Interview with Joshua Morton

I suppose the best way to answer this question is to answer what brought me here in this moment or what triggered the acting dream. It took a while for me to experience acting in a class, on set or stage, but I vividly remember the moment or moments where it all started. When I was 5 years old I would spend the weekends at my dad’s house sorting through his old, and I mean old VHS tapes. These weren’t the normal sized ones before DVD’s, these were smaller ones.

When I found a film that I liked the sound of (all hand written names of films on the tapes that had been recorded off TV), he would set up the vintage VHS player and away I would go into the world of storytelling. I would wake up early, well before anyone and watch movies from the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s, all the classics. I actually think the first motion picture I watched was Rocky :).

This is where the wild obsession with storytelling came from. That’s what’s my 5 year old self got so excited about, storytelling. The limitless exploration of what it means to be alive in this crazy universe.

indieactivity: Did you study acting?
Joshua: Absolutely, yes, its never ending, it has to be away a of life. Acting and storytelling portrays life, it is about the possibilities and limitless expression of what it means to be human. So to me, the approach to learning acting has to reflect that of life. Its all of the ‘life stuff’ that is important when you study in a class atmosphere. without this ‘life stuff’ you just become a moving head that has some technique, like where to stand to make sure you’re in the light and inflict on some lines – boring! But of course, you do need to know that too.

Another thing that I have recently discovered that has really been valuable to me is: don’t see any of your circumstances as a challenge that will harm your goals, use them to your advantage. I grew up in a very successful sporting family, this filled my journey with challenges from the beginning but also served me in ways that I am so thankful for. I was given the the belief that success in sport is a direct result of the effort you put in. You can be great if you work at it, purposefully and consistently. Many people told me otherwise. I was told to ‘stop’, ‘your not talented enough’ or ‘I didn’t have the right upbringing for acting’, or that ‘I wasn’t sensitive enough’.

Thankfully, I don’t really believe in talent, I prescribe to Malcolm Gladwell’s book “Outliers” that actually proves talent is earned through consistent, dedicated work. I adopted my pops motto “if you fall down seven times get up eight” coupled with a competitive nature and I told each one of those naysayers to f@ck off! I began the work to be the best that I can be, FOR ME, no one else. I see my so called ‘impossible’ circumstances as a huge advantage, we can all do the same.

And also, don’t take it too seriously. Focus on your journey. Quiet the mind and the soul will speak (this last quote is where it is all at)

indieactivity: What acting technique do you use?
Joshua: I have trained in a lot of techniques over the last 10 years and I really don’t prescribe to a school of thought or technique, I find it limiting. To me following only one guru coaches 12 step technique or a university program that only teaches theatre, where they teach only what they want you to learn (no disrespect at all) seems limiting to me. I’m not at all saying that they are bad, they are amazing, and have awesome tools that work.

As I mentioned before, life experiences are limitless and so is acting and storytelling. Its sometimes a little tricky to fit limitless into 12 steps. All I am saying is there is no correct way or better way, if it works for you, it works. Don’t limit yourself by getting caught up in the belief that the technique you do is the best and the only way, that’s fear mode, you only be great if you are in growth mode.

Find coaches and mentors who embrace all techniques and ideas from all different angles – cultivate a mentality that keeps you pushing for more, for bigger, for new ideas that inspires different things from you as a human being. Find what works for you.

indieactivity: Do you take courses to improve your craft?
Joshua: Always. I train everyday. You don’t have to do a course to become a better actor, you take a course to get some new tools, but without the other ‘life stuff’ that I have mentioned, those tools will have no depth.

indieactivity: What acting books do you read?
Joshua: For where I am right now I have 1 acting book and 3 non acting books.
The Tools by Phil Stutz & Barry Michels
The Happiness Trap by Dr Russ
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson
At Left Brain Turn Right by Anthony Meindl – this is the closest to an ‘acting’ book.

Josh Morton in Magnolia

indieactivity: How do you keep fit as an actor?
Joshua: Exercise, mediation, friends and family that are NOT in the industry. I always try and train some sort of martial arts – these people are some of the most real, genuine human beings out there and they will bring you back to reality really quick, by arm bar or a choke haha.

indieactivity: How do you prepare for a role, when you get it?
Joshua: I kind of have an organic approach, which took years. I use to follow lots of those “12 steps to a perfect performance” or whatever marketing name it is these days, but over the years but I got to a stage where I was kind of testing one technique against another to make sure that I was hitting all the moments and giving a ‘real, powerful and emotional performance’ that the casting director is going to go silly over. That never really happened…

This made me slightly insane and took all of the fun out of it. I was acting to get it right and do the perfect audition or performance for someone else. One of my coaches talks about how, perfection does not exist, and that’s the beauty, that’s what everyone wants to watch. Or as the legend John Legend says “love your perfect imperfections” :).

He told me to live in the “magical moment of the unknown” and that has changed my whole approach. I try to allow the material to take me where it needs to, weather that is reading the script 10 times, or starting with the character before I even read a scene or script. I don’t know where it will take me and that’s the exciting part.

The one consistent thing I do is, I prepare to prepare. I create a space with no distractions, no phone, no computer etc. Basically I try my best to create the space where my truest expression inspires the journey.

What a philosophical statement lol. It’s about the story and the truth of the characters. To me the start is the most important, you are trying to find the truth in the story and characters through yourself. The most powerful thing you can do as an actor is connect with your soul and bring what you want to express about you and your view of the world through the character and story. That’s is what it’s all about. I suppose that is where most of my training is these days, trying to connect to that truer more authentic thing within.

indieactivity: How do you create a character from a script into a person?
Joshua: I don’t really have a set way as I have said above. Sometimes I start with the characters movements, or where the history and truth lies in the physicality, or sometimes I will start with the inside out. It all depends on the material.

indieactivity: How do you stay fresh on a production set?
Joshua: I stay fresh by living in the moment of the takes with the other characters. I don’t usually stay in character between takes, it’s like I step out for a second and my acting self comes in and has a little scan over what happened, then you implement that with the directors feedback and the other actors. I like the analogy that a mentor of mine, Aussie acting royalty, Jack Thompson said about 8 years ago, each take, you do the same but you add a different coloured bell. That’s keeps it fresh.

indieactivity: Describe a memorable character you played?
Joshua: The character I am playing right now as I am writing this. I am playing Smith, in season 2 of Skinford, directed by Nik Kacevski. I had the opportunity to explore the character in the first season but fortunately for me the character has grown in the second season and I have taken a slightly different path with him. It is set in a crazy world and the characters in the story are wild and outrageous. The Challenge with Smith, is making this stereotype 3 dimensional, making him grounded and real with a deep history that drives his motivations. Very exciting and whole a lot of fun to play in a world so different.

indieactivity: Explain one creative choice you took on set?
Joshua: Its great when director says, “okay we have got what we need, now do what you like and have fun”. It kind of allows your actor mind to fully release and go with whatever your impulses are. A specific choice I can think of was during a scene in a couple’s living room and before action I just went with “I want to throw something at her” that was the through line or intent. During the scene it made it so dynamic and engaging for me to play.

It was very simple and had nothing to do with the scene. If I had broken the script down like so many actors do analytically, I would have never come up with that idea. It was the first thing that came to my mind and I just said go with it! Don’t judge or let the mind question. It was a great lesson in that, the mind loves to over complicate things, or the ego likes to make the most intense choice so that it can be seen as the best.

The best choices are in the simple ones. Or as Morgan Freeman puts it “I look down at an imaginary script for 3 seconds then look up …. let’s go”. Simple and fun.

indieactivity: What do you want most from a director?
Joshua: Collaboration and a freedoms to explore within the realm of his or her created vision.

indieactivity: What actors do you long to work with?
Joshua: Jon Bernthal.

indieactivity: Why?
Joshua: He’s a beast. So real and honest and never does he hand himself over to the celebrity world, where they think they are more important than the story and the craft. He does it for the right reasons and you can see it in his work. He brings his truest expression to each role.

indieactivity: What advice would you give to actors?
Joshua: So so much. Simply, follow your journey, there is not black and white, no right or wrong way. View acting as a gift which can bring you to your truest potential and expression. It is a craft that will inspire you to transcend. Honour your truth and feel the power of it,

NEVER criticise it or de value it. It is the source of all your power as an actor and especially as human. Never judge it or tell yourself you are not good enough. I have talked about there being no black and white or right or wrong in acting choices or journeys or in life, but there is one: the only wrong this is to deny your truest expression. BOOM! emoji emoji and another emoji