Second Act Actors

On this episode of Second Act Actors, I interview Laurel, who was drawn to acting through her love of community theatre. She and I met as actors in a local play that was rehearsed and brought to stage during lockdown, which was a very intense process! Laurel’s first act was as a wife and a mother, and she also had a career in HR. She can often be found acting on stage in local shows and is a member of the local theatre committee.

Laurel and I discuss the magic of community theatre and the change it can bring about in your life, from broadening your horizons to gaining confidence in yourself. As we note, acting on stage is a completely different experience to acting on screen, because if something goes wrong in a play, you don’t get to yell “Cut!” and take a second go at it. Laurel shares some stories from her community theatre experience, in amongst words of wisdom for aspiring actors and the advice she gives to her own children about embracing life and not letting the dark times get you down.

If you enjoyed this episode and want to hear more inspiration and insights from other second act actors, please subscribe to the podcast and leave a review of the show on whichever podcast platform you use.

Timestamps

[0:52] Rehearsing a play during the pandemic

[1:56] Laurel’s journey from motherhood to acting

[3:25] Laurel’s first and second acts

[6:40] The magic of community theatre

[9:31] A life lesson from Laurel

[11:47] “I think that that’s just who I am”: The roots of Laurel’s optimism and how it helps her to survive the audition process

[13:40] Coping with nerves on stage

[17:50] Advice from Laurel on how to bag a role in community theatre shows

[19:53] A recent on-stage mess-up that Laurel managed to pull back

[21:13] Denzel Washington on the difference between stage and screen acting

[22:14] Bringing Love Loss to the stage

[24:55] What Laurel’s looking forward to in 2022

[27:04] What do Laurel's children think of her acting career?

[28:11] One of the advantages of having a second act in your life

[29:09] “Open the door and go for it”: Words of wisdom from Laurel

[30:00] Is acting the same as being an actor?

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

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On this episode of Second Act Actors, I talk with teacher and actor Clodine Sponagle, who I connected with when we were both cast in a community theatre play. Clodine has been passionate about theatre from a young age but decided to keep acting as a hobby whilst she pursued her career as a teacher. 

Clodine explains why she chose teaching over acting and what keeps her coming back to acting and community theatre in her free time. We also explore how the pressure and fear of rejection might turn an actor off acting, especially if they’re in a position where they really need to book a role to support themselves or their family.

We move on to talk about every stage actor’s worst nightmare, forgetting a line on stage. Clodine shares memories of plays she’s acted in with chaotic costume changes and a last-minute casting change where she was called upon to play a much older character, which turned into one of her most successful character portrayals.

If you liked this episode of Second Act Actors, please share it online to show your support for community theatre and local acting talent.

Timestamps

[0:51] “It’s one of the neat joys of doing theatre”: Clodine on getting to know people through theatre and see them display their talents

[2:00] Clodine talks about the demands of her job as a teacher and when she can and can’t share emotions in the workplace

[4:36] Clodine explains how she got into acting and why she loves community theatre

[6:39] Making the decision to not pursue acting as a career

[7:39] “It doesn’t feel like work”: Clodine on why she acts as a hobby

[8:40] What prompted Clodine to audition for the play where she and I met

[12:34] The magic of community theatre

[13:39] The transferable skills from acting to teaching, and vice versa

[15:51] Clodine’s magic monologue skills

[16:55] The fear of rejection is still present in community theatre, but it’s lessened

[19:17] Does the love of acting diminish as soon as it becomes your job?

[21:20] Feeling the pressure to book a role can ruin an audition

[22:04] Clodine’s pleasant surprise at coming back to acting

[23:17] The most common recurring nightmare for actors: Forgetting a line on stage

[25:27] Funny on stage memories with chaotic costume changes

[28:45] Taking on a challenging role of an older character

[30:50] Advice from Clodine about the right reasons to start or restart acting

[32:15] What Clodine’s family and children thought of seeing her on stage

[34:19] What it was like for me seeing my dad in a play

[35:01] Clodine’s plans and hopes for the coming year

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.

          On this episode of Second Act Actors, I relax and take in the beautiful voice of Jodi Krangle, a second act actor who’s had a hugely successful career as a voiceover actor. Her first act was as a self-employed search engine optimization specialist and an online marketing guru, but eventually she got bored and frustrated and felt ready for a change of scene. She pivoted to voiceover work and has never looked back since, and has landed work with major companies such as Dell, Nespresso and Kraft.

Jodi talks about the work involved in being a voice actor, from training to channeling your talent to self-promotion. She also discusses the differences between casting directors in the world of voiceover work compared to those working in acting, and what surprised her about starting out in the voiceover industry. Later on, she gives some great tips on how to start out working as a voiceover actor and where to go to learn more about the industry.

Don’t forget to subscribe to the Second Act Actors podcast and share this episode with a friend who you think could benefit from learning about the voiceover acting industry.

Timestamps

[1:12] Jodi talks about her voice acting career

[2:29] Jodi’s first act

[5:28] The switch from SEO to voice acting

[6:30] Working with a demo mill and then a voice coach

[8:12] Being yourself as a voice actor

[10:15] How Jodi channels a character through her voice

[11:40] Different styles of voice for different voiceover work

[13:14] It’s all about connecting with the copy

[14:15] The training required to become a voiceover actor

[15:20] What Jodi brought from her first act to her second

[16:20] Jodi’s advice on how to promote yourself as an actor

[18:03] The role of casting directors in the career of voiceover actors

[20:31] What surprised Jodi about the voiceover industry

[23:10] The best way to start out learning about voiceover work

[26:15] Do voiceover actors need an agent?

[27:30] The struggles of recording voiceover material during roadworks

[31:44] The power of not setting goals, and what Jodi’s looking forward to

Links

Jodi’s website

Jodi on LinkedIn

Jodi on Facebook

Jodi on Twitter

The Power of Sound on Clubhouse

Jodi’s five tips for implementing an intentional audio strategy

Voiceover Extra website

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.

Can you be both an actor and a stuntman? Yes, according to professional stuntman Andrew Butcher. Andrew’s dad, Randy Butcher, is a legendary stunt coordinator and got his whole family into the industry, so Andrew grew up on set. Today Andrew is still working in stunts and is expanding into other creative pursuits such as writing, with a few exciting projects on the horizon.

Andrew and I explore the world of stunt performing, and Andrew gives a step-by-step guide on how to get into doing stunt work. He talks about what stunts can do for your acting career, as he passionately believes that adding stunts to your resumé can open doors and bring you new opportunities. Listen out for Andrew’s advice on networking to get your foot in the door with a stunt coordinator, and for the two essential qualities that you need to be successful.

Andrew also shares a memorable story of an on set f*ck up and what he learnt from the incident.

If you liked this episode of Second Act Actors, please share it with someone you know who would like to get into working in stunts or who needs a push to get their acting and stunts career off the ground.

Timestamps

[1:23] Andrew’s story of growing up as the son of a stunt guy and wanting to be an actor and a comedian

[4:27] What’s it like having a stunt man as a dad? You spend a lot of your life watching movies in slo-mo, apparently

[6:13] The roots of Andrew’s career and what his talented family is up to now

[7:26] Can you do acting and stunts?

[10:20] “Being a stunt performer and being an actor is exactly the same thing. You're pursuing a particular skill, and you're learning to be the best at it”

[13:27] Learning stunts can give you more control over your career

[16:41] Andrew’s advice for auditions: Think about it from the director’s point of view

[19:38] Don’t get offended if you’re not the person

[20:50] What Andrew thinks about the industry after having been in it for so long

[23:14] Andrew’s complete guide to getting into stunts

[27:48] The human side of networking

[31:07] A lot of stunt opportunities come up through making positive connections with people on set

[32:52] Andrew’s memorable on set moment: A f*ck up on set with a car and bags full of fake blood

[41:15] There’s a lot more to being in stunts than it seems to the audience

[42:30] Writing, creative projects and exciting future prospects: What Andrew’s looking forward to for 2022

[44:32] Growing up with a creative mindset

[45:36] Andrew’s words of wisdom to people looking to break into the industry: Persistence and passion are key

Links

Andrew Butcher on Instagram

Top Leaf Pictures website

Top Leaf Pictures on Instagram

Top Leaf Pictures on Facebook

Top Leaf Pictures on YouTube

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.

Give your ears a dose of positive energy by listening to my interview with the wonderful Kiril. Kiril arrived in Canada at the age of 17 and pursued his dream to become an actor. He attended Dawson College’s Theatre programme and since graduating, he’s worked with Ubisoft, has also had appearances on TV shows and film and is starting to work as a director.

Kiril explains his upbeat attitude to me, which he credits to his background and difficult childhood where he faced many struggles, and to a magical moment as an audience member in a live recording of Oprah. His sunny outlook helped him to survive the demands of theatre school and to ride out the inevitable difficulties of an acting career, where success isn’t a given. He tells me what he learnt in theatre school and what he sees as being the difference between a ‘first act actor’ and a ‘second act actor’. At the end of the interview, Kiril shares exciting news about his plans for the future, which include moving to California and starting his own studio.

Please subscribe to the Second Act Actors to show your support for Kiril and leave a rating and a review to help the podcast to grow.

Timestamps

[1:07] Kiril’s story from Bulgaria to Austria to Canada

[3:10] “Following the thread” into acting school

[7:07] Kiril’s love of acting and what his family thinks about his career as an actor

[10:23] Where does Kiril’s tenacity come from? 

[11:53] What theatre school is actually like

[14:18] A new perspective in the second semester

[15:48] “That class really changed my life”

[18:03] After school: Ubisoft and getting an agent

[18:41] How to handle other people’s negative emotions

[20:16] A lot of actors don’t actually know how to network

[21:40] Kiril’s experience of working with Ubisoft

[22:56] Getting grounded and comfortable to get through a fallow period

[25:17] What happens after a beautiful high? A new low

[26:53] The beautiful light in the darkness

[28:08] How Kiril transitioned from acting to directing

[29:08] So, what’s  the difference between a ‘first act actor’ and a ‘second act actor’?

[33:27] What surprised Kiril about joining the industry

[36:54] How Kiril tops up his positive energy

[38:43] Fart sounds in booths light up Kiril’s world

[39:49] What Kiril’s parents think of his career

[40:37] The steps that Kiril wants to take this year

[42:07] A few positive parting words from Kiril

Links

Kiril on IMDb

Kiril on Twitter

Kiril on Instagram

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.

Emily is a delightful member of the Second Act Actors gang, having arrived at acting via motherhood, recovery from addiction and an intense journey into her own self-expression. In this episode, we discuss background acting, creative collaboration and why we’re members of each other’s fan clubs! #stevenuniversity

We begin by talking about our experience together in online improv class with Second City, where we met. Emily tells me that she was just beginning to rediscover her latent creativity and was “following the breadcrumb trail” which brought her to that particular improv group. She always had a creative side but had lost touch with it and with her ability to feel and express her emotions, and regaining her emotional insight has been part of her sobriety.

We later touch on the nerve wracking experience of auditions, which can be especially difficult if you haven’t had formal acting training. Emily shares a really useful mantra that can help you to handle rejections and she tells me about her positive outlook on background work, where she’s still ecstatic to be on set, even if she doesn’t have a speaking part.

Subscribe to the Second Act Actors podcast to hear more episodes with brave and talented individuals who are getting ready to share their creative gifts with the world.

Timestamps

[2:15] Emily’s first act as a full-time mum

[3:24] Emily’s experience of getting sober as a route to discovering who she really is

[4:34] The recovery world is so misunderstood!

[5:17] Why Emily started improv and the little breadcrumbs that led her there

[7:37] The undercurrent of creativity in Emily’s life and her further studies in art

[9:58] A terrible audition with a talent agency that put Emily off acting and how she regained her love of acting

[11:14] “That’s what I want. I want creative collaboration”

[13:10] How Emily was able to shift her mindset towards accepting failure

[15:15] Through the looking glass of what might have happened if Emily’s first audition had gone better

[17:34] “What’s for me won’t pass me”: Different ways to look at rejection in auditions and the other opportunities that might come your way

[19:34] It’s so surprising how nice and supportive people in the industry are! Emily tells a story of being a “highly featured” character in a TV shoot

[23:03] The power of being able to feel and interpret your own emotions

[24:28] Emily on learning and finding opportunities through her network from college and graduate school

[26:27] Being present to find the signposts along the journey

[28:05] Emily’s advice to people who want to get into acting

[35:18] Disclaimer: Acting classes aren’t a substitute for therapy… but they can help you to experience a broader range of emotions

[38:07] Life is starting to align for Emily

[39:21] The acting opportunities available in New Orleans

[41:03] “The thrill for me is the work”

[42:38] What Emily is looking forward to for 2022: Acting classes, audition techniques, background work and an exciting writing project

[45:15] What Emily’s kids say about her acting

[46:07] Beautiful words of wisdom from Emily

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.

This episode of Second Act Actors features a special guest who’s a little different to the rest, as his first act was actually as an actor. Bob trained and worked as an actor on stage, screen and radio for 20 years, but he started to fall out of love with acting and decided to leave it behind him. He went back to university and eventually landed a job as an instructional designer and then an educational specialist at the University of Ottawa. Once he retired, he rediscovered acting and has since had parts on shows such as CBC’s The Detectives.

Bob explains why he wanted to leave acting the first time round and what he’s doing differently now to keep his passion alive and to regain his sense of control over his acting career. He also walks me through the things that he’s noticed that are different in acting now and how he’s happy to see the increased diversity and representation in the industry. Later on, he also shares a few of his funny on set stories, including getting thrown into icy waters off a submarine for a Navy promotional video!

Subscribe to the Second Act Actors Podcast to catch more entertaining and insightful interviews with other actors who are shaking up the industry.

Timestamps

[0:12] Bob’s first act - as an actor??

[1:33] “It was like a divorce”: Losing the love of acting

[2:29] Bob’s Masters degree and his job at the University of Ottawa

[3:31] Rediscovering acting in retirement

[4:07] How Bob is redefining his criteria for success in acting to regain a sense of control

[6:25] Does the sense of control bring back Bob’s love of acting?

[7:41] “A huge weight off my shoulders”

[8:35] What Bob brought from his ‘intermission’ into acting

[10:15] The push factors that made Bob want to leave acting

[12:49] Dubbing a fight scene in Once Upon A Time In The West

[14:44] My personal experience of voiceover work

[15:25] How acting has changed since Bob’s first act

[18:31] Bob’s fun acting story #1: Not getting shot in the mouth on set

[21:48] Bob’s fun acting story #2: A blood balloon on stage

[22:35] Bob’s fun acting story #3: Getting thrown off a submarine into the icy water of Halifax harbour

[27:07] Advice from Bob on getting back into acting after a break

[29:22] What Bob is looking forward to and a difficult scene for him to get his teeth into

[32:14] The danger of being good at improvisation

[32:51] All jobs seem easy from the outside

[33:50] Final words of wisdom from Bob: “Find the truth, and make it beautiful”

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.

On this episode of Second Act Actors, I pick the brains of Stacey Schat, a FIRST ACT actor who’s had a career filled with twists and turns. She grew up surrounded by culture and theatre. This inspired her to go to theatre school and become an actor, but her life changed when she received a devastating medical diagnosis. Stacey then became a teacher but she struggled to balance the demands of teaching with her health. She’s now in her third act, which combines her acting and teaching background.

Stacey and I dive into an interesting discussion of what success really means and how our definition of success can come from our parents, from society or ourselves. Sometimes success can actually mean walking away from a career that’s not serving you anymore and being successful means having the courage to prioritize yourself and to start afresh. Listen out for Stacey’s advice on coping with burnout which may give you the push you need to make a change.

Later, I ask Stacey about the difference between actors who went to theatre school and those who didn’t, and she outlines what actors do and don’t learn in theatre school, and whether she would do theatre school all over again.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to the podcast and leave a rating and a review on whichever platform you get your podcasts from.

Timestamps

[3:19] Stacey’s life story and her love of theatre

[5:14] Stacey’s time at theatre school

[7:34] The parallels between theatre school and medical school

[8:59] How being an actor defines who you are and what your idea of success is

[11:47] Convincing your family that following your acting dream is a good decision

[14:19] An intimidating application process to join theatre school

[15:50] Stacey’s life after theatre school

[17:03] Stacey’s terrifying medical diagnosis and her new career

[20:37] Quitting teaching for a fresh start

[21:35] An improv group in Huntsville and a new relationship

[24:59] Lessons learnt from Stacey’s first and second acts

[27:00] Choosing a different marker of success

[28:29] What my parents thought of my medical career

[30:43] Coping with burnout in different career paths

[33:00] Stacey’s advice to people struggling with burnout

[34:53] Is there a difference between actors who’ve been to theatre school and those who haven’t? Stacey gives an answer

[37:31] A funny story from theatre school

[41:22] Would Stacey do theatre school again?

[42:43] How would Stacey's family define her job today?

[43:52] What Stacey’s looking forward to in 2022

[45:03] Final words of wisdom from Stacey

Links

YWCA Muskoka

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.

Today I talk with actor, director and community theatre aficionado Doug Ironside, whose career has included theatre school, a corporate job, being a nurse and working as an actor. Doug is deeply passionate about acting, the theatre and the change they can bring in people’s lives.

Doug tells me about the many different phases of his career and why he initially decided not to pursue acting as a career. Today he’s involved in community theatre and he dives into the theory of community theatre, highlighting the dangers of letting the same people run community theatre groups year after year.

We then talk about our experience of improv groups and what my thoughts about improv were when I was just getting started. Listen out as Doug explains some of the rules of improvisation theatre and which of those rules you can and can’t break. Doug also shares “the most notorious story in all of theatre”, a very memorable incident from a high school production!

If you’re enjoying listening to the Second Act Actors podcast, you can help the show out by subscribing and leaving a rating and review to give the podcast a boost.

Timestamps

[1:30] The different incarnations of Doug’s career in theatre and nursing

[3:07] Where Doug’s interest in theatre came from and his experience at theatre school

[6:02] A transformative experience of a marriage break-up and nursing school

[7:38] Getting back into community theatre and starting an improv group and theatre troupe

[10:00] Why Doug didn’t get into acting professionally

[12:55] The other interests that Doug has balanced around his passion for theatre

[13:43] Working as a nurse instead of in sales

[16:17] Community theatre is a bootcamp for working as an actor so if you want to be an actor, do community theatre!

[20:15] Doug espouses his love for theatre and reveals the more nuanced side of community theatre

[22:03] “It was kind of like going to war”: Community theatre can be a fight against inertia

[25:25] Brecht’s thoughts on how community theatre can grow stale and stop evolving

[26:58] Applying the hard lessons learnt about community theatre

[30:27] Doug lifts the lid on my time at the improv group, The Old Dance Hall Players

[33:13] What you can really learn from improv

[36:30] “Pure terror”: My experience of improv

[37:57] The minimal rules of improv as delineated by Del Close and which ones you can break

[41:37] How I found a sense of freedom in improv

[43:27] A really delicious game of Elimination

[44:44] The most notorious story in all of theatre!

[52:20] Doug’s advice to people who want to get into acting or improv

[54:20] Theatre deserves creativity, so don’t be afraid to play

[55:43] An exercise from theatre school

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.

On this industry episode of Second Act Actors, I talk with Ilona Smyth. Ilona started out studying early childhood education and psychology and then landed a job by chance working at an acting school. She fell in love with casting and decided to open her own agency which casts for film, TV, commercials and more, both in Canada and worldwide.

Ilona tells me why she always recommends that actors practice meditation and explains the other techniques that she uses to clear her head, especially during the stress of the pandemic. She then walks me through the process that she uses when beginning to cast a role, which is amazing insider information that any aspiring actor needs to know. Listen out for her tips on shooting self-tapes for auditions! At the end of the interview, Ilona also shares a favourite memory from a casting audition and what auditions look like from the casting director’s point of view. 

If you enjoyed this episode of Second Act Actors, please share it with a friend who’s interested in learning more about acting, and make sure that you’re subscribed to the podcast so that you don’t miss an episode.

Timestamps

[0:08] How Ilona discovered the world of casting

[3:38] The hustle of casting

[5:20] Why Ilona preaches meditation

[8:55] Ilona’s experience of the pandemic and how she clears her head

[9:58] Ilona’s behind-the-scenes casting course

[11:23] Why Ilona started her casting course

[14:10] Why don’t actors see acting as a business?

[17:39] Ilona walks me through the casting process

[18:50] What surprised Ilona about working in casting

[19:30] Ilona’s casting coaching services

[22:28] Tips from Ilona about how to shoot an audition tape

[23:55] The benefit of seeing several casting coaches

[24:55] What’s coming up for Ilona in 2022

[25:30] A favourite memory from an audition

[27:57] Casting isn’t like an American Idol audition

[28:44] If it feels wrong, you can change lines up

[30:33] Final words of wisdom from Ilona and where to go to find out more about her and about Smyth Casting

Links

Smyth Casting website

Smyth Casting on Instagram

Smyth Casting on Facebook

Smyth Casting on TikTok

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.