REEL Ladies features Margie Haber!
About Margie Haber
For the past 30 years, Margie Haber has taught many of Hollywood’s rising stars and working actors. Her clients have appeared in hit movies, TV shows, and cult classics and in a variety of media.
Here are a few names on her list of growing clients: Brad Pitt, Vince Vaughn, Halle Berry, Heather Locklear, Kelly Preston, Kyle Chandler, Eric Close, Kristin Davis, Laura Innes, Stephen Collins, Traylor Howard, Haaz Sleiman, Vondie Curtis Hall, Sophia Bush, Amy Smart, Jeri Ryan, Traylor Howard, Mariska Hargitay and Molly Sims.
What is it that Margie teaches? She’s an acting coach, but the real answer to that question is the title of her book. Margie teaches actors How to Get the Part Without Falling Apart. Based on her 30 years of experience as an actress and teacher, Margie takes away the three P’s of pain, panic and performance anxiety from the cold reading process and gives back the big P, POWER, to the actor. She teaches actors how to get out of their own way in auditions, how to break down the scene for the best approach, and how to use her unique technique in breaking down the phrases in a scene or script.
A highly respected acting coach on both coasts, as well as internationally, Margie is perhaps best known for her development of a successful audition technique that has helped hundreds of actors prepare and succeed.
The demand to learn Margie’s technique has grown so much over the years that she has opened her doors to actors all over the country and the world with her International Studies Program. This is a program that runs 3-4 times per year wherein 12 actors from all over the world come to study for one month with Margie and her coaches at her studio in Hollywood.
COMPLETE BIO HERE
READ BELOW her interview with REEL Ladies!
______________________________________________
RL: WHEN DID YOU KNOW YOU WANTED TO BE IN THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY?
MH: Since I was a little kid singing in my under parking garage, Judy Garland songs!
RL: HOW DID YOU GO ABOUT PURSUING YOUR DREAM?
MH: I moved here in the 70s, 20 living with my best friend from the Supremes, Mary Wilson. Then did my first tv show Mod Squad.
RL: HOW DID YOU HANDLE YOUR AUDITIONS WHEN YOU FIRST STARTED?
MH: I always say that I wish I had Margie Haber to help me when I was auditioning. I didnt have any idea what I was doing except that I was really good at jumping out of my box.
RL: WHAT IS YOUR TAKE ON HOW THE INDUSTRY HAS CHANGED FOR ACTRESSES FROM THEN TO NOW WITH “NEW MEDIA”?
MH: I think that actors are better trained now. We only had a few network channels. Now there are so many opportunities but so many actors wanting to get the part
RL: WHEN DID YOU DECIDE TO MAKE THE TRANSITION FROM ACTRESS TO COACH?
MH: I am a born teacher. I started teaching in the 70s at the same time that I was acting. It was an easy transition because I truly love to teach and I am really passionate about it.
RL: WHAT ARE SOME COMMON MISTAKES THAT ACTRESSES MAKE WHEN AUDITIONING?
MH: They tend to memorize and not be present . There goal is to learn the lines, not live the life of the person. They work hard on their homework and play the idea instead of letting it go and be available to go in a different direction.
RL: WHAT ARE SOME THINGS THAT ACTRESSES SHOULD BE DOING TO HELP THEIR CAREERS?
MH: Go to the right classes. Keep themselves involved with life. Be enthusiastic about everything you do so that you bring in your passion. Do theatre. Find the representation that is excited about you.
RL: TELL US ABOUT YOUR CLASSES AND WORKSHOPS.
MH: At the Margie Haber’s Studio, we have all different levels .
For the beginning actors, we have basic acting classes that is a 3 month committment where we introduce the concept of stop acting and live the life of this person. We specialize in auditioning but at this level, start you off with basic acting skills – listening, reacting, making the person in front of you more important than yourself and then introduce the audition process.
Then they can go into the intermediate audition technique on camera 4 weeks , 8 class workshop for actors who have studied, done theatre and are starting to go out for tv and film.
The advanced workshop is an intense on camera 3 day weekend workshop, 8 hours each day, for those actors who are not booking enough. Its an amazing opportunity to grow both as an actor as well as a human being.
We also have on going classes that keep you in shape like a gym once a week. The actor may stay in that for as long as they want. It becomes part of your working life style – go to New York for a broadway show, come back – shoot a film for three months, come back – go to work in London, come back. Its a safe but challenging place to work out.
All of our classes focus more on relationship than intention. You have to know who the person is you are connecting with before you know what you want to do to them. Please check my website for more info http://www.margiehaber.com
RL: WHAT IS NEXT FOR YOU?
MH: I will be teaching in europe this summer. We also have an international studies program that we is one month going on now and will be happening in 3 more months again.
RL: WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE FROM WOMEN IN FILM & ENTERTAINMENT?
MH: A network of actresses that help each other in this difficult business.
________________________________________________
To find out more about Margie, her books, classes, workshops and MORE, make sure to visit her site!
www.margiehaber.com
REEL Ladies 