How to Learn Acting from Actor Interviews and Masterclasses

Some of the best acting lessons available are free. Thousands of hours of in-depth interviews, roundtables and masterclasses with leading actors are online, where they talk openly about how they prepare, what they do when a scene isn’t working and how they survived the early years.

Watched casually, these interviews are entertainment. Watched actively, they are a masterclass. Here is where to find the best ones and how to get real value from them.

Why actor interviews are worth your time

• Process: actors often describe their preparation in detail, from script analysis and research to physical transformation and working with a coach.
• Problem-solving: you hear how experienced actors handle nerves, difficult directors, emotional scenes and roles that don’t come together.
• Career reality: many talk about years of rejection, day jobs and lucky breaks, which helps put your own path in perspective.
• Range of approaches: you quickly discover that great actors work in very different ways. There is no single correct method.
• Industry insight: how auditions, casting and sets actually work at a high level.

Where to find great interviews

Some long-running series and formats are particularly useful:

• Inside the Actors Studio. The long-running series hosted by James Lipton featured hundreds of in-depth conversations with actors and directors in front of drama students. Many episodes and clips are available online.
• Actor roundtables. Publications such as The Hollywood Reporter hold annual roundtables during awards season, where several leading actors discuss their craft together.
• Actors on Actors. Variety‘s series pairs two actors who interview each other, often producing surprisingly candid conversations about process.
• SAG-AFTRA Foundation Conversations. Long-form interviews and Q&As with actors about specific projects and careers, aimed at performers.
• BAFTA masterclasses and talks. Lectures and Q&As with actors, directors and writers.
• Off Camera with Sam Jones. Relaxed, long-form conversations with actors and other creative people.
• Podcasts. Many working actors host or appear on podcasts about the craft and the business. They often go deeper than video interviews because there’s more time.
• Theatre and film festival talks, as well as interviews in the extras of DVDs and Blu-rays.

Look beyond the biggest stars, too. Character actors, theatre actors and voice actors often give the most practical insight because their careers look more like the one you are likely to have.

How to watch like an actor

Watch with a purpose

Before you press play, decide what you want to learn. How does this actor break down a script? How do they handle auditions? What did they do to prepare for a particular role? It turns passive watching into research.

Take notes

Write down specific techniques, exercises and ideas. “She reads the script once without making any decisions, then writes questions in the margin” is useful. “She’s very inspiring” is not.

Watch the work too

When an actor describes how they approached a role, watch the film or scenes they are talking about. Seeing the result alongside the explanation is extremely valuable. Can you see the choices they describe?

Try it

The point isn’t to collect techniques but to test them. If an actor describes a way of learning lines, a warm-up or a way of finding the character’s walk, try it in your next class or rehearsal. Keep what works.

Compare approaches

Watch several actors talk about the same thing, such as crying on cue, preparing for auditions or working with a difficult scene partner. You’ll find completely different methods, which is a good reminder to find your own way. Our guide to essential acting techniques gives an overview of the main approaches you will hear mentioned.

Notice what isn’t said

Interviews are part of publicity. Actors are often promoting a project, and stories get polished over time. Take accounts of extreme preparation or overnight success with a pinch of salt, and focus on the practical ideas.

Learning from career stories

Interviews are also a reminder that careers rarely follow a straight line. Many actors describe years of small parts, rejection and side jobs before their breakthrough, or a late start after another career entirely. Our profiles of Michael Caine, Bill Murray and Vin Diesel look at a few very different paths.

Use these stories as encouragement, not a timetable. See our article on staying inspired for more on how to avoid falling into comparison.

Final thoughts

There has never been more access to how great actors think and work. Treat interviews as part of your training: watch with purpose, take notes, test what you learn and build your own way of working from the best ideas you find.