My first production was “The Wizard of Oz” at the age of 7. I attended little red school house in NYC and it was where a lot of artist kids went. I continued studying in my teens at The New Federal Theatre in NYC and HB Studios. I later went on to study dance, theatre acting and voice at Webster University and Columbia Film School in Chicago. I have basically been training my entire life. I immersed myself in the theatre scene in Chicago and was performing in Children’s theatre and evening theatre consistently and sustaining myself as an actress through commercial and voiceover work. I was all about the theatre and actually did a movie called “Losing Isaiah” starring Halle Berry was my first professional film with a very small speaking role and while on set filming Halle Berry suggested I move to Hollywood to pursue a career as a Film/TV actress and the rest is history. For the record, I really wanted to stay in the theatre arena my entire career and I am so glad I took her advice.
So proud of these very talented up & coming actors @JaqActingStudio #focused pic.twitter.com/WD4xxJB0Vo
— Jaqueline Fleming (@JaqFleming) July 6, 2016
Half hour sitcoms feel a lot like theatre to me and so I was open to giving the Hollywood run a serious shot. I could actually see myself starring on a sitcom but there was one huge problem. I wasn’t adjusting to Hollywood very well. I wasn’t prepared mentally, emotionally, financially or spiritually for the showbiz aspect of it. I spent all those years focusing on honing my craft but was never educated or mentored on the business side of showbiz.
What acting technique do you use
I have studied a lot of techniques as an actor, Meisner Method mostly. I would say my approach to acting is a gumbo technique. I have taken a little of this from here and little of this from over there and mixed it all together for my own personal work. I play or audition for a lot of diverse characters that have a huge range in personality and occupations: from the drug addict to the detective to the attorney; from the sadistic killer to the sympathetic caretaker to ego-power driven maniac (I love it!) it challenges my intellect and physicality. It pushes my spirit to the extreme. Makes me work for it…
Lol! Yeah, my characters are the pendulums. This is when I get snuggled in my bed asking those actor questions. I am so intrigued with why a character “IS” – what’s driving them. What are they hiding or protecting. Their internal psyche. I am huge on Script Analysis. I tear the script apart and rip the character to pieces looking for every possible clue I can find and then I get to work applying THAT technique.
@NCISNewOrleans @NCISfanatics look forward 2 working w/ u all again soon! Yall rock‼️#leavingFBI #cbs #NewOrleans pic.twitter.com/Ha5DyWui5o
— Jaqueline Fleming (@JaqFleming) June 2, 2016
Yes, actors have different techniques but the characters they play have the same goal – to win, to empower or to be happy. For those characters all these tiny little objectives support that one big overall objective no matter the technique. Now as far as auditioning I do all that of course and then on top of it, I see everything as a character. My imaginary circumstances are very real and I am living in that moment responding to everything I see , feel, hear and smell. I had a director say if you see all that in this audition room I wonder what your going to do when I put you on set: I landed that lead role. I had the writer jump up once and say damn, I wrote that? I landed that role too. At the end of the day it’s our job to make the audience feel. That audience is sometimes as small as the one casting director in a room or millions watching us on the big screen. Doesn’t matter to me. I give it everything I have every time. I am passionate about acting. I would stop breathing if I could not act.
Do you take courses to improve your craft
I have been a private acting coach for over 10 years and the owner and founder of a prestigious acting studio in New Orleans.
THE LEDGE, l-r: Terrence Howard, Jaqueline Fleming, 2011, ph: Cook Allender/©IFC Films
What acting books do you read
You mean what acting books haven’t I read and WHY? I take my hat off to anyone who wants to read a book on acting but for ME personally, I learn by observing and doing. I learn by living vicariously through characters. I read plays: Shakespeare, Williams, Ibsen, Checkhov and all plays from African-American playwrights. I have been observing acting performances all my life. When I was 3 years old, I was in front of the TV imitating the lady in some commercial. “Look mommy no more tangles”. From that to watching silent movies, acting interviews, audition videos online, celebrity actor interviews, reading industry articles from the casting directors, the agents or the director’s POV. From watching performances in movies, TV shows, commercials to watching theatre to watching humans and animals. I am constantly observing and studying and reading industry information. If I had to read an acting book I would fall to sleep. I am sucking up actor knowledge daily just being a human being or being on set. I was recently working opposite Laura Dern and as we stood talking about the beats/character intents in the scene I was studying her as a human being. I was studying the tiny little director standing next to us. I do it all the time.
I study everybody I come in contact with and I store a piece of their characteristics or body language for later. So, I have no one favorite book because I do not read them or one particular technique. I do have favorite performances and moments. You could read a thousand actor books and go “OMG, I so love it and I totally get it and then you don’t really understand how to apply a damn thing you read. “Hey if the acting book goes along with the acting class and the teacher or institute where I am studying wrote it then MAYBE I might read it because it’s my job to stay open minded as an artist. For aspiring actors I don’t recommend them. In my personal opinion an aspiring actors starts reading all these books and get confused as hell! Now you know the literal meaning of crafting the moment before BUT can you actually GET UP AND MAKE IT BELIEVABLE? Acting workshops and theatre are my suggestions.
How do you keep fit as an actor
Daily prayer and meditation, eat healthy, drink a lot of water and exercise. I love running. That’s my joy right there! I feel so incredible safe and strong when I am running and “The Rock” is my inspiration to being physically strong. I like the ‘bad-azz’ female roles. Anyway, that’s my daily routine and I top it off with paying it forward. Mentoring is an empowering position. I give it away so I can keep it. I teach a lot of these principles to the aspiring actors I mentor by incorporating meditation and creative visualization into my acting workshops. I teach them that it’s what’s going on inside of you that will sustain you in this industry. Strengthen your inside so you can endure the journey or the ride of your life! I keep it real and let them know that acting is one of the most dangerous professions in the world. It tests you spiritually, mentally, emotionally, physically and financially. You have to be fit to stay the course.
Beast of the Bering sea
How do you prepare for a role
I research it. If there are differences between myself and the character in the script then I go observe it and then I actually live it then I throw all that away and I become it.
How do you take a character in a script to a honest, believable and breathing person
It all starts with the full understanding of the story. It is not a script, or a set of lines. It’s a story. This character has a story and it has come from something. Believing in the characters story is what makes it believable. I have to believe before I can be bring life to what I believe.
How do you stay fresh on set
I have character thoughts
Describe a memorable character you played
I been in about 50+ movies and not one really stands out to ME. I get fans, acting students or friends that are like girl, you were blah, blah, blah in that movie. It stood out to me and people stop me because they remember it. To me, my most memorable performances were some of my auditions for leads in films or series regular roles. I have yet to land the role I am artistically capable of that wins all those awards at the festival. That’s a memory I don’t have yet.
Explain one creative choice you took on set
Doing my own stunts. LOL!
What do you want most from a director
Artistic freedom and a director’s wisdom and insight. The problem is most directors do not speak an actor’s language so half the time I don’t know what the heck they are saying because they talk so damn fast. I just nod my head okay and go smash it artistically. I am prepared as an actor so a lot of my notes from a director are really technical things like blocking or an on set rehearsal. I teach script analysis so you better believe I understand what’s going on in the scene when I get to set 🙂 it’s when I wrap on a project that a director comes up to me and talks a human language for a few minutes before I vanish off the set forever.
One of my success stories out of my acting studio
What actors do you long to work with
The Rock! I want to play his sister in a big action movie and of course in the serious dramatic films of all the greats of our time. It’s a lot of actors I want to box with but so far I have been extremely blessed to be opposite a LOT of the heavy A-Listers that have major respect in the acting department.
Why
Working opposite anyone who is seasoned and at the top of their game elevates your skill-set. I am always looking to box with the greats!
What advice would you give to actors
I have always been a mentor and or acting coach to the ASPIRING ACTOR. I mold the aspiring actor into working actors and this is the advice I give them. “To thine own self be true”. Train hard. Set realistic goals and timelines. Live where there are opportunities for you to reach those goals. Know which market is best for you for example NYC, Los Angeles, Atlanta etc ain’t nobody finding you in Tim Buck Too! Be crafty! There are so many areas in acting to make money so dive into them all until you get your big break. Film/TV, agent, theatre, indie and student films, voice over agent, print agent and a commercial agent. Work it. Network professionally and market yourself in a non annoying way. Have NO distractions and save some money! Becoming an actor is very expensive.
Would you want to take part in a workshop with other coaches
Absolutely as long as my target audience is there. I speak to the hearts of aspiring actors all over the world. When the actor I discovered and mentored and coached became a huge star it took me all around the world via Skype. I have tons of success stories but Jason Mitchell who started as ‘Eazy E’ in straight outta COMPTON is my biggest success story out of my acting studio “Jaq’s Acting Studio”. I am also a former talent agent. The owner and founder of Proclaim Talent Agency where a lot of acting careers in Hollywood south were birthed.
Briefly write about your career
Steadily starting, always growing.
