Class member and client Kate Amundsen is very quickly establishing herself as a star on the rise. In addition to recent appearances on Westworld, she recently shot a great recurring role on Showtime's Shameless for prolific director David Nutter.
No connection here, but sometimes a performance is so good it warrants a little bandwagon alert. Brad Carter is so damn good as Charlie Lange in TRUE DETECTIVE. Hell, everyone is good in TD, but this show is proof that great supporting actors make or break a show. Reminds me of Clifton Collins Jr.'s performance in TRAFFIC, which was a while ago, I know. Enigmatic and electric.
Jared starred as Yousef Turani on the most recent season of HOMELAND. Jared is a great actor who happens to be equally adept at comedic material. Homeland has created a lot of opportunities for him, and he has everything he needs to make the most of it. No surprise to anyone who has worked with him. Onward and upward, Jared.
After several rounds, Moran Atias landed a series regular role on one of the most anticipated shows in development, Tyrant. David Yates and Gideon Raff (Homeland) are the creative team involved, and it doesn't get much classier than that. Yates' is obviously known for the Harry Potter movies, but his Girl in the Cafe is a film I mention often in class for its performances. Coaching Moran on such great material was a true collaboration, and I can't wait to see the show.
Had to point out the recent success of another class participant, Hunter Jackson. If you don't know him now, you will soon. Coming off his Twilight work, he's booked back-to-back roles on Grimm and Castle, working with serious pro and all-around great actor - John Pyper-Ferguson.
Hats off to Vanessa Ragland (former class participant) and Cole Stratton for their pop-enlightenment podcast. There is no longer any need to actually watch any reality tv - they will go forage it for you, ingest it, and regurgitate it for you back at the nest. Only it tastes better.
Benjamin Arthur, Hart Turner, and Charlene Amoia spent the summer shooting American Reunion for Universal in Atlanta, opposite the original cast.
Congrats to Amy Handelman for booking the lead in the Rubicon Theater production of Steel Magnolias. Previews start August 24th in Ventura, and the cast also features Clarinda Ross, Bonnie Franklin and Stephanie Zimbalist.
One of the best young actors I've worked with, Kyle McKeever was cast off tape in Odd Thomas, with Tim Robbins, Willem Dafoe, Anton Yelchin, Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Patton Oswalt. This was all from sides we worked on in class. Right on, Kyle...
Right on to Deborah Puette, one of my favorite actors out there, for her new show 'Caught' at the Zephyr Theatre. Deborah is that perfect combination of integrity, intelligence and talent. Hats off to you.
Big Hats Off to native New Orleans actor Bryan Batt for his third season arc on Mad Men. For those who aren't as familiar with Bryan, he's a Broadway legend who has basically found the role of his life in the great series on AMC. Bryan is about as legitimate a triple threat as there is, and he's one of the most electric musical theater performers out there. Salvatore Romano, and his role as Sandler's agent in Funny People are just the start. Right on, Bryan.