12/30/2022
Dear Friends
During the pandemic I had friends who came to me and asked a lot of questions about acting and what it is to be an actor. It seems that with all the new streaming outlets, many want to be part of the artistic community. For years, it wasn’t easy for ethnic actors to break into the mainstream business. When I got my first series regular on a network series, it was one of the first for an Iranian American actor in 2003. Things have slowly changed throughout the years and many more have had opportunities which is fantastic. I’ve talked to many young actors about the nature of the business, the changes it has gone through and really enjoyed helping guide other artists through sharing my own experiences.
I’ve also had the privilege of studying with so many iconic acting teachers including Michael Howard, Allen Miller, Jamie Donnelly and many others. I’ve also had the luck and privilege to have worked with so so many talented actors, directors and producers who have helped in my career.
With the desire to help others artists, I was nudged into trying to share my knowledge and experience with other actors. So I’m trying to slowly, but surely, put together some of the things I’ve learned and share them with other artists.
It will take some time for me to figure out how to do this, maybe starting online, then maybe finding a space one day. But I love actors. And I want to be part of preserving a craft that seems to be kind of being taken for granted. It’s not as easy as it looks. It takes practice like anything else.
It seems to me that the people I talk to want to be an actor or artist but not put in the work. It’s about a quick tik tok clip that goes viral or how many followers one can get, but that’s not acting. It’s a very deep, profound connection to one’s self and the ability to share one’s soul through words and characters.
I love you all and hope that I can be of service down the road.
Anthony
