School Ethos

School Ethos

Trust, Authenticity and Connection underpin our school ethos.

As humans we frequently concentrate on the do of our lives and there’s a place for that; but we also need to concentrate on the being and connection between you, your scene partners and the text, if there is one. The breakthroughs come when we step into the parts of ourselves that trust more, that inherently know there’s a freedom in letting go and surrendering to what comes up for you in the present moment.

Truth and believability within yourself and your work is what enables you to honestly tell the stories which you are being employed to tell. If you don’t believe what you’re saying, then how can the viewer? Also, if you don’t bring your individual self to your roles then how will you stand out from the crowd? It is you that employers are looking for. It is you that is telling the story. It is you that is making a difference. This truth brings freedom, strength and individual creative expression.

At ACI, everyone has a voice, everyone will be seen and heard.


Daniel Dresner profile photo

Daniel Dresner

I am an acting coach and teacher having taught at drama schools around the world. My private coaching clients range from novice actors to Hollywood stars.

I have developed my approach over more than 25 years as a coach, director, teacher, life coach, actor, comedian and improviser in London, New York and Tokyo.

I studied The Method at The Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute in New York and am a certified Co-Active Training Institute professional life coach.

I’m also very proud to have written A Life-Coaching Approach to Screen Acting, published by Bloomsbury/Methuen.

Prior to my career in the entertainment industry, I earned an honours degree in business studies at Middlesex University and worked as an executive with a major multinational company.

As an actor, I have appeared in hundreds of films, commercials and live performances. 

My long-standing favourite saying is by Oscar Wilde; “Be yourself; everyone else is taken”.

Dan Clifton

Danny Steele

Agent, coach, actor 

I’ve been career coaching actors worldwide for the last ten years, and work as an agent and casting assistant since 2002. 

Mainly based in the US, my coaching clients have been in many award winning and well known tv and film productions such as Succession, Hawaii 5-0, The Mindy Project, Stranger Things and The Little Things. 

I am the architect of The Intentional Actor and am writing a new book about getting intentional about your career called ‘How To Make Love To Your Creativity’ 

Georgie Montgomery

I am an actor, writer and voice over artist, and have been extremely fortunate that this has taken me across the globe.

I originally trained in Musical Theatre at The MTA in London and continued to enhance my acting training right here at ACI!

At present, five of my plays are featured in the anthology radio series ‘On Another Wavelength’, where one was nominated for a One Voice Award. 

Alongside acting and writing, I also teach singing to an esteemed group of young actors – where I have used my skills to write, direct and produce a number of their shows.

I am a passionate advocate of creating stories and characters enriched in diversity, which not only widens the viewers perspective, but has a deep connection with those that need them the most. 

I’m incredibly excited to be a part of the Actors Coaching International team and to grow in abundance with my fellow actors.

OUR TEACHERS

Nicole Gaskell

I am an International acting coach and teacher. Teaching credits include The Actors Temple Studio London, Studio AZOT Paris, Actors East & Helen O’Grady Malta. My private coaching ranges from working with clients at the beginning of their acting journey through to series regular character development & script coaching for shows such as Eastenders, Hollyoaks & Geek Girl. 

I’ve evolved my approach over 21 years as an intuitive acting coach, teacher, facilitator, actor and in more recent years, parent (the saying is true, kids are our best teachers!). I believe in wholehearted focus, unwavering belief, commitment and flexibility to change. Most goals can be reached!

I studied Stella Adler at The Acting Studio in Manchester & The Meisner Technique at The Actors Temple Studio London, where I then became their acting program course tutor. 

During lockdown I became certified in Leadership with FreedomWorks UK where I went on to co run practical coaching workshops for non-actors.

Whilst acting and coaching actors is at the heart of what I do, I’m also an SEN & Creative Parent Advocate and run various parent groups. I hosted the Parent Performer Coffee & Connect Sessions for Spotlight UK.

As an actor, I have appeared in many independent films, stage productions and have worked extensively in the corporate role-play sector.

I love authentic dramas, usually anything with Stephen Graham or Barry Keoghan!

Jennifer Mars

I am a coach, agent, writer, producer and actor. I split my time between the UK and the UK and love both, as well as all the different facets of this industry. More than anything I love actors, working creatively to bring out the best in their performance and in themselves. I love to help actors tap into their authenticity and really get to know who they are, what they have to offer, what makes them unique and what energy they naturally put forward.

I have acted since I was a toddler and studied Vocal Performance, Opera and Theatre at Southeastern University. Past that, I am Meisner based, having done the traditional training and also worked with many coaches across the US and UK, most recently with Terry Knickerbockers out of NYC (who is the coach Sam Rockwell thanked in his Oscar acceptance speech). I’m also a graduate of the Sam Christensen Image Process.

While I work with actors in every area, one of my specialities is working to make great self tapes, maximising both technical and artistic choices.

My sincerest belief to to stop worrying if the audience is having an experience, and make sure YOU are having an experience.

Tom Sawyer

I am an award-winning actor and coach with over 20 years of experience on stage and screen.

As a coach, I have been working with Actors from all over the world, focusing on Screen acting and the “Meisner” Technique at leading institutions such as Mountview Academy, East 15, Fourth Monkey, Actors Temple, International School of Screen Acting, Actors Academy Finland and privately both online and in person.

I have also worked with London Film Academy, London Film School, Central Film School and NFTS.

Jason Wilson

I am an American actor, Voice-Over performer, and teaching artist. I graduated from Ithaca College with a BA in Theatre and went on to start my professional acting career in Chicago, performing in over twenty five theatrical productions in 12 years. I toured India in 2007 with the play “My Soul is a Witness” by David Barr III, about the American Civil Rights Movement. I decided to further my training and went back to school, mid career, earning an MFA from The New School for Drama in New York City. 

My recent theatre credits include Gabe in the Pulitzer Prize winning play DINNER WITH FRIENDS with Front Foot Theatre, Claudius in HAMLET with The Seeing Place Theatre, Douglas in THE DURATION with All Ignite Theatre , and most recently the UK & Ireland tour of THE VERDICT, a Middle Ground Theatre Company production. I have voiced projects for Apple, Gillette, HSBC, Lynx, Total War: Warhammer 3, to name a few.

As a coach I have a long list of private clients, both actors and non-actors, training Voice and American Accent skills. Notably I am also the Founder of Beyond Words: A Stanislavski Active Analysis Workshop, bringing to the UK the unique and freeing scene study technique developed by Stanislavski in the last four years of his life. 

Richard Kwietniowski

I have made the internationally distributed feature films Love and Death on Long Island (starring John Hurt and Jason Priestley) and Owning Mahowny (starring Philip Seymour Hoffman, John Hurt and Minnie Driver), in addition to work for British TV and a number of acclaimed short films, including Alfalfa and Flames of Passion.

My work has received awards from the Cannes Film Festival, Berlin Film Festival, New York Film Critics Circle, US National Board of Review, Royal Television Society, D&AD (Gold and Best of Year), and BAFTA. 

I teach directing, screenwriting and acting-to-camera at a range of institutions in the UK and beyond and I’ve contributed to many European initiatives in feature-film development. I am a Senior Lecturer at London Film School, where I co-supervises all graduation films. 

My name is easier to pronounce than it looks: Kfee-et-nee-ov-skee. 

Jessica Antes

I am a Comedian, Writer, Director and Teaching Artist. I can be seen performing at iO Chicago and The Second City. When not performing, I am teaching improvisation, sketch comedy writing, screenwriting and on camera acting to new performers and experienced artists of all ages at The Second City, iO Chicago, The Revival, DePaul University, Humor for Hope, After School Matters, and the Auditorium Theatre. I am the founder of S.H.E. Camp, an all girls comedy camp that uses improv and creative writing as tools to build leadership and communication skills along with confidence and community for girls and women. I also designs and facilitates professional development, public speaking and corporate training workshops for clients including: McDonald’s, Amazon, Spot Hero, U of Chicago Marketing, Mosaic Wellness, and NAMI.

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