The Courageous Actor Podcast

Have you ever been given the advice as an actor to “take more risks” in your work? What does that even mean? What is a “bold choice” exactly? My experience has been that this well intentioned advice is often given without any context. I used to get so frustrated when I would get this advice, because usually the person giving it to me would provide no insights about how to actually do it. In this episode I share some experiences of taking risks from my creative path and entrepreneurial path, and how I think we can navigate this in the audition room, rehearsal process and on stage.

We’ve all heard that one of the best ways to be happy in life is to focus on gratitude. But what does that actually mean? How do we actually DO that on a daily basis, especially when life keeps throwing us punch after punch after punch? In this episode I share some very simple things I try to do on a daily basis that I believe help me to stay more grateful, more grounded and more balanced emotionally. In the audition room or at the theater, I believe I do my best work when I am consistent with my gratitude practice. Check out http://www.gratefulpeoples.com for the amazing gratitude journals I mention in this episode!

A crucible gets so hot, that it melts metal. In life, we have many of these moments that feel like we are melting, but in fact that’s where our courage gets formed. I share some lessons from my toughest moments in my own “crucibles” of life and why I think times of crisis can shape us, teach us, and help us to actually generate courage both inside and outside the acting arena.

So often we hear the phrase “making it” or even “making it big” when referring to how we measure success as actors. It’s time for us as actors to claim our power and decide for ourselves what “making it” means and how we measure success for ourselves. Sean shares a personal story about how he responded when someone first asked him if he was good enough to “make it” and also how he realized he was chasing someone else’s version of acting success. The goal is that you’ll finish this episode feeling empowered to define success as an actor (and as a human) on YOUR terms.!

Kaisha Huguley sits down with Sean in between shows on a contract and she shares how she had the courage to quit her steady, well paying government job to pursue acting as a career. She opens up about how she “trains her village” to support her and how she handles the many mental, emotional and practical challenges of being a performer in New York. She is a wonderful professional actress, content creator, teacher and brilliant businesswoman who is making things happen on her journey to Broadway. Find her on Instagram at @kaishacreates and online at kaishacreates.com

Do you ever find yourself feeling guilty for feeling tired, lonely, frustrated or even exhausted. Or feel like you’re just “not supposed to say it” or “not supposed to feel it?” because you’re an artist? In this episode I share some personal experience and some viewpoints for how to handle this and why it’s 100% ok and human to feel these emotions as creative artists, even though we love what we do.

Confessions of a new podcast host and how we can get past those moments when fear makes us procrastinate. What you can expect from this podcast, and also two key themes that are at the heart of what I think it means to show up with courage as an actor and a human.