All posts by "Ilana Rapp"

Senior Writer
Ilana Rapp is a media-savvy Generation Xer with instinctive wit, quick humor and a taste for deep human emotions. As a former (child) actress with Broadway, film and television credits, she is adept at, well, lots of things. She currently blogs on The Huffington Post and writes entertainment pieces for NYCastings. She is a huge fan of the television show V. Ask her why her favorite number is 22. Follow Ilana on Twitter @LizardLadyNJ.

There is no denying that the life of a child actor is drastically different from that of other kids. For one, they often have to juggle acting and schooling, which ...
WomanMirror

Characters can be reflections of ourselves, whether we realize it or not. They can show us sides of ourselves that we might not want to see, or that we might ...
Director giving cameraman scene direction.

Ladies, have you ever thought about becoming a Director? I have a bullet point list below of reasons to ask yourself to see if it’s the right move for you, ...
Child appearing beneath the curtain.

The first step in teaching a child about acting is to help them understand the basics of the craft. This includes explaining what acting is, what it means to be ...
Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada

Should an actor judge their character? This question could be taken in multiple ways: – Should an actor judge the character they’re playing? – Should an actor judge their own ...
Kathy Bates in Misery

In any movie, there is usually an evil character. This character can be anyone from the protagonist’s enemy, to a minor villain, to a completely monstrous being. But what makes ...
Back to the Future - Crispin Glover, Lea Thompson, Tom Wilson

Cowards are often depicted in film and television as weak characters who run away from danger or confrontations. However, there are a few brave cowards out there who have broken ...
Biting Nails

If you’ve ever had a fear of public speaking, or even just felt anxious before an audition, then keep reading. I’ll explain how to overcome your nerves and build the ...
Frustrated Woman

There’s something undeniably alluring about playing a passive-aggressive character. For actors, it can be a chance to explore a more complex and nuanced range of emotions, and to challenge themselves ...

You land your first big role and now the pressure to be a convincing actor is high priority. But honestly, the pressure should be on from the moment you decided ...
5 Secrets to Being a Great Actor

It’s easy to be a great actor, right? You take a few classes and wa-lah! You land an agent and get a great gig as the lead in a high ...
Patrika Darbo. Photo credit Russell Baer.

Patrika Darbo, a senior and veteran film and television actress, has gone full circle when it comes to obtaining health insurance. Rules change, union rules morph and once again, actors ...
Emily Ruhl. Photo by Martina Tolot Moroder

Emily Ruhl, the model turned actress turned Writer and Executive Producer, has a very unique story of grabbing life and running full steam ahead. She used her college money to ...
Eric Chastain (Eric Ladin) in Columbia Pictures' WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING.

Actor Eric Ladin is a face you’ve seen before… Ozark, video games such as Street Fighter and Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, just to name a few. Be sure to ...
Hidden Canyons - Brant Rotnem

What an informative interview with Brant Rotnem on his award-winning LGBTQ+ micro-series HIDDEN CANYONS! What exactly is a micro-series? Well, I watched two full episodes while brushing my teeth. The ...
Sevier Crespo - Photo by Nate Taylor

When it comes to mixing real life with Hollywood, producer Sevier Crespo knows his stuff. With multiple projects in the works, I found it intriguing what Sevier thinks about politics ...
Jophielle Love

Seven year old actress Jophielle Love is having the time of her life while learning what it’s like to work with adults on the long running ABC soap opera General ...
Kevin Mambo. Photo by Andre Blake.

Actor Kevin Mambo, who can currently be seen on the Netflix drama, Hit & Run and upcoming film Rustin, started from scratch…twice. As much as it pains me to say ...
Stuntman Matt Berberi

If you like action and fight sequences, chances are you’ve seen stuntman Matt “Matty” Berberi’s work. Let’s see… The Matrix Resurrections, Westworld, Star Trek: Picard, Space Jam: A New Legacy, ...
Casablanca - Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman

It’s tragic. The pain and longing a viewer goes through hoping almost-relationship characters get together can be unbearable. Yet it makes a great, timeless story. For example, Casablanca’s Rick and ...