The Moment ACTING Became My True North | Exclusive with Isla Hughes | Ajay Tambe

[00:00:00] The first was for the BBC. That was the first audition I'd ever done professionally before I'd even made that leap. And so I remember I'd sat at my camera at home and I'd found this myself just through an open casting somewhere, never thinking I'd get a response.

[00:00:15] And I had a script and I didn't know anything about the story of the characters because they have to keep it so closed. I remember saying up the camera and I didn't know where to look.

[00:00:25] I didn't know if the lighting was right because I hadn't done anything yet. I was still in the process. And I watched it back and I thought, okay, and now I watch it back and I go breathe, relax, just listen to the other character.

[00:00:39] You know, I think I was two in my own head. I used to have a habit of bloating above myself and am I doing this right? Am I not? I don't do that anymore. But when the agency closed earlier this year, I had 20 minutes of thinking,

[00:00:55] what am I going to do now? What are these kids going to do and their parents who aren't in the industry and don't know anything?

[00:01:00] Because my parents didn't either. What are we going to do? If you weren't supposed to do this, you wouldn't have been called to do it.

[00:01:08] You wouldn't love it. You wouldn't want to do it. It wouldn't be the only thing you can really think of loving and doing in your life. And it's a blessing that you have that. And don't let anyone extinguish that fire because it's yours.

[00:01:23] And that's what counts at the end of the day. If you believe then people will start following you. It's just a matter of time.

[00:01:58] I'm going to tell you a little bit about my friend who has no idea what to do. She's taking them on board with her in her journey. And that's really interesting, cool and really strange and risky at the same time.

[00:02:10] You know, I don't know how she'd do all kind of stuff. And at this age where she should be studying in college. But she left the college and she made sure that, no, this is my dream.

[00:02:23] I'm sure that she has inside her that I know what I'm doing and I'm very sure that I'm going to make it.

[00:02:29] And I'm also making sure that someone who has no idea but they want to do it, I'm also making sure that they are going to make it. Welcome to the show, Ayla Hughes. Hi, I'm glad to be here.

[00:02:40] Great, great to have you. It's interesting to have you in the network and then we got connected. This is going to happen, I guess 15 days back. But due to some health issues, we got it, I guess 10 to 15 days.

[00:02:52] And now we are here and doing this in a very good way. And I guess God is with us that these things have these things happening. Absolutely. So first of all, before we jump on everything else, what's going on with you now?

[00:03:08] Wow, I'm busy auditioning. It's very much a quiet part of the industry at the moment. I think we're still in recovery with the strikes in America and myriad of things over the world that obviously impact a business like ours.

[00:03:20] So yeah, I'm focusing a lot on my business, on teaching, but also the same everyday things I do as an actor. I like to keep myself dabbling and lots of fingers and lots of pies. So that's what I like to do.

[00:03:32] I'm in running an academy and going with exercise, it's already occupied. You just have to filter out, okay, this is what I'm going to do on Monday and then Tuesday and then Wednesday. So what's today? What was like your week this week of two? Wow.

[00:03:46] It's quiet or it's kind of rush?

[00:03:48] It's been a bit of both really. I've been here there and everywhere, I've been visiting different people, speaking to a lot of different people, which has been really nice because there are periods of time where I tend to isolate myself in a positive way to focus on my craft and things like that.

[00:04:02] But it's been nice to get out and speak to people. And I've been having classes as well with the kids and meeting a lot of their parents, starting to build their plans and their foundations. So it's been a really rewarding week as a teacher especially.

[00:04:17] Great, great to know that. So you and I have taken a jump, a risk at very early age and I am really excited to know what's going on with you on that part.

[00:04:30] So before we jump on you in 2024, I'd like to go back to you when you were in 2006-2007, I guess. Three-four year old, what was your life? What was your life looking like at that point?

[00:04:44] Well, I always knew this was what I wanted to do. I wanted to perform. It was a very strange thing to be three years old and be so clear on what I wanted the rest of my life to look like.

[00:04:56] And I had very supportive parents, had a lot of different influences around me, different cultures, different people, always music.

[00:05:04] And I started training when I was three. I was in classes and I still even then took it very seriously. It was never just a hobby. And it was my life and it has been my life, my entire life.

[00:05:15] I sacrificed a lot of socializing and things like that because I wanted to. It was never my parents' choice. It was mine.

[00:05:23] Got it, got it. And this is kind of strange knowing inside you at a very early age. Because it's like you at the age of three, you started attracted to, you got attracted towards musical theater.

[00:05:37] You got inside that, you started it and having that kind of awareness is really kind of blessing that you have. So how was your childhood like, you know, like regular childhood? What was there that, you know, any memories that you have about your childhood?

[00:05:54] My childhood was very blessed with the people around me and the family I had but it wasn't without struggle either. And I think that is responsible for a lot of my maturity at the age that I have.

[00:06:06] And also the openness that I have as well and deeper understanding of life, even at 21, bordering on 22. But it was a good childhood again. But it was all theater. That's all I wanted to do. I really wasn't interested in much else.

[00:06:20] And I'm very lucky that my family never pushed me to do it but they supported me wholeheartedly in the fact that I wanted to push myself to do it. So any chance I had to perform or to practice the Sing to Dance Act, I'd just take it.

[00:06:33] And I was very lucky that I was academically inclined as well, which is a very nice thing to have both. Yeah, that's good. That's good. And it's good to hear this kind of stuff from you also.

[00:06:46] Now what happened after joining musical theater? How many years you did that? Oh, I've done that since I was three. So that would be I stopped training when I was 18 or 19. So that's all of my life. So you're seeing like, I guess 13, 14 years? All musical theater? Yeah.

[00:07:10] Wow. Now that's like, it's like every bit. So how the transition happened from like, were you doing musical theater and then stage drama? Was this the thing with you till before 2019? Like, or everything related to musical theater?

[00:07:26] Yeah, musical theater was definitely my center and everything kind of revolved around that. But I've always had a thirst for knowledge and trying different things and understanding why it works for me or it doesn't.

[00:07:37] So I did a lot of straight plays. I did a lot of normal theater as well. But my first and only two experiences of any film work was at a summer school at Italia Conti, which is quite a prestigious drama school in the UK.

[00:07:53] And that was my first taste of doing on camera work. And my professor told me as I was leaving, he said, do you like being on camera? I said, yeah, I do. He said good because the camera likes you and you can't teach them.

[00:08:07] And that kind of planted the seed. But that's really the only taste of film and what that could be for me until I really decided to start looking into that. And then I fell in love with it. So really is musical theater with everything?

[00:08:21] Yeah, I guess like, I can say 80% of your life is all of musical theater. And yeah, you did some plays, but I guess it was maximum of musical theater. So when you took the call, so to everyone, I just like to re-mention again.

[00:08:38] She left her formal education and then took a jump, a big risk of not continuing or having a degree and making sure that she had that much of self belief and determination that she is going to make it because she knew in her heart.

[00:08:54] And she was very clear that this is me. And I don't think I have a future in doing formal education and visiting my time and years.

[00:09:03] But I think if I make sure that I invested all that time here, I'm going to make it where I can make a living out of this and to the level that I have no idea.

[00:09:13] But yeah, I'm going to be there. So when you thought of doing that, there's always a second thought, what if I don't?

[00:09:21] Or there's always a thought of what if there is a lot of, because once you take that decision, there's negative thought at the same time going in your head. Because the transition has not happened. You're in between the transition. You can't see the heavy thing.

[00:09:36] You can see then what if it doesn't happen because it hasn't happened yet. It was just where you are just crossing the line. So what was going on? Yeah, for me, I'm not an impulsive person. I'm strong-willed, but I'm not impulsive, which is an important factor.

[00:09:52] I spent about a year, so I was two years bordering on three into my formal education, getting a degree in musical theatre. Because I was accepted early at 16 to study at university. So I was 18.

[00:10:07] And for a year, that second year, I kept going back and forth, back and forth because I knew that film was something I'd wanted to do. I started getting auditions before an agent or anything. I started dabbling, really enjoyed it.

[00:10:19] And as much as I still love musical theatre, I had this gut feeling that I want my career to be in the film and keep my love for musical theatre, not separate but more of a thing that I can come in and out of.

[00:10:31] But it's the hardest thing that the negatives thought in my head was, this is the path that every performer is told to go down.

[00:10:38] This is from a young age, you're told you're supposed to aim to go and train at drama school, get a degree in musical theatre or performing arts or whatever it is you want to do.

[00:10:46] And that's how you then go into the world. But I just knew that that wasn't working for me as much as the training was amazing and I have zero regrets.

[00:10:54] I didn't waste my time. It was no longer the right path. I could see where I was going and it didn't align with what I knew in my soul. I wanted, it wasn't enough. And I didn't think I would reach my full potential in that way anymore.

[00:11:09] Okay, good. There was a small village but yeah, I get it. So it was kind of tough call. Was there a point where you think you took that decision and months later you thought, no, I should have.

[00:11:24] There's a thought for a month or two. Was there any kind of thing where you thought, I should have done just like four, five years of graduation. Was there anything because when the works, when you're getting good work then there's no problem.

[00:11:40] But when the gap goes a big, that's where the big problem arises. So I guess COVID was involved a bit in your phase where you, before you did anything related to film.

[00:11:51] So was there any thought where you just went back or I guess I did a mistake? Was there any?

[00:11:59] Honestly, no. I've always been taught to live with no regrets and the way that you do that is by making a choice that you believe in that moment is 100% correct.

[00:12:10] Even if the consequences don't align, you made a choice for you that was yours so you can't really regret it. And I don't have any regrets. It was strange and a little very risky actually to start my career, one to leave formal education

[00:12:26] but also to start my career in COVID as it was happening, which is probably the worst time to do that in an industry where we're on set and you can't do anything.

[00:12:35] But I think the fact that I did that and because of that timing, I can handle anything that this career throws at me. And I can handle the quiet moments because I'm so used to, I don't think I've ever actually seen the industry at its full business

[00:12:50] and its full potential because of all the things that have been thrown at us over the last few years. So I'm ready, you know?

[00:12:55] Yeah, I guess. It prepared you for something which is very small now you think but in another way it would have looked a bigger, you know, something that, oh my God, I'm not getting work.

[00:13:06] What should I do? What should I do? But starting at V is where the world was like, okay, everyone is going to die. That was the thing in everyone's head.

[00:13:14] Like we are going to die in next few months if we don't have anything. That was the thing and you survive that at the same time you started slowly, slowly working. So there's a lot of things related to you being alive and your existence and your family.

[00:13:29] So when you go through all of this, this looks very small. Okay, whatever I'm doing, it's going to work out. If not, I have the patience and yeah, it's good to hear that you take full responsibility. It's your thing.

[00:13:40] You don't regret and you don't have it because once you took the call, then it's all cute and that's great to hear from you. You've got a good character inside you. Thank you. Thank you. Yeah.

[00:13:51] And now we jump on transition to film and television. Okay. So now we jump on November 2020. I guess that was the part where I guess the wave was going down a bit.

[00:14:04] There was people were looking for work and started to work with masks and I guess very tight learnings and security, but yeah, it was started. So how did the signing with your first talent agent in November 2020 impact your career? You know, how that whole process happened?

[00:14:22] Yeah, it was a whirlwind few months and I hadn't actually left my training yet, my formal education yet.

[00:14:29] I was trying to set up the foundations of the next step without getting caught out for my form education and trying to balance all of it, which I did in the end it worked out.

[00:14:40] But I am in the summer before then I'd actually gotten to the final round for a BBC series is the lead role and I didn't get it in the end.

[00:14:49] You never know why but that was my first ever audition in the industry and it was a very surreal experience.

[00:14:57] It was really, really rewarding and gratifying. I really enjoyed it. But I finally had something that yes, I didn't get the role but it shows what I can achieve and my potential.

[00:15:06] And so I started shopping around with agents and I found Elaine Eaglestone, Eaglestone Management who unfortunately is no longer in the industry.

[00:15:13] But she was fantastic and we had a phone call. I remember I was on my lunch break in training and I was trying to get into my ballet gear for my next dance class

[00:15:24] and I snuck away and had a phone call interview where we chatted. And at the end of the phone call it was about 20 minutes. Right before my class was about to start she said, yeah, let's work together.

[00:15:35] And after that point I finally, well I started booking a couple of jobs the next week, two weeks after that. So I was able to just go.

[00:15:50] Wow. This is the story of she calling you later and you reaching to the final round. It's kind of interesting because this happens very rare.

[00:15:59] You're reaching there and then okay, there is something I can do. Just hold on. Just hold on. I guess there's a lot in this. Wow. Your career in film and television started in 2021. What was it like transitioning from 16, 17 years in musical industry?

[00:16:17] Musical theater, not musical industry, musical theater. And then you suddenly shift to a camera where everything is on markings and you don't have to move left or right

[00:16:27] or there's whole thing, the whole thing changes. You don't have to move if there is this, you know, the shot is straight and you, the director says that hey, don't move

[00:16:36] or don't incline your position or do this and that. So how was that transition with you? Was it very easy or was it, you know, it took time to adjust with the settings?

[00:16:48] Yeah, that's a really interesting question. I like that question because I think it's an ever-evolving process and if you were to ask me the same question four years from now,

[00:16:55] I'd probably say I didn't even understand how the industry or how to act now because I'm constantly evolving. But back then I didn't struggle because I really believed in realism and I've always been a cinephile, I've loved film. And it was a slow moving process internally.

[00:17:14] It wasn't so much the acting. I found that I got better at film acting when I understood myself better because I became at peace with myself.

[00:17:24] And there's even an intense scene in films. It's still this kind of meditation within you where your open is openness and you can only really be open

[00:17:34] and vulnerable, which is you have to be when there's a camera right there, you can't hide. You have to be open to the other actors,

[00:17:41] to the camera, to the directors, to the set. And the more you understand yourself or you're at peace with yourself, the easier that becomes.

[00:17:48] The more you get into what you're doing, what character you're playing, the more likely to actually listen. So that was my process and I think that only now do I feel I truly understand and feel confident in myself in the last few years or so.

[00:18:02] Wow. So I guess it was a process of kind of good transition where you didn't panic a lot, you didn't... Oh my God, what's going on? Oh my God, am I doing good or bad? This is too disturbing for me on the first two days.

[00:18:15] But you were like, okay, I'm adjusting and it's kind of a curve that took place rather than just panic lines happening up and down, up and down. You were slowly transitioning but yeah, it was a good transition. And now you are taking a good impact on that.

[00:18:32] Like you now understand, okay, this happened and now I'm here, now I'm here and you're evolving. So you may be changing something inside you every day once you understand, okay, I have to do this now. I have to do this.

[00:18:46] So yeah, that's good. So now we jump on to your films that you did, which was I guess event... First one is by the name event and then there's LGBTQ plus drama press on nails.

[00:19:02] So how was the experience working on first film with the sci-fi short film I guess, event? And then press on nails which is award winning first of all LGBTQ plus drama.

[00:19:16] And I saw a few clips of you on Instagram when we got connected and oh, I was like what? Yeah, it is award winning scripting and I guess writing and the performance and all.

[00:19:30] So what was that? So once you transitioned, now we know that you got into this. But what was that whole experience on both the films? You can go ahead one by one. Yeah, so event is more recently, so we'll start there and we'll work backwards.

[00:19:45] Event was a really interesting one because I really had to dig deep with that character. I'm very analytical with my characters in my process anyway. I really enjoy that part. But my character wasn't a lead character. She was the girlfriend of the lead,

[00:20:02] but she still was so integral to the plot and it was very easy. I could see and me and the director spoke about it at the time that an audience could very easily just fall into

[00:20:12] the shallowness of oh, we just don't like her because she's not kind at all in the entire film. But I didn't want her to be shallow because event very much even though it's about sci-fi and aliens

[00:20:23] the real question that's being posed is what do you do when your beliefs suddenly change and how does that change your world around you? Your relationships or internal world, things like that, how does that react and ripple effect once everything's turned on its axis.

[00:20:40] And so each character in the film, there were three women, they all had this... How do I explain it? They're like on a timeline and depending on who you believe or who you agree with as an audience member really says a lot about you and your beliefs

[00:20:56] and Kate, my character was so closed-minded and I'm so the opposite. I'm so open-minded. I love exploring different cultures and religions and speaking to lots of different people. That you as an artist. Yeah, so suddenly having to close myself off

[00:21:11] and I had to because you can't judge your character otherwise you don't understand it. Oh yeah. That was a real challenge but so satisfying to sit and work through it and meet the other actors and then finally on set be able to switch in and out

[00:21:26] and when I did my big monologue scene it was heavy and I wasn't there and I remember the camera cutting the first time and snapping out of it and thinking, okay I think I've done it. I've done something there because I wasn't there.

[00:21:39] Wow, wow, wow. That's good. It's good to hear just from you talking now. I am there. I can see that happening. And tell me one thing, someone who is open-minded and someone who is somewhere open for everything is kind of talking to you and doing everything.

[00:21:57] Suddenly changing to closed environment or closed window. Is that transition hard? Did it take a lot out of you or was it easy to just shut down everything and just focus on what was it because I guess there's two things, two kind of artists.

[00:22:14] There are extrovert and then introvert. So for introvert to go extrovert it's kind of hard journey because it's not in them and now you are kind of opposite but I don't know how is that this kind of you

[00:22:27] is going to shift back to narrowing yourself to a certain belief or certain things and just shutting everything down. So how was this transition for this particular film? Inside you, like how did you... I didn't know where to start and it scared me for sure

[00:22:45] because how do you suddenly close your ears especially when acting is all to do with listening and responding. How do you play someone that does not... She's just not able to be affected because of how closed-minded she is

[00:22:58] by anything that anyone says or that is going on, even the person that she loves. There's never really anything in the film that says what she does truly believe or why. So the best question I could ask is why and try and find that within myself.

[00:23:13] So I did and I answered some questions but the thing that really helped me do it was literally to just relax physically everything and not look. I never looked at the other actors properly I never fully allowed myself to acknowledge them

[00:23:30] which was very difficult as an actor, it was really disrespectful but it worked because I could hear them but I wasn't processing and that really worked for Kate, she was very much on a one track mind so yeah, it's a scary process.

[00:23:45] So how many days you went through all of I guess... Filming is a very short period but the prep is very long so how many days you spent on this character? Yeah, well the thing about event is that I actually wasn't brought onto the project

[00:23:59] until much later. I was the last person to get cast and they'd already got all the crew of the cast and I was the last person maybe about a month before, maybe two months before it might have been a bit more than that.

[00:24:11] It's all a bit of a... But I know that I spent every day for at least four hours a day in and out going back through the script, what have I missed? Keep asking why, writing everything down, throwing stuff out

[00:24:24] walking around trying to figure out how to react to things so I spend a lot of my time in prep and I enjoy it especially it makes me laugh because you spend so much time on a character like that and then it's over like that.

[00:24:39] It's like that, okay now normal, it's done. Okay, great. So now I forgot which film we were talking about. Press on Nails. Is there one more? Oh yeah, yeah, Press on Nails. Now we focus on the other one, event right? It was Sci-Fi Drama.

[00:24:55] We were talking about event, we're on Press on Nails now. Oh yeah, got it, thank you. So now just shifting down to Press on Nails. Tell me about it, tell me about the whole film and what was your character in brief?

[00:25:10] Yeah, so my character was made in Press on Nails and she was a very sarcastic, edgy, not very nice but still had some warmth to her character. She was quite comfortable. I guess this was easy for you then. It was, I have a lot of sarcasm so yeah.

[00:25:26] Oh yeah, yeah this is kind of easy. Easy role, maybe a good curve. I related to the character in a lot of ways and I looked very different than I do now. I had black hair and big eyeliner. It was very, very different visually.

[00:25:41] Totally different but it was all about this woman who meets a man who wants to pursue being a drag queen but he's very much in a world and in his life that's not at all supported and it's not so much a focus on that choice.

[00:25:58] It's on two people helping each other make a choice to do something for them and that is going to benefit only them and shedding other people's opinions and beliefs. It doesn't really matter, I mean it's a beautiful film

[00:26:12] but it doesn't matter what you believe about the outside of it the little details, it's the core message of making a choice for yourself which of course I really relate to so it was a great film. It's you, I guess the character is you

[00:26:25] kind of in power level a bit higher when it comes to that. What I know is you really enjoy what you do you enjoy that process, you enjoy that whole big character and I guess it started because you spent at least 13 years

[00:26:40] I don't know how many dramas that you did and I guess musical theater I mean there's 10x more prep than what you have in the one film you have to be there, you have to remember everything then you have to make sure that everything falls in one line

[00:26:54] then you are to support people around you at the same time and then you make sure that whole things makes a sense to an audience it's not the same thing that you do over and over and over again you make sure that there is something thought coming out

[00:27:08] every single time where you perform and I guess that's one thing that really got imbibed inside you now so that every time you look for something new I guess you enjoy that whole thing of being like being in press on Nels and being in event

[00:27:24] I guess both different films but when I heard that from you you enjoyed both the process, you enjoyed that pain also going for even that pain how should I go inside and what is this but you took that challenge and it really worked

[00:27:40] it really worked for you and I guess this is going to be something that is going to help you in future projects also because once you get into this then you also know okay this time I did this and then this

[00:27:51] I guess yeah that's going to help you a lot now here's the thing we focus on you founding an academy which is a star of our academy so first of all at this young age why? so my first agent who I was with for years

[00:28:11] she had a kids agency as well and I taught a lot of the kids there I ended up taking over someone else they had a class I taught and I loved those kids very talented and they were all the majority represented by the agency

[00:28:25] or wanted to and were getting there and I really fell in love with that process which is never something that I thought was on the table teaching especially not getting my own academy but when the agency closed earlier this year I had 20 minutes of thinking

[00:28:41] what am I going to do now what are these kids going to do and their parents who aren't in the industry and don't know anything because my parents didn't either what are we going to do and 20 minutes later I came up with a name

[00:28:53] I decided that I would start my own academy I'd make my own luck I'd take these kids with me and do my best to support them and make the transition easy and months later here we are wow thank you first of all for sharing why it started

[00:29:07] because there's a lot of things where you get inspired I never knew about this story so I guess that agent of you got out of the industry that's the reason that you have to hey what should I do of these chickens I need to take care of them

[00:29:23] and that's where you build yourself a farm where you can put those there and make sure that you feed them it's kind of caretaker and something that it really shows what you told till now it shows about your character and it shows the maturity level that you have

[00:29:41] since the age of three and then it kind of grew like you feel like a teacher like you know something that I have to take care of this you have that kind of you can't let that go and that's really good

[00:29:58] and I guess this is the first time I'm hearing that someone who there was a frank decision that okay this didn't work out now something else I'll find something else to do this but you took that call and you found it at that academy and I guess

[00:30:17] wow this is something new and I guess there's a lot of responsibility but how did you convince the parents was there anything it was a real risk and very scary to have to put myself out there yeah and will you believe in me

[00:30:35] will you trust me to take over because my agent she had years and years and years of running a business I've never run a business in my life I can teach but I've never run a business except for my own which is me so being responsible

[00:30:49] is another thing I organised a meeting and I emailed everyone I said look there's a meeting at this time in this place you can all come, well I was on zoom I think and we, I said you can ask as many questions as you want

[00:31:03] I just want to pitch this idea to you to help your kids and you transition out of not having classes all of a sudden and so I was hands shaking and written all my notes down and I delivered it and instantly everyone said yeah we're on board

[00:31:21] like of course they said I believe in you, we believe in you the kids love you, we know you're going to do a good job and so I suddenly had already this belief instilled in me from other people and so I said okay then and we'll do it

[00:31:35] so this is right you have a good journey and you're kind of going to do something really different you know in coming years also you're shivering at the same time this is next kind of thing happening with you so tell me one thing okay I forgot now

[00:31:57] I was going to do but that story really got me okay I guess when I get to know about that I'll get back on that topic but yeah, yeah I got it so who's helping you out is there anyone that you caught

[00:32:11] with you now for those kids or only you at this moment? it's only me and it has only been me are you looking for someone? not at the moment I have a cover teacher position that I really would like to fill because

[00:32:25] I never want to, I don't like canceling classes I don't believe in it if I don't have to but also with my work I'm a working actor and that's my career first and so there will be times where I can't teach

[00:32:37] and I need someone else that I trust to deliver so I'm in the process of that and I also like to invite industry people in to do workshops with the kids but in terms of the business it's me that's it one thing I'd like to tell you

[00:32:51] that you are talented and with this talent and with this experience you are going to get work at the time where you are going to have the class so it's going to get jumbled so that's where I'm telling you as someone who is managing a business

[00:33:07] from my point of view you are going to get good amount of work and that's where you are going to mess up with the workshops and all so try to figure out you have a team or you have friends who you know you can trust

[00:33:19] you start building the trust once you start doing that you will have them as a backup option or someone who's got your back then it will work because I guess with this kind of call that you took with the parents it's going to go very long

[00:33:33] on the long way you need people who are going to have your back so try to figure out who is going to be there for you who love this kind of thing and also because once over the years now in 3-4 years

[00:33:47] you are going to get good amount of work what I can see just try to figure out people who can manage kids also and that's where you can keep on running this business at the same time because those trust you

[00:33:59] and if you are going to cancel on them you need to find someone who can who they can trust at the same time and you can have a good time even if you are not working so that's one thing try to build someone team so

[00:34:13] it will be helpful for you also great great keep on running your academy I am very happy if I have some time I'd be visiting in few years you know if I have something going on in UK then I'll be happy to visit the academy

[00:34:29] now here's the thing how do you what is your approach to preparing young actors no no this is done I guess the whole story covered this question also so that's out of the thing so we have you are jumping on the auditions okay your first audition experience

[00:34:47] what did you learn so what was going on one I guess something I guess you have 16 years of experience but still tell me about your first audition experience for the film that you approaching I guess two of them where you shortlisted

[00:35:01] but there's a lot of like the BB season where you got to the last round so tell me about your first one where you were there maybe shivering because you do I guess a lot in something that you are new in so tell me about the first

[00:35:17] yeah so the first was for the BBC that was the first audition I'd ever done professionally before I'd even made that leap and so I remember I'd set up my camera at home and I'd found this myself just through an open casting somewhere

[00:35:31] never thinking I'd get a response and I had a script and I didn't know anything about the story of the characters because they have to keep it so closed and I remember setting up the camera and I didn't know where to look

[00:35:43] I didn't know if the lighting was right because I hadn't learnt any of that yet I was still in the process it was hard I mean I had a tripod and things because I already had that for other projects but I thought okay I did some

[00:35:57] googling and tried to find as much information as I can which even a few years ago there wasn't as much readily available but I made it work and I've still got copies of every round of that audition process and I watched it back and I thought

[00:36:13] okay and now I watch it back and I go breathe relax just listen to the other character I think I was two in my own head I used to have a habit of floating above myself am I doing this right, am I not I don't do that anymore

[00:36:29] because it takes you out of it but I remember being terrified and yet so so excited that I was finally getting to do something that I really wanted to do and been so scared to pursue and yet I was getting this opportunity anyway

[00:36:44] even though I had no training in the film and I just remember looking at myself and thinking I'm not good yet, I'm not great yet but I've got something to do but here's the thing you went for four rounds right first, second, third

[00:37:04] I mean that is great people who don't even clear first round should be worried you cleared the first round then second round but the one thing that you were very concerned about like where's the angle, where should I look

[00:37:18] that was the only thing that was going on inside you but I guess the thing was very clear with you that you cleared it so till the time first, second, third what was going on the last one was like something different but I guess

[00:37:32] first one, first, second, third were you excited, were you nervous were you thinking like okay I am the great, what was that there was a lot of waiting which there still is, there always is there's a long period of waiting

[00:37:46] you could wait a year if something happens in production and they pause the auditions and no one knows but I waited, I remember about three weeks and I thought okay I didn't get it of course I didn't like I'm not going to go to the next round because

[00:37:58] I'm fresh, I don't know anything yet it's not my time and I remember I think I was in the kitchen I was doing something really mundane and really not paying attention to the world around me and my phone goes off and I pick it up and I think

[00:38:10] you know I've let go of the opportunity at this point and it says okay here's all of the information here's the actual script that we've given you and now you get to really see some information about the character please have it in next week, I just thought

[00:38:24] how is this happening which was great which was actually you know so I guess this happened to you for a second or three times right where you thought okay I guess I'm not there and then you got it so fourth time

[00:38:44] the last one I guess it was more basically maybe the look test I guess I don't know but it was maybe the character adjustment depending on that so what went through your head at that point where clear three rounds and then the fourth

[00:39:00] one where I don't know I guess you got the same call what was that yeah so that final round I'd become comfortable in myself and thinking because I think you do have to be you have to believe in yourself I thought okay

[00:39:14] I believe in my talent clearly I can clearly I'm talented it's just whether I'm right or not and that was at the start and I think it's really important with rejection to not take it personally because it isn't and it's never about your talent especially if you get

[00:39:28] to you know two or three rounds forward is never to do a talent and I remember getting an email the last email I ever got and I was walking down the street somewhere it was really nice day so that was a good thing as well

[00:39:42] and they said you know the producers really loved you and as a casting director I did advocate for you and we just think you're too young because I was actually auditioning for a character even then who was 25 25 to early 30s they were looking at but they lowered

[00:40:00] it for me in the last few rounds at least that's what I was told so I wasn't surprised and I just carried on with my day and I said thank you but it was good it was good you know there's one thing that comes with

[00:40:16] time which is where in both the films you played character which is I guess four or five years older than you I guess four or five years older than you throughout the film that you did two films and there's something that comes with time you have to

[00:40:32] give yourself to go 21, 22, 23, 24 it comes with time and experience that once you go on that fourth round you look certain way and you think certain way and you come up with an experience of three four years just by doing this so I guess all

[00:40:50] there's something with the way that they are looking for which will come in three four years so I guess that's the whole thing that is getting calculated when they go on the final call that may be the thing but it's great to hear

[00:41:02] that first audition that you did you clear three rounds and the fourth round was just there caught what the BBC wanted but yeah it's good to hear I guess this was the memorable audition that you had right yeah very yeah yeah yeah so imagine someone

[00:41:20] who's like you in the 19, 20, 21 now and who's looking to do auditions even someone who is 25, 30, 40 but they are starting out there's a lot of actors who start late you know somewhere around 30, 40, 50 what kind of advice you'd like to give and what kind

[00:41:36] of tips that you'd like to give them for audition wow great question listen is my biggest one listen listen I think stop trying to do things stop trying to make things happen when you're in an audition stop trying and just exist allow yourself to exist

[00:41:56] as you and do the scene as you want to do it and stop projecting and trying to understand and change yourself based on what you think someone else wants because they're not interested in that they're interested in you and an audition is it's not

[00:42:12] just that job the audition is our job if we get to do the work and play the character that's just a bit of fun our job is to audition and every time you go to an audition whether you get recalled whether you get the role

[00:42:24] whether you don't you have an opportunity to plant a seed that could grow into some magnificent fruit five years down the line ten years down the line a month down the line it's so much a bigger opportunity if you see it that way

[00:42:38] instead of just obsessing over what do they want what do you want yeah well that's really good advice in less than 60 seconds you can get to everyone who's listening to all the actors who was looking and specifically to people who are looking

[00:42:54] to get into acting this is kind of advice you can get and something with experience thank you thank you for sharing this particularly through your experiences so what I guess now here's the thing there's two different things that you do there's one prep for musical theater

[00:43:14] over the years now talking less about the film tell me about how you used to prepare for musical theater where you used to prepare for a role what was the characterization how you used to develop it what kind of work you used to do on the character

[00:43:30] when you were performing in the musical theater yeah with musical theater I feel like I spent a lot more time on the words the order of which I prepare was different so I focus on the words first instead of the character and just try to

[00:43:44] learn them without adding any emotion just get it out the way so that it's in my body because with musical theater you're having to rehearse the scenes as an actor having to learn all of the songs and dance at the same time that's so much at once

[00:43:58] and you really only get six weeks to prepare for a musical theater show so it's a lot in a very short space of time so it really was just getting get out and luckily I have a photographic memory so it was a bit easier to do

[00:44:16] but I focus mainly on singing as well the music because music is so important and so powerful especially for me and I find it a lot easier with musical theater to find a way into the character through what they're singing because the whole premise

[00:44:36] of musical theater is that they only sing when an emotion or a thought is so big that they can't possibly just use words anymore they have to sing about it so that's my way in really is through the music

[00:44:50] first you make sure that the words are inside you proper and then make sure that give the elevation or the curves through the words through the singing I guess so is there like loud personality coming out expressing everything with hands and

[00:45:08] was that a big practice that you had to do every time just to perform in a certain way or was that something that you caught it inside you what was that like prepping for that whole performance with song with the words and then you know

[00:45:26] showcasing that whole thing that performance what was that once you were on stage I always remember throughout my childhood people coming up to my parents and saying you know she has stage presence and can't teach that and that is just the ability to be seen on stage

[00:45:46] and to really and to naturally you know express that way that is needed and that's why I'm very hand gesturey in life anyway I think is I'm very expressive but it was never anything that I struggled with I was never never small

[00:46:00] on stage if anything I needed to be told to rain it in because it wasn't about me all the time which I never did it on purpose but you know I'd always try to squeeze my way to the front oh wow that's every

[00:46:12] actor's thing you know that's what every actor needs to do they need the attention okay but the other thing that's I guess that's the best part of you having stage presence having the presence even you are shooting having that your whole thing where you are not feeling

[00:46:30] the pressure or you know what if this goes wrong that's not with you you were there and I guess that's helping other supporting actor also at the same time because your presence once you are there you are trying to figure out

[00:46:42] what looks good and that's where you focus on the supporting characters that's how you make sure that everything looks good well now tell me what is the difference now when you prepare for a film is there anything different when you get a character what do you do

[00:47:00] I write so much I've really gone a lot into analysis more than ever but the strangest thing I do because when I was learning this technique at drama school I hated it and I didn't believe in it at all it didn't work for me but now it works

[00:47:16] really well is connecting your character to what animal they would be and then oh yeah I know that I know that and then you act out the animal to its like 100% extreme and then you bring it back until there's just a little

[00:47:32] thing there of the animal that only you will probably notice unless you told someone and it's a really weird technique but it's really been working for me on characters I tend to get auditioned for characters that are very complex and layered and a little bit twisted sometimes

[00:47:48] so it really helps to kind of animalize them and then bring it back down so that's my new thing that I'm doing that I've never done before I can relate to those days where you have no idea you're just moving around your hands and legs

[00:48:02] and you're trying to be that animal but the whole thing is different you know you have to be that character that animal is you know the way he thinks the way he walks why is he doing that that's the reason

[00:48:14] they say if you try to get that animal then you can be here but we all the first day everything like we try to enact that whole performance of that so I guess I can relate to that and it's great to hear that you now feel okay

[00:48:28] that's the power that that's really helping me out in new characters also so that's great to know so now here's the thing throughout this whole 24 hours how is the work life balance for you for example that you come from shoot and you're all drained out and then

[00:48:48] you have to make sure that you are there for the kids you know just helping them out with their classes or there's something with your family when we talk for the first time that's where I guess your grandma had something and you completely shut down whatever you're doing

[00:49:06] and you are someone who's committed to what you do but you have to take that call so how is the work life balance with you personally meditation spending time with family then giving time to kids that you take classes of how you manage that whole work life balance

[00:49:24] yeah I don't think I'm very good at it and I really wish that more people would admit that they're not good at it especially in my industry I'm very work oriented and especially now that I not only have my career to think about I'm also

[00:49:38] responsible for the next generations you know careers the people that I teach I really help them with the business side not just the acting side so that really does constantly take up my mind and I really find it hard to relax and to switch off because

[00:49:54] I enjoy it so much my hobby is the exact same thing that my career is so where do you draw the line but my family will always be over everything the people I love will I will drop everything for them because I think that

[00:50:10] that's one of the most important things in the world is the people around you that you're connected to that have supported you and have your back you've got to have theirs yeah God and that's really good quality that you have as a person as a human because there's

[00:50:24] time where we get involved in our work so much that we have no time to think of someone else because this that's the industry we are in but to have that you know something that inside you to make sure know this is really important for me

[00:50:40] and no matter what comes in I'm going to make sure that I'm there for them only the important ones I'm talking about but you're there for them and I guess that's that's one thing that keeps going on maybe something that

[00:50:56] is going to build inside you so you teach to someone else and people see that inside you and they follow but this is a really great quality that you have and I guess work life balance I guess you're loving what you're doing but there will be

[00:51:08] time where everything is going to mess up and that's where you need something I need to shut down I need to meditate because there's going to be a lot of work and that's where you need something to okay I need to breathe

[00:51:20] even though the thing that you're loving is going to be a hectic thing with time not now you're loving it because but what are we lying for people who are watching us it's entertainment but for us it's work and that's different that's going to show up with time

[00:51:36] and if that doesn't then you are really blessed so that's good okay we now jump on to rapid file favorite film to watch for inspiration all that jazz by Bob Fosse I haven't heard about this but I'll make sure I look at it role model in acting

[00:51:58] Carla Cagino preferred method rehearsals or improv rehearsals most useful acting dip listen listen listen listen favorite character you've played maven press on nails a bit about that character she's just so feisty but also so lovable at the same time she's just yummy to play biggest career influence

[00:52:30] my dad tell me about your dad like how he helped you my dad has always been my number one supporter in so many ways but mostly in keeping me grounded he has always put an importance on having an apprenticeship as an actor not necessarily training but slow down

[00:52:50] I could have been a child actor and he made sure I wasn't because I needed to take it slow and build a foundation because I'm in it for a long career and not just a successful one great great great thing that that's the great thing that he gave

[00:53:06] as a teaching and make sure you are very protected and you know the world before you enter that's really good go to warm up routine music music and dancing I guess that's you are from last 15 years best best acting book you've read sanford meisner on acting

[00:53:32] it's his full class yeah favorite on set snack watermelon watermelon wow so I guess that's it I had I thought this is going to take a long and you realize we have completed an hour in this wow whoa just saw there I thought we are going to finish

[00:53:56] I thought these are very less question but we actually did completed 61 minutes now yeah in the session I never realized this was fast this was fast it really went fast so first of all I love thank you so much for answering this and thank you so much

[00:54:12] for telling me about your dad because I guess that part where you told me you could have been child actress but he made sure that really tells more about your character now because when you look back at you at 15 16 years of experience

[00:54:28] plus now in acting it's going to shape you up to the level where soon you are going to be on DBC then on international dramas you know something like CBS Netflix prime Hulu you are going to be there because the prep that I see

[00:54:44] and the way that you brought and brought up is going to lead you there anyhow this is very rare that I see in anyone you know because most of them I interview who are starting out or someone who are established or someone

[00:55:00] in the middle of the process and we came come to know that okay how are they going to reach are they really good at it what is the year or how many years I think they can do it or make it in that are they getting right connections

[00:55:14] because we can just get to know when they tell about this like how the thing they talk they see and what's going on in their life having the personal life settled up and having the personal life in balance is really important in our career

[00:55:30] as an actor as an artist because there's a lot of people who start out in their personal lives get messing up and they stay away from what they are looking to do and love to do so you carry on you are really hardworking and everything

[00:55:46] is working out for you so don't take that for granted make sure you work more hard and like if there is any film I'll be happy to interview when once your film comes out you share your poster and we'd be there for you okay so yep yep

[00:56:02] it was really great I haven't even noticed the time and the clock be completed over an hour you're just really good at what you do even when you're talking to me you were so involved and so enjoying to talking that you I was continuously listening to

[00:56:18] okay she's going there I need to pick that point I need to pick that point and that's how the whole thing rolled up okay so someone like you Ayla aware who hasn't invested that much of time in acting who hasn't invested something of 15 years of their starting life

[00:56:34] in acting but they are just starting out or someone who is looking to be someone like you you know be in just getting performance thing you know just want to be on stage just want to be a part of drama club

[00:56:48] there are people who are at your stage at your age who are looking to just be a part of drama or just be a part of film set and someone who's looking to be where you are now okay someone like you who started really young is continuously

[00:57:06] developing is working on is taking care of kids and taking care of that biggest risk of their parents trusting you at the same time managing everything and then being here and talking to me very freely and hey everything is good and fine and I'm enjoying and you are

[00:57:22] really enjoying what advice you'd be offering to the people who are the artists or the young artists actor actresses who are lost and have no faith their thing is going to work out but they are still showing up you know maybe

[00:57:38] they are in the phase where things are not working out for them but they are still showing up what advice would like to give to someone who's just starting out what advice would like to give to the people who are your fellow mates looking up to you

[00:57:50] what would say if you weren't supposed to do this you wouldn't have been called to do it you wouldn't love it you wouldn't want to do it it wouldn't be the only thing you can really think of loving and doing in your life

[00:58:04] and it's a blessing that you have that and don't let anyone you know extinguish that fire because it's yours and that's what counts at the end of the day if you believe then people will start following you it's just a matter of time great

[00:58:22] and if you want to be someone who is at very young age giving this advice is really cool what would you say to someone who's just starting out who had no idea of what acting is what you'd like to say to those guys watch and read and listen

[00:58:42] be a sponge absorb as much as you can figure out what you love figure out what you don't like as well which is so important if you stay present in the moment and just follow the things that intrigue and interest you and try lots of different

[00:58:56] things out just explore suddenly you'll look up and actually you know a lot more than you did when you just started and things will start to fall into place it's about building an opinion and building yourself an understanding of yourself

[00:59:12] and then eventually what do you want to do with that great thank you thank you so much Ayla for being here thank you first of all to God that we did work out this on 10th of June it was about to schedule like 15 days back and then

[00:59:30] once we met I hope your grandma is okay she great great and I hope that she have good health throughout the time it was a time where I thought this is not going to work out I guess because that was the first time that we met

[00:59:46] and it was like on the day half an hour or one hour before she says hey this is not going to work out and she's saying like hey I haven't done this kind of thing before I'm really sorry but we can't do this

[01:00:00] now and I was like okay no problem let me know when we can and then she said okay we can do on this date and then I got sick and then it extended more so I am really happy it worked out well I really enjoyed talking to you

[01:00:16] knowing about you thank you for showing up today and thank you for telling everything about everything thanks for having me even the smallest thing even the thing that you know was inside you running and then you told me everything where you could get into details and telling

[01:00:36] everything is going to help lot of young artists people are going to listen to this every single artist if he or she is a musician or a painter or a writer or a director or just starting out this thing that you told your journey

[01:00:50] is going to help lot of people thank you so much Alah thank you for having me, thank you for giving me the opportunity and I really hope whoever listens finds a piece of them within it thank you so much hey everyone I am Ajay Tambay the host

[01:01:04] temperature of this show and this is the first time I haven't realised that we actually passed the whole session so it is time to sign off thank you