It’s Horror month. Halloween… and all. 🎃

In the spirit of spooky movies, I talk with 2 of our amazing BGB Master Teachers, Sydney Walsh & Corey Parker, on Zoom (so you can watch!) about what it was like to act in the HORROR genre- they each have starred in a few iconic Horror Movies. We talk Horror movie acting, and acting in any Genre, plus what it was like to audition in the 80s and 90s when big filmmakers were in the room, along with Casting Directors (like me!) who collaborated with actors, brought them back in many times (for the same role and other roles), celebrated in their talent, and advocated for them! It was a time of true collaboration, when filmmakers figured out their movies with actors in the audition room. 

While those days are gone (and we’ve surely romanticized them 💘), we also fully believe and talk about how YOU can bring that same sense of liberation, exploration, discovery, and a collaborative spirit to the work you do on camera- in self-tapes, Zoom auditions, and on set- whether it’s a student film, a short you create, or a big show or movie. YOU get to show up with agency and generosity- with something to offer the storytellers… as a true collaborator. 

So… Listen in! There are fun stories here, as well as practical advice on how to work freely and boldly in any and all genres, AND how to show up in the same spirit in your self-tapes as we three felt “in the room” in the 80s! 

(Don’t forget to rate and review us so that we can reach more actors around the world!) 

Risa 👻

-------------------------------

Subscribe! And if you're loving the Podcast, leave a review and rating!

Your words will help connect us all and bring these valuable conversations to even more actors- and other artists- around the world.

‍AND… Screenshot, post + tag us @bgbstudio on IG!

‍If you’ve missed any episodes, catch up now!

‍More On Risa

More On Steve

-------------------------------

Guests & Resources:

Check out these links to learn more about Syd and Corey:

SYDNEY WALSH + her IMDb

COREY PARKER + his IMDb

‍Listen to other related The Acting Podcast episodes:

Episode 55: What Are You Waiting For? You Are The Industry.

Episode 53: Finding Freedom & Power in Script Analysis

Episode 43: How To Be A Happy Actor

Episode 29: Cooking Your Self-Tape

Credits:

Producer: BGB STAFF

Tech + Design: Mitchell Braxton & Aswathi Menon

Music: SAM DEWEES + ANDY ABELOW

Back To All Episodes

-------------------------------

Meet us on Instagram and other social spaces where we hang out — with tons more great advice, inspiration, and Industry intel:

@BGBStudio on IG + Twitter + TikTok + @theBGBStudio on Facebook. ‍‍

CHECK OUT our Audition, Scene-Study, and Hybrid Classes!
SIGN UP for our BGB Coaching Programs!

JOIN US for The BGB Actors Summit: A virtual workshop with Risa & Steve

The BGB Sit-Down is back! Meet Risa + Sydney in our Studio

Are You Ready For Class? Check out all BGB Classes!

An actor's mindset can make or break a career. Your job is to open your heart, remain sensitive and open. And you’re asked to do that job in an Industry that doesn't have the capacity to care for your needs and in which scarcity is the norm. You will lose faith. It’s inevitable. But how gracefully you can find it again is the difference between auditioning with the full power of your talent, and allowing fear and self-consciousness to drain you of your power when you’re trying to book work. 

Risa and Steve examine what it takes to create and maintain the kind of abundant mindset that leads to success, even when you’re losing faith. 

Listen in and let us know what resonates with you!

“If you hear a voice within you say, 'you cannot paint,' then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced.” – Vincent Van Gogh.

More On Risa

More On Steve

Subscribe! And if you're loving the Podcast, leave a review and rating!

Your words will help connect us all and bring these valuable conversations to even more actors- and other artists- around the world.

‍AND… Screenshot, post + tag us @bgbstudio on IG!

‍If you’ve missed any episodes, catch up now!

Guests & Resources:

Listen to other related episodes: 

EPISODE 22: The Booking Mindset

EPISODE 42: That Next Level Shit

EPISODE 43: How To Be A Happy Actor

EPISODE 45: The Healing Required to Be an Actor

Credits:

Producer:

BGB STAFF

Tech + Design: MITCHELL BRAXTON

Music: SAM DEWEES + ANDY ABELOW

Back To All Episodes

Meet us on Instagram and other social spaces where we hang out — with tons more great advice, inspiration, and Industry intel.

@BGBStudio on IG + Twitter + TikTok + @theBGBStudio on Facebook. ‍‍

CHECK OUT our Audition, Scene-Study, and Hybrid Classes!
SIGN UP for our BGB Group Career Coaching series!

JOIN US for The BGB Actors Summit: A virtual workshop with Risa & Steve

The BGB Sit-Down is back! Meet Risa + Sydney in our Studio

Are You Ready For Class?

All BGB Classes

Risa talked on Zoom with with Anthony Meindl of fellow acting studio, AMAW (which is Anthony Meindl's Acting Workshop) about EVERYTHING… about art, big tech, climate change, self-tapes, casting, how Tik Tok is killing our attention span, and how things are really really hard right now. They talked about both getting started in the NY theatre and the power of community, and, something that resonates for us at BGB a well... being in process always, and being an artist first. It was a great conversation and we want to share it with all of you. So no matter where you are in your journey or how you are feeling about where the Industry is, or isn’t, have a listen and see how this affects you, and if it brings up feelings, pay attention to them. Let us know what resonated for you!

More On Risa

More On Steve

Subscribe! And if you're loving the Podcast, leave a review and rating!

Your words will help connect us all and bring these valuable conversations to even more actors- and other artists- around the world.

‍AND… Screenshot, post + tag us @bgbstudio on IG!

‍If you’ve missed any episodes, catch up now!

Guests & Resources:

Check out Anthony’s website HERE learn more about his work with actors!
‍
Listen to other related episodes:

EPISODE 55: What Are You Waiting For? You Are The Industry.

EPISODE 54: What Does It Take to Make It Now?

EPISODE 52: How to Stand Out from Hundreds of Other Actors

EPISODE 42: That Next Level Shit

EPISODE 28: The Practice That Leads to Success

Credits:

Producer:
BGB STAFF
Tech + Design:
MITCHELL BRAXTON & ASWATHI MENON
Music:
SAM DEWEES + ANDY ABELOW

The BGB Sit-Down is back! Meet Risa + Sydney in our Studio

Are You Ready For Class?

All BGB Classes

Risa sat down with some of our amazing BGB teachers (Cate Cohen, Sydney Walsh, Corey Parker, and David DeSantos) for an inspiring conversation about redefining your relationship with the Industry. About how to successfully step into your power in your work, your art, and your career. What leadership looks like so that you're in the driver’s seat, not waiting for the Industry to invite you in. Why we all need a community in which to be creative, to grow, to thrive- we were never meant to do this alone. How to become a creative force and impact your audiences… the Industry. And how the power of an artistic practice will sustain you for a lifelong career.

Listen in, or watch these brilliant, generous, kind, talented artists and teachers share their insights and experience. We’re inspired!

MORE ON RISA

MORE ON STEVE

Subscribe! And if you're loving the Podcast, leave a review and rating!

Your words will help connect us all and bring these valuable conversations to even more actors- and other artists- around the world.

‍AND… Screenshot, post + tag us @bgbstudio on IG!

‍If you’ve missed any episodes, catch up now!

Guests & Resources:

‍Click here to learn more about Sydney Walsh!

‍Click here to learn more about Corey Parker!

Click here to learn more about Cate Cohen!

‍Click here to learn more about David DeSantos!‍

Check out the books David mentions in the episode:

The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment by Eckhart Tolle

The Actor and the Target by Declan Donnellan

The Art Spirit by Robert Henri

The Plays of Anton Chekhov

Listen to other podcasts with our BGB Master Teachers!

Ep. 54: What Does It Take to Make It Now?

Ep. 53: Finding Freedom & Power in Script Analysis

Ep. 43: How To Be A Happy Actor

Credits:

PRODUCER: BGB STAFF

TECH + DESIGN: MITCHELL BRAXTON & ASWATHI MENON

MUSIC: SAM DEWEES + ANDY ABELOW

Back To All Episodes

Meet us on Instagram and other social spaces where we hang out — with tons more great advice, inspiration, and Industry intel.

@BGBStudio on IG + Twitter + TikTok + @theBGBStudio on Facebook. ‍‍

CHECK OUT our Audition, Scene-Study, and Hybrid Classes!
SIGN UP for our BGB Group Career Coaching series!

JOIN US for The BGB Actors Summit: A virtual workshop with Risa & Steve

The BGB Sit-Down is back! Meet Risa + Sydney in our Studio

Are You Ready For Class?

All BGB Classes

Change is the only constant and the changes have come fast and hard. So what is the Industry now? What does it mean to be an Actor right now? What does it take to make it today?  Risa and Steve discuss the current state of Industry, what actors can expect from the Industry and the essential shifts actors need to make right now to position themselves for success. Listen in and let us know how this resonates with you.

MORE ON RISA

MORE ON STEVE

Subscribe! And if you're loving the Podcast, leave a review and rating!

Your words will help connect us all and bring these valuable conversations to even more actors- and other artists- around the world.

‍AND… Screenshot, post + tag us @bgbstudio on IG!

‍If you’ve missed any episodes, catch up now!

Guests & Resources:

Listen to other related episodes: 

EPISODE 52: How to Stand Out from Hundreds of Other Actors

EPISODE 49: How to Redefine Your Career For This Moment

EPISODE 42: That Next Level Shit

EPISODE 28: The Practice That Leads to Success

EPISODE 50: The Strike is Over. Here’s What to Do Now

EPISODE 49: How To Redefine Your Career For This Moment

Join us in class today!‍

Credits:

PRODUCER:

BGB STAFF

TECH + DESIGN:

ASWATHI MENON

MUSIC:

SAM DEWEES + ANDY ABELOW

Back To All Episodes

Meet us on Instagram and other social spaces where we hang out — with tons more great advice, inspiration, and Industry intel.

@BGBStudio on IG + Twitter + TikTok + @theBGBStudio on Facebook. ‍‍

CHECK OUT our Audition, Scene-Study, and Hybrid Classes!
SIGN UP for our BGB Group Career Coaching series!

JOIN US for The BGB Actors Summit: A virtual workshop with Risa & Steve

The BGB Sit-Down is back! Meet Risa + Steve in our Studio

Are You Ready For Class?

All BGB Classes

“Script Analysis” is an often misunderstood term that can result in an actor robbing a scene of its art by reducing it to mathematical calculations. Some actors love the idea of script analysis so they can “solve” the scene and control it. Other actors abandon the idea of script analysis altogether because they are afraid of adding any structure to their art. The truth of Script Analysis is more interesting and dynamic. BGB Master Teachers, Cate Cohen, Sydney Walsh, and Corey Parker, sit down with Risa and Steve to talk about the dance between structure and fluidity in your preparation, and how to use Script Analysis to find freedom and power in your work. 

Guests & Resources:

Learn more about our wonderful teachers: 

Sydney Walsh - BGB Master Teacher, actor, writer, director

Cate Cohen - BGB Master Teacher, actor, writer

Corey Parker - BGB Master Teacher, actor, coach

Listen to other related episodes: 

Episode 6: The Secret To Successful Preparation

Episode 42: That Next Level Shit

Gifts & Opt-ins:

The Perfect Imperfect Self-Tape

21 Ways To Make Casting Directors Happy 

What Casting Wants

Back To All Episodes

Meet us on Instagram and other social spaces where we hang out — with tons more great advice, inspiration, and Industry intel.

@BGBStudio on IG + Twitter + TikTok + @theBGBStudio on Facebook. ‍‍

CHECK OUT our Audition, Scene-Study, and Hybrid Classes!
SIGN UP for our BGB Group Career Coaching series!

JOIN US for The BGB Actors Summit: A virtual workshop with Risa & Steve
The BGB Sit-Down is back! Meet Risa + Steve in our Studio

Are You Ready For Class?

All BGB Classes

An actor who books work consistently is an actor who has the capacity to remain vulnerable in the face of intense rejection, to stay focused in a world full of distractions, and to stay sharp in one of the most competitive Industries around. The actor who books work consistently has found a way to stand out from hundreds of others. They have expressed themself in a way that makes them a singularity. In a hard industry and a hard world, that kind of singular expression must be supported by a lifestyle that nurtures their art and their career. Listen in as Risa and Steve talk about how to cultivate a lifestyle that offers you all that, and then share your thoughts and questions with us on social @BGBStudio or by emailing us at [email protected]. We want to hear from you.

Subscribe! And if you're loving the Podcast, leave a review and rating!

Your words will help connect us all and bring these valuable conversations to even more actors- and other artists- around the world.

‍AND… Screenshot, post + tag us @bgbstudio on IG!

‍If you’ve missed any episodes, catch up now!

Guests & Resources:

Listen to other related episodes:

Episode 28: The Practice That Leads To Success

Episode 36: The Pursuit Of Happiness - w/ Caroline, Dominic, Ellyn, Johnathan

Gifts & Opt-ins:

The Perfect Imperfect Self-Tape

21 Ways To Make Casting Directors Happy

What Casting Wants

Credits:

PRODUCER:

BGB STAFF

TECH + DESIGN:

ASWATHI MENON & MITCHELL BRAXTON

MUSIC:

SAM DEWEES + ANDY ABELOW

Back To All Episodes

Meet us on Instagram and other social spaces where we hang out — with tons more great advice, inspiration, and Industry intel.

@BGBStudio on IG + Twitter + TikTok + @theBGBStudio on Facebook. ‍‍

CHECK OUT our Audition, Scene-Study, and Hybrid Classes!
SIGN UP for our BGB Group Career Coaching series!

JOIN US for The BGB Actors Summit: A virtual workshop with Risa & Steve

The BGB Sit-Down is back! Meet Risa + Steve in our Studio

2023 was a really intense year. Two strikes, wars, a contracting Industry, inflation, lingering effects of the pandemic, etc. And that intensity revealed some powerful lessons that every actor must hear and understand in order to be a working actor in 2024.  Risa and Steve delve into the lessons of 2023 that point to the new reality for actors and light the path to success in the New Year!

Subscribe! And if you're loving the Podcast, leave a review and rating!

Your words will help connect us all and bring these valuable conversations to even more actors- and other artists- around the world.
‍If you’ve missed any episodes, catch up now!

Guests & Resources:

Ep. 50: The Strike is Over. Here’s What to Do Now.

Ep. 47: A.I. is Coming for your Jobs. Here's What to Do.

Ep. 46: What to do when The Industry Stops

Ep. 45: The Healing Required to Be an Actor

Ep. 43: How To Be A Happy Actor

@BGBStudio on IG + Twitter + TikTok + @theBGBStudio on Facebook. ‍‍

CHECK OUT our Audition, Scene-Study, and Hybrid Classes!
SIGN UP for our BGB Group Career Coaching series!

JOIN US for The BGB Actors Summit: A virtual workshop with Risa & Steve

The BGB Sit-Down is back! Meet Risa + Steve in our Studio

Are You Ready For Class?

All BGB Classes

Ok, so the Industry is back. But it won't be business as usual. It can't be. Too much has changed. And if you want to book work in this new reality, you're going to have to change too. So listen in and let us know what speaks to you! You can meet this moment, but it won't be easy. Risa and Steve discuss where the Industry is at right now and the important first steps that every actor must take now that the strike is over.

Subscribe! And if you're loving the Podcast, leave a review and rating!

Your words will help connect us all and bring these valuable conversations to even more actors- and other artists- around the world.

‍AND… Screenshot, post + tag us @bgbstudio on IG!

‍If you’ve missed any episodes, catch up now!

Guests & Resources:

Industry podcast:

- Episode 35: Is It Time to Give Up Acting?

- Episode 45: The Healing Required to Be An Actor

- Episode 46: What to do when The Industry Stops

- Episode 49: How to Redefine Your Career For This Moment

Summit Opt-in:

The BGB Actors Summit Video: How To Redefine Your Career For This Moment w/ Risa & Steve

Back To All Episodes

Meet us on Instagram and other social spaces where we hang out — with tons more great advice, inspiration, and Industry intel.

@BGBStudio on IG + Twitter + TikTok + @theBGBStudio on Facebook. ‍‍

CHECK OUT our Audition, Scene-Study, and Hybrid Classes!
SIGN UP for our BGB Group Career Coaching series!

JOIN US for The BGB Actors Summit: A virtual workshop with Risa & Steve

The BGB Sit-Down is back! Meet Risa + Steve in our Studio

Are You Ready For Class?

All BGB Classes

This is a new world for actors. And the Industry that emerges on the other side of the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes will be different than anything we've ever seen.

The ways in which Actors have thought about their careers for over a century are, in many ways, no longer relevant.

So, what's an Actor to do?

Risa and Steve shed light on this strange new world, offer insight into what it might look like, and discuss the action that Actors can (and must) take right now if they want to have a career on the other side of all of this.

Subscribe! And if you're loving the Podcast, leave a review and rating!

Your words will help connect us all and bring these valuable conversations to even more actors- and other artists- around the world.

‍AND… Screenshot, post + tag us @bgbstudio on IG!

‍If you’ve missed any episodes, catch up now!

Guests & Resources:

Listen to other related episodes: 

Episode 46: - “What to do when the Industry Stops” with Risa & Steve

Opt in:

The BGB Actors Summit Video: How To Redefine Your Career For This Moment w/ Risa & Steve

Back To All Episodes

Meet us on Instagram and other social spaces where we hang out — with tons more great advice, inspiration, and Industry intel.

@BGBStudio on IG + Twitter + TikTok + @theBGBStudio on Facebook. ‍‍

CHECK OUT our Audition, Scene-Study, and Hybrid Classes!
SIGN UP for our BGB Group Career Coaching series!

JOIN US for The BGB Actors Summit: A virtual workshop with Risa & Steve

The BGB Sit-Down is back! Meet Risa + Steve in our Studio

Are You Ready For Class?

All BGB Classes

John Levey loves his job. He loves actors. He loves storytelling. He loves diving into the worlds each character inhabits. He’s been loving it for 40 years and is one of the masters of this passion profession, having won multiple Emmys and Artios awards, putting actors into groundbreaking roles on some of the most popular television shows of all time- E.R., The West Wing, China Beach, and Shameless, to name just a few. Listen in as Risa & Steve have an honest conversation with the legendary John Frank Levey.

Subscribe! And if you're loving the Podcast, leave a review and rating!

Your words will help connect us all and bring these valuable conversations to even more actors- and other artists- around the world.

‍AND… Screenshot, post + tag us @bgbstudio on IG!

‍If you’ve missed any episodes, catch up now!

Guests & Resources:

John Frank Levey’s IMDb‍

Listen to other related episodes: 

• What Casting Wants:
  3 Top Casting Directors Tell It Like It Is
• Episode 12: - Bernie Telsey: The King of Casting
• Episode 20: - Sarah Finn: Superhero of Casting
• Episode 23: - Mary Queen of Casting: A Candid Conversation w/ Mary Vernieu
• Episode 38: - Richard Hicks, CD: We’re All In This Together

Check out John’s book, RIGHT FOR THE ROLE: 

While there are many books that catalog Hollywood—from the classic to the profane, gritty to salacious—few tell the tale of how entertainment’s biggest names became the biggest names.

Right for the Role shares the story straight from an insider who’s been central to that process for decades. Four-time Emmy-award-winning casting director John Frank Levey hasn’t just witnessed some of the world’s greatest acting talents make it in Hollywood; in many cases, he’s had a major hand in it.

As the casting director for numerous iconic TV series, including ER, The West Wing and Shameless, Levey saw firsthand that household names like George Clooney, Anthony Edwards and Allison Janney had “it”—and then watched their “it” propel them into the stratosphere.

In Right for the Role, Levey manages to tell a story of life among the glitterati while never losing his exuberance for being a part of the process. Through his colorful tales of meeting incredible talent early in their careers—including Josh Gad, Lucy Liu and a just-out-of-Julliard Jessica Chastain—Levey documents his transformation from a novice casting director to one of the greats in the field.

Beyond teaching readers how to spot what it takes to make it in Hollywood, how casting has changed since the 1980s (when telephones had cords!) or how to live in a world of glamor and gusto, Levey’s stories also show how to play a central role in a show’s success without losing a sense of wonder.

Back To All Episodes

Meet us on Instagram and other social spaces where we hang out — with tons more great advice, inspiration, and Industry intel.

@BGBStudio on IG + Twitter + TikTok + @theBGBStudio on Facebook. ‍‍

CHECK OUT our Audition, Scene-Study, and Hybrid Classes!
SIGN UP for our BGB Group Career Coaching series!

JOIN US for The BGB Actors Summit: A virtual workshop with Risa & Steve

The BGB Sit-Down is back! Meet Risa + Steve in our Studio

Are You Ready For Class?

All BGB Classes