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Working Actor Profile
Rebecca Rising: A Story in Stamina
by James Michael Hughes
"My stamina stems from two things," says actor and former Strasberg student Rebecca Tilney. "One, I love to act and there is nothing else I feel more passionate about; and two, I'm really stubborn. I just strike back like Joan of Arc." Tilney is an inspiring example of an actor who can wrestle with the wolves, get battered, bruised and torn to shreds, and then manage to get fourth billing next to John Travolta (in 2001's Domestic Disturbance). "At one point, I was seriously contemplating throwing in the proverbial towel, booking a one-way flight back home to Boston and reinventing myself as a proud cashier at Whole Foods supermarket," the actor recalls. "Then suddenly director Jonathan Mostow called me personally to say that he saw my reel and cast me in an all-star submarine movie. So I packed my suitcase, flew to Rome and within 48 hours I was on the set of [2000's] U-571. Jonathan's call certainly helped me decide which flight to take."
As evidenced in performances including her role in Rodrigo Garcia's Ten Tiny Love Stories, Tilney's talent has often been compared to that of Meryl Streep. Ask any casting director, producer, or studio executive who has worked with her and the superlatives freely flow: "wildly imaginative," "Hepburn sophisticated," "caustically funny," "astonishingly intelligent," and "range as wide as the Grand Canyon." Although she has amassed an impressive stack of screen and stage credits, she is the first to confess it is not talent alone that keeps her running in the race. It's stamina, an attribute rarely discussed with regard to actors and often taken for granted. Yet it is an essential component for any actor aiming to make a name for herself. Diligently pursuing her career for nearly seventeen years, Tilney has not once re-directed her ambitions or re-evaluated her prospects of succeeding as an actor. Though not yet a household name, Tilney is not registered at a temp agency nor does she serve apple martinis at Skybar. She supports herself on her acting wages, a commendable feat within itself. Her indomitable spirit simply won't let her surrender.
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Working Actor Profile
Building Brooklyn Sudano
by James Michael Hughes
If predictions are right, Brooklyn Sudano is about to become Hollywood's next big thing. Seemingly overnight, she stepped out of the Strasberg Institute and onto the set of the hit T.V. series "My Wife and Kids" (ABC-TV Wednesdays, 8:00pm/PST). To her credit, she scored the role of Vanessa with her talent, not her connections. (She is the daughter of recording superstar Donna Summer and songwriter Bruce Sudano). Sudano has been receiving high praise from critics and viewers alike, but this young star is more interested in capturing the humanity of her character than in gracing the cover of Vanity Fair. Working day-in-day-out with a grueling shooting schedule, Sudano combines the tools of her craft with a "bring it on" attitude in order to cope with the break-neck pace of television production.
The busy Sudano is on her cell somewhere in L.A. Through the crackle and interference comes the honey-coated voice of a tough actress with drive and intelligence. "I use various facets of the Strasberg technique on the set. When I pick up a script, I automatically ask myself, Who am I? What's happening here? What's the relationship? What's the conflict? These fundamental questions enable me to lock into the moment and deliver under enormous pressure. Television forces you to think on your feet. There are no rehearsals. There is no time. It's go, go, go!"
When it comes to her development as an actress, Sudano welcomes her mistakes as well as her triumphs. Her acting coaches encouraged her to take artistic risks, ride the high wire and don't be afraid to fall. "At Strasberg, I just had to let go in the learning process. That was a critical step in my growth as an actress. It sounds simple, but it's incredibly hard. You must have the courage to say, 'I'm going for my objective, the stakes are high, and I just may fail,' and then do it. It's about looking at a situation and trying to get what you can from it, even though you may make mistakes. A majority of the time, when you make a mistake, that's when you break through and improve. "There's no thrill in playing it safe. What's the point? It's like knowing how each day will end. Acting is like life — it's an adventure! Mistakes are not errors — they're opportunities to explore."
Sudano is more determined to portray complex, dynamically sketched characters than she is with becoming famous. "My parents did a great job in raising me away from the so-called Hollywood scene. The illusion of it all can be damaging. I have experienced its glamour and glory, but I also understand just how much blood, sweat and tears is invested in building and maintaining a career." At an early age, her parents instilled in her an admirable work ethic and moral center, which is evident today. "A significant part of me is really a reflection of my family-who they've been and who they are now." In fact, it was her mother who encouraged Sudano to attend The Lee Strasberg Institute in Manhattan. She not only sharpened her acting skills, but Sudano also broadened her capacity for compassion. "Exploring different characters definitely awakened aspects of myself. Acting allows you to be more tolerant of people. Not that you may agree with the things they do, but you become more enlightened because you are living as the character under imaginary conditions. Let's face it, you can't be something on-stage that you are not off-stage."
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Working Actor Profile
Linda Purl: Lessons Learned in Finding Herself
by James Michael Hughes
Can a Method actress performing in the new millennium find artistic success in a Euripides play written in 428 B.C.? The answer is yes, should the Method actress happen to be Linda Purl. In a re-imagined production of Hippolytos at the Barbara and Lawrence Fleischman Theater at the Getty Villa, the play proved to be surprisingly well-suited for this versatile actress. During the theatre’s inaugural season in 2006, audiences were transported to an ancient time when gods and goddesses governed the world. Linda’s emotionally charged performance in Hippolytos not only illuminated the play’s humanity, but also made this antiquity accessible to theatergoers living in the age of Apple computers.
When asked if the Method is applicable to Euripides’s work, Linda responded with calm assurance, “Everyone has his or her take on the Method. But from my point of view, the Method isn’t limited to the kitchen-sink dramas of the 50s that initially popularized it. The Method is not a museum piece. Lee Strasberg wanted his actors to work without textural restrictions. Be it sitcoms or science fiction or Somerset Maugham, his technique allows the actor to not only function, but thrive even if the text was written thousands of years ago.”
Linda Purl has worked consistently for nearly three decades, establishing herself as both an accomplished actress and singer. She achieved national popularity as Ashley, Fonzie’s girlfriend in the classic TV sitcom Happy Days. And while she has shown enormous range on television, appearing in other hit shows such as Matlock and Undercover, her first love has always been the stage. The award-winning actress won raves on Broadway in the musical The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Getting and Spending and has worked with Julie Harris, Lawrence Olivier, Joe Mantegna, Ron Howard, and many others.
"Locating the character’s inner core is where I begin my exploration. This was a lesson I learned from my classes at the Strasberg Institute.” But working from the inside out was not always Linda’s approach. She began her career in Japan where she was the first American to study at the Toho Geino Academy. At the Academy, she acquired a technique that generally emphasized the exterior life of a character. While Linda found this experience invaluable, especially as a young actress launching her career, there was still something missing in her work. “My training at the Academy at that time was quite presentational. Over the years, there has been a shift toward to a more American approach to acting. Japan is a city of contradiction. On one hand it’s a culture entrenched in spirituality where inner power and peace are paramount. But in terms of acting, it appears to be about the exterior.”
It wasn’t until Linda enrolled in The Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute in New York City that she was awakened to her full potential. “When I began studying at Strasberg, I was terrified. Having been so immersed in my outer self, which was really a protective device, a mask, at Strasberg they didn’t necessarily ask me to discard the mask, but to look underneath and examine what truly enlivened me – my inner self. This inner examination forced me to confront my personal fears and unblock my ability to operate on a much deeper level. I had to first be emotionally naked and then grow from there. And it wasn’t easy, but I began to bloom.”
“Studying at Strasberg was one of the smartest moves I ever made. That wonderful buidling on 15th Street was so electric! Just crackling with creativity at every turn. You can feel its pulse the moment you open the door. Lee’s technique has kept me firmly planted on very solid ground. And because of it nothing can shake me.” And that goes for Aphrodite, Artemis, Theseus or any other god in the galaxy!
For more information on Linda Purl, please visit her Web site at www.lindapurl.net |
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