🎭 Here’s your invite to From Surface to Soul: A Free Method Acting Class in Emotional Mastery happening Sunday 28th September – discover how to unlock emotional depth and make your next performance your best yet: GRAB YOUR PLACE HERE

Rachel McAdams’ audition for The Notebook is legendary... not because she had weeks to prepare, but because she had almost no time at all. She simply read the script, felt an instant connection to the character, learned the lines, and trusted herself to live truthfully in the moment.

That audition cycled the panel through a whirlwind of emotions and ultimately landed her one of the roles that defined her career.

In this episode, I break down what made her audition so powerful and what you can learn from it, especially if you’ve ever felt underprepared or short on time. We’ll explore how Method Acting techniques like sense memory, personalisation, affective memory and rampaging can help you fuse imagination with your own life experience. These tools become second nature with practice, allowing you to walk into any audition and deliver raw, truthful, unforgettable performances... even on short notice.

Because practice doesn’t make perfect... it makes progress. And progress is what gets you closer to that breakthrough role.

✨ Want to learn a repeatable way to connect to emotions on cue, just like Rachel did in her audition? Join me live for From Surface to Soul: A Free Method Acting Class in Emotional Mastery on Sunday 28th September: GRAB YOUR PLACE HERE

Support the show

INSTA: @standbymethodactingstudio

WEB: standbymethod.com

FREE THE ESSENTIAL METHOD ACTING HANDBOOK: http://pages.standbymethod.com/freeactingbook

Here’s your invite to the free emotions class on Sun 28th Sept → [claim your place]

There was one stage direction that used to absolutely terrify me as an actor: “the character reacts in surprise.”

If you’ve ever dreaded seeing that in a script, you’ll know the feeling — instead of actually being surprised, you start anticipating the moment. Your mind races: “How do I make this look real? What if it looks fake? What if I overdo it?” Suddenly, you’re stuck in your head, watching yourself perform instead of living truthfully in the moment.

In this episode, I’m opening up about my own struggles with this stage direction and sharing how I finally mastered it. You’ll discover:

• Why mental tension grows when you anticipate emotions (and how to dissolve it).
• The role of relaxation in keeping your connection authentic.
• How I used substitution to move away from fake reactions and into genuine ones.
• A practical way to approach surprise (and other tricky emotions) that keeps you connected, consistent, and confident.

This is a must-listen if you’ve ever felt blocked, fake, or overacted in moments where the script demands emotional truth.

✨ Want to go deeper into emotional mastery? On Sunday 28th Sept (6:30–8:30pm UK time, online via Zoom) I’m teaching a free Method Acting class where we’ll work with a meaty scene and practice simplifying emotions so you can connect to real feeling in every rehearsal, self-tape, and performance.

👉 Reserve your free spot here

Support the show

INSTA: @standbymethodactingstudio

WEB: standbymethod.com

FREE THE ESSENTIAL METHOD ACTING HANDBOOK: http://pages.standbymethod.com/freeactingbook

Stage directions like “a single tear rolls down her face” can feel intimidating — almost impossible to live up to without losing connection. In this episode, I share how to simplify your emotional work so you stop obsessing over the stage directions and start focusing on what really matters: truthful connection.

You’ll discover:
✨ The 6 key emotions every actor should master in the early stages of emotional work
✨ A simple, effective method for using these emotions without overwhelm
✨ How to replace pressure with presence, so your performances feel grounded, authentic and moving

This episode is all about unlocking emotional power in your scenes in a way that feels natural, consistent, and repeatable.

🌹 And before we dive in — I’m teaching a free Method Acting class on emotional mastery on 28th Spetember. If you want to learn how to access real emotion in every rehearsal, take, and self tape, you can save your spot here

Or if you know you want to get straight into 10-weeks of deep dive emotional work, check out the final 10-Week Method Acting Module of 2025: Affective Memory here

Support the show

INSTA: @standbymethodactingstudio

WEB: standbymethod.com

FREE THE ESSENTIAL METHOD ACTING HANDBOOK: http://pages.standbymethod.com/freeactingbook

Make your next performance your most gripping, with The Autumn 10-Week Method Acting Module - check it out HERE

It's been criticised for decades, called "dangerous", "self-indulgent" and "harmful" to actors.

This misunderstood Method Acting Techaniqe is slammed all across the world.

But what makes it misunderstood, why exactly is it slammed and should you be using it as a new or early career actor? Will it help or hinder tyour acting career and performances.

Let's dig in

Support the show

INSTA: @standbymethodactingstudio

WEB: standbymethod.com

FREE THE ESSENTIAL METHOD ACTING HANDBOOK: http://pages.standbymethod.com/freeactingbook

Get confirmation you're a heart actor (or not) FIND OUT HERE

Are your emotions in scenes feeling fake, pushed or just... off?

In this episode I break down the 3 biggest signs actors are forcing emotions instead of living the emotional truth of the character in the moment.

▶️ You'll discover:

• Why obsessing over how you should feel before the scene starts kills authenticity
• The common trap that makes emotions come out too big (and how to ground them)
• what to focus on instead, so your emotions flow naturally without you having to "try"

I also share practical Method Acting insights that will help you spot these bad habits in your own work, and more importantly, fix them so your performances land with real impact.

🎭 If you want to know whether you're a head actor (stuck in your own thoughts) or a heart actor (led by emotion), take my free quiz [WHAT TYPE OF ACTOR ARE YOU?]. You'll get instant feedback on your performance blindspots and the exact exercises to strengthen your craft.

🎧 Press play, and let's make your performances feel truthful, moving and unforgettable.

Support the show

INSTA: @standbymethodactingstudio

WEB: standbymethod.com

FREE THE ESSENTIAL METHOD ACTING HANDBOOK: http://pages.standbymethod.com/freeactingbook

Get confirmation on whether you're too heady or too emotional in scenes and feedback on how to move through this. Take the "What Type of Actor Are You?" quiz here

What does it mean if a director gives you feedback on your performance that it was too heady?

This is something that all new and up and coming actors will hear at some point, but it's not always broken down in a way that's eady to understand, and unfortunately the director usually won't give you any acting exercises to overcome this.

To avoid you guessing what you need to do, this episode shares, in an easy to understand way

• What the 3 signs are that you're being too heady in scenes, so you understand ehy the director said that
• The Method Acting exercise hardly anyone uses that will stop you doing them

This is a short, sharp snappy episode that was recorded to help you make your next performance your best performance.

Hit play and let's help you create performances you're proud of!

Support the show

INSTA: @standbymethodactingstudio

WEB: standbymethod.com

FREE THE ESSENTIAL METHOD ACTING HANDBOOK: http://pages.standbymethod.com/freeactingbook

Take the quiz and find out what type of actor you are HERE

Think you know what kind of actor you are? Chances are, you might be confusing acting type with casting type... and they're not the same thing.

In this episode of StandBy Method Acting Studio's Podcast - Unstoppable Actors - I'm breaking down the two core types of actor: Head Actors and Heart Actors. You'll learn:

• The key differences between your acting type and casting type (and why it matters)
• How I discovered I was a Heart Actor later in my career, and why it changed everything about my performances
• The unique strengths and blindspots of Head Actors and Heart Actors.
• The specific exercises each type of actor needs to unlock more truthful, powerful performances.

If you've ever felt stuck, overthought your choices or struggled to connect authentically in your work, this is the episode that will give you clarity and direction to move forwards.

Ready to find out your acting type?

Take the free quiz and discover whether you're a head or heart actor, plus get personalised feedback on your strengths and blindspots GET STARTED

Episode on casting type

Support the show

INSTA: @standbymethodactingstudio

WEB: standbymethod.com

FREE THE ESSENTIAL METHOD ACTING HANDBOOK: http://pages.standbymethod.com/freeactingbook

Find out your acting type HERE

It's hard truth time (or reassuring time depending which way you look at it): you will never, ever feel ready to get an acting agent. And that's not a problem, it's a powerful opportunity.

In this episode, I'll share why "waiting till you're ready" is one of the biggest fear stories keeping actors stuck, and how to flip that mindset into momentum.

You'll hear about:

🎬 The student who practiced 5 hours per day before an auditon - and what we leared from refining that approach

🎬 The difference between polishing your craft and over-preapring out of fear.

🎬 Why knowing whether you're a head or heart actor can make or break your agent auditions

🎬 The real criteria agents look for (hint: it's not a CV with a gazillion credits).

By the end, you'll understand why not "feeling ready" is actually a sign you're in the right place to leap your acting career forwards.

Take the "What Type of Actor Are You?" quiz now, and start preparing smarter for auditions (not just harder)

START THE QUIZ NOW

Support the show

INSTA: @standbymethodactingstudio

WEB: standbymethod.com

FREE THE ESSENTIAL METHOD ACTING HANDBOOK: http://pages.standbymethod.com/freeactingbook