This week’s guest choreographed one of the most iconic fight scenes in all of cinema. If you don’t know his name, then maybe you’d recognize Brad Pitt shouting "Hector!" in his portrayal of Achilles in the film Troy.  That's right, the sword master for the film, choreographer for that iconic Achilles vs Hector fight, and this week’s guest on the Actor’s Instrument, is none other than Richard Ryan.  Richard’s credits extend across theatre, film, and television. He is a  fight master with the society of American Fight Directors, he was Robert De Niro’s double in the film Stardust ..read more

This week's episode is very special, because although this is the 23rd installment released to the public, this is the first  interview recorded for The Actor's Instrument. That's right, initially, this was just supposed to be a test episode for our host, Hassiem; but after listening to it again, he  just couldn’t keep this level of inspiration to himself!  Sarah Allyn, a U.S. Army brat, was born in Wuerzburg, Germany and proceeded to travel the world over starting at 9 months old. Their early, and consistent, exposure to different places, cultures, and characters gave them an i ..read more

On this week's episode of The Actor's Instrument, host, Hassiem Muhammad, discusses the invaluable attribute of resiliency. An actor's ability to bounce back from rejection is paramount to the success of their career. Of course, this is easier said than done-but not to worry! In this episode, Hassiem shares his tips for actors that can help you to weather the storm that is the entertainment industry!  ..read more

This week we’ve got a very unique interview for all of you. Our host, Hassiem, sat down with Eoghan O’Kelly, the owner of Uptown Movement Gym in New York City to discuss the artist’s physical instrument. They discuss fitness and nutrition for actors and dancers, as well as some of the risks that performers face doing 8-9 shows per week, and how to best prepare for those marathon contracts. And our guest, Eoghan, isn’t just any trainer...back in 2020, he was brought on as a strength and conditioning coach for a major Broadway musical. He's on the show this week to share what he discovered durin ..read more

The acting industry is super tough. Constant rejection, financial woes, and last minute auditions with a hotel room ironing board and a few books serving as a tripod are commonplace in our industry. Now imagine all of that plus the stresses of the US immigration policy.  This week’s guest, Resa Mishina, was born and raised in Tokyo and attended international schools around Singapore and Japan. In 2009, she was selected to represent the city of Tokyo for the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games city bid. Fast forward to 2023 and Resa finds herself as a part of the Helen Hayes Award Winning en ..read more

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Power Book II, ten episodes of Power Book III, Mr. and Mrs. Smith starring Donald Glover, Luke Cage, The Godfather or Harlem...these are just some of Wadi Jones’s stunt performer and coordinator credits. When you Google him, stunts are the first thing that pop up, and when I met Wadi, he was introduced to me as a stunt performer and coordinator. But when you talk to Wadi himself, that’s not how he immediately identifies. He is an actor, dancer, husband, father, visual artist, and yes, sometimes a stunt performer. You see Wadi Jones doesn’t believe that any of us ..read more

Today, October 30th, is our host, Hassiem Muhammad's birthday! As a new year begins, and the previous one comes to an end, Hassiem takes a look back on his career to share some very important lessons that he's learned along the way. From regional theater, to television premieres, tap in to hear five lessons from five gigs, and soak up the many tips for actors that Hassiem shares in this week's episode!  ..read more

In October's Monthly Motivation segment, host, Hassiem Muhammad, goes solo to share tips for actors on how to set SMART Goals. Only 3% of people have goals, and only 1% write them down. Tap in to this week's episode to hear how you can set yourself apart from over 90% of the competition in the acting industry. As Denzel Washington said, "dreams without goals are just dreams...and ultimately fuel disappointment ..read more

For actors, there is only but so much in our control. Nepotism, Hollywood beauty standards, and luck all play a part in one's acting career, and at the same time, none of it is up to us as individuals. BUT there is a host of other things that are within our control, and it is our job to make sure that we capitalize on all of them; and to help us better understand what those things are that can help us break through the noise, I’m joined this week by one of Broadway’s most accomplished Casting Directors, Tara Rubin. Tara’s office has cast Mama Mia, Jersey Boys, Les Mis, Phantom of the Opera, Al ..read more

Sometimes, the Broadway audition process can take months, and you have to go through five to six rounds of callbacks before you finally book your dream job. This week, I'm joined by actor, Samaria Nixon-Fleming, who shares an inside look into her very unique Broadway audition process, what it's like to be a swing at Harry Potter and the Cursed Child on Broadway, and how important it is in the acting industry to cultivate the value of hard work.  ..read more