Interview with Actor AJ Blackwell

Well I started out life acting in a small play of Charlie and the Chocolate factory when i was young for a local theatre, it was a complete child cast where I played one of the grandparents and was my first real taste of character acting. From there I went on to study drama at school and eventually took Drama and Theatre studies at college for my A-Levels. I really enjoyed the course, especially anytime I actually got to act and through myself into any role. But… I didn’t really at that age have the aptitude to want to learn any of the theory behind acting or the academic side, not realizing the usefulness of it. So at the end of my first year I flunked out, scoring a D in my first year.

My head of Drama pulled me aside before the year finished and said to me “AJ, you are a great actor, you have a natural talent and understanding for the material but you suck at the academic side.” He tried to convince me of the usefulness and what I could do to improve but, being at that rebellious age and being perhaps too headstrong, I didn’t listen. And instead chose to drop the subject and finish my final year studying Film studies, which I didn’t do too badly in, I scored a B! After college I left acting for over 15 year, instead pursuing a career as a professional athlete in Martial Arts.

When it came time to retire from sport and having had only moderate success I didn’t know what i was going to do next with my life. I tried coaching, which I enjoyed but didn’t really have a passion for, then I tried YouTube and Streaming video games because I thought hey why not, it’s popular these days right? But It wasn’t until 6 months after trying out numerous avenues that I decided to go an take an introduction course in acting for Film and screen. I had a kinda Vanilla Sky moment, where my eyes were opened to the life i should of been living.

From there I finished the course and got straight to work. Being in anything I could get cast for and just gain experience. Reading every book I could about different techniques, talking to friends I knew where actors for advice. I did a few non speaking roles at first, some music videos and the I got a break on a scene promo for film looking to get funded called RAGE, they cast me in a major supporting role as the lead characters best friend and from there I never looked back.

indieactivity: Did you study acting?
A.J.: Well I’m not a traditionally trained actor at this stage, but I love to learn. I have an insatiable hunger and passion for it. Especially when it comes to acting. I studied some courses at the City Academy London at the 01zero-one Studio, SoHo with Toby Wharton, an excellent Meisner teacher. In between all the projects I’m on, I continue to learn. I take new courses, I read. I look for gaps in my skills then find courses and classes that can help me fill those gaps with new skills. In regards to the moment in history when i decided to become an actor it really goes back to when I was a kid, I used to watch film with my Grandma every weekend, we would always go to the cinema together and I would always try to re-enact the heroes or main characters from the films we saw. I never said it out loud but there was always this part of me that wanted to act.

indieactivity: What acting technique do you use?
A.J.: I would say my acting technique is a mashup of many different techniques at this stage, most notably influenced by Meisner as that is where a lot of my training has come from to date. I pick up little tips and tricks from other actors on set and read a lot, trying to incorporate new things all the time in roles I am cast. I’m passionate about pursuing Method acting and exploring that next, I like to use techniques that feel natural to me and not forced, method acting seems like a natural progression for me in the future.

indieactivity: Do you take courses to improve your craft?
A.J.: Yes all the time. Whatever I earn from acting right now a large portion goes back into funding courses to improve. In fact everything I earn goes into my ‘acting pot’ and only gets spent on acting. I still have a day job right now where I have to fit acting around it so I use the funds from this to pay for bills and groceries etc., it’s important to have proper funding and support so you can follow your heart’s desires passionately.

indieactivity: What acting books do you read?
A.J.: Right now I’m reading ‘The Actors Art and Craft’ by William Esper and Damon DiMarco, it’s a book on Meisner Technique, a brilliant read from one of Sandy Meisner’ students. I definitely recommend it. I also recommend reading Auditioning for Film and Television by Nancy Bishop if you can get hold of a copy, it’s like my bible about the industry and has a lot of great advice within it. I always keep it in my bag to refer back to.

indieactivity: How do you keep fit as an actor?
A.J.: I was a former professional athlete so I still actively pursue martial arts and lead a healthy lifestyle. I go to the gym a lot more these days to keep my body strong and I meditate regularly to help cope with the demands of daily life and stresses. The two most important organs in your body to look after are your heart and your brain, without them nothing else can function so I do my best to take care of the old ticker and grey matter..

indieactivity: How do you prepare for a role whwn you get it?
A.J.: I read the script usually once, then make some notes on what I feel instinctively about my character in the scenes I’ll be playing, but really I focus on familiarizing myself with my lines. I usually do a few readings with my wife so speaking the lines feels natural, encase something feels off and I need to ask any questions to the production team or director.

indieactivity: How do you create a character in a script into a person?
A.J.: I break the character down using questions to myself. What do I want in the scene, who am I, where are the changes, what is the urgency in what I am doing etc. If i don’t have it already, I create a brief backstory to the character summing up what they have been doing up to this point in their lives. What would be my likes, dislikes and motivations etc?

indieactivity: How do you stay fresh on a production set?
A.J.: I stretch a lot and drink plenty of water. I try not to talk as me between takes but rather answer as the character would.

indieactivity: Describe a memorable character you played?
A.J.: My most memorable character has to be the character of John, an abusive father I played. It took me to a dark place and was the first role that made me cry (not even on set!). He had a lot of issues and despite him being a character you’re going to hate, I felt a lot of empathy towards his situation that lead him to this place in his life. The character actually brought me even closer to my family and made me appreciate them even more (which I didn’t think was possible!).

indieactivity: Explain one creative choice you took on set?
A.J.: Well I guess my first speaking role I ever did I had to make an important creative choice right from the start. The director saw the character as meager and kinda wet but I felt the character was stronger than that, so I played the opposite and brang a toughness when I auditioned as the character, I felt he was the rock in the situation. The director loved it and offered me the part.

indieactivity: What do you want most from a director?
A.J.: Just someone who is passionate about what they are creating. Someone I can learn from not just from their direction but in life, in creativity.

indieactivity: What actors do you long to work with?
A.J.: Hmm, I think right now it has to be Cillian Murphy, he’s simply brilliant in so many roles, his portrayal of Thomas Shelby in Peaky Blinders is simply masterful.

indieactivity: Why?
A.J.: I think because I respect the wide array of characters Cillian has worked on and embodies so masterfully, he is one of those rare actors that has such a broad and rich range and isn’t constrained by a ‘type’. I feel if you have the opportunity to work with someone like him you can really grow from the experience.

indieactivity: What advice would you give to actors?
A.J.: Never let anyone outwork you, learn, work, and learn. Also don’t be fussy, explore and apply to every role that will push you not just the ones that you think you’d suit.

indieactivity: Briefly write about your career?
A.J.: I got the chance to work on some brilliant productions from last year, here is a few and my character breakdowns on the characters i played.

Girl Happy – Ben – Lead Actor in this independent feature film. Ben is 34 years old, he works at a low paid job between playing cello in a jazz band. He lacks drive and ambition. His appearance references that of James Dean, which he uses as a front to appear more successful financially and emotionally. Ben is a very deep character influenced by the iconic James Dean, who really challenged me to learn the greater passions of a character.

I really enjoyed learning about James Dean who I have to admit before this role I had limited exposure to, adding in some of his quirky personality traits to the character. I also got to explore a lot about Jazz for this role, I’d listen to jazz daily to really get a feel for the mood it puts you in. I also had to smoke for this role quite a lot, which was cool because i’m traditionally a non smoker and had to actually learn to smoke (albeit with herbal cigarettes)

Dare 2 Dream – John- I played supporting Actor in this short film, playing the role of John an abusive father who has stopped taking care of himself and has taken to drinking to solve his problems. John was a very challenging character to play, I am a father of 2 myself so it too me to a very dark place. I had to really bring to bare how it would feel like to be depressed, dragging up emotions on imaginary circumstances of losing my job

RAGE – Craig – Supporting Actor in short film promo, playing the role of Craig a straight man, best friend of Andrew (the leading role). Andrew, who has survived a car crash, but now must take medication every 1 hour and 37 mins to control his anger. If he misses his medication just once, Andrew loses control and people die. Craig for me was Andrews rock, so the challenges in this character for me was showing empathy for Andrew, but keeping him the kind of guy you could rely on to help you out in a dangerous situation. It was a chance to play with my accent which I had a lot of fun with as I played Craig as a south Londoner, so I had the chance to put some cockney twang and husk in my voice.