Perspectives: A Moment w/Anthony Meindl

A few weeks ago I was making my usual rounds on Backstage.com in the advice section.  I had been teaching the day before on the importance of making bold choices when performing instead of timid or safe ones.  As I was perusing the titles for any related content, one title jumped out off the screen:  "Why You Should Never Play it Safe as an Actor."  It's a must read for any actor and was my first introduction to its author, Anthony Meindl.

Since I am located in PA, I obviously (and unfortunately) cannot make it out to LA to audit one of his classes, so I went the "digital audit" route.  After reading some more of his content via Backstage.com, viewing some of his video lessons, following his Twitter page, and reading his book "At Left Brain Turn Right,"  it was pretty clear to see that he was a person that I wanted to connect with and share with you, my readers.

The more I read and learn about Anthony, the more I want to share.  His words are honest, real, inspirational, informative and thought-provoking.  Take time to read his book or view his lessons and you will quickly realize that Anthony doesn't just teach acting: he teaches about life.  He is not afraid to share his experiences from his past and present in a way that is quick to inspire, educate and connect to a valuable acting skill or concept.

Life as a creative can get isolated at times.  There are days where I question why I keep going on.  There are days when I get more no's than yes', more blank faces than engaged ones, or more empty houses than packed ones.  But my passion for this business, for teaching young people about the transformational power of acting keeps me going.  

But sometimes I need a "pick me up."  I need a swift 'kick in the pants," or jolt of energy and support that reminds me of that passion.  Anthony is one of those jolts of energy and inspiration for me...and I hope and believe that he can be one to you as well.  

Last week I reached out to him via email and was excited to hear that he agreed to contribute to my blog.   I am honored to share some of Anthony's thoughts on some pertinent questions that I asked him.  

His responses follow in the transcript below.  Please share and respond in the comment section at the bottom of this page.  Thanks for reading and enjoy!

BHS: Did you always want to be an artist (actor, writer, director, teacher)? If so, what (or who) kept you "at it?"

Anthony: Oh yes. My goodness. I was performing for everyone when I was a kid. My gosh, I was like such a dramatic kid! LOL. I think that the social pressure of fitting in and being "normal" worked against me for a phase of my life where I became scared to be who I really was, but thankfully, I didn't repress those desires for too long and by the time I went to college, I knew I wanted to act. The teaching (who I became as a teacher) evolved out of that because I found that the things I was working on with actors was maybe, for me, even more interesting than the actual acting "jobs" I was booking.  Working on a new philosophy and a new technique for getting actors liberated and free and dangerous and surrendered and in the moment and letting go of control was -- and still is -- very, very, very exciting to me. That passion for something new and exploring something that was so alive and evolving and expanding is my life work. I feel that this aspect of working with artists has informed all my other areas of my creating: from writing to directing to producing to even just living my life.  

BHS: What is the best piece of advice you would give to actors who are starting out?

Trust that YOU are enough. There's no character or persona that you try to 'act' or 'play' that is going to ever be more interesting that YOU. A lot of actors starting out don't realize that. Just focus on being your best self - truthfully in the moment. And that's hard. It's going to take a lot of work for you to uncover who you are -- warts and all. So be patient. But acting is not about investigating other characters. It's about exploring yourself! 

BHS: What role does self-worth, vulnerability, and living in the moment play in the actor's professional life?

To me there's no difference between the actors "professional" life and their real life. A lot of people say acting is like therapy - it helps you work through these complex emotions that we often suppress in our day-to-day lives, but have permission to release them on the stage. One of the slogans for my studio is 'Change Your Acting, Change Your Life." For example, if you're shut-down in your scene work we might work on your vulnerability; and hopefully that will translate to your life outside of the classroom as well. It's all about being YOU. Fully. Truthfully. In the moment. In acting class AND in life. I think too, that the real gift for every actor is to be fully vulnerable. But that comes in all shapes and sizes. For one actor, being vulnerable might be having to be sexual. For another, it might be having to get in touch with his or her anger. So vulnerability is going to show up differently for each person. But to be in that space and explore those feelings is truly what makes good actors great and is one of the real reasons to create! 

BHS: What words do you have for actors who believe that success can be found in quick fixes and instant gratification?

It's funny because this topic is definitely in the zeitgeist right now. Everyone wants a quick fix. A lot of people in Los Angeles talk about the '10 year overnight success.' People tend to focus on the end result, ignoring the countless hours of struggle, practice, perseverance and dedication that go into having a career. Also, if you truly love the work then it's not really even a question of quick fixes or instant gratifications - doing the work, in and of itself, provides the gratification. Then success becomes something that society labels the fruits of your labor, of you following your bliss. Your path. Things take time. If you're getting a bunch of "No's" you're doing something right. Don't be dissuaded just because you get rejections. We are in the business of rejection. None of it is personal. Just. Keep. Going. Period. 

BHS: How can actors find ways to build confidence, control their fear and remain hopeful? (Break through their 'Hater Walls?')

It all goes back to trusting and knowing that YOU are enough. Self-confidence informs every moment of your life. Loving yourself. Being kind to yourself. Remaining hopeful then just becomes a by-product of believing in yourself and knowing that you will achieve your goals. As far as controlling fear - one of the subtitles of my book is 'Give Fear the Finger' - so you'll have to read the book to find out! ; ) 

BHS:  If you could eliminate one "technique" from the acting world, what would it be and why?

I'm not about eliminating anyone's 'technique.' Something out there will always work for someone. Whatever brings the actor to moment-to-moment truthful expression is a good technique in my book. That being said, I feel like a new wave of acting is certainly upon us. To some degree it all started back with Brando in Streetcar and its been evolving ever since. I think the most important thing is to do away with actor "jargon" and actor "talk" that puts the actor in his or her head playing ideas or concepts or "exercises" that to me, hold the actor back, rather than releasing them to the moment. 

BHS:  What steps should any actor take before thinking about moving to a big market like LA, NY, or Chicago?

I think the answer lies in your question. Don't think about moving. You'll never do it. If you want to do it and you have a strong desire -- a real calling to create and act and perform -- then get on the next bus to NY or LA. Period. It's scary. It will be hard. You're going to have to get a job -- wait tables, do catering, be a bartender -- all these things are normal. No one comes to LA and then overnight is discovered. But if you move here because you feel you owe it to yourself to really try then there is no failure in that attempt. You must be patient with yourself, because truly it will take time. But, to me, there is no real reason for an actor who wants to have a professional career to stay in a small town. That's not a dig against small-town actors or acting communities or theatre companies. There are some wonderful acting jobs available to people in small markets. But I think it becomes more of a hobby and a secondary pursuit than a real mission in life. And that's OK, too. I think that's up to the person to decide. If you want to live in a small city and pursue occasional acting work and be fulfilled doing other things, then by all means, stay where you are and build a wonderful life for yourself. That's beautiful. But, if you have this burning desire -- it's sort of in your DNA -- then I think the choice has already been made for you. Now you just have to be brave enough to follow it. 

More about Anthony:

Anthony Meindl is an award-winning writer, director, producer, and Artistic Director of Anthony Meindl's Actor Workshop (AMAW) in Los Angeles, where it was voted the Best Acting Studio in Los Angeles by Backstage in 2011 and 2012 (Best Scene Study and Best Cold Read). AMAW is also located in New York and Australia. 

Meindl's first feature film, “Birds of a Feather,” won the Spirit of the Festival Award at the 2012 Honolulu Rainbow Film Festival, and he won Best Director at the Downtown Film Festival Los Angeles. He is a regular contributor to The Daily Love, Backstage, and various spirituality podcasts. He has been featured in ABC News, Daily Variety, LA Weekly, The Hollywood Reporter and the CW KTLA. He is also the author of the new best-selling book, “At Left Brain Turn Right,” which helps artists of all kinds unleash their creative genius within. Check out Meindl's free smartphone app on iTunes. 'Follow Meindl on Twitter @AnthonyMeindl.