Photo by Lane Dorsey
1) What is your favourite and least favourite part about acting?
Frank: My favourite part has probably changed during the course of my career, but the one constant, has been getting to do what I love. I want to be able to connect with people through my work. Touch lives and give hope. Sadly, not all projects give me the opportunity to do this, but sometimes I think it's also about being a light in a dark place and hopefully touch the lives of cast and crew members.
Least favourite part....waiting for the next job. :)
2) What is your best and or worst audition story?
Frank: Best audition story....hmmm....being on a 3rd callback for a series lead and having the director gush about me the entire time....then having him say over and over "You're my guy! I'm going to bat for you!" Walking out of that room I felt invincible!
Worst audition story....getting the call from my agent about the same audition the next day saying they went in another direction.
3) What acting techniques have you studied?
Frank: I did a specialization in theatre performance at Concordia University in Montreal. They covered just about everything. From Stanislavski, Strasberg, Meisner, Uta Hagen and on and on....I like to think that as actor we borrow from whatever technique we need at the given moment. I resonate most with Meisner who teaches to "live truthfully under given imaginary circumstances"
I believe that as an actor if you are grounded and truthful in your performance, the audience will go along for the ride with you.
The people I tend to gravitate to in my personal life are those who are truthful and grounded. I'm not a fan of putting up an act.
I've also done a ton of workshops over the years in order to stay fresh in the down times.
4) How did you get started into the industry and when did you know you wanted to become an actor?
Frank: I've always enjoyed being on stage. I took part in school plays and variety shows. I didn't realize it was what I truly wanted to do with myself until....hmmm....I'm still not sure! lol!
I had a drama teacher in grade 11, John Whitman, who took me aside and suggested I do this with my life. It was the first time anyone took time to talk to me about my future. He planted that seed, but it took 5 years before I realized he was right.
Theatre was my first passion. Film and T.V is a whole other beast. I've learned to love all 3 for different reasons.
5) What is some of the best acting advice you have ever received?
Frank: "I'm not buying it!" I had a director/teacher who would say that to me all the time. Before him, I always slipped by with my bag of tricks....every actor has one. We fall back to our "tricks" when we don't believe in what we are doing, or connect with the material. Most people might not even notice, but we know when we aren't grounded and truthful to the work.
When I feel myself slipping, I can still hear his voice yelling "I'm not buying it!"
Man I hate hearing that! Lol!
6) As a screenwriter, what are your favourite stories to write about and why?
Frank: I love to write about relationships. The realities of life. Most of all, I love to write about hope and redemption.
One of my favourite bands, Need to Breath has a great song called "Wasteland"...the lyrics that hit me the hardest are: "in this wasteland, where I'm living, there is a crack in the door filled with light, and that's all I need to shine."
It's hard to go through life in darkness. I want people to know that no matter how deep or shallow they might be in this wasteland...all they need is to have a sliver of hope....a crack of light to get through. None of us are ever too far gone for redemption.
7) How do you prepare for an audition or a role before going on set?
Frank: Preparing for both are different, yet the same.
For an audition you sometimes only get a few hours to prepare so....hold on to your seat!
I tend to read the breakdown carefully that comes along with the sides. So much info there.
- What's the project? Film, T.V?
- What's the network if it's T.V?
- Have I seen the show before? It's important to either see the show or have an idea of the tone.
- Who's the director? Do I know them? Have I worked with them before?
- What notes is the casting director passing along about the project?
- I read the project synopsis.
- I read my character breakdown and any other character breakdowns that might be pertinent to my character.
- Is the script available to read? If yes...read it!!! (Hopefully there is time)
- I print my sides and read them over once.
- I highlight my lines.
- I read them again and look up any words I'm unfamiliar with.
- Figure out my relationship with the other character(s) in the scene.
- What is my objective in the scene?
- Where am I coming from?
- What's my back story?
- What do other characters say about my character? What do I say about other characters?
- If I have access to the script these answers are simple but if all I have are the sides, I have to make choices. At the same time I have to remain flexible so a director can work with me in the room.
- What am I doing to the other character(s) with each line in the scenes? Verb each line. Example: am I slapping them with my words? Hugging them?
- I tend to memorize my lines....I work better when I'm off book. It's important to remember that this isn't a memorization exercise. They aren't looking for perfection. They want to see a glimpse of the character....a possibility.
- Once I've got all that done, I work the audition with someone. I don't like to overwork things or I get too set in my ways.
- I also run it on camera to see what works, what doesn't.
- I visualize the room I'll be auditioning in (if I've been there before) if not...I don't marry myself to the positioning of the camera or reader.
More than you wanted? Lol!
As for prepping for the actual part....more of the same but with more depth.
8) If you could play a character on any show or movie who would it be and why?
Frank: I would love to have the opportunity to play the characters in a couple of scripts I've written.
Why? Because they're awesome!! Lol!
Because they are true to my heart. I still believe that as an actor, my best work is still ahead of me. I haven't scratched the surface of what I'm capable of achieving.
9) What are the demands and not so difficult things of working on set with other actors, directors, producers, etc. and of being an actor in general?
Frank: Working with people no matter what job you do always has its pros and cons and its own challenges.
Actors are an interesting breed of people. I don't want to make a blanket statement but ego plays a big part in what we do. You also need a certain level of confidence to be in this business. Here's the confident thing....there is a very fine line between being confident and being conceited. Some people cross the line a little too much and everything has to be about them. I always do my best to try to find the best in people and if you're working with them, you need to find a way to do that no matter the circumstance. The trick is, to not let it compromise YOUR work.
For the most part, people are great to work with....from actors, directors and the rest of the crew. Everyone is working towards the same goal.
Working with an actor-director is always more enjoyable on my end.
As far as being an actor is concerned...its peaks and valleys in this industry. Everyone's journey is different. What you do in your down time is just as important, if not more important to your success.
All in all....I sometimes have a love/hate relationship with this job. You need to be an open and vulnerable person to be an actor....that openness and vulnerability can hurt you as much as help you. We are human like anyone else. Rejection plays a strong role in this industry. You hear "no" a lot more than "yes". The trick is, to not take it personally. I've been blessed in my career and can only pray this continues. You also need to remember that with every "no" you hear....you're one step closer to a "yes"!
10) What is your most memorable and or fun moment(s) on any set that you have worked on so far?
Frank: I guess I can say that my very first day on set was most memorable. I was extremely nervous. (Still get nervous) I working with an amazing Canadian actor, Callum Keith Rennie....on a project called "Dice". I can still picture every second of that day in my mind. I went there that day thinking "what do I do if I hate this?!" And leaving thinking "I never want to do anything else with my life".
I'm smiling just thinking about it.
I tend to take each day I have on set as a gift. No matter where I am everyday....on set, on the subway, the grocery store, wherever, I'm there for a reason....a purpose. It's a matter of figuring out what that reason is and embracing it.
11) Who was your favourite character you have played so far and why?
Frank: As mentioned earlier, I still believe my best work is ahead of me...however, if I have to choose 1 right now....hmmm...I had the opportunity to play a dad on a kids show last summer. It was probably the most rewarding work I've done so far. It was a true blessing to work with these kids and the crew was amazing. I look forward to shooting season 2 this summer!
12) Do you have any advice for actors looking to get an agent?
Frank: Just be smart about it. Choose someone you connect with, someone you feel you can work with. Your agent is an extension of you. They represent you. They work for you/with you.
Take a look at their roster and make sure they don't already have too many people in your "hit"...."category" that you will be competing against.
If they charge you money to join their agency....walk away....I mean RUN!
The right agent is out there for all of us. Don't give up if it takes time. Have faith and trust.
Follow him on his socials at:
https://twitter.com/FrankChiesurin (@FrankChiesurin)
https://www.instagram.com/fchiesurin
http://frankchiesurin.workbooklive.com
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0157342
- Aisha and Alisha
