Meet Robert McCaskill | Acting Coach

We had the good fortune of connecting with Robert McCaskill and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Robert, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
When a person is cursed with a portion of talent, it bugs him, or her. It wants to be used. It’s like a fetus inside that kicks. Like many people cursed with talent, I neglected everything else, including my teeth and bank account. But given enough time, artists will find a niche, a way to take care of themselves. We see a way to monetize while being who we really are. For me, that meant teaching and coaching, while making films and theater pieces. I had solutions to acting problems that weren’t being taught by other teachers. Solutions to problems are businesses waiting to form. As a teacher and coaching I found myself steeped in the process, encountering further problems and slowly finding the answers. Becoming an acting coach opened the door to directing. Both on stage and on set. Writing, directing, acting, teaching and coaching are all different skills, acquired over decades. Eventually, each one becomes an income source. This wide approach to work is not a path in which a college-age person could major. It’s a life time of risk-taking, curiosity, and long hours. The rewards, though, are deep. And eventually you get to your teeth fixed.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My work as a storyteller, whether on stage or on screen, is about capturing special moments. The story itself gives the viewer something to follow, but the work is to find the Moment. Something fresh and important. It might be a look between people. It might be a sudden aggression. But it’s only important if it reveals something deep: the naked human soul.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
There’s a sound, in a Broadway house, before the curtain rises. An excitement. An audience for a movie is talkative too, but it doesn’t have the thrill. So I’d definitely take an out-of-town friend to see a Broadway show. Afterward, I head downtown, to the famous Comedy Cellar. This is a shabby room, on a shabby block, but the funniest place in town. If you see a limo parked in front it’s probably because someone great is inside, working out new material. Someone like Seinfeld, or Chris Rock, or Dave Chapelle. And when you’re there for a routine’s inception, it’s not only funny, it’s very raw and exciting. You want a nightcap? Let’s to back uptown, to the Carlyle, and the famous Bemelmans Bar, the gorgeous murals, and classy piano, and large martinis. Perfection!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My friends have been so kind, so supportive, and so much fun. Especially in the early days of living in New York City. Without the joy of togetherness, I wouldn’t have hung in there. My first home, as an actor, in New York, was HB Studio. It was warm, instructive, supportive, and inexpensive. When I walk by that building, in the Village, I feel gratitude. Also, when I think of my therapists, and how painstakingly they helped me untangle myself, I bow my head in thanks.

Website: mccaskillstudio.com