you know, like, and and
I always used to be like, well, where am I?
I couldn't see like, like, you got to be able to see where you
are. And so where I ended up was
guest starring in all the supporting comedy plot lines in
(51:55):
a drama show. And that was my sweet niche that
he kept booking over and over and over again was the subplot.
Right, right. Oh, that's fun.
That's the levity, the levity ofthe heavy drama show.
I would have the cute toff bead.Funny.
Yeah, yeah, totally. Yeah.
(52:17):
What? What you're selling?
Yeah, that's what it ended up being, you know, through the
years. But if you're like, if you can
look at the series regulars and recognize yourself as like that
person has my job and you got tobe working really hard to get
(52:38):
that job 'cause they're really buying your type.
Right, right. That's so good.
Like figuring out, like where, where do you fit in the
industry? You know, everybody's doing
these branding exercises, but are you watching enough TV?
Like what are you watching on TV?
Are you just like watching YouTube?
(52:59):
Right, exactly. Oh gosh, this is a whole other
opening can of worms. Yeah, yeah, you have to know
what's what streaming service are you watching.
That's those are all big things too.
You know, if do you want to be, are you trying to be on Apple
TV? Well, you need to figure out who
(53:20):
you are, figure out what kind ofshows are they airing.
There's a certain kind of show. That there's yes, yes.
Showing on on HBO Max on. Yeah, today in today's world,
they hire so many different types.
Like my type works all the time in streaming.
Yes. Not necessarily on network TV,
(53:42):
but on streaming. Like I've seen my type a lot and
you know, and Jennifer Coolidge is playing it.
But but it's OK. I mean, she can't take all the
jobs. But but I'm just saying that
like, where are you in the stream of people working?
(54:03):
Right. Totally, yeah, get a real
understanding of what you're, what you have to offer.
You know, even if you can do, even if you can do lots of
different stuff like figure out like that.
You know, when when I do post boarding with people, I sign
that. What's 1 of the questions I
always ask like who have you what, what are you mostly
(54:23):
getting called in for and getting callbacks for and what
do you, what have you mostly been booking at this point?
What do you when you do a scene in with your coach or class,
like what do you get the most positive feedback about?
And it's not that I'm not going to submit you for other stuff,
but let's figure this out so we know how to you know where to do
some strong pitches for you. Let's.
(54:43):
Yeah, because you're niching them.
You're niching them. And you know, and you guys out
there that say that you don't want to be typecast, Well, you
should be, you should be typecast.
You got to get going somehow, sothat's the way to get going
because you're all over the place.
You don't know what you're shooting for.
If you don't have a target, you're going to miss.
(55:04):
You're going to miss it. If you don't know what the
target is, you keep shooting at stuff, you're going to miss the
target. You have to have some kind of
target to start out with. And loving something isn't
necessarily meaning that that something is what they're not.
They're buying your type for, you know.
So if you tell somebody I reallywant to be on this one show, but
(55:26):
we don't see any you on the showanywhere, anytime, then you have
to be realistic about what showsdo you belong on.
Like, like I might look at somebody and go, Oh my God,
there's this girl on this one show that reminds me so much of
you. You know.
(55:50):
Like, I watch a lot of television.
I'm ATV junkie, I really am. But but that's part of my job
too, is to look at somebody and and go, this is where you fed.
Right, exactly. But that's something that you
guys need to know where you fed.Yep.
And you're not going to get thatfrom watching like, old movies.
(56:13):
Right, which is sometimes a suggestion and it and it and
like you, you, you need to do that too.
If you're you know, if you're because again, there's some
training that you need when you once you get on set, you need to
be able to pull out, particularly for film.
But if you're trying to book, you also need to be making sure
that you're watching current stuff and watching a fair amount
(56:33):
of it, you know, to understand what it what is selling right
now like. Not you know what I mean.
People just brag. You know what they do?
They brag. They're like, Oh yeah, these
people have called me back 345 times.
I'm like, yeah, they like you, but they're not coaches.
They're not going to try to figure out why the producers
aren't picking you. They they just know you look
(56:55):
good bringing them to bringing you to the producers because
you're never going to disappointbecause you're a really great
actor. But are you a great actor for
those producers? That's something I think people
don't think about. And they're, and they might kind
of know, but they forget like the casting directors aren't
making the final decision. Like they're helping, they're
(57:16):
helping the producers and directors narrow stuff down.
That's, that's what they're, that's all they're doing.
And they can give their, they'llgive their opinion, you know,
and, but, but the directors and producers are the ones making
the decision. They're the ones buying, doing
the buying. Well, on television, it's the
producers and the network, right?
Right, exactly. Film.
(57:38):
It's the director. It's mostly the director or the
person writing the chat. Right.
Exactly. The executives.
Yeah, totally. That's something.
Yeah. So it's like if it's Catherine
likes and keeps calling in, but you're not booking, it's like,
well, that's great that they like you, they're trying to hire
(57:59):
you. That's awesome.
But then, but why? What's happening then?
Like something needs to something need, some adjustments
need to be made. Yeah, you need to sit and figure
out like what it is. Yeah, because they're not.
Again, they try to figure it outwith the directors and produce
like their. Yeah, I mean, you'll fit if you
can fit, if you figure out whereyou fit.
You know, I remember years ago, I I auditioned for Jag.
(58:22):
Remember Jag? It was the Don Bellisario show
It it was before before they didNCIS.
Jack came before NCIS, right? Oh.
My gosh, that's a blast. So I was, I was going in for a
guest star of this, this girl who beat up another officer, OK.
(58:45):
And they had me in the Brig, right?
But I, I had already been in twice before and they didn't
hire me and I'm like God damn it, just going to hire me.
I'm going to figure this out. OK, so you see the difference
guys. I always said I'm going to
figure this out. So I figured it out.
(59:06):
I wasn't walking in like a military person.
I didn't sit like a military person.
I didn't have the posture of a military person.
I was just playing the actor, you know, the best acting job
with the character. But I forgot it was a military
show. Interesting.
(59:29):
So. So that's so much wisdom right
there. It just really like, it was like
being it's a military show. So I walked in and I the way I
sat in the chair. Yeah.
And delivered this person who beat up this person.
I was the suspect. They thought I'd killed him.
(59:49):
You know, I'm like. Right.
Right. I punched him or something like
that. And that's why I was in the Brig
and they had me all like, they, they, they made me all sweaty
and you know, but I booked it atthat point and I figured out.
It's not like my 2 auditions before that was any less of a
(01:00:11):
performance. Just was not a military officer
like I should have been in the two previous.
Right. OK, this is really interesting
because and I think after this, I think we we used up our time.
There's so much more. To.
Again, but we I think like what we tell, you know, as agents,
(01:00:33):
because we're not coaching people with some time to coach
people. We give we give basic feedback
on tapes. We always watch before we send
them out. But This is why people need to
have coaches because here's the thing, when we, you know, talent
doesn't, it's hard. Every time you don't get any
response from an audition, whichis the majority of time for all
(01:00:53):
actors, it's hard. And if you've been doing it a
long time, it in some ways it gets easier, but also in some
ways it gets harder. And so you know, the, the
general advice out there, like this is the advice we were given
when you know, our, our kids arestill acting, but you know,
which is just the momager, This is what you know, it would be
hard and you're trying to like help your kids walk work through
(01:01:16):
it. And it was like, you know, the
best thing you can do is after your audition, just forget about
it. And like, yeah, that is
definitely is like help. You don't want to be obsessing
about it and going back and thinking about it and
overthinking it. And you're in start looping, you
know your mind, but you at the same time it's I love how you're
(01:01:38):
like, you know what, I'm going to figure this out.
You know, like you did. You didn't just forget about it.
You actually were like, hey, I'man actor, this is my job and I'm
going to figure this out that casting directors aren't going
to give any feedback. So I need to figure out what is
what is happening? What's happening here?
(01:02:00):
I mean, like, that's why you know, in my club, I have this, I
have the self tape class and we look at self tapes and, and as
of recently, I've been doing a lot of coaching on looking at
people's self tapes. Is, you know, you guys, you have
to figure it out. Like you have to figure out
(01:02:21):
like, is your lighting right nowwith the self tape, it's like,
is lighting right? Is the setup right?
Am I, am I moving around too much in front of the camera?
Is the camera loving me enough? Am I, am I looking away too
much? Am I looking down too much?
Am I looking up too much? Like what am I?
Am I moving my hands too much? Like, am I in this genre, tone
(01:02:45):
and style? There's 100 million questions
you need to ask that you're not asking.
Yes. OK, that is but, but you're also
not figuring. It out right That is a such a
great right Exactly. That is such a great way to do
this is to be in a community of people that are passionate
(01:03:08):
acting skilled at it have the training as well and getting
getting the feedback. Like, if you're not sure what to
do, that's what you should be doing instead of just
forgetting. Like, forget about it in the
sense of like, don't obsess over, you know, why didn't I get
this? No.
Analyze it, analyze it, analyze it, sit and look at it and
(01:03:29):
analyze it. You could also watch the show,
like watch a bunch of episodes of the show and then ask
yourself, do I did I miss fitting into that show?
Did I miss that? What's the color palette of the
show? You know, like what, what what's
the like? How is it shot?
(01:03:50):
You know, is it fast like pick up, like like Suits?
You know, Suits is a very fast-paced, very fast pick up
drama, right? Exactly types drama D But but
like if you're slow on the pickup, it doesn't matter how
great of an actor you are, you're not right for that show.
(01:04:11):
Right, right, exactly, exactly 100.
Percent Like you could be a great actor, but you're going to
feel bad because they didn't choose you because they don't
know. Yes, right.
And that's the worst. It's to me, it's almost like
(01:04:33):
it's almost better not to get booked because you're like a
novice beginning actor who's like not great at it yet, but to
be so good and people not know that's.
They're not gonna know, they're not gonna see your talent if
you're not doing the talent for what they're looking for as a
producer, as a show, not what they're looking for in the
breakdown. What are they looking for to
(01:04:54):
fill this specific missing pieceto the puzzle for the producers
of that network show, right? Right.
Given the tone and the style andeverything else and the genre.
Exactly. Yeah, That's so good.
Yeah. Are we done?
I'm sad. I think that I know this is so.
(01:05:17):
So that's a big. Conversation.
Hey, let's cover what we can fortoday.
Yeah. A lot of meaty stuff.
Yeah. This will help you.
They will help your other fellowactors.
Yes, and if you want a free weekon my The Actors toolbox.net,
just go there. You'll watch me coach so many
(01:05:39):
people and you win technique on there or sign up for class or
whatever. I'm here.
I don't chase after people, so if you want me, you have to
chase after me. That's pretty much how I do it.
I love it. That's how you roll.
That's how she rolls people. Yeah, just how it is.
Also, I'm throwing summer deals.Summer deals is your coupon code
(01:06:01):
to Summer deals. Not one word, 2 words.
Look at this shirt. It's called peaceful.
It's on there. It's the definition of peaceful.
I need to get one of those. Yeah, this is on.
I need to get rid of those rightnow.
Peaceful and this is in the hunter Forest Green.
(01:06:23):
No, it's Forest Green, Heather Forest Green.
So anyway, we love you guys, right?
You do, and you are enough. You are enough.
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