The Actor's Instrument: Tools for the Long Game with Hassiem Muhammad

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Power Book II, ten episodes of Power Book III, Mr. and Mrs. Smith starring Donald Glover, Luke Cage, The Godfather or Harlem...these are just some of Wadi Jones’s stunt performer and coordinator credits. When you Google him, stunts are the first thing that pop up, and when I met Wadi, he was introduced to me as a stunt performer and coordinator. But when you talk to...

Today, October 30th, is our host, Hassiem Muhammad's birthday! As a new year begins, and the previous one comes to an end, Hassiem takes a look back on his career to share some very important lessons that he's learned along the way. From regional theater, to television premieres, tap in to hear five lessons from five gigs, and soak up the many tips for actors that Hassiem shares in this week's epi...

In October's Monthly Motivation segment, host, Hassiem Muhammad, goes solo to share tips for actors on how to set SMART Goals. Only 3% of people have goals, and only 1% write them down. Tap in to this week's episode to hear how you can set yourself apart from over 90% of the competition in the acting industry. As Denzel Washington said, "dreams without goals are just dreams...and ultimately fuel d...

For actors, there is only but so much in our control. Nepotism, Hollywood beauty standards, and luck all play a part in one's acting career, and at the same time, none of it is up to us as individuals. BUT there is a host of other things that are within our control, and it is our job to make sure that we capitalize on all of them; and to help us better understand what those things are that can hel...

Sometimes, the Broadway audition process can take months, and you have to go through five to six rounds of callbacks before you finally book your dream job. This week, I'm joined by actor, Samaria Nixon-Fleming, who shares an inside look into her very unique Broadway audition process, what it's like to be a swing at Harry Potter and the Cursed Child on Broadway, and how important it is in the acti...

There is a real mental health crisis in the acting industry. "Actors experience significantly higher levels of depression, anxiety and stress than the general population," according to the University of Sydney. A study that they conducted showed that out 782 actors,  25% reported having experienced "debilitating performance anxiety" at some point in their career and many relied on alcohol and drug...

In September's Monthly Motivation segment, host, Hassiem Muhammad, goes solo to share a story about one of the greatest lessons he learned as an actor, and how he blieves that this lesson is the key to having a successful acting career-or not. In this episode, Hassiem details the moment when, as a young man, he felt like he'd failed as an actor--not getting into The Juilliard School.  It wasn't un...

This week's guest booked his first pilot before he even graduated from college–but it didn’t get picked up to series. Then shortly after graduation, he booked another, which went to series-but got canceled before the end of its first season. Always defying the odds, Brandon Micheal Hall didn't let a couple of cancellations stop him. TV creators kept bringing him back over and over, and before the...

“Theater is in free fall, and the pandemic isn’t the only thing to blame” was a headline in the Washington Post 2 months ago, and to discuss the state of American Theatre, I’m joined today by Rylan Rilette, the Artistic Director at Round House Theatre in Bethesda, Maryland. Ryan is in his twelfth season as AD at Round House, and during his tenure, he has produced five of the best-selling and highe...

Writer and Director, Andy Wolk, shares loads of tips for actors in this week's episode! Andy’s career started in the New York City theater scene, where he has had plays produced as a writer and director at theaters such as Lincoln Center, LaMaMa, Ensemble Studio Theater and the Manhattan Theater Club. After making a transition to LA, Andy wrote and directed the acclaimed HBO drama CRIMINAL JUSTICE...

In this week's episode of The Actor's Instrument, host, Hassiem Muhammad, goes solo to share his thoughts about the damaging trope that actors are told they must accept: that you must be poor to be an artist. There is no doubt that making it in the acting industry is a tall order, but that pathway to success must include confidence, the fortitude to reject negative self talk, and the ability to ad...

Black White and the Greys is a film that I saw at the perfect time in my life, and I am so excited because one of the co-creators of this film, Marchelle Thurman,  will be joining me on the show this week. Marchelle can be seen on The Last Days of Ptolymey Gray,  Law and Order, and The Endgame; and she’s here  to chat with us about her experience as a multi-hyphenate, how the strike has impacted h...

Rick Sordelet, is a New York City based fight director, whose credits cover the various worlds of stage, TV and film, stage combat training, stunt coordination, play direction and more. If you’re a frequenter of broadway or off broadway shows, you’ve likely seen his work, because he has racked up collaborations with over 70 Broadway directors! His company, Sordelet Inc has a long list of credits t...

It goes without saying how unpredictable and unstable having a career in the acting industry can be. So how do we find stability? How do we find consistency and longevity? On this week's episode, I’m joined by actor, Michael Boatman, who has been in the entertainment industry, working consistently for 36 years! Michael’s career has spanned regional theater, Broadway, Film, and Television, and IMDB...

In this week's episode of The Actor's Instrument, host, Hassiem Muhammad goes solo to impart a bit of motivation for everyone in the acting industry who is staring down the double-barrel of the WGA and Actor's strike. Hassiem shares how actors can adopt an athlete's mindset to stay focused, and hone their craft during this moment of uncertainty. This episode is rich with tips for actors who may be...

NAACP and AUDELCO  award-winning director, Carl Cofield, is a bit of a quadruple threat. Actor, director, associate artistic director, and grad acting chair at NYU; Carl comes to us with a wealth of knowledge and many many tips for actors. In today's episode, Carl shares the three tools he believes every actor needs in order to have a successful collaboration with directors in the entertainmnet in...

Today’s episode is all about the role of intimacy coordinators in the acting industry, and tips for actors who might have the opportunity to work with these unsung heroes. Now what makes Alica Rodis such a special guest? Well, when it comes to intimacy direction, her insight is pretty great to have, because, well, she invented it.  In 2015 Alicia co-founded the not-for-profit Intimacy Directors In...

Today’s guest, Casting Director, Erica Hart, has been taking the acting industry by storm. Just a few of her casting credits include MAX’s That Damn Michael Che, Girls on the Bus, and A Black Lady Sketch Show.  She has also cast Broadway's Chicken and Biscuits, Pass Over, and the revival of Death of a Salesman. On today’s episode, Erica candidly lays out what Casting Directors are really looking f...

Hassiem Muhammad gets a look into how Wu-Tang: An American Saga's Siddiq Saunderson managed to book a series regular role as his THIRD job out of school.  Siddiq shares his tips for actors and how ultimately betting on yourself, and trusting what you have within, will lead to a successful acting career. 

Award-winning actor, Hassiem Muhammad, kicks off a brand new podcast for actors in this solo-conversation on what audience members can expect when tuning into The Actor's Instrument.