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I Don't Need an Acting Class

I Don't Need an Acting Class

By Milton Justice

Become a Paid Subscriber: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/actingclass/subscribe Academy Award winner and celebrated acting teacher Milton Justice invites you into his weekly acting class, based on his years of study with the legendary Stella Adler. I Don’t Need an Acting Class delves deep into the craft of acting, breaks down concepts, tools and techniques, explores endless possibilities and offers you a foundation on which to build a solid, dependable process. Produced by Walker Vreeland.
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But It’s Such a Cool Choice!

I Don't Need an Acting ClassMay 18, 2020

00:00
20:13
Bonus Video Ep: Knowing What The Play Is About

Bonus Video Ep: Knowing What The Play Is About

Thank you for being a subscriber! One of the perks of this feature is that you'll continue to get new content even though we're currently between seasons. Clearly, you're destined for greatness!

As always, if you have any acting questions, feel free to contact us at: questionsformilton@gmail.com

www.www.idontneedanactingclass.com

Mar 21, 202412:23
Bonus Video Ep: Greatness Must Be Paid For In Blood

Bonus Video Ep: Greatness Must Be Paid For In Blood

www.idontneedanactingclass.com

Mar 18, 202404:48
Bonus Ep: Using Yourself Isn't Substitution

Bonus Ep: Using Yourself Isn't Substitution

www.idontneedanactingclass.com

Mar 10, 202406:19
Bonus Ep: The Problem with Style

Bonus Ep: The Problem with Style

www.idontneedanactingclass.com

Feb 27, 202404:52
There Is No One Secret to Acting
Feb 27, 202428:43
Upcoming Spring Classes!

Upcoming Spring Classes!

Email Walker at questionsformilton@gmail.com for more information or to register.

Feb 23, 202401:38
Bonus Ep: Opportunities for Acting

Bonus Ep: Opportunities for Acting

Thanks for being a subscriber!

Just a reminder: Milton will be teaching an in-person intensive at the Schott Acting Studio in Berlin the first week of April. For more information, email Walker at: walker@walkervreelandproductions.com

Feb 23, 202406:43
Trusting Your Creative Impulses
Feb 20, 202412:45
Bonus Ep: Digging Into Detail

Bonus Ep: Digging Into Detail

www.idontneedanactingclass.com

Feb 14, 202408:43
VIDEO: Mark Ruffalo Goes Rogue

VIDEO: Mark Ruffalo Goes Rogue

“I’m so sick of Mark Ruffalo. Whatever that is, I’m so sick of it. I am so sick of him that literally there was a part of me that was flirting with disaster.”

On the heels of his Academy Award nominated performance in the film Poor Things, Mark Ruffalo joined his former acting teacher and coach Milton Justice on the podcast I Don't Need an Acting Class to discuss his process. He has since been nominated for an Academy Award.

“I’m always thinking I’m about four hours away from being fired!” He also lightheartedly admitted that his co-star Willem Defoe, and even the film’s director, Yorgos Lanthimos questioned his outrageous character choices. “Willem said to me first day on set, he’s like: “Are you out of your fucking mind?”

In the end, Ruffalo was so grateful for the opportunity to take risks and push himself this far: “It was so liberating. You’re always trying to throw your elbows out to stay one step ahead of what people expect of you as an actor. I get bored, you know? And I wanna keep being challenged.”

Feb 14, 202420:58
Mark Ruffalo Goes Rogue

Mark Ruffalo Goes Rogue

“I’m so sick of Mark Ruffalo. Whatever that is, I’m so sick of it. I am so sick of him that literally there was a part of me that was flirting with disaster.”

On the heels of his Academy Award nominated performance in the film Poor Things, Mark Ruffalo joined his former acting teacher and coach Milton Justice on the podcast I Don't Need an Acting Class to discuss his process. He has since been nominated for an Academy Award

“I’m always thinking I’m about four hours away from being fired!” He also lightheartedly admitted that his co-star Willem Defoe, and even the film’s director, Yorgos Lanthimos questioned his outrageous character choices. “Willem said to me first day on set, he’s like: “Are

you out of your fucking mind?”

In the end, Ruffalo was so grateful for the opportunity to take risks and push himself this far: “It was so liberating. You’re always trying to throw your elbows out to stay one step ahead of what people expect of you as an actor. I get bored, you know? And I wanna keep being challenged.”

Feb 14, 202422:49
What Acting Is and Isn't
Feb 12, 202420:47
Telling Someone Else’s Story

Telling Someone Else’s Story

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This episode begins with the exercise of telling someone else’s story. It involves hearing a story from someone in class, and then retelling it as our own. This is a great technique exercise because it allows you to layer in your first impressions improvisationally. You don’t have to get it all the first time. And in the process, you find the details that stick with you— these are the choices that bring you to life, and what allows you to put your own unique stamp on the role. “This is what you all did with this exercise,” Milton says. “You allowed yourself to add things that became your contribution.


Have a question for Milton? Send us a voice note below or email us at: ⁠questionsformilton@gmail.com⁠ Also, check out our website: ⁠www.idontneedanactingclass.com⁠ 

Feb 06, 202419:01
Bonus Ep: No Such Thing As A Throwaway

Bonus Ep: No Such Thing As A Throwaway

www.idontneedanactingclass.com

Jan 31, 202408:32
Observing The Art of Seduction

Observing The Art of Seduction

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Milton begins this episode by emphasizing the importance of observing human behavior— our own and others. The reason is, it gives us clues to everything, from character to circumstance to what “playing an action” looks like. Milton gives the example of an audition Diego recently worked on, where he struggled to play the action “to seduce.” This is where observation becomes so helpful. Looking at others helps us understand the nature of seduction.

Have a question for Milton? Send us a voice note below or email us at: ⁠questionsformilton@gmail.com⁠ Also, check out our website: ⁠www.idontneedanactingclass.com⁠ 

Jan 31, 202415:38
The Sin We Commit Without Knowing It
Jan 23, 202416:30
Bonus Ep: Unreleased Mark Ruffalo Footage

Bonus Ep: Unreleased Mark Ruffalo Footage

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Jan 23, 202403:53
Bonus Ep: Talking Out, Clarified

Bonus Ep: Talking Out, Clarified

For anyone confused about how to "talk out," hopefully this will help make it clearer. Have a question about "talking out" for Milton? Send us a voice note below or email us at: ⁠questionsformilton@gmail.com⁠ Also, check out our website: ⁠www.idontneedanactingclass.com

Jan 11, 202411:21
Think Like an Actor
Jan 09, 202408:39
Be Outstanding
Jan 02, 202418:33
Bonus Video Episode: The Nature of Comedy

Bonus Video Episode: The Nature of Comedy

www.idontneedanactingclass.com

Dec 27, 202306:23
Active Relaxation

Active Relaxation

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There are some misconceptions about relaxation in acting. You want to be relaxed but not so relaxed that you’re not able to be active as your character in the given circumstances. As Milton says in this week’s episode: “I think a lot of it is figuring out where to put your focus in the work, rather than trying to solve the problem of being all over the place, or being nervous or being in your head.” In other words, the answer to relaxation is found in the actor-work itself. Have a question for Milton? Send us a voice note below or email us at: ⁠questionsformilton@gmail.com⁠ Also, check out our website: ⁠www.idontneedanactingclass.com⁠ 

Dec 26, 202320:29
Playing Witch-Twins on American Horror Story
Dec 19, 202316:11
Bonus Video Episode: Working Slowly

Bonus Video Episode: Working Slowly

An excerpt from Milton's Masterclass at Spotlight in Stockholm, Sweden.

Dec 14, 202310:23
The Given Circumstances Are Everything

The Given Circumstances Are Everything

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What do we mean when we say the Given Circumstances? According to Stella Adler, the Given Circumstances includes everything— all the facts. And as Milton puts it, it incorporates all the P’s: the play, the playwright, the plot, the place, the period, and the personality, past and profession of the character. 

Have a question for Milton? Send us a voice note below or email us at: ⁠questionsformilton@gmail.com⁠ Also, check out our website: ⁠www.idontneedanactingclass.com⁠ 

Dec 12, 202315:21
Making the Inactive Active

Making the Inactive Active

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This is one of those ideas in acting that is almost scientific in its certainty. If you’re ever in a scene where your character is meant to be inactive, you must equally compensate for it by finding a way to make what you’re doing especially active. For example, your character is “bored” or “depressed” or “listless,” you cannot “play bored or depressed. You must give yourself something active to do, whether it’s an activity with a definite end, or a larger action like something to fight for. In the second half of the class, Milton works with a student on the “Love/Hate exercise” and talks about the importance of letting your choices feed you. 

Have a question for Milton? Send us a voice note below or email us at: ⁠questionsformilton@gmail.com⁠ Also, check out our website: ⁠www.idontneedanactingclass.com⁠ 


Dec 05, 202318:50
Bonus Video Episode: Master Class at Spotlight

Bonus Video Episode: Master Class at Spotlight

An excerpt from last week's masterclass at Spotlight in Stockholm, Sweden. Enjoy and thanks for being part of this amazing community!


Dec 04, 202318:39
Putting In Your Own Words

Putting In Your Own Words

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The reason why “putting something in your own words” is such a useful exercise is because it covers so much territory: understanding the sequence of thoughts, owning the character’s point of view and the size of an idea, and what action we are playing. There are concepts that you can apply to any monologue, any scene. Since you don’t have time to memorize the words, (and therefore become creatively strangled), you’re forced to get clear about what it is that you’re doing. Have a question for Milton? Send us a voice note below or email us at: ⁠questionsformilton@gmail.com⁠ Also, check out our website: ⁠www.idontneedanactingclass.com⁠ 

Nov 28, 202339:26
Bonus Video Episode: Milton Speaks at Yonker Film Festival

Bonus Video Episode: Milton Speaks at Yonker Film Festival

Happy Thanksgiving to our subscribers! We are so thankful for you. Here's a clip of Milton talking about his early career at Yonkers Film Festival. Wishing you all a day full of peace and love.

Nov 23, 202306:01
Connecting with The Character’s POV

Connecting with The Character’s POV

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This week, Milton muses about what we mean when we talk about connecting. How much to we, as actors, have to connect to the character’s point of view, and how it that different than the *character* connecting to their point of view? “I often say that you know more than your character knows,” Milton says. “But the question is:  what do I know that my character doesn’t know? And how does that inform the importance of what I’m saying?” Have a question for Milton? Send us a voice note below or email us at: ⁠questionsformilton@gmail.com⁠ Also, check out our website: ⁠www.idontneedanactingclass.com⁠ 


Nov 21, 202316:19
Bonus Video: Milton on Meisner

Bonus Video: Milton on Meisner

Your shirt is blue. 👕

Nov 17, 202300:56
Bonus Episode: One Line of Dialogue

Bonus Episode: One Line of Dialogue

You promised to bring me the notes for the lecture. I waited for you and when you didn’t turn up I knew you’d forgotten as usual.


This is a comprehensive list of what people in class said they would work on when given this one line of dialogue:


  • Relationship to partner
  • Where are we
  • What is the lecture
  • Are you teacher or student
  • How long did you wait
  • Where did you wait
  • Who am I who are they
  • Past of forgotten as usual
  • What have they forgotten
  • How do I feel about the fact that they’ve forgetten
  • Where was he? At the lecture? What happened?
  • What was I doing before waiting?
  • What were the consequences
  • How important the notes
  • What exactly are the notes? 
  • What was the person’s attitude about this?
  • Moment of the promise?


Nov 17, 202310:47
Improvising Your Character’s POV

Improvising Your Character’s POV

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There are so many (upsides) to improvisation. For one, it helps you get specific, own what you’re talking about, and find choices that you love. It also forces you to listen because you’re constantly having to check-in with your scene partner to see if you’re getting through to them and solving your problem. It also, as witnessed in this episode’s exercise with JP and Amanda, is a great way to understand your character’s point of view. 

Have a question for Milton? Send us a voice note below or email us at: ⁠questionsformilton@gmail.com⁠ Also, check out our website: ⁠www.idontneedanactingclass.com⁠ 

Nov 14, 202318:44
Bonus Episode: Staying In The Scene

Bonus Episode: Staying In The Scene

www.idontneedanactingclass.com

Nov 08, 202306:09
Your Own Way of Working

Your Own Way of Working

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Milton begins this week’s episode sharing memories about working with Swedish cinematographer, Sven Nykvist and Helen Mirren, and why “taking the time to build slowly and let it layer in” is such a wonderful way to work. And yet, there is no one way of working. This is why taking acting advice from other actors can be so misleading. What works for one does not work for all.  What works for actors in one culture does not work for actors in another culture. At the end of the day, we have to find what works for us.

Have a question for Milton? Send us a voice note below or email us at: ⁠questionsformilton@gmail.com⁠ Also, check out our website: ⁠www.idontneedanactingclass.com⁠ 

Nov 07, 202320:38
Creating The “Other”

Creating The “Other”

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Your individual experience will inform your “way in” to approaching a role and of course, your interpretation of a character will be uniquely yours. But that doesn’t mean the character is you, and that you don’t have to move outside of yourself to create this other human being. A great way to begin imagining this “other” is to read. Reading feeds the imagination. It force us outside of ourselves, enabling us to immerse ourselves in pages and pages of another perspective. And we can begin visualizing behavior, physicality and mindset. Have a question for Milton? Send us a voice note below or email us at: ⁠questionsformilton@gmail.com⁠ Also, check out our website: ⁠www.idontneedanactingclass.com⁠ 

Nov 07, 202321:16
All You Need for TV
Nov 07, 202314:19
Bonus Episode: We Need Our Partners To Get Where We're Going

Bonus Episode: We Need Our Partners To Get Where We're Going

www.idontneedanactingclass.com

Nov 02, 202303:45
Bonus Episode: Walker Works on Roy Cohn

Bonus Episode: Walker Works on Roy Cohn

This is from a 2021 class when Walker was working on Roy Cohn from Angels in America. This is him building an event from his past that fed into the character’s need to dominate others. 

Oct 23, 202320:26
Acting Is Human Logic

Acting Is Human Logic

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One of the biggest contributions that Stanislavsky (and later Stella Adler) made was the clear logic they brought to the study of acting. This episode includes several ideas in acting technique that simply make sense: make a choice, move slowly, do research that feeds you, "keep moving. It may be forward."

Have a question for Milton? Send us a voice note below or email us at: questionsformilton@gmail.com Also, check out our website: www.idontneedanactingclass.com 

Oct 17, 202318:02
Bonus Episode: When We Make It About Us

Bonus Episode: When We Make It About Us

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Oct 15, 202306:55
Getting Hired

Getting Hired

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In this episode, Milton talks about the myths actors tell themselves about why they’re not getting hired. The bottom line is this: if you’re good, eventually you’ll start getting hired. In a culture obsessed with tricks, quick fixes, fast-tracks and branding, our abilities as actors has fallen by the wayside. Sure, it’s nice to have credits but the reason to say “yes” to everything is because of what you learn from each job. Have a question for Milton? Send us a voice note below or email us at: questionsformilton@gmail.com Also, check out our website: www.idontneedanactingclass.com 

Oct 10, 202313:57
Bonus Episode: "Dramatic" As a Character Trait

Bonus Episode: "Dramatic" As a Character Trait

Greg does character work on Prior from Angels in America. (From 2021)

Oct 08, 202307:54
Trust Your Homework
Oct 03, 202322:37
Bonus Episode: Be Bold

Bonus Episode: Be Bold

www.idontneedanactingclass.com

Sep 27, 202303:49
We Have Tools
Sep 26, 202323:14
Bonus Episode: Getting Hired

Bonus Episode: Getting Hired

www.idontneedanactingclass.com

Sep 17, 202306:30
Want to Study with Milton Justice? Register Now.

Want to Study with Milton Justice? Register Now.

Hey everyone,

Milton’s 6-week Technique & Script Analysis Workshop will begin October 7th. Classes are Saturdays, from 2PM to 5PM EST and will be held over Zoom for six consecutive weeks. The fee for the 6-week session is $300. This is a great opportunity to get your foot in the door to one of Milton's classes, as he rarely opens up a class to new students. It's also insanely discounted, much to my (Walker's) dismay! 🤪 Anyway, if you're interested you can register or get more info by emailing me, Walker, at: questionsformilton@gmail.com Hope to see you soon!

www.idontneedanactingclass.com

Sep 13, 202300:51
Trailer: I Don't Need an Acting Class

Trailer: I Don't Need an Acting Class

www.idontneedanactingclass.com

Sep 13, 202304:10
Bonus Episode: Let Go & Trust Your Rehearsal

Bonus Episode: Let Go & Trust Your Rehearsal

Have an acting question or comment? Send us a voice message-- there’s a link right in the show notes of this episode--or send us an email at questionsformilton@gmail.com


Sep 09, 202308:45