AboutTaylor Sheppard Expertise I can answer questions: on starting a career in acting, mistakes in acting, etiquette when dealing with industry contacts, finer points on how to act, and things to avoid in the field.
Experience I have been a professional actor 21 years, with appearances in TV, Film and commercials. I have made good decisions and potentially damaging mistakes. I believe anyone who has a dream deserves to explore it, and I take their aspirations seriously. That being said, I do not pull punches. I try to be tactful, but I will not lie to someone, honesty is more effective. My last film role was in "Teeth" which was picked for Sundance in January 2007. It was sold to Lionsgate and Weinstein Co. for somewhere over 2.5 million. The role was "Mr. Griffith", a sex-ed teacher.
Organizations Ciao Agency-Austin/Georgetown, Texas. (Formerly known as Donna Adams Agency. Matthew McConaughey was a good friend and fellow member. I also have belonged to agencies in three other Texas cities, but they have since closed.) TXMPA -Texas Motion Picture Alliance. Various other internet networking web rings as well as Actors Access. I was instrumental in advising actress Krista Allen on getting her career in acting started in Austin,Texas (we worked at the same Health Club in the early '90's).
Publications Previously wrote on a now defunct website such as this one. I enjoyed helping new actors.
Education/Credentials I have acted for 21 years. I studied under James Nelson Harrell as well as other talented actors at Southwest Texas State University. After college, I have taken classes with Julliard graduate Mona Lee, Bill Johnson, Van Brookes, Marco Perella and others in Austin Texas. I am constantly attending classes to maintain my edge and explore new directions. In addition to attending strictly acting classes, I have also taken business workshops with respected casting directors, such as Shari Rhodes ("Jaws","Close Encounters", "Raggedy Man".) Barbara Brinkley, Jo Edna Bolden and Donise Hardy, (Castingworks LA).
Expert: Taylor Sheppard Date: 7/22/2008 Subject: Small town girl with big city dreams
Question I'm 16 and have wanted to perform all my life. I love singing, acting, and dancing. I have been doing so all my life, through classes, lessons, being in plays, or just singing into my hairbrush dancing around my room. There is really only one problem. I live in small town Nebraska, and my parents aren't as supportive of my performing as I would like them to be. How would you reccomend I get my start in the performing world?
Answer Hi Nancy,
Sometimes you just have to figure out what you CAN do.
Go to the library and check out books on acting, or go to a bookstore.
Read all of them! It's good to learn all the different approaches to acting...
Join whatever drama club there is in your school...or take classes if they are available and you can talk your parents into it.
Watch movies...observe the actors...ask yourself what it was in a scene that really grabbed your attention. What did they do? Was it a quick glance -a look- that did it? Or a pause? What sets apart great actors is that ability to do something special with a scene...something no one else thought of. It breathes life into a script. Look at scripts online too; you will see the difference from paper to the finished movie. Funny how scripts can often look so dull, yet can be made fascinating by a talented actor.
I just saw the new Batman movie. Can't say I loved it, but Heath Ledger was fascinating in his choices. He also illustrated an important acting lesson: Bad Guys don't think they are bad! He explained his need to create chaos to enrich life. If you play a bad person, it rings false. If you play a person who does bad things for a reason, then it has honesty and believability. Makes sense.
