Your acting coach and choices: Is it still “yours”?

Does going to an acting coach make your audition or work less “yours”?

I think this is an interesting question that comes up sometimes so I’m offering my thoughts.  My simple answer is no…but it comes with a caveat.

If you come to work with me and you have done little (to zero) preparation, made few choices and don’t have any ideas you want to try, not only do I have to work a heck of lot harder, but I end up using my own ideas to to push things along.  This is sad because there is no way what I throw out with will ever be as exciting as whatever you discover for yourself.

Luckily, in most cases actors show up ready to work.  They have tons of ideas and have rehearsed, made choices and are excited to bring them to life.  In this case, I get to focus on the technical elements often impossible for actors to see on their own.  I help with annunciation, pace, script analysis, voice, physicality…It’s very collaborative.

It happens fairly frequently that I coach multiple actors for the same role when a big film or tv show is casting–and it never fails–the actors almost always find different things.  Sometimes their takes are dramatically different, yet both approaches are right for the role and exciting for the actors to play.  For me, this proves it.  It’s all you.  It’s your unique shade of orange in your sunset masterpiece.

So no, again–I don’t think working with a skillful coach makes your choices any less yours. As long as they are in fact…yours.

What do you think?