Mark Evans Studio

As actors, we’re constantly told to draw from life. Every joy, heartbreak, fear, and triumph adds color to the emotional palette we bring to our work. Grief, one of life’s deepest and most personal experiences, holds immense potential for transformation—not just in our own healing, but in how we tell stories. But how do you access grief in your work without letting it overpower you? First, it’s important to acknowledge that grief is not a one-time event. It moves in waves. Sometimes it’s quiet and manageable, other times it’s loud and all-consuming. Recognizing this ebb and flow allows you to develop a relationship with your grief—one that is neither dismissive nor indulgent. As an actor, this awareness can be powerful. I have personally realised - through feeling a recent lull of depression and through weekly therapy sessions (10 years and counting) - that events from YEARS ago are still dragging their grieving butts along for the ride. Having an awareness about that is most times en...

  The Power of Why: Unlocking Your Best Acting Through Purpose Acting is often thought of as a craft built on technique. You may spend years refining your physicality, voice, and emotional access, striving to master the “how” of performance. While technique is essential, focusing solely on the “how” can lead to performances that feel mechanical or surface-level. Instead, the most compelling actors approach their work with a “why” mindset—one that prioritizes purpose, motivation, and truth over mechanics. Here’s why shifting your focus from “how” to “why” can transform your acting. Finding Emotional Truth When you fixate on “how” to perform—how to cry, how to deliver a line, how to move your body—it often results in performances that feel forced or disconnected. On the other hand, when you ask “why” your character feels a certain way, you engage with the deeper emotional truth of the moment. By understanding the reasons behind a character’s actions, emotions arise naturally, leading...