Giovannie Espiritu , lead in the Amazon series, “Dyke Central” and known for her online acting workshop, Hollywood Actors Workshop, where she coaches kids and teens is a true entrepreneur at heart.
Her students include series regulars, an Emmy Nominee, and are signed with the top agencies in Los Angeles. She was also named one of the Top 40 Audition Coaches in LA.
Earlier, she was nominated alongside Academy Award Nominees Alfre Woodard and Amy Irving for Best Supporting Actress at MethodFest for the Mynah Films feature film Fiona’s Script. She also has several primetime credits to her name including a recurring role on ER (NBC), Bones (FOX), Gilmore Girls (ABC), and Trauma (NBC). We recently Interviewed Giovannie to know more about her workshop and her tryst with entrepreneurship.
Giovannie, Thank you for talking with us. Teaching others how to act is a different ball game altogether. Given your vast experience as an actor, how and when did you start teaching acting, and how has been your experience so far?
Thank you for having me. I started teaching acting for various schools in the Bay Area in 2003, so I learned and taught quite a few different acting techniques and finally branched out on my own in 2008. From the beginning, my students began booking major gigs. One of my first students, Rayna (last name withheld for privacy) was flown to Los Angeles to test for an upcoming Ben Stiller movie through a self-tape that we worked on and sent in. Since then, my students have booked major campaigns and signed with the top agents in local markets and in greater markets like Los Angeles and New York.
I have a few alumni students who have gone on to book series regular roles for Dreamworks (the Espina sisters who hosted, “Life Hacks for Kids”) and an Emmy nominee (William Lipton, who plays Cameron on General Hospital).
Your students have worked with some of the big names in the industry including Disney, Universal Studios, Cartoon Network, and Pixar among others. What does it feel like when one of your students make it big and have a taste of success?
I am extremely proud of my students. Not only the ones who have booked major gigs but also the ones who have made strides in their schoolwork or overcome their fear of public speaking. Although, booking gigs and signing with agents is a great goal that a lot of my students have been able to attain, there are also goals like better reading comprehension and emotional empathy/EQ that I think are just as valid.
Tell us more about your teaching methodology. How have things been during the ongoing pandemic?
I try to teach my student to the standards of the Los Angeles Market. Even before I moved down to Los Angeles, and taught locally in the Bay Area, I still taught to LA standards just because I wanted my students to be prepared for the professional world (if that was their goal). To quote Natalie Portman, acting is empathy in action, and I always try to teach from that perspective. What would it be to approach the world from someone else’s shoes and really take on their experience of the world? As far as the pandemic goes, I was already teaching my students online before it became commonplace to do so. The pandemic has changed the industry drastically though. Most auditions will probably now be self-taped without in-person auditions.
With the advent of Netflix and Amazon Prime, many actors have shot to fame thereby breaking the monopoly Hollywood had all this long. What are your views on platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime? Do young actors prefer these platforms over making it mainstream?
I actually think that Netflix and Amazon are considered mainstream entertainment these days… especially now since the Academy has broadened its requirements on what qualifies for an Oscar to streaming platforms. I do think that platforms like TikTok have changed the game in terms of connecting with an audience and building a fan base which has changed the game for young actors. I know that a lot of agents have been asking about social media following numbers. It does help independent filmmakers to attach talent with a built-in fan base especially if their marketing budget is small.
To our readers, who are interested in the field of acting, what tips you would share with them? What should be their approach when they enter this field?
I have so many free acting tips and resources (including a 10 part podcast) on my website that your readers can access, but the number one tip I would give is to only get into the industry if you love the art of acting. The actual day to day business of the entertainment industry and movie making is tough, and if you do not start out with a foundation of loving the craft, the lifestyle is not worth it. I even tell parents that if the kid is not having fun, then it might be time to take a break. The mental health and well-being of my students is of the most importance to me.
For all those women entrepreneurs out there, please share your experience as an entrepreneur and how women can handle work-related challenges?
I have been extremely lucky in this business to have women mentors that I have looked up to and followed their footsteps. My current mentor is an amazing producer named Suzanne DeLaurentiis who is a veteran movie producer who has been working in the film industry for over 35 years and shepherded over 100+ feature films. She still had the tenacity and strength to make her films even when it was a boys club and there weren’t resources like Women in Film and the Alliance of Women Directors (which I am a member of). I also encourage other women to collaborate with other women – it is only by supporting one another and amplifying each other that we can create tangible change.
