Sept. 10, 2020

How to Break into Acting at a Young Age | Ep 52

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Two Unemployed Actors | Episode 52: Navigating the Industry as a Young Actor with Yasmin

What does it take to balance high school, a social life, and a packed filming schedule? In this episode, Max sits down with 12-year-old up-and-coming actor Yasmin to discuss her fast-tracked journey in the industry, her professional approach to audition nerves, and the universal hurdles every actor faces, no matter their age.

🎙️ In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

  • The Transition to Screen: How Yasmin moved from modelling to booking commercial gigs, starting with an early role in an Optus ad.
  • The Balancing Act: The reality of juggling Year 7 schoolwork and friends with sudden three-day TV commercial shoots and late-night short films.
  • Mastering the Audition Mindset: How Yasmin trained herself to leave audition nerves at the door and move on instantly after walking out of the room.
  • Script Prep & Process: A step-by-step breakdown of Yasmin’s "lines first, acting second" rehearsal process with her mom, contrasted against Max's analytical approach.
  • The Universal Actor Struggles: Laughing over shared industry headaches, from the horror of forgetting lines mid-audition to the ultimate frustration of trying to cry on cue.
  • Expanding the Toolkit: Why working on a US accent is essential for young Australian actors looking to book global productions filming locally.

Episode Timestamps

  • 00:00 – Welcome to Episode 52 & introducing Yasmin.
  • 00:01:20 – Making the switch from modelling to acting.
  • 00:03:22 – Juggling school life with a demanding production schedule.
  • 00:04:16 – Developing a natural acting style and Max’s 20-year industry break.
  • 00:06:27 – Overcoming audition anxiety and handling line retention.
  • 00:10:41 – Behind the scenes: Working with kids on set and an intense fire-stunt story.
  • 00:12:54 – Dream roles and superheroes.
  • 00:14:31 – Preparing for global work and nailing the US accent.
  • 00:15:11 – Yasmin’s advice for aspiring young performers.
  • 00:16:58 – Script-to-screen: How to break down a new script.
  • 00:20:06 – The evolution of self-taping vs. in-the-room auditions.
  • 00:23:47 – The great debate: Emotional vulnerability and crying on cue.

💡 Yasmin's Top Advice for Young Actors:

"Just keep going. Keep practicing, take Acting classes, and don't give up. It sounds cheesy, but it’s really important."

Support the Show: If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe on YouTube and leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify!

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Transcript

 

MAX: 00:13
Welcome back to two unemployed actors. I'm Max.

YASMIN: 00:16
And I'm Yasmin.

MAX: 00:17
Brilliant. And uh we've got a great show for you today. Today I'm interviewing Yasmin, or do you like to be called Yaz? Yasmin? Yaz. Short, small. Yeah.

YASMIN: 00:26
Yaz.

MAX: 00:27
Yes. Okay. Alright, so it's Yaz and Max having a chat. Um because often we talk about up-and-coming actors and we obviously relate to our own experiences as Sam and Max. Uh generally I'm playing the grandfather-father roles, and uh Sam isn't. Um, but there are other actors out there, um, your age. Can I say your age?

YASMIN: 00:47
Yeah.

MAX: 00:48
Yeah? Twelve? Yeah.

YASMIN: 00:49
Twelve?

MAX: 00:50
I'm glad I got that right. I did my research. And I think it's important to talk about everyone that's out there that's up and coming as an actor.

YASMIN: 00:59
Yeah.

MAX: 00:59
Um, because it's not easy for all of us, and sometimes it can feel like you're on your own. At least you've got your parents, which is great. Yes. So you're not on your own, which is important when you're young. Um, but uh a lot of times it can feel like you know, you're going through everything on your own, and it's like you go to audition and something happens, it's like, oh my god, it's but it's happening to everyone else at the same time, you know. First of all, what made you get into acting? Did you know you wanted to be an actor all the time?

YASMIN: 01:22
Or well, not really. I just so I started three years ago and I actually did modelling.

MAX: 01:28
Right.

YASMIN: 01:29
Um, but then I couldn't do the modelling pout or wait, there's a pout? Yes.

MAX: 01:36
How does that work? Can you do a little demonstration? I know you just said you can't do it. Do you want to try? Try the pout.

YASMIN: 01:43
So it's something like that. I can't do it.

MAX: 01:46
It's obviously hard to do when you're laughing, but that's okay.

YASMIN: 01:48
And I'm also too small, so I can't do that. But um then I just I enjoyed acting and now yeah.

MAX: 01:57
So getting up in front of people's okay and lots of stuff. So you work that out pretty quick doing modeling, and it's like, well, what else can I do to get out in front of people? And it's good. What was your first do you remember your first few roles or the first few acting jobs you did?

YASMIN: 02:10
One of my first role I think I was in an Optus ad.

MAX: 02:15
Uh-huh.

YASMIN: 02:16
And um, yeah, that's what What was that?

MAX: 02:20
Was that a like a family setting watching TV or something? Or were you?

YASMIN: 02:24
It was in a uh tent and um I was sorry, I can't even.

MAX: 02:30
That's okay. It's a whole three years ago.

YASMIN: 02:31
Yes.

MAX: 02:33
Several drinks ago. No joking, so you don't drink alcohol. That's fine. So you're in a tent as a kid, just I was like sleeping and then Okay.

YASMIN: 02:42
Yeah, something like that.

MAX: 02:43
Were you were you nervous like with the whole because when you go suddenly you're auditioning and then all of a sudden you're in a uh a studio or a location and you've got all the crew around and the director and everything, was that kind of intimidating? Were you nervous at first or was it kind of like oh yeah, it's a job?

YASMIN: 02:60
Um, I I was a little bit nervous, yeah. But um then I I was like used to it and yeah.

MAX: 03:06
It's good. It's I mean you adapt really quick as a kid, like don't you? I mean you're used to being told what to do, aren't you? So it's like having a director is just like having another p another parent.

YASMIN 1: 03:19
How does it work?

MAX: 03:20
Like you've got school, you've got friends, I presume you've got friends. And uh and then you've got this whole acting thing where you're auditioning and you're studying as well at the moment as a as an actor, or you're doing workshops every now and then?

YASMIN: 03:33
I mean, well, I'm only in year seven, so like I don't have that much work.

MAX: 03:37
Okay.

YASMIN: 03:38
But I s sometimes I um might have like uh something like a shoot to do and then I might be late to parties or hangouts with my friends.

MAX: 03:49
It's tough, isn't it, yeah? Being late to parties. I mean, gosh, you know I was just happy to be invited to parties when I was in year seven, but anyway. It sounds like you're already juggling an A-list schedule of you know, red carpet events, parties, that's a stuff. It's like fashion to be late's okay, it's me. So it sounds like you're juggling school and and work pretty well, then that's good.

YASMIN: 04:10
Yeah.

MAX: 04:12
Okay. Is there like have you worked through different types of different styles of acting, or have you just sort of found your way of working as an actor?

YASMIN: 04:23
I've s yeah, I've sort of found my way with working. I don't really um know much about all the different like styles, but um I'm just trying to be as natural as possible.

MAX: 04:35
Okay. And it's good. I mean that that that's kind of that's the right goal, I think. Like I know when I because I came from I had a break of 20 years, right? That's a long time for a 12-year-old. I know, yeah, well. Uh but anyway, uh a break of 20 years between acting and when I was a teenager, I wasn't taking that seriously, it was just you know, whatever. Yeah, but uh coming back with experience was pretty cool because then I knew my goal was the same to be to come across really natural. Yeah, but because I was all about work and processes and boring stuff that'll put you to sleep real quick. Um the style I gravitated to was more about a process because I was used to having processes and stuff at work, so that's kind of like a tool that I used to come across more natural, yeah. Especially like in in plays where you've got to do the same character, the same scenes over and over again.

YASMIN 1: 05:27
Yeah.

MAX: 05:28
To try and keep that same instinctive, sort of natural moments. I'd have to use different sort of triggers in my mind. So I'm very visual. That's my little trick to sort of being more natural or consistently natural. Because obviously, the more work we do, the less it looks like we're doing anything, right? It's like just one of those things. Let's just talk about this week. Like you so you had a short film on Sunday night, you did a night shoot.

YASMIN: 05:55
Oh yes, yeah.

MAX: 05:56
And then you're on location for what three days doing a television commercial?

YASMIN: 06:00
Uh yeah.

MAX: 06:01
This is just one week.

unknown: 06:02
Yeah.

MAX: 06:03
That's pretty impressive. And then auditioning as well. I have to confess, because we went to the same audition, obviously for different roles, obviously. I was gonna say, yeah, yeah. Uh well, and you got yours. You got your congratulations, that was the TV C that was shooting, but uh obviously they thought I was too young to be a father, so you know that's fine, that's good. Yeah, don't don't laugh that much about that. That's okay. Yep, thanks. Um, but uh when you're auditioning, like do you do you get nervous anymore or you just like walk in and go, I'm here to practice?

YASMIN: 06:31
I I don't really get nervous anymore. I'm like used to it now.

MAX: 06:34
That's good, isn't it? It's just so funny talking to a 12 year old going, Yeah, it's fine, I'm used to it. I am. Yeah, yeah. Like, you know, get out of my way. Let me let me in. I'll do my thing and I'm out. And do you forget a do you do you think about it afterwards a lot, or do you just move on to the next thing?

YASMIN: 06:48
I usually just move on. Yeah. Like I'll do it and then just it's easier, isn't it? Yeah.

MAX: 06:53
It's good. Well, it sounds like you've got you've just developed this really professional approach to like because what you're saying, like some people really struggle with still. Um, like, you know, being able to to be more relaxed in the room when they audition.

YASMIN 1: 07:06
Yeah.

MAX: 07:07
People spend a lot of money, a lot of time trying to get there. Um, and the same as when, you know, because I'm an overanalyzer, so it took a bit of practice for me just to forget about it and focus forward after I've walked out of an audition. But um it's fun when you get there. You're already there, so that's good. That's good. You can relax a little bit, spend more time on the craft. Um, what about when you're working? Like, have you had some really cool fun times on set? Like, is there is there shoots that sort of stand out for you or or are they all just boring work?

YASMIN: 07:39
No. I mean, they're all fun. I don't have like a specific specific, I struggle with uh shoot that I thought was like the best or something like that. But um I enjoy them all. That's good.

MAX: 07:53
Very, very politically correct answer. That's good in case anyone else is watching.

YASMIN: 07:57
Yeah.

MAX: 07:60
So that's that's really good. It helps when you've got parents that look after you as well. Make sure you're in the right locations and the right shoots. Good. Um, what about have you struggled with any sort of characters or getting into any sort of character onset? Or maybe you've you've rehearsed really well and then you're on location, maybe it's a short film, for example, or something, and like you're just struggling to get into that zone. Has that have you had many of those moments? Or does it all kind of flow pretty well?

YASMIN: 08:27
I don't think. I think it's yeah, I don't think.

MAX: 08:31
Look, I'd block that out too, if that was me. So but there's been times when there's been times when like there's just stuff going on, there's lots of stuff going on, and then I'm sitting there going, I just can't, oh my god, I've just lost the line, or I've just like, hang on a minute, no, that's the line, then suddenly it's rolling, action's like, oh shit, I wasn't quite ready.

YASMIN: 08:50
Oh yeah, I get so nervous when I um the one thing I get nervous for for auditions is like forgetting the lines. Yes.

MAX: 08:57
I I the one thing only every single actor agrees with you. Because like it's like, come on, I've got you know, half a page to memorize, it's like I can do this, you know, and then you don't you think of all the times you've memorized monologues and stuff, it's like I could do this, and you get there and it's like oh shit. Pardon me, excuse me. I can I can forget everything so quickly. It happened sometime. I remember I went to an audition last year, and I remember saying to Sam, look, it's three lines, you know, whatever, I'll just I'll get it done. I and you practice it different ways, yeah, and then you've got your best one that you're gonna go forward with, and you've got a few options up your sleeve, and I'm in there, I'm like, Yeah, it's fine, no worries. And I'm looking at the phone, whatever. I'm just not present in the moment. I'm like doing emails, I think I paid a bill or something. Like, I know, right? Micro sleep. So, and then I walk into the room and I'm like, oh shit. Oh, so my goodness.

YASMIN: 09:48
Oh my goodness.

MAX: 09:49
Oh my goodness. Um, I've just forgotten the I'm like, I'm standing there, like, I can't just walk in and say, Hi, my name's Max. Um, what's the first line? I don't really want to be that guy, you know, high maintenance. So I thought it'll come to me, it's fine. And then I'm kind of struck. It's like, oh look, you know, I just I haven't do you want the script? It's like they're like, Do you want the and I hate that because I'm like, I'm either reading or I'm acting, you know what I mean? And then I'm and then I'm that guy, but I thought, you know what, I'll take a moment, I'll just relax, I'll get it, yep, got it, you know, and then then boom. Yeah, and then they see the press record, and it's all like you don't let it freak you out and derail the whole day, you know. Because that used to be me, and then I'd be like, oh my god, that's horrible. I'd I'd sabotage my own performance, and then I'll be thinking about it for like six weeks afterwards, like, oh my god, sabotaging everything else I'm doing for six weeks. Come on, pull your head out. But it's hard for some people, so it's good that you've got your stuff together, like you're just focused. I know I've worked with a few children, I have to say, they are getting older. Like every everyone I've worked with, every child has been really professional. Like, actually, there was one short film. You know how sometimes you go on a short film shoot and you're kind of like, these guys really got their stuff together, it looks really cool, whatever, and it's great. And then suddenly things sort of happen, it's like, oh, I wonder what this footage is gonna look like. And then you know, you look at it and go, Okay, that's nice, I won't show anyone. But um, it was one of those, and I was I just said to I said he was like uh nine, and I said to him, he said, uh do you want to do a line read? It's like, yeah, sure. So we just sat there and we went through our lines and like you know what you're doing, don't you? He's like, Yeah, that's like cool. And then I went to my my wife, my screen wife, and I said, Okay, do you want to do a line read? She's like, Oh yeah, okay, okay, we'll do well. Hang on, where's my script? I'll get my thing, I've highlighted this, and I've got five minutes later, it's like we got there, and then we got through it, it was a bit clunky, and I'm like, Do you want to do it again? I'm like, Yeah, okay. So we went through it a few times, and then of course, every time we had this complicated shot which involved fire.

YASMIN: 11:40
Oh wow.

MAX: 11:41
I know I was lying on a bed, and there was I had to have gel on one side so I didn't burst in flames, and then a flame bar on the other side, and then as the flames reach a certain height, my son has to walk in to a certain spot to say his line, and then my wife comes in to say something to him and to me, and so there's all this stuff happening, and then everyone's got their cue right, and take after take, he just come in, always hit his mark, always get the right eye line, always say the right line, never fluffed a line through the whole production. And yet we had to keep reshooting, and I was getting hotter and hotter by the way. I'm like medium red or well done, like fully, you know, sunburnt. And uh, because she couldn't quite get the the line right, or the the line was right, but it was to he to the sun instead of to me, or it was just a bit clunky. But I've just found that I don't know, maybe it's just my experiences, but kids just sort of they're used to just getting stuff done and following direction really well and just nailing it. Like it was just it was really it makes it easier, I think. Yeah. Because then I'm spending less time sort of worrying about how we would interact and more time just doing the job. Enough about me. I am talking about you. Um what about I know you're kind of limited in what characters you can play as a 12-year-old. You know, it's probably like you know, you're gonna be the daughter of someone, or um, you could be the protagonist, you could be the person who's leading a whole group of spy kids or whatever it is that's like cool right now. I don't know, too old to understand. But um, is there a character that you'd really like to play, like a type of character? Is it like a superhero or is it like just is it something that you think at the back of your mind that'd be really cool to play? If you could have unlimited opportunities. I know it's an important question. Not really. I don't think I mean What do you find more fun to do? Like, is there sort of a character that you think would be more fun to play?

YASMIN: 13:39
Uh I mean what you were saying, like a superhero. Yeah. That would be fun. It would? Yeah.

MAX: 13:44
What would your superpower be? Jeez, I'm putting you on the spot today.

YASMIN: 13:48
It's fine. Flying, probably flying.

MAX: 13:50
Yeah. That's pretty cool. Actually, that'd be fun to work with a special effects scenes too, flying around on a rig. That'd be good. Actually, that's pretty good. I'll write that down. I said to Sam when that when uh the Marvel confirmed Thor is going to be filmed the next one in Sydney, that I'll put on my I've got a Bat Batman costume. It's a long story, don't worry. Batman costume, and uh he can put on a costume, we'd go there and and you know, which we could just go up and down, film a bit for the podcast and say, Hey, look, you know, we're so ready to play superheroes. And he quietly reminded me that it's a different universe to the Thor universe. It's like it's completely it's not even the same company. I I don't know these things. Anyway, I'm sure my age. Um so what are you working on now? What are you doing? You're just practicing like your auditioning techniques or your accents, or what's normal for you?

YASMIN: 14:41
I mean, I have been work I have been working on my US accent and Yeah, there's a lot of US productions being filmed in Australia.

MAX: 14:51
Yeah. It's good to have a new toolkit. Um and have you got any auditions booked coming up? Anything you're excited for?

YASMIN 1: 14:60
No? No.

MAX: 15:01
After a busy week, geez, you've earned a day or two off, I think. It's crazy. You've been on set like four days out of the last seven, it's crazy. Um okay, well, thinking about other other Yazzers out there, other Yasmins, what what would your advice be if they thought, you know, it's it looks really cool, I really love drama, I want to do more acting. What what do I need to do? What what would you say to them?

YASMIN: 15:28
Don't no um just keep going and like just keep practicing, doing acting classes, and just don't give up. Yeah. Sounds cheesy, but no, no, it's really important, I think.

MAX: 15:50
You're right. Because no matter your age, it's it's relentless, like it's another audition, another, you know, it's like going through the cycle, it's like it's like going for job interviews and you go to like you know 100 a year, and then all of them are no except for three or something, you know what I mean? Like it's it's it is quite full on because it's a business behind the surface. People forget. Um, so it is good advice. Don't give up, keep going. It's important because it's so easy to give up. There's so many reasons not to do it.

YASMIN 1: 16:18
Yeah.

MAX: 16:18
And some of them are pretty logical when you look at the odds and everything, but you've done well to build up a body of work. Like by the time you're, you know, into your late teens, you'll have years of experience and pages of credits. It's like it's pretty cool at a young age. It's pretty cool.

YASMIN: 16:36
Yeah.

MAX: 16:37
And because you're small, it's like you'll be playing teens into like your early 20s. It's like it's great, you know? You have so many opportunities.

YASMIN: 16:43
Yeah. Unless they grow, but unless I oh sorry, yeah, we've still got uh maybe we'll see.

MAX: 16:51
We know what you want for Christmas. Some more hype.

YASMIN 1: 16:55
Yep.

MAX: 16:57
Okay, so say we've got a short film coming up and you've got your character that you need to to play. How do you go about getting ready from when you get the script to when you're walking on set? Like what do you do?

YASMIN: 17:13
So what I would do is I read through the whole script, like read through everything on the page, so I know like the before and what the character is um like, and then I'll run through with my mum, and then I'll do that a couple of times, and then I'll do it myself and just try and get the lines, and then I'll run through again with my mum and then just go and that's it.

MAX: 17:40
That's good.

YASMIN: 17:40
Yeah.

MAX: 17:41
I mean you make it sound easy, but we know it's so much more to it. Do you think about blocking and stuff, like what you've got to do in the scene? Like if say you're on the phone and you've got to talk to someone, talk to someone else, like do you think do you go through that sort of stuff as well?

YASMIN: 17:52
Yeah, I would probably add that on because I add so basically I memorize the lines and try and get them, and then I'll add the acting.

MAX: 18:01
Yeah.

YASMIN: 18:01
And yeah.

MAX: 18:02
Okay, that's interesting. I'm kind of back the front. I kind of go, like I'll read it and I'll know you're right, read the whole thing because you want to know who the hell you're playing, right? Yeah. And and it's kind of like I'll get the I'll understand the journey of the character, and then in each scene, yeah, what happened before and what's about to happen in the given circumstances, all that sort of stuff. And then it's kind of like I'll understand the emotion. So it's like, what's the character feeling? And then by the time I get to rehearse the lines, I kind of know where they're coming from. So even if I fluff a line or something, like it'll still sort of be on point because I've got the right emotion. Because people forget, like, sometimes it's they think it's all about just remembering lines, but like then when you're there and you have to make like a drink in the fridge while you're talking to people, it's like there's so much more to that. Because being able to sit down and do it to like your mum, no offense to mum, uh, is one thing, but then when you're actually in the scene knowing what to say to whom, where's your island, what's going on, because it's as we know, you're talking generally to uh a a wall sometimes, or you know, yeah, the boom operator. Um it's like it's it's it's not normal, but to make you feel normal in an abnormal environment is hard, that's the job. But yeah. Okay, so you've got a little process down pretty well then.

YASMIN 1: 19:15
Yeah.

MAX: 19:15
That's good. So you don't get nervous or then you kind of get excited then when you get a a a new script in your hands.

YASMIN: 19:21
Yeah. Yeah? Yeah.

MAX: 19:23
Maybe depending on the character.

YASMIN: 19:24
No, If you do, yeah.

MAX: 19:26
That's good. What about in a few years' time? Like let's say you could do whatever you wanted to do and opportunities come your way. Where would you want to be? Oh, that's a big question, isn't it?

YASMIN: 19:37
It's like where would I want to be in the future for like say Yas Yaz in five years time. Probably doing what I'm doing now, but um maybe like in um like a university or something. Um yeah.

MAX: 19:59
It's good that you put university in there because your mum's here, so that's a that's a plus. What about working in overseas? Yeah. Get if you get a job in on take Netflix part. It's so like now because and Sam and I have talked about on the program before where it's so global now, the auditioning process. And even before COVID, there was so much self-taping going on.

YASMIN: 20:22
Yeah.

MAX: 20:23
It's like, you know, any actor who hasn't practiced self-taping during COVID, like seriously, take a look at yourself because it's so important. Um, certainly now, obviously, it's normal for us, and even casting directors had to adapt at times. I find it easier in the room because I can sort of see their action, I can have a conversation. Yes, um, yeah, and after you've done the first take, they can say, Bob, do this, this, this, and you kind of get it.

YASMIN: 20:45
Whereas they'll give you like inst instructions and what to do, so then you can actually figure out exactly because when you're doing like self um self-taping, you kind of just read the script and then take it with like you think of what to do. Yeah, but then you're like and you're limited to whatever you're thinking in that moment.

MAX: 21:06
Yeah. And even if you do like five takes that you think are amazing, you can't send them all five. It's like it's too desperate, like maybe three or something in there. It's like trying to choose which ones, right? Anyway, uh obviously I prefer to be in the room, too. Yeah, but there's so much of that going on now. I think even with like the big budget Netflix productions, you know, they actually factor in, and during pilot season, they factor in a lead time of going global searching for talent. So there's different agencies in Australia that are aligned with like one CBS, one NBC, and um some that a lot of producers that work on Netflix productions gravitate towards as well. So it's like they've like factored in this timeline of getting global talent, obviously, in a world where it's easier to travel. So it might be a little bit before we get there. But having said that, there's a lot of productions coming to us, which is great. Yeah, um, but uh yeah, no, it's really interesting that um self taping's just gotten so big and like we're Growing before COVID and now with the plague it's even bigger. Um it's interesting, but like there's so many different workshops now about self-taping and so you go self-taping. It's like, but I don't like I don't find it hard to do self-tape because like it's like the pressure's off because you can just do take up to take and fluff it, you know what I mean?

YASMIN: 22:17
You have like you can do it as many times as you want, try and get it right.

MAX: 22:21
Yeah, I I think the way I kind of approach it is I'll do like I would in the room, I'd prepare the take, like the one I think they want to see.

YASMIN: 22:29
Yeah.

MAX: 22:29
And dial it up a little bit, maybe.

unknown: 22:31
Yeah.

MAX: 22:31
Or take it a little bit in a sort of a bit of a direction, but so they can sort of see, and then I might do something that's a bit left of field, like something totally different, you know, something lots of pauses, even or something so simple as that can change the whole play, you know what I mean?

YASMIN 1: 22:45
Yeah.

MAX: 22:45
I did some coaching and had a had a great coach, Pip Edwards, who who would help to draw that. Um like I'd turn up and I'd be like, okay, I'm ready, I've got it, I've got it nailed, I know what I'm doing. Go and she'd be like, mm-hmm.

unknown: 22:59
Damn it.

YASMIN 1: 23:01
Yeah.

unknown: 23:01
Mm-hmm.

MAX: 23:02
Let's try a little bit like and I I loved her no bull approach too. It was just straight, do this, do that, blah, blah. It's just which is fine. So I'm like, okay, and then I'd get on with it. And then all of a sudden, by the end of it, I'd have this performance that I didn't think I could like. I turned up thinking my performance is like, I'm on my A game, this is gonna be brilliant. And then by the end of it, she's shaking me and it's like and it's this totally different whole another, yeah, whole nother level. Yeah, those moments are great, aren't they, when that happens. And I find that there's a time and a place, like if I'm going for a big, huge audition and it can be a bit intimidating for me in a way, I I might do that again, and then I'd go to someone and say, okay, work through the scene with me and really shake it up a notch. So it helps you a bit more confidence.

YASMIN: 23:47
Well, this is just random, but um I like random. For when fake crying. Yeah, I can't do that. Can't I like Can you turn tears on?

MAX: 23:56
Can you make the tears run?

YASMIN: 23:58
No.

MAX: 23:59
Yeah, I'm the same.

YASMIN: 24:00
I like think of something sad or like try my hardest, but they just don't come.

MAX: 24:07
Oh I strugg I struggle with that too. I like I can pull all the faces, you know. Um, but it's it's it's really it's difficult to see I even I I did I workshop with Anthony Brandon Wong twice, right? And the second time I really tried to get it going, like the full and he even directed uh the scene for um a show for my showroom, which is fantastic of him. And like even then with like intense one-on-one, it's like I still I like I couldn't almost almost cried out of frustration. It's like just give me a tear. But I needed to get a bit of you know, you a little bit of the um what is it? This is stuff I can't remember what it's called now. It's like uh tiger balm stuff where it's a bit hot and I just put a dub a little bit under my eyes, not too much, because then they'll be just watering like I'm having an allergic reaction, and it's like I'm a blubbering mess. It's like it's not a comedy, you know. That's fine for a comedy, but uh yeah, a few little tricks like that, but sometimes it's just you know, yeah, feeling the emotion and kind of letting it flow. But having someone lean over you and go, okay, we're ready to roll and cry now, you know, it's probably not gonna help us, is it? Yeah, no, no, it's like and when you sit, and when you're in the moment you're trying to think, okay, cry now, cry now. It's like it's not you end up in that voice going, just cry. It's like that's not gonna help me either.

YASMIN: 25:24
Yeah, I feel like the emotion is like the most important. Yeah, like even if you can't cry, it's just the emotion, and that people like can see how you feel.

MAX: 25:35
Yeah, yeah, they don't need to see tears to know you're you're upset, right? That's really interesting, yeah. I'm glad I found someone else who struggles to cry. Oh god, it's such weird combo weird conversations I imagine you can have, right? You're still smiling afterwards, that's good. You survived, that's good. Yes. You've been listening to Max and Yasmin on Two Unemployed Actors, and we'll talk to you next week. Bye.

 

Yasmin Polley Profile Photo

Yasmin Polley is a talented Australian actress with a growing reputation for her versatility and natural screen presence.