Ghadir Mounib remembers when she was about 10-years old. She had the urge to gather her cousins put on a show for the whole family. The idea was to re-create their favorite scenes from musicals. Or skits from summer camp and that year’s latest jokes and perform them to her family on New Year’s day. It became a tradition every New Year’s Eve. Her grandfather would provide the Karaoke Machine and fireworks. Ghadir Mounib organized the show.
indieactivity: How did you become an actor?
Ghadir Mounib (GM): I don’t know of a particular moment in my life when I decided to become an actor. It has always been an impulse for me. When I wasn’t convincing my friends a family to perform. I was taking classes in high-school, entering and winning scene contests. I eventually auditioned to get into the prestigious LAMDA in London in 2002. I learned that they accept 10 out of 100 applicants.
I turned them down at the time and decided to pursue an academic career in Bio-Chemistry. While exploring my sciences major. I learned all my stage combat and actor movement techniques at the University of New Mexico. After moving to California to earn my Masters in Architecture. I had a great opportunity to take classes for the Chekhov technique. I learnt Improv at the legendary Groundlings school.
Ghadir Mounib Demo Reel
What acting technique do you use?
Ghadir Mounib (GM): I use many techniques that vary depending on the project. For example, for my character Jill in the feature fill The Playground I used my own technique of writing an angry letter to my character’s husband just before we started the scene. When I played Medea in the play MEDEA I used my director’s (Mark Stephan) method of breaking down the script into 3/9/27 sections and improving each section with 5 different senses (It’s a very intense method)
What wrong impressions do actors hold about acting?
Ghadir Mounib (GM): I hear it a lot from new actors that they do not believe they need any acting classes because: “You either have it, or you don’t.” That is a huge misconception. Yes, there are people who are more natural that others, but, just like in life, you never stop learning.
Do you take courses to improve your craft?
Ghadir Mounib (GM): I am always taking courses to improve and learn new techniques. And even if I am at a phase in my life where I cannot afford to pay for classes, I like to do scene studies with fellow actors to learn from each other.
What acting books do you read?
Ghadir Mounib (GM): I like to read the books by directors who explain what it’s like to work with actors so that I may gain their perspective and learn how to make it easier as an actor to work with. The last book I read is called The Difficulty of Being by the French filmmaker Jean Cocteau. It is an autobiography written of the time we was creating the very first Beauty and the Beast.
How do you keep fit as an actor?
Ghadir Mounib (GM): I like to stay active as an actor, and what I find helps me is to be constantly involved in stage plays. The heavy rehearsal schedules keep me working scripts and discovering different routes for different scenes. In my down time, I enjoy writing short scripts for fun. I also like to watch a lot of movies and discuss with fellow actors and filmmakers who can help take the movie apart with me.
How do you prepare to play a role?
Ghadir Mounib (GM): Once a get a role, I read the entire script to understand how my character’s life fits in this world. Then, I go back to my parts and break them down by scene. After reading each scene about 10 times with enunciation, I come up with the action my character will be doing during each scene that is appropriate for the climate of the scene and characteristics of the character. Then, I read it 6 more times and put the script down.
Then, I will spend a lot of time in my head living how that character thinks and moves. Before I commit to any actions, though, I like to touch base with the director to make sure that my vision of the character matches their vision. This is the most basic way. As I have mentioned before, my method of preparing depends on the type of project.
How do you create a character in a script into a real person?
Ghadir Mounib (GM): I like to find patterns in the flow on the script that have to do with my character. For example, if I find that they repeat a certain saying multiple times, I will really leave into it, and possibly make them out to be a slightly slow character. Or, if I notice that the character is portrayed with a strong voice and always to seem to know what they are doing, I would try to find their weaknesses. That gives me a more rounded character and doesn’t appear flat, also it gives me a lot to play with in the way of reactions when my character is not speaking.
How do you stay fresh on a production set?
Ghadir Mounib (GM): On a set it is very important to stay comfortable. For me, that means a blanket, comfortable shoes, and lots of snacks 🙂
