Film Courage: Michael, why do you say that talent cannot be taught?
Michael Laskin, Actor, Acting Coach, Author: I think talent is something that people just have or they don’t. If I had a script, a six-page audition for a television show or a movie, and I gave it to 100 people randomly on the street, a certain number of them would be able to look at it, read it and kind of make it responsive and somewhat real and many of them wouldn’t. The base level of talent from my definition is having great first instincts because you have to, particularly in film and television there’s not a lot of rehearsal, there’s not a lot of time to find your character and all that stuff. Your instincts are (your first instinct) if it’s right, about 75-80 percent of the time that to me is the baseline level of the definition of talent. I don’t think you can teach it. You can teach strategy, you can teach people to be better with what talent level they have, but I think talent is just something people have or they don’t. You see it in children, you see it in little kids. I don’t know if that answers the question but that’s how I feel about it?
Film Courage: Can we define instinct…(Watch the video interview on Youtube here).
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BIO:
Michael Laskin has been a working professional actor for over 40 years in film, television, and the theatre – from SEINFELD to BIG LITTLE LIES and a great deal in between. He has worked extensively off-Broadway, and at some of America’s leading regional theatres, including The Guthrie Theatre, The Actors Theatre of Louisville, The Geffen Playhouse, The Seattle Repertory Theatre, and The Mixed Blood Theatre Company.
Additionally, he was awarded a Fringe First Award at The Edinburgh Festival for playing “Richard Nixon” in TEA WITH DICK AND GERRY, which went on to a successful run at London’s Roundhouse Theatre. Michael also starred in the Canadian premier of the Pulitzer Prize winning drama “Talley’s Folly” and his most recent stage work was the American premiere of the one-person play, ALTMAN’S LAST STAND in Los Angeles. A recipient of a Bush Fellowship with The Guthrie Theatre, he was also awarded a Distinguished Alumnus Award from The University of Minnesota’s College of Liberal Arts.
A graduate of Northwestern University’s theatre department where he received his bachelor’s degree, Michael also has a masters degree in theatre management from The University of Minnesota. Additionally he’s taught acting at USC, UCLA, Queen’s College-Cambridge (UK), The Actors Centre (London), Art Center College of Design, Kennesaw University, the University of Minnesota, the Hawaii International Film Festival, and South Coast Repertory Co. He’s had the privilege of working with some of the great artists in film and theatre, including Barry Levinson, Stephen Frears, Walter Matthau, John Sayles, Paul Mazursky, Bob Rafelson, Michael Langham, Robert Duvall, Roy Dotrice, and many others.
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