Don’t worry about the casting director give it 100% on every audition
My first acting experience started in high school at the age of 15. Initially I decided to take drama in the 10th grade because I figured it would be “fun and easy” and I could clown around in class. Little did I know that It would end up being one of the toughest classes that semester. I had a British teacher named Mrs Gabriel who I thought, at the time, was just always picking on me but later found out that she saw something in me and thought I was talented. After a lot of ups and downs in that class, she convinced me to audition for the play “Bye Bye Birdie”. I had never auditioned for anything in my life and I was extremely nervous but I did it and got cast. The opening night of the play is when I realized that performing and entertaining people was my calling on this planet. The feeling I got on stage was like nothing I’ve felt before and from then on I decided to continue chasing that feeling.
Audio Post-production for the series “Maintenance Man” #PrivateIslandStudios pic.twitter.com/YR199JDPSS
— Jonathan Maniraho (@jonmaniraho) July 29, 2015
Did you study acting
Yes I studied acting, I believe that studying the craft is very crucial for an actors career because there’s so much to learn. I graduated with a degree in Film/TV/Theatre at the Toronto Film School where I was taught numerous acting techniques for the stage as well as behind the camera.
What acting technique do you use
In my nine years of acting, I’ve studied several acting techniques such as Uta Hagen, Stanislavsky, and my personal favourite the Meisner Technique.
Meisner gives me a straightforward step-by-step to the craft of acting that allows me to be completely free of expression and gives me confidence in my skills. It taught me that under any fantasy situation—whatever a script or character may call for—I can respond entirely on my impulses, and challenges me to push my creative boundaries. The technique of Meisner is aimed to work out an actor’s imagination, so that you are able to fully commit to the scene.
Meisner requires that I focus on the other actors. There is absolutely no room for self. It is about really listening and responding, which can be overlooked as simple, but when you’re on a movie set there are many distractions that can take you away from your scene and attention to your fellow actor. The Meisner technique allows me to fully commit and trust my impulses and to play the scene moment to moment. Meisner requires a tremendous amount of personal responsibilities as well, which includes preparing and doing character research at home, so that when I walk on stage or set I am ready to work as the character I am portraying.
What wrong impressions do actors hold about acting
One of the biggest misconceptions about acting is that it’s “easy”. That is the one thing I can 100 percent disagree on. Acting requires a person to be extremely patient, perisitant and determined. 60 percent of acting requires you to wait, and the other 40 percent requires for an actor to be ready. Meaning when your name is called after waiting for so long for your agent and or manager to call you for the audition, you have to be ready to bring it and knock it out the park. Waiting doesn’t not mean sitting around all day and doing nothing, it means going to workshops, acting classes and etc because that’s the only way you can be sure you’ll be ready by continuing to own your craft.
Do you take courses to improve your craft
Yes, I take a number of classes and private coaching for voice, movement and scene study. It’s very important for me to continue to perfect my craft and to keep my passion for the art alive each and everyday. As actors we are constantly learning something new and taking on complex characters, therefore the learning only stops when an actor decides to quit or retire from acting.
What acting books do you read
“Audition” by Michael Shurtleff
“Meisner on Acting” by Sanford Meisner
“Respect for Acting” by Uta Hagen
“An Actor Prepares” by Constantin Stanislavsky .
How do you keep fit as an actor
Physically I workout every morning 5-6 days a week. I do a lot of cardio as well as a bit of weight lifting and on the weekends I like to play basketball. Mentally I like to listen to music and watch comedies or go to a stand up show, anything with humour.
When you’re offered a role, what do you do next
Once I get a role I immediately dive into the work, I like to read the script in full a few times and then I start to slowly research the character by breaking it down scene by scene and moment to moment. Once I have the overall knowledge of the character and clear overview of the script, I begin to breakdown sentences by beats and then start to memorize.
How do you take a character in a script to a honest, believable and breathing person
The way I generally go about bringing justice to a character is by simply asking myself the 5Ws, who, what, when, where and why. Once I have figured out my 5Ws, I start to slowly incorporate them in my everyday life. As an actor I begin to transform into the character I’m playing by allowing him to be a part of my life.
How do you stay fresh on set
I don’t have a particular ritual for staying fresh on set but it varies depending on what genre of film I’m shooting. Generally If I’m filming a drama I like to be very quiet and stretch in between scenes and or takes. When I do comedies it’s the complete opposite, I like to be very energetic and full of life in between takes so that once the director yells out action, I am ready to transfer that energy into the scene.
Describe a memorable character you played
The most memorable character I’ve had the opportunity to play would have to be Waren from the feature film “The Debt of Maximilian (2015) in this film I play the head hunch of this crooked underground gambling warehouse facility, which has some of the most conniving white collar criminals.
Explain one creative choice you took on set
When I was playing Joe from the play “Waiting for Lefty” I found it difficult to connect to the role so I decided to find the animal which best portrays my characters behaviour. I thought to myself how would Joe walk, does he like to be in control, is he protective. Once I factored in all the details of Joe’s character I chose a lion would best portray his behaviour, This creative choice was absolutely critical for me to fully commit and understand my character on another level.
What do you want most from a director
I enjoy directors who ask Intelligent, sensitive questions about the character, what they want, and how they might behave in certain circumstances. Good directors have a lot in common with coaches, genuine appreciation when moments of truth and beauty are discovered. Contrary to popular belief, I don’t want to hear ‘you were wonderful’ all the time. If praise is not both earned and sincere it is worthless. If it is not forthcoming at all it is disheartening, because so many of us are quite insecure, and/or really want to please. For the most part, I’ll assume that if you’ve not said anything, you’re happy with the decisions I’m making.
What actors do you long to work with
I definitely have to say Leonardo Dicaprio!
Why
I have a great deal of admiration for his commitment to the craft on every level, from shopping around for unique and innovative scripts to consistently pushing the envelope by portraying some of the most daring characters.
What advice would you give to actors
Don’t worry about the casting director give it 100% on every audition and never dwell on it after. Stop dreaming about what you want and start making goals so that you can make those dreams a reality. Don’t imitate or try to be someone else, be yourself and create your own creative path. Last but not least get a thick skin, you’ll get a lot of rejection but don’t let that discourage you. Let it be your motivation to work harder, don’t take it to heart it could be as simple as “you don’t have the certain look were looking for”. Continue to push yourself, your breakthrough role is just around the corner.
Briefly write about your career
I’ve starred in plays such Bye Bye Birdie: The Musical, The Good Doctor by Neil Simon, Angels in America by Tony kushner, Waiting for Lefty by Clifford Odets, and NINE 11 by Michael Pett. After several years into my theatre career, I decide to pursue a film and TV career which led me to star in my first film Drama “The Devil’s Labyrinth”. I have now been on countless sets and starred in films like “Into the Dark”, “Laundry Day”, “The Mysterious” and “The Debt of Maximilian’ just to name a few. I have just finished filming a new Television Series called “The Maintenance Man” which is set to be released early 2016. I’ve just received news that The Debt of Maximillian 2″ the Sequel has just been slated to start filming next year along with a Comedy I have just landed called “Big Break”.
