EP 113: Anthony Meindl on Artists and Social Justice

Today my guest on this special edition of the Hometown to Hollywood podcast is Anthony Meindl. Anthony is a master acting coach, and founder of Anthony Meindl’s Actor Workshop, which has locations in Los Angeles, New York, Vancouver, London, Atlanta, Toronto, Santa Fe, Chicago, Cape Town, Copenhagen, and Sydney. His philosophy is radically different from the status quo—he does not use scene objective, sense memory, or any of the standard 20^th Century approaches that most acting schools take as their foundation—instead, he emphasizes “living truthfully in imaginary circumstances.”

In this special edition of the podcast, we focus on the connections between art & social justice, and between actors & culture. We also discuss acting and the industry and one of the very best audition tips I’ve ever heard shows up about 45 minutes into our conversation. It’s an unusual episode for an unusual time: typically these episodes are designed to be as evergreen and timeless as possible, but I felt that a deeper dive into the impact that actors can have on the world was warranted.

I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. I found it inspiring and stimulating.

Listen to the first 10 minutes here for free, or become a Friend of the Podcast for access to the full interview, as well as access to the entire collection of over 100 other inspiring and educational episodes designed to help you succeed in the entertainment industry.  

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This is Anthony’s second time on the podcast—our first conversation was in the summer of 2016, four years ago.

We explore some very juicy subjects, including the connection between art and politics, artists and social justice, what acting training can do for people, how art can change the world, and much more.

 

Some of my favorite quotes from our conversation:

 

• “To be a storyteller is to reflect back to society what it means to be a human being, having a human experience.”
• “When you realize that nobody knows, you realize that you have just as much of a chance as knowing as anybody else.”
• “All art is political.”
• “The reason people don’t want to engage in a discourse is because it’s uncomfortable.”
• “We equate, as human beings, that feeling something new or unknown or uncomfortable means we’re in trouble. It evokes the fight or flight response.”
• “Everything you want is in the uncertainty.”
• “When we speak from the heart-- even though we will make mistakes—we are leading from the right place.”
• “Instead of waiting for somebody to choose you, choose yourself.”
• “My responsibility isn’t to change the world; it’s just to change who I am.”
• “You want to know the secret of how you get work? Have fun. If you have fun, then we, watching you, will have fun.”
• “We underestimate the power of connection, & the power of our own voice.”

 

Follow Anthony Meindl HERE:

 

Website: http://www.anthonymeindl.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AnthonyMeindl

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anthonymeindl/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnthonyMeindlsActorWorkshop/

  

Did you find this episode informative and inspiring? Imagine what you could learn in an hour of one-on-one with an acting career expert? If you could use some help getting started in an acting career, or jump-starting one that has stalled, book a consultation with me. Working with me can save you months and years of frustration, time and money. I look forward to talking with you!