Acting

Julie Andrews. Lionel Richie. Michael Bublé. Keith Urban. Meghan Trainor. Celine Dion. Adele. What do these artists have in common? Each and every one has had vocal cord microsurgery, a procedure that attempts to fix vocal burnout and other serious vocal chord injuries. This kind of vocal damage isn't unusual. As a matter of fact, it's said to be an epidemic in the performing arts. Philipp Schmidli/Getty Images   But is there a cure that doesn't require surgery? Some experts say there i...

Have you heard the story about the girl who lived in a very small town across America and had dreams so big that she decided to pack her bags and move to the Big Apple to build a career as a working actress, just like the other thousands of people who make the same decision every year? Yeah, you got it. I am "that" girl. Except I didn't move from another state. I moved all the way from Turkey, Istanbul, and was undoubtedly determined to make it as a foreign actress. Living in New York an...

My last post took us off the timeline a bit. (Thank you, Quentin Tarantino and Malcolm Gladwell for teaching us it's ok to meander in our stories and recollections.) So allow me to redirect to my humble beginnings: My friend Brian gave up an opportunity of a lifetime two hours into the first day of shooting. I was neurotic; concerned I would unwittingly reveal this fact to my mother every night as I recounted with her my days on the set. Every time the phone would ring at night I was terror...

It all started at a prep school. Yes, I attended one, and while I could have gone to a number of different schools that were considered prestigious, my mind was sent on one that many considered a joke: Midland. Learning this sometimes surprises people. While others were packing their children off to Thatcher, Tate, Ojai, Villanova, Laguna Blanca, or Robert Louis Stevenson, I was drawn to something completely out of the ordinary.  Midland is fairly unordinary in that it is nearly devoid o...

Many people at Stage 32 often dream of getting their first real writing, acting, or directing credit in a big studio feature, but this can result in overlooking a truly valuable platform: The short film. A short film can help build your resume, get your work seen, or lead to even bigger and better opportunities. And while I never dreamt it could lead to so much, these ideas were the impetus behind my desire to make Crybaby, a 16-minute short film that I wrote, starred in, and co-directed with...

During his free Ask Me Anything webinar, Stage 32 CEO Richard "RB" Botto and Director of Script Services Jason Mirch fielded a question regarding the fast track to becoming a successful writer and actor. Basically, is there a way to shorten the path as a writer or actor? Hear what the duo has to say by clicking the video link below!   Click Here For RB's and Jason's Advice!       Remember, if you haven't subscribed to our YouTube page, make sure you do so you don't miss any of our a...

You probably already know this to be true. Or you've surmised it. But now it's even more glaring, and actor Robert Di Niro is one of many investors stepping up to make it so: New York City is the new Hollywood. And this makes an awful lot of east coasters beyond happy. Outside of the already bustling industry, there's this: "De Niro is part of a group of investors, including his son, that is purchasing a five-acre lot in Astoria, Queens “to build a sprawling production and film studio,” r...

So there I was, minding my own business (not really) in a Facebook group filled with actors when I came across a thread where a fellow actor posed the following question: “Do I really need a brand as an actor? I see all of these posts where it says we need to brand ourselves and I’m freaking out. Does it really matter?” The answers that followed the question were varied, to say the least. And of course they did; this is social media we’re talking about. You can say whatever the hell you want...

Not everyone who lives in Hollywood is from Hollywood. The industry is mixed with folks from all over the world who want nothing more than to fulfill a dream. Making the move is a massive decision, and can ignite a number of mixed feelings, including (but not limited to) excitement and absolute fear. These feelings fester from the moment you cross the city limits. Once in, you look around and you ask yourself, "Now what?"What was once a place that seemed so far away and out of reach is now a rea...

Welcome back! When we last parted, my friend Brian gave up two hours into the day. I made sure not to tell my mother that he ditched me for fear she would not let me go back to the set alone. I am not sure I actually lied about it. Well,l I guess there are lies of omission, so maybe I did lie. But I did tell her I saw people using things I considered to be toys as equipment on the set, and I was obsessed with these man-children and their toy box. Boys and Their Toys How many of you rea...