The pandemic has posed challenges for all, regardless of your chosen profession but it has hit the theatre world and its performers particularly hard. It has therefore been necessary for directors and producers to utilize new platforms; thank god then for Zoom.
During March I had the pleasure of working on a short play ‘Little Hidden Worlds written by Hallie Stephenson and directed by Dante DiNasti. With a great cast rehearsing 3-4 nights a week on Zoom we recorded the play separately in our own homes, giving us a rare freedom in our own productions; scene, costumes, make-up, cameras and lighting.
You can watch the result here
*Fake scar make-up 101.
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Just before Covid hit New York last year, I filmed a super fun project for Nickelodeon entitled Spongebob Docupants.
A mockumentary style show taking some of the most iconic episodes of the hit cartoon series and tuning them into a comedy retelling.
I play a musician in Episode 6 ‘The Making of Sweet Victory’ so if your in the mood for a bit of light relief check it out here!
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Lockdown was a tough time for all of us; for me, as a native Brit, I was in New York, alone in my apartment for months and I wanted to use my time constructively, so I adapted my novel ‘How to Catch a love Rat’ into a screenplay entitled ‘Honey’ the tale of five strong female leads who tackle the world of private investigation, crime, love. betrayal and extortion with finesse, style and ultimately; chaos. And here’s what…. my script reached the finals of ‘Your Script Produced’, yes out of thousands of screenplays mine reached the final ten!! @yourscriptproduced.com @moviebytes.com
Stay tuned; Honey will be coming to a streaming service near you before you know it!
actors, featured, female driven, honeytvseries, moviebytes, New york, new york city, private detectives, tv pilot, tv series, yourscriptproduced
In December 2019 I had one of the best experiences of my life both professionally and personally. I flew up to the wonderful town of Henderson to shoot the sequel to the 1994 classic: Chantilly Lace. I didn’t know when I booked this job what a dream come true it would be. I got to work with some absolute legends of film and TV: Talia Shire, Lindsay Crouse, Patricia Richardson, Jill Eikenberry and Helen Slater. How they have enriched my life and my craft as an actor is beyond measure.
Even more of a bonus is the wonderful people from a town that has captured my heart, not only did I get to live in this unbelievable mansion which was more like a fairytale than I could put into words:
But the friends I made: the wonderful production crew from the town who put all other crew’s to shame – their hospitality, kindness and friendship will stay with me forever and I am now so grateful to be able to say they will be my life-long friends – Jill, Torre, Gail – my girls! And the best Line Producer and friend on our second project together: my darling Dee.
From start to finish this was a dream come true – I will be grateful for as a long as I live for that incredible week I got to spend living like a movie-star princess. Acting is not just a passion for me – it is me, it opens up worlds and possibilities that make every day worth getting out of bed for, to see just what it has in store. #longmayitcontinue
actor, actress, chantilly lace, dawn Anna Williamson, featured, film, helen slater, jill eikenberry, linda yellen, lindsay crouse, movie, movie set, on location, patricia richardson, sundance, talia shire
Being busy as an actor is NEVER a bad thing and these past few months have been super busy, with two exciting projects in production and some great smaller projects completed.
One of my favorite’s has been playing Helen Maxwell in the movie version of the ‘Clock Tower’ survival horror computer game, written and directed by Director Ruth (Ladarius Winns) working on a horror film has been oxymoronically SO MUCH FUN, principal photography has started but for now here is a sneak peak at the trailer.
Next up I’ve been back working with the awesome Jerome Curtis (Lights on Films) on a new digital series 108th, playing the Chief of Police – totally up my alley. Here is a snippet.
Last up, I worked with the innovative Reelarc on this scene titled ‘One Day at a Time’, focusing on addicts and the affect of their addiction on loved ones. You can watch a clip here.
acting, actor, actress, clock tower, dawn Anna Williamson, featured, horror film, jerome curtis, juan ortiz, Lightsonfilms, movie, Nyc, nypd, reel arc
Check out my latest commercial for the ‘Via‘ Ride share App. Currently on all social media channels in the UK.
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An actors life is never dull, as actors we never stop: new headshots, new reels, new clips, new workshops, new classes the list goes on and the bank balance goes down – thank god then that Confucius got it spot on when he famously said ‘Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life’
For the love of acting, here are my latest Headshots courtesy of Headshots Anyone and my latest reel courtesy of Shoestring Films
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The job of an actor and by job, I mean the nuts and bolts; be on time, rehearse, learn your lines, study your script, understand what’s’ going on in the scene.
Now the real job of an actor; not to act. To ask yourself the same question every day – am I believable as a human being. Sounds crazy right? But as a Meisner student my first ever acting coach told the class from day 1 – never say the word character in my class – there is no such thing. There is only ever you as a person working through an imaginary set of circumstances but no matter how far fetched those circumstances may be, the result is always the same – find the truth in every moment, react as you would react, feel as you would feel and do all of that in the guise of someone else.
Think of any great actor – Denzel Washington, Julia Roberts, Morgan Freeman (some of my favorites) and recall how not once do you ever think ‘oh thats Denzel he’s a pilot today’ you believe that they are that person they draw you in to their story, now think of a time where you watched an actor trying desperately to act – it feels different right? You find yourself calling bullshit, I call bullshit on myself all the time – I act the role, I add up all the numbers 2 plus 2 equals 4 and yet it doesn’t make sense because you’re pretending to feel, pretending to react – when the only way is really to feel, really react. Listening is the only thing we ever really need as actors but every day nerves, fear, projection, planning, stop us from really listening, from being in the moment and from finding our truth.
Acting is a job like any other, its hard and often not glamorous, and sure getting to live your life on any given day as an astronaut, a police officer, a hit-woman, mafia boss, drug dealer mother of two, FBI agent, farmer – whatever it may be, the research and the understanding of the role may differ but the delivery will always be the same – you are you a living breathing human being, deeply layered – you as a person are never just one thing and neither can be any ‘character’ you ever play be either
In conclusion for all the countless times I’ve heard actors ask the question in class, am I a good actor? I’ve always thought the more important question is, how well can I not act?
Scene Study from my On Camera Krakower Class.
act, acting, actingtechnique, actor, actors, featured, freeman studio, krakower, meisner, New york, tribeca