Interview with Richard Goss

I was a musician from the age of five, starting with classical violin and live orchestra concerts. I was nominated as Young Musician of the Year (reaching 3rd place) after a solo performance, which was my first time onstage. After ten years of classical music and concerts, I switched to guitar at the age of fifteen and toured for years across the UK, Europe and Japan. Several things happened after the Japanese tour, which I’m not willing to discuss, but they made me decide to transition into acting. It had been drawing me for a while and I think it was a natural progression as I’d been performing music live for nearly twenty years at that point.

One of my favourite pics from one of my favourite roles. Could do with a shower. #actor #film #filmactor #casting #movies #welshactor pic.twitter.com/Yzv5KtNjyH

— Richard Goss (@RichardGossAct) July 18, 2017

indieactivity: Did you study acting?
Richard: I couldn’t afford the fees to study in the drama schools here in London, they’re simply too expensive for someone from my background. So I decided to jump straight into the industry by setting up meetings with producers and casting directors. For training I took private tuition from teachers, workshops and short courses, as well as reading every acting book I could find.

The acting training I received which so far has had the most impact on me is with acting coach Steven Ditmyer from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, and the renowned Neighborhood Playhouse in New York.

Steven is an alumni of Sanford Meisner, and I studied the Foundation of Meisner Technique & Independent Activities with him. From the very first lesson I was hooked. He’s a fantastic coach, he really drilled the importance of listening during the repetition exercises. Not just hearing someone but truly listening, reacting and living truthfully under imaginary circumstances.

Richard Goss learning with Steven Ditmyer

indieactivity: What acting technique do you use?
Richard: I take anything useful from every style that I study, primarily the Stanislavsky system and Meisner technique. I’m currently studying Strasberg and then want to learn more about Adler.

Some emotions are a challenge to tap into, so using sense memory can be useful, but it can be exhausting to do repeatedly so I try to get those scenes done within three takes.

Anger is an emotion I can tap into easily, it’s something I control but I find it easily accessible, which is not so good for the realities of day to day life, but great for filming.

It might be because I’m from a musician’s background, but I find music can easily alter my emotions and invoke my imagination. So sometimes if I’m just not feeling it in a scene, listening to some music to access that specific emotion can do it. I prefer to access it naturally and organically through the acting and scene, but sometimes with time constraints on a film you need to just get the shot done quickly, so music helps me there.

indieactivity: Do you take courses to improve your craft?
Richard: Yes, as often as I can. On top of the actual acting techniques, I take classes in accents, stage combat, weapons, horse riding, every skill I find interesting and useful. You have to, to continue growing both as an actor and a human being. Jack Nicholson said “I believe the minute you’re not learning, you’re dead.”

indieactivity: What acting books do you read?
Richard: Oh man, where to start? Stanislavsky “An Actor Prepares, Building a Character, Creating a Role”, Bella Merlin “The Complete Stanislavsky Toolkit”, The Lee Strasberg Notes, so many to list. I’d recommend Nancy Bishops “Auditioning for Film and Television” too, it covers a whole range of topics on the industry.

indieactivity: How do you keep fit as an actor?
Richard: For physical fitness, I work out at the gym six nights a week, for around two hours a night. I’m addicted to it. This includes heavy weights (I’m currently bulking), as well as boxing and martial arts. I’ve trained in Krav Maga for around seven years now, I’m ranked at brown belt level and plan to complete my black belt when I have more free time.

Mentally keeping fit is just as vital, because it’s such an unpredictable industry. You have to have incredibly thick skin to cope with the rejections and disappointments, and yet be able to discard all of that in an instant and open yourself to all vulnerabilities during an audition or a performance.

Reading books helps, absorbing literature, watching movies, learning new skills, and making time to get the hell away from a big city for a while to go and travel. Going abroad and meeting new people and cultures. Keeping some hobbies and friendships completely separate to acting can help, because you know sometimes this industry will consume you. So keep some things totally separate.

indieactivity: How do you prepare for a role?
Richard: When I began acting, I read that Anthony Hopkins would read a script up to two hundred and fifty times to completely absorb the lines, so that when he’s performing the delivery is just purely natural. I use that, and try to completely absorb it. It’s interesting though when you’re dissecting the script, because you think “ah this is the way I can play this”, you make that choice and then you get on set and everything changes. The mood isn’t how you envisioned it, or the director wants a different choice. So also don’t get too set in one way. Be flexible and always follow impulses.

indieactivity: How do you create a character from a script into a person?
Richard: Well you always have to think why? Why is this character behaving this way? Why are they saying things like this? So it must start with the script, the lines. And then from there you build their history. The way they talk, their voice, the way they move, sit, gestures, accent, environment, culture.

I also like to try and steal things I see from people’s mannerisms in daily life. Sometimes I’ll see someone do something and think “ah man, I have to use that somewhere. I don’t know where, but I have to remember that” and I’ll write a note about it on my phone and file it away for future use. There was someone I observed recently, and I just sat there laughing to myself and thought “man….what an absolute dickhead”, but he was fascinating and so brazen. I’m definitely going to use his mannerisms for a role when I get the chance.

Richard Goss as James in Homeless

indieactivity: How do you stay fresh on a production set?
Richard: It depends on the role and production. Some characters I find easy to switch in and out of character with, others I find that exhausting and so it’s easier to stay in character for the entire production. It helps me to have a physical object with me which I can associate with that character, or as I previously mentioned, a certain piece of music.

It also changes depending on the length of the project. A day player role, you’ll have travelled there early, you don’t know many if any people on set, you’ll be introduced to the director and whoever you’re acting with, maybe a quick rehearsal then bam, jump straight into the character, a few takes over the day and then you’re done and off home again. I’ve found that to be the harder type of job.

indieactivity: Describe a memorable character you played?
Richard: I think that role of James, the homeless addict, for me was a great memory. This was a film produced by a director from Ealing Studios in 2014. I’d committed completely and immersed myself in the role. I remember one day in particular, the crew were filming a long shot from further down the road, when a car pulled up alongside me.

The driver wound down his window and called me to him, put £5 in my hands and told me to go buy some food, and don’t spend it on drugs. I thanked him and returned to my spot on the pavement. Some of the crew shouted “he’s an actor” and the driver shouted back at them, thinking they were making fun of a homeless man. So I guess I was convincing in the role which pleased me a lot. I felt bad afterwards though for taking the money so I gave it to one of the actual homeless guys who we’d talked to.

Richard Goss as Sergeant Jones in WWII film “The Final Leaves of Winter”

Another one I particularly enjoyed playing was Sergeant Jones in the WWII film “The Final Leaves of Winter”. Originally, my character had I think one line in the script, but the producer and director liked what I did so much that I was given much more dialogue and allowed free reign to improvise one of the key end scenes where myself and a soldier discuss our friends death and the length of the war.

A physically demanding role, as it had just snowed that month so we were shooting this in freezing temperatures up to our knees in mud, but a great challenge, really great production values, the makeup and costume department were fantastic on it.

indieactivity: Explain one creative choice you took on set?
Richard: I played the lead role as a homeless drug addict and did a lot of research beforehand. It was the first time I stayed in character for a shoot so I made a lot of creative choices with it. I chose the clothes he’d wear, his mannerisms and physical ticks, and the director was pleased enough to let me run with it. That was a great experience.

indieactivity: What do you want most from a director?
Richard: Vision, passion, professionalism and good communication.

indieactivity: What actors do you long to work with?
Richard: Christian Bale.

indieactivity: Why?
Richard: Because he’s so utterly dedicated to the craft, an incredibly talented, hardworking actor.

indieactivity: What advice would you give to actors?
Richard: Persist. Above all else, persistence is vital.

indieactivity: Briefly write about your career?
Richard: I’ve been fortunate enough to play a range of characters and worked with great creatives in the industry so far. I’ve played the lead role of the drug dealer Toby in the indie crime/comedy Taking Care of Business, a horribly manipulative and unpredictably violent brother in Genesis, also a really fun short film I did called “All Thumbs” with director Jack Simmons, a story based on The Man from South by Roald Dahl, that was a really enjoyable shoot.

In terms of budget, the biggest film I’ve worked on was Warner Brothers ‘Wrath of the Titans’ as a special action fighter. Who knows what will come next? Thank you for taking the time to interview me, and to the people who read this, much appreciated.

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