***TRIGGER WARNING**** Sexual harassment, eating disorders, bullying, hazing

First act actor Emily Nixon chats with me this week. Emily always wanted to be an actor and was able to make her dreams come true as today she’s working as an actor, writer and director, with experience on screen with TV shows such as Umbrella Academy.

Emily and I take a deep dive into what theatre school was like for her. She experienced harassment, bullying and a lot of hypercritical feedback from the teachers and saw many of her fellow students cut from the programme from one year to the next. We discuss the parallels between theatre school and medical school and whether theatre school is designed to prepare actors for the harsh rejections that are part of the industry.

We then talk about the many benefits of doing background work and Emily tells me how she tries to appreciate every moment on set, regardless of whether she’s on camera or working behind the scenes. At the end of the episode, she shares some really helpful advice that will give any aspiring actor a little bit of hope!

If you found this episode with first act actor Emily insightful and inspiring, please share it with a friend or on your social media accounts to help others to discover the show. 

Timestamps

[0:19] “Acting was the first thing I ever said I wanted to do”

[1:58] A left-brained family with a passion for the arts

[3:44] A supportive family makes all the difference

[5:44] Emily’s path from high school to theatre school

[8:09] Bullying, harassment, pressure, hazing…the dark side of theatre school

[15:19] Why is theatre school so tough? 

[17:18] The parallels between theatre school and medicine

[19:00] Theatre school breaks you down to build up an emotional guard

[21:00] What actors take from theatre school into the business

[22:40] The rich perspective you have naturally as a second act actor

[24:36] Do the rigorous demands of theatre school prepare you for the inevitable rejections in an acting career?

[26:11] Probing the psychology of medical school

[32:44] Gender discrimination in medicine is still real and it affects patients

[34:37] How to be the ‘gritty’ person in acting

[38:47] Emily’s Actors Gym which builds in accountability and community

[39:44] A thoughtful story from the set of Umbrella Academy which reminded Emily to appreciate what she has

[43:55] Emily’s wide range of credits and how they have broadened her vision

[45:30] The actor is only a small part of the production

[46:56] So we were both doing background work in Nightmare Alley??

[48:35] What Emily’s working on this year and the film festivals she’s going to attend

[49:32] Advice from Emily to first act actors and second act actors

Links

Second Act Actors website

Second Act Actors on Instagram

Second Act Actors on Facebook

Second Act Actors on YouTube

Janet McMordie website

Janet McMordie on Instagram

Janet McMordie on LinkedIn

Janet McMordie on Twitter

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.