Given his wide array of screen roles, it makes sense that Paul Bettany would approach each character with dramatically different processes. By zeroing in on the tricks of the trade that always help, and the techniques he’s picked up over a decades-long career, Paul provides “In the Envelope” listeners several key takeaways. For example: actors should determine what they can and cannot control, whether that’s on set or in the audition room. “The thing that I could control and could promise to be,” he says, “is the most prepared person walking in.”

Born in England and trained at the Drama Centre London, Paul worked onstage for years before Brian Helgeland helped launch his Hollywood career. Breaking out first in the U.K. in “Gangster No. 1” and then the U.S. in “A Knight’s Tale,” Paul has transformed himself again and again, in films like “A Beautiful Mind,” “Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World,” “Dogville,” “Wimbledon,” “The Da Vinci Code,” and “Solo: A Star Wars Story.” He plays Frank, a gay man returning to his conservative family, in Alan Ball’s Amazon Studios feature “Uncle Frank,” and leads the new Disney+ Marvel series “WandaVision,” reprising his role as Vision from the “Avengers” movies. For more on the MCU, check out our interview with Marvel casting director Sarah Halley Finn: https://bit.ly/35GGnFW

Stay tuned to hear casting insider Christine McKenna-Tirella’s post-audition advice! And if you’re looking for TV performances and premieres like “WandaVision” to watch, click here: https://bit.ly/38Lg1UY

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Backstage has been the #1 resource for actors and talent-seekers for 60 years. In the Envelope, Backstage’s podcast, features intimate, in-depth conversations with today’s most noteworthy film, television, and theater actors and creators. This is your guide to every aspect of acting, from voiceover and commercial work to casting directors, agents, and more. Full of both know-how and inspiration, In the Envelope airs weekly to cover everything from practical advice on navigating the industry, to how your favorite projects are made, to personal stories of success and failure alike. Join host Jack Smart, Awards Editor at Backstage, for this guide on how to live the creative life from those who are doing it every day: https://bit.ly/2OMryWQ

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Special thanks to...

- Host: Jack Smart

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- Social media: Katie Minard, Alysa Cirelli

- Design: Mark Stinson, Caitlin Watkins

- Additional support: Kasey Howe, Samantha Sherlock, Benjamin Lindsay, Oriella St. Louis