EP 39: Will MacKenzie: First Act Actor

On this episode of Second Act Actors, I sit down with Will, who’s a lovely, stable, positive person who’s also an actor and a teacher. Will’s a first act actor, having attended theatre school in Toronto, and today he acts and teaches other actors to have a positive mindset and to value themselves so they can truly put themselves into the character they’re playing.

Will tells me what he did and didn’t learn at theatre school and how he eventually made up for his lack of knowledge by taking on a mentor and shifting his mindset. He reveals the low point that he went through after leaving theatre school and the work that he had to do to overcome it. Will also dives into the fallacy of the ‘starving artist’ mentality and how it can be dangerous to young actors in the industry, and he paints his alternative vision of being a ‘thriving artist’.

This episode of Second Act Actors is an uplifting listen that’s full of great advice about what it actually takes to become an actor. If you enjoyed it, share it with a friend or online to spread the message about valuing yourself, even in a famously tough industry.

Timestamps

[0:15] How struggling in music class made Will want to be an actor

[2:38] What did Will’s parents think of him becoming an actor?

[4:00] Will on making his own back-up plan and teaching acting to others

[5:24] Will’s experience of theatre school

[8:00] “There’s a lot missing from the educational world”: What you don’t learn at theatre school

[10:00] Camera experience, mentors, mindset shifts: How Will made up for his knowledge deficit

[13:46] Will’s post-theatre school low point

[17:40] Gaining a breakthrough by working on your mindset

[18:55] What a truly great teacher can do for your confidence and your acting career

[24:33] What’s the difference between a first act actor and a second act actor?

[25:53] The danger of the ‘starving artist’ mentality