Industry hats

Hello my friends. Today, I have a question:

How many hats do you wear in this industry and in your career?

How many times have you heard a teacher, director, or fellow actor say something along the lines of:

or

or

And this makes me SO MAD. So, I’m calling BS.

I have always worn many hats in this industry, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. But I can’t begin to tell you the number of times someone has told me I’ll never get anywhere if I’m trying to do all of the things. I have worked with thousands of actors all over the world, and almost all of them have heard some version of this idea that it’s all or nothing. Suffer and starve and put your whole self into this one thing or you’ll never “make it”. Don’t have a website that describes more than one job you do, or no one will see you as a professional. However, here’s the problem. I look around, and almost everyone I know in this industry is multi-talented, has a variety of jobs, some industry-related, some not. I’ve worked with actors who were embarrassed to tell me that they are also a professional sign language teacher and photographer, that they own a graphic design company, or that they organize global fitness retreats or run a production company. Why the embarrassment? You can be proficient at many things, and all of those things will connect to create your unique web of skills, knowledge, and talent.

I created this platform so that I had one place that people could come to looking for Accent-related training, resources, etc. But I wanted to talk about all the other hats I also wear in the hopes that it will help you start being a bit bolder when it comes to letting everyone know that you are also a multi-hatted human.

Acting

• I started when I was just 15 professionally, which means I’ve been performing for 25 years now. I’ve trained and worked in Canada, the UK, Ireland, Hong Kong, the USA, and Spain, where I’ve been based for the past 10 years. Credits include tv shows for the BBC, Netflix, Showtime, Apple TV, and tours and companies all over Canada, Ireland, and the UK including the summer stage at the Royal Shakespeare Company.

• Accent Coach

  I started coaching accents when I was just 17 years old, and have done it ever since. I’ve worked with thousands of actors all over the world online and in person, worked with productions such as The Man Who Fell to Earth, and launched a very successful online course and membership site called The Accent Challenge in 2020.

• Director

  I made my directing debut at the Fringe in Saskatoon, Canada when I was just 17, and since then have worked on productions both in theatre and on film.

• Voice Artist

  I have worked as a voice artist for the past 7 years now, recording for Disney, Nintendo, animated series’, as well as countless other ads and projects.

• Voice teacher

  I work with actors on their voice technique, helping them to bring out the full range of their voice, expression, tone, diction etc. while building strength and avoiding vocal injury, strain and tiredness. I also work on improving and exploring animation and character voices. I have extensive training, including work with Patsy Rodenburg, Cicely Berry, and extensive work with Kristin Linklater.

• Acting and Auditions coach

  I work with actors all over the world to help them prep for their auditions, both for theatre and film. I am often hired as Acting and Dialogue coach for production work (including HBO, Netflix, and more), meaning I work not only on accents, but on all aspects of performance.

• Compass Arts company and recording studio co-owner

  I co-run Compass Arts compassartsofficial.com together with Yago Cardalda @yagocardalda who is one of the most sought-after singing coaches and music directors in Spain.
  Together we:

  -Run online and in-person training and retreats for actors in both English and Spanish.

  -Run a recording studio in which we produce and record actors’ voice reels, singers, musicians and compose original scores and soundtracks.

  -Produce and direct theatre and film

• Writer

  I create original content for actors to showcase their talent, including monologues, scenes, short films, and voice materials. I have also written plays that have been performed in London and Madrid.

• Translator

  I translate content, books, and scripts from Spanish to English.

• Mentor

  If you’re feeling stuck, are unsure how to approach getting an agent, or are just at a bit of a dead end or a loss as to what your next steps should be, I can help steer you in the right direction.

I love accents, but that is only a small part of how I spend my time professionally. Let’s all start supporting all of the many hats that actors wear, and stop de-valuing and discouraging people from expanding into anything that brings them joy.

Onward we go! I’m cheering for you.

Holly