I started in plays from inventing the wheel in pre-k to high school productions of Tale of Two Cities and Wild Oats. I got my degree from Chapman University, where I met Melissa Izbicki and Arian Harandi, the producer and director of The Big Day! After graduating, I moved to LA to pursue film acting. Since moving to LA, I’ve signed with Armando Vaughn with Kathleen Schultz Associates, been in a national Weight Watchers commercial, a comedy pilot for Oxygen, and, of course, The Big Day.
Did you study acting
Yes! And I can’t stress the importance of it enough. Like any other career, you have to train first. I wouldn’t trust my surgeon to wing it, and I wouldn’t trust an actor to wing it either. My high school in Seattle had an award winning theater program, which is where my training began. I went to college thinking that I should find something to be serious about and ended up with a degree in Religious Studies and an ache to go back to acting. After moving to LA, I did two year Meisner training program at the Joanne Baron/DW Brown School for the Dramatic Arts, where I studied with the co-founder of the school, DW Brown. I have also done improv training at Upright Citizens Brigade and taken audition technique classes at Margie Haber Studio. Working on The Big Day was a great way to practice all the skills I learned in class.
Check out this #BTS photo from #TheBigDayMovie. @BonjourAnnie prepping for the next take #SupportIndieFilm #SetLife pic.twitter.com/mtsFhlZQqr
— The Big Day Movie (@TheBigDayMovie) December 2, 2015
What acting technique do you use
I’m a trained Meisner actor, which is the technique that all my performances are based off of. If people know a little about Meisner, they ask “isn’t it that thing where you just repeat what the other person says?” and yea, you do that for an hour, but it’s a really beautiful technique based on listening to your acting partner and being fully related to the circumstance. It obviously builds from there, but the foundation is to know what your partner is doing and how you feel about it.
Do you take courses to improve your craft
Since finishing my two year Meisner training, I’ve gone back to audit classes, take master classes, and also gone on to take improv and audition technique classes
What acting books do you read
I’ve read DW Brown’s book You Can Act (his second book You Can Act On Camera, is next on my list), Margie Haber’s How To Get the Part Without Falling Apart, and Audition by Michael Shurtleff. I also found Not That Kind of Girl by Lena Dunham, Bossypants by Tina Fey, and Yes Please by Amy Pohler all had interesting insight into being a woman in Hollywood and were also crazy inspiring.
How do you keep fit as an actor
I think this is really important. There’s a lot of down time for actors (on set and between jobs) and filling that time productively and healthfully is generally near the forefront of my mind. I run, do yoga, and meditate. I was actually training for a half marathon while filming The Big Day. I also have no shame in how many “self-help” books that I’ve read. My worn copy You Are a Badass, sits next to a couple Brene Brown books on my nightstand.
How do you prepare for a role
This is definitely a process. I read the script once through without putting myself into it, or thinking about my character to get the feel for the whole script. Then I read it again for my character’s interactions, then again for if my character is referenced when she isn’t present (this can give you a lot of insight), and then I start building a character. I was lucky with The Big Day to work with the director Arian Harandi who held rehearsals and liked to talk about characters and character choices before filming. I like to have a plan and know how I’m going to execute it before I get to set.
How do you take a character in a script to a honest, believable and breathing person
If the character isn’t dissimilar from yourself, you can play it straight from you. If not, you have to build a character and work out all the character choices to make sure that she’s consistent and compelling. No one wants to watch an asshole for two hours. For The Big Day, I think there’s a lot of my character Beth in all 20-something women. There’s a fear that you’re falling behind your peers and playing that up was really fun.
How do you stay fresh on set
I know people that can break and chat between takes, and that isn’t me. I stay pretty quiet to keep that pot of emotions simmering while the crew resets or makeup comes in to fix something. I’m not advocating Daniel Day Lewis-esque “method” acting where you just annoy the shit out of everyone around you, but like an athlete, you have to stay loose.
Describe a memorable character you played
My character in The Big Day, Beth. She’s great and I miss her. Beth speaks her mind and doesn’t care what anyone thinks. So what if that means that she looks a little unhinged sometimes? It’s always fun to get into that space where you really get a character. Mind you, I’m not crazy.
Explain one creative choice you took on set
Arian is a great director and we were always on the same page. I always felt safe and listened to on set. When in doubt, defer to the director. If you’re butting heads, I guarantee it’s probably a communication problem and not actually creative differences.
What do you want most from a director
I think Arian for The Big Day was a great example of what I want from a director. He held rehearsals before filming, ran an efficient set, and never talked down to actors. I always trusted him.
What actors do you long to work with
Oh jeez, just one? Meryl, right? I have to say Meryl Streep.
Why
It would mean so much on so many levels. She’s such an inspiration and leader and to have the chance to share the screen with her would mean that I’ve really done something with my life. Of course, I long to get back on set with my costar Stacy Snyder, too.
What advice would you give to actors
Persevere
Briefly write about your career
I’ve played everything from unnamed background in middle school plays, to an unhinged bridesmaid in an upcoming feature film. It’s definitely been an upwards trajectory, and hopefully I’m not finished, yet. I currently have two commercials running, two shows in the works, and The Big Day is nearing completion. I’m a trained Meisner actor and I’ve furthered my craft with improv classes. With a look for comedy, I can also bring the big guns for dramatic roles. You can check out a lot of my work on my website annietruex.com!
