Acting Strong

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Acting Strong

Generation Arts

13 episodes

3 months ago

Content Warning: There is a brief mention of attempted suicide in this episode. What happens when resilience becomes a way of life? Brian Cox, the award-winning actor known worldwide for his portrayal of Logan Roy in Succession, chats to Ali and Unique and takes us on a masterclass journey through his extraordinary 60-year career. Having grown up in working-class Dundee, Brian shares how losing his father at eight years old and his mother's subsequent breakdown became the foundation for his ...

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Performing Arts

Arts

Episodes (13/13)

Acting Strong

Brian Cox: losing everything at 8, the art of persisting, Succession and lessons from a 60-year career

3 months ago

32 minutes

Acting Strong

Patsy Palmer: from the East End to Eastenders, 30 years as an iconic soap character

Patsy Palmer is an Actor, DJ, Wellness Advocate and Cultural Icon, best known for her unforgettable role as Bianca Jackson in EastEnders — a character she has embodied for over 30 years, earning her a place in British television history. Patsy's background and career is a story underpinned by resilience. In this episode, Patsy shares honest reflections on growing up in the East End of London, her early experiences in the acting industry, and the importance of creating space and opportunity fo...

5 months ago

20 minutes

Acting Strong

Sarah Seggari: Resilience behind the role, from Drama School to BBC Drama, and finding love for Shakespeare

Actor Sarah Seggari joins Ali and Unique for an honest, funny, and inspiring conversation about her journey from South London to becoming a series regular playing Rida Amaan on BBC’s Casualty. She shares how solid drama school training set the foundation, but it was learning to trust her gut—like the time she stuck with her original self-tape despite her agent’s advice—that helped her land the role. Sarah talks candidly about relocating to Cardiff for filming, building a new community, and th...

5 months ago

38 minutes

Acting Strong

Helder Fernandes: From Harlesden to Hollywood? Netflix success and staying humble, side jobs as a working actor

An episode for aspiring actors looking for inspiration on resilience, success, and a grounding in the realities of being a jobbing actor. Actor Helder Fernandes has starred in Black Mirror, Rings of Power, The Gentlemen, Top Boy, and the National Theatre's Our Generation. In this down-to-earth conversation with Ali and Unique he shares his journey from struggling to get into drama school to starring in Netflix hits while maintaining a side job for a supermarket. Helder refl...

6 months ago

25 minutes

Acting Strong

Tamara Lawrance: Fearless in Get Millie Black, the courage to choose carefully, building a career that matters

What happens when a performer refuses to compromise on their artistic integrity from day one? Tamara Lawrance's remarkable career journey offers a masterclass in building success through meaningful choices and unwavering self-belief. Tamara chats to Ali and Unique about their recent work in "The Comeuppance" at the Almeida Theatre and their groundbreaking role in Channel 4's "Get Millie Black" – a production they describe as "seminal" for its unprecedented representation of diverse Jamaican ...

6 months ago

31 minutes

Acting Strong

Gabrielle Nimo: Thriving without an agent, blending football and theatre, Black women in the West End, and making space for rest

What happens when your passion becomes your career, but then a setback threatens everything you've built? In this honest conversation with Ali and Unique, Gabrielle Nimo, West End Movement Director, shares her inspiring story of resilience and adaptability, highlighting her transformative journey through productions like "Red Pitch" and "Strategic Love Play." With no agent and relying solely on her organic network, Gaby's career thrives, showcasing how versatility across roles like dancer, fa...

9 months ago

51 minutes

Acting Strong

Casting Director Q&A: Unlocking the secrets of casting with Suzy Catliff on self-taping, auditioning, and getting seen

In this special Q&A episode, Suzy Catliff CDG, a renowned Casting Director and author of The Casting Handbook, shares her wealth of experience from iconic TV shows like Silent Witness and Casualty to film classics like The English Patient. Suzy takes you behind the scenes of the audition room, revealing exactly what casting directors look for and how to approach them with confidence. Whether you're just starting out or looking to refine your craft, this episode is packed with practical ad...

1 year ago

39 minutes

Acting Strong

Your Questions: Getting into acting, auditions, getting an agent, self tapes and mental resilience

Ali and Unique respond to listeners' questions.If you found this episode helpful let us know. If you have more topics you want us to cover, or guests you want to hear from get in touch with us on Instagram @GEN_ARTS or message us below.During the episode we discuss getting into acting as a new or aspiring actor. These opportunities and organisations might be helpful:Get Into TheatreLondon BubbleYoung VicRoundhouse ProjectsStratford East Young CompanyAlmeidaKiln TheatreRoyal Central School of ...

1 year ago

38 minutes

Acting Strong

Jennifer Irons: Breaking the mould, not seeking permission, and performing grief

Award-winning choreographer, dancer, and director Jennifer Irons shares her journey from immigrant beginnings in London to becoming a trailblazer in the world of contemporary dance and theatre. In this episode, Jennifer reveals how her experience as an outsider has profoundly influenced her work and led her to defy traditional expectations in the dance industry. From large-scale stadium performances to commercial music videos, and her own one-woman show, Jennifer's story is one of grit, resil...

1 year ago

40 minutes

Acting Strong

Hayley Konadu: Starring in a Netflix hit, not going to drama school, Black hair for actors, and staying grounded

Hayley Konadu is an actor, and facilitator who recently starred as Flo Bones in Lockwood & Co (Netflix) and has worked on screen and theatre, as well as extensively as an facilitator and assistant director with young people and in arts education settings. In this richly authentic conversation with Ali and Unique, Hayley discusses the process of auditioning and being cast as Flo Bones in Netflix's smash hit Lockwood & Co. She opens up about the realities of coping with mass...

1 year ago

35 minutes

Acting Strong

Chetna Pandya: Overcoming barriers into the arts, starring in Heartstopper, and building creative resilience

Chetna Pandya is an Actor, Director, Producer and Creative advocate, most recently known to many for her role as Coach Singh in Heartstopper (Netflix) and for her extensive acting career in TV shows such as The Trouble with Maggie Cole, This Way Up, Feel Good and Black Mirror. She has worked nationally and internationally across stage, television, film & radio performing with Complicité, Royal Shakespeare Company, Royal Court Theatre and BBC Radio Drama to name a few.In this conversa...

1 year ago

42 minutes

Acting Strong

Ace Ruele: From prison to Hollywood, mastering a positive mindset and transforming the industry

Ace Ruele is a leading motion capture film and video games actor, and founder of Creature Bionics. In this conversation he discusses his extraordinary journey from 4.5 years in prison, through to acting in Hollywood movies, TV and commercials and more recently developing a world-leading company which is transforming how the film industry approaches motion capture, animal and creature work. Ace shares his personal philosophy about how he has maintained his remarkable positive attitude across a...

1 year ago

50 minutes

Acting Strong

Ira Mandela Siobhan: Overcoming Dyslexia and racism, a lesson from Tom Cruise, and why artistic perfection doesn't exist

Ira Mandela Siobhan is a leading Actor, Dancer and Movement Director, and joins Ali and Unique directly from final rehearsals for The Grapes of Wrath at the National Theatre where he is Movement Director. In this conversation Ira shares personal insights into his childhood growing up as the only Black kid at school, moving from the basketball court into dance training, and how his path led him to starring on stage with DV8, Shakespeare's Globe, on the West End, working with Tom Cruise a...

1 year ago

37 minutes