Film Courage: What are your best tips for boosting confidence?
Michael Laskin, Actor, Acting Coach, Author: Confidence is this thing that you have to maintain in a business that is designed to undermine your confidence at every turn. I was actually talking to somebody yesterday who’s having…a crisis is too strong a word…but she’s at a crossroads about something. I said here’s the problem we’re talking about I said you need to do something about that problem the dilemma every day do something every day even if it’s 20 minutes, even if you feel like you’re not making progress, you’re repeating yourself, you’re digging yourself a hole, do something to get at that issue every day because confidence is so fragile. There are people who are confident for no apparent reason they just have it and they can’t be dissuaded and God that’s a gift, that’s a fantastic gift most of us who are mere mortals are not like that. Back in the day when we used to go for in-person auditions (which I don’t know if that’s ever coming back) but you’d arrive at the audition, you pull up to the gate of the studio and you’d say I’m going to meet so-and-so in this building and here’s my appointment. They say Oh you’re not on the list? So they’ve got to call the office, that’s confidence number one going down the tubes. I’m not on the list. Then you get on the list. Oh yeah, they’ve got you. You’ve got to park in that structure. It’s like four blocks away. You’ve got to go park in that structure and you’re wearing a suit because it’s a role that requires that and it’s like 100 degrees out and you’ve got to walk the four blocks in the blazing sun. Then you get there and by the time you get there you’re a mess. It is designed…it’s like a Minefield to undermine your confidence.
I’ll tell you the best story that ever happened to me and it has to do with this issue. I was getting out of the shower one morning. I got a call from my agent and they said Can you be in Century City at 10 o’clock? Whenever it was I literally just stepped out of the shower and I live in the Valley, I live in Studio City. It’s rush hour in the morning. He said It’s a movie, somebody must have fallen out, you’re next on the list. I don’t even know what it is. Just go, there’ll be sides for you there to look at. I’m ready, I’m getting in the car and I’m trying to get through traffic and park and…(Watch the video interview on Youtube here).
BUY THE BOOK – THE AUTHENTIC ACTOR: The Art and Business of Being Yourself
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.
CONNECT WITH MICHAEL LASKIN
MORE MICHAEL WIESE PRODUCTIONS AUTHORS
Advertisement – contains affiliate links
(As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases)
More affiliates:
Camera we use for interviews – https://buff.ly/3rWqrra
Sound we use for interviews – https://amzn.to/2tbFlM9
Writers, try Final Draft free for 30-days – https://ow.ly/Gz4w30rDSKt
Other books on Amazon that Film Courage recommends – https://buff.ly/3o0oE5o
