Acclaimed acting coach Faith Hibbs-Clark spoke about teaching the art of deception for screen actors. She is the former acting coach of Oscar winner Emma Stone.
Are great actors born… or created with the right training? Even if someone arrives in the world with great acting potential, the talent still has to be cultivated.
So, a goal with the right guidance for any actor would be to deliver a performance without looking like one is trying. After all, great performances mean you forget there’s acting involved. Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, and Leonardo DiCaprio might come to mind when you think of actors who get lost in their roles.
There is also Academy Award Winner Emma Stone, who’s delivered stellar on-screen performances. She just so happens to have been coached by Faith Hibbs-Clark, the founder of Communication Method for Actors, which offers a scientific-based approach to acting “When a former student like Emma goes on to great success, of course, that’s inspiring,” says Hibbs-Clark.
“Our goal is to make a contribution in each client’s journey, whether they win a big award… or star in a local indie film. It’s all about the craft and changing one’s approach so the delivery is more effortless.”
The busy instructor helps actors make a profound change in their mental programming, which greatly improves their performance skill levels. It’s a proven, scientific-based method that she’s developed, and has the track record to prove it’s working. “The proof is in the results, and the consistent feedback we’re getting,” she says.
Born in an English countryside, the self-described digital nomad now divides her time between France, and the US with visits anywhere in between and around the world. She’s traveled enough to know that people aren’t that difficult to figure out, regardless of where they’re from.
Hibbs-Clark realized early on in life that she had a gift for reading people. Even as a child, she would know intuitively when people were lying. That ability became a much-needed skill as an adult when she entered the job market. Eventually, this evolved into a career: “I’ve been at this for a long time in one form or another. Now I can teach what I know and that’s very rewarding.
We talked with the world traveler to gain some understanding into what she understands about communications and how this scientific approach might apply to others.
What sets your training apart from other instructors in the same field?
My training is not based on personal opinion; it is based on scientific principles that actors can rely on. While other methods require actors to re-live painful memories in order to create the emotions for a scene or immerse themselves in real life experience to achieve the emotion, my method allows actors to use the power of their brains to reverse engineer the emotions in a highly effective manner that does not traumatize the actor.
How long have you been working on your unique style of training?
I began the framework for this training over 30 years ago when I first started working in the field of “deception detection” but customized the Communication Method for Actors in 1999. The program was taught as live in-person workshops until 2020 when it was also made available online.
Is the training still evolving?
Yes, I continue to do research, stay current with the most current neuroscience evidence, and find new ways to apply this science to the communication work of actors.
Besides Emma Stone, can you mention some more well-known acting clients?
Some of the others I can mention are former Glee star and world-renowned Irish tenor Damian McGinty and Quinton Aaron.
What is the most satisfying part of the work you’re doing?
I love taking the mystery of acting and making it more attainable for actors. I believe this method can shave years off of the training process if it is used consistently.
How soon, with your training technique, can students notice a difference?
Although the real power of this method comes from making the techniques muscle memory and using the skills consistently over time, improved results can be seen immediately.
Do you train actors only?
No, I also provide private consultations and keynote speeches on other related communication and body-language topics.
What’s the most important takeaway you want each client to have from your work together?
Acting is just like anything else. It can be perfected. Following scientific principles will put the actor on the road to perfection and give them a sustainable skill to help the actor book more film and television roles.
To learn more about Faith Hibbs-Clark, visit her official website.
