# 12 Shakyra Dowling: Staying Open to Life’s Opportunities

Nancy Bishop CSA, is an award -winning casting director, who works internationally from offices in London and Prague. She is a founding member and former President of the Casting Society of America’s (CSA)  European branch. With over 100major feature film and television projects among her credits, Nancy has cast hundreds of actors throughout Europe, the United Kingdom and the U.S. Nancy has been retained as casting director by dozens of major screen producers and directors, including Sacha Baron Cohen on’ Borat: Subsequent Moviefilm’, for which she won a CSA Artios Award for best casting of a comedy. Other credits include working with Brad Bird, (Mission Impossible IV), Bong Joon Ho(Snowpiercer), and Matthew Weiner (The Romanoffs). She was also nominated for an Emmy Award for her casting work on Anne Frank: The Whole Story, ABC/Disney Studios. Nancy’s newest book ‘Auditioning for Film and Television: A Post #MeToo Guide’ is now available.We talk about the significance of finding your place within the industry, how to get rid of the ‘need to impress’ and so much more.***If you find this podcast valuable, it would be amazing if you could leave a one-off donation which helps us with the maintenance costs of the podcast and also helps us continue making it better. https://www.buymeacoffee.com/michaelgolab***If you cannot donate you can leave us a short 5-second review on ‘Apple Podcasts’ and share the episode on social media; it really helps other listeners find the show..and make sure to subscribe to get the next episode.Thanks so much for your support!Instagram: instagram.com/michaeldgolabIMDB: imdb.me/michaelgolabTwitter: twitter.com/michaeldgolabFacebook: facebook.com/michaelgolabactorLinkedIn: uk.linkedin.com/in/michael-golabSupport the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/michaelgolab)

Gianna Kiehl (Twitter: @GiannaKiehl/ IG: @giannak401) is an American actor. She plays assassin Jules in Amazon’s ‘Hanna’. She directed and produced her first play ‘Persephone’ in 2021. We talk about how crucial it is to define what exactly ‘success’ means to you, the importance of finding balance without succumbing to the ‘average’, the significance of playfulness and so much more.***Content warning: this episode contains references to self-harm and drinking.***If you find this podcast valuable, it would be amazing if you could leave a one-off donation which helps us with the maintenance costs of the podcast and also helps us continue making it better. https://www.buymeacoffee.com/michaelgolab***If you cannot donate you can leave us a short 5-second review on ‘Apple Podcasts’ and share the episode on social media; it really helps other listeners find the show..and make sure to subscribe to get the next episode.Thanks so much for your support!Instagram: instagram.com/michaeldgolabIMDB: imdb.me/michaelgolabTwitter: twitter.com/michaeldgolabFacebook: facebook.com/michaelgolabactorLinkedIn: uk.linkedin.com/in/michael-golabSupport the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/michaelgolab)

Ali Cook is an actor, comedian and magician. He has written and starred in the television series 'Now You See It' (BBC1), 'Penn And Teller: Fool Us' (ITV1), 'Dirty Tricks' (Channel 4) and 'Monkey Magic '(Five), both nominated for the British Comedy Awards & the Golden Rose of Montreux.We talk about the immense power of practise, how if you want to become better at something you have to become worse first, the significance of making the unconscious conscious and living an examined life, how understanding the non-linear nature of improvement can help you, the importance of cultivating hope and so much more.***If you find this podcast valuable, it would be amazing if you could leave a one-off donation which helps us with the maintenance costs of the podcast and also helps us continue making it better. https://www.buymeacoffee.com/michaelgolab***If you cannot donate you can leave us a short 5-second review on ‘Apple Podcasts’ and share the episode on social media; it really helps other listeners find the show..and make sure to subscribe to get the next episode.Thanks so much for your support!Instagram: instagram.com/michaeldgolabIMDB: imdb.me/michaelgolabTwitter: twitter.com/michaeldgolabFacebook: facebook.com/michaelgolabactorLinkedIn: uk.linkedin.com/in/michael-golabSupport the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/michaelgolab)

Jonathan Harden (jonathanharden.com) is an actor, director and host of the immensely popular ‘The Honest Actor’s Podcast’.We talk about the importance of ‘creating’ as much as you can, how to make the fear of ‘public humiliation’ work in your favour, the significance of always doing the ‘work’ and being prepared, the crucial skill of creating your own opportunities, the joy of competing with yourself and so much more.***If you find this podcast valuable, it would be amazing if you could leave a one-off donation which helps us with the maintenance costs of the podcast and also helps us continue making it better. https://www.buymeacoffee.com/michaelgolab***If you cannot donate you can leave us a short 5-second review on ‘Apple Podcasts’ and share the episode on social media; it really helps other listeners find the show..and make sure to subscribe to get the next episode.Thanks so much for your support!Instagram: instagram.com/michaeldgolabIMDB: imdb.me/michaelgolabTwitter: twitter.com/michaeldgolabFacebook: facebook.com/michaelgolabactorLinkedIn: uk.linkedin.com/in/michael-golabSupport the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/michaelgolab)

Shakyra Dowling (@shakyradowlingcasting) is a casting director specialising in independent British feature films and European coproductions alongside television and commercials- many of which have been internationally recognised and gone to be nominated for multiple awards including BAFTAs and BIFAs, and at festivals from Sundance to TIFF.We talk about the importance of completely immersing yourself in your chosen subject, the crucial skill of not being afraid of bringing yourself to the table, the significance of knowing the genre you’re auditioning for, tips on how to email a casting director, the importance of not limiting yourself and so much more.***If you find this podcast valuable, it would be amazing if you could leave a one-off donation which helps us with the maintenance costs of the podcast and also helps us continue making it better. https://www.buymeacoffee.com/michaelgolab***If you cannot donate you can leave us a short 5-second review on ‘Apple Podcasts’ and share the episode on social media; it really helps other listeners find the show..and make sure to subscribe to get the next episode.Thanks so much for your support!Instagram: instagram.com/michaeldgolabIMDB: imdb.me/michaelgolabTwitter: twitter.com/michaeldgolabFacebook: facebook.com/michaelgolabactorLinkedIn: uk.linkedin.com/in/michael-golabSupport the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/michaelgolab)

Molly Wansell is a talent agent and manager at ‘42’ representing some of the industry’s leading actors and casting directors. ‘42’ is a fully integrated management and production company, producing film, television and content, representing actors, writers, directors, comedians, presenters, producers, casting directors and media book rights; with offices in London and Los Angeles. Molly also runs the very successful true crime podcast ‘Blood Ties’ with her father Geoffrey Wansell.We talk about the importance of emotional sensitivity, how hard work and perseverance are crucial to any success story, advice on how to approach an agent, the significance of a really good headshot, the importance of self-respect and confidence, the crucial skill of lateral thinking and so much more.***If you find this podcast valuable, it would be amazing if you could leave a one-off donation which helps us with the maintenance costs of the podcast and also helps us continue making it better. https://www.buymeacoffee.com/michaelgolab***If you cannot donate you can leave us a short 5-second review on ‘Apple Podcasts’ and share the episode on social media; it really helps other listeners find the show..and make sure to subscribe to get the next episode.Thanks so much for your support!Instagram: instagram.com/michaeldgolabIMDB: imdb.me/michaelgolabTwitter: twitter.com/michaeldgolabFacebook: facebook.com/michaelgolabactorLinkedIn: uk.linkedin.com/in/michael-golabSupport the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/michaelgolab)

Gordon Cowell is currently Casting Associate for TV Casting Director Kate Rhodes James, where he has worked since 2016. For nearly five years prior to this, he was Casting Associate for Theatre Casting Director Jill Green. Casting credits include ‘A Discovery of Witches’, ‘Bodyguard’, ‘Soulmates’ and ‘Sherlock' to name but a few. We talk about the importance of playing to your strengths, the danger of playing it safe, the value of ‘self-love’, the significance of authenticity, the importance of leaving your ego at the door, how learning to see a situation from different perspectives can make you far more effective, tips on self-taping and so much more.***If you find this podcast valuable, it would be amazing if you could leave a one-off donation which helps us with the maintenance costs of the podcast and also helps us continue making it better. https://www.buymeacoffee.com/michaelgolab***If you cannot donate you can leave us a short 5-second review on ‘Apple Podcasts’ and share the episode on social media; it really helps other listeners find the show..and make sure to subscribe to get the next episode.Thanks so much for your support!Instagram: instagram.com/michaeldgolabIMDB: imdb.me/michaelgolabTwitter: twitter.com/michaeldgolabFacebook: facebook.com/michaelgolabactorLinkedIn: uk.linkedin.com/in/michael-golabSupport the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/michaelgolab)

Luci Lenox (@luci_lenox) is an international casting director with casting offices in Madrid and Barcelona, Spain. Her list of clients includes Netflix, Paramount, ABC, NBC, Disney and several independent producers in Spain. She has served on the board of CSA (Casting Society of America) Europe and also as head of the Diversity and Inclusion Committee in Europe. We talk about common misconceptions of what casting directors do, the significance of ‘resetting your brain’, how your career is more defined by what you say ‘no’ to than what you say ‘yes’ to, the essential skill of treating yourself like your own best friend, the connection between good storytelling and resilience, the danger when stories aim for the lowest common denominator, the power of ‘not knowing’ and so much more.***If you find this podcast valuable, it would be amazing if you could leave a one-off donation which helps us with the maintenance costs of the podcast and also helps us continue making it better. https://www.buymeacoffee.com/michaelgolab***If you cannot donate you can leave us a short 5-second review on ‘Apple Podcasts’ and share the episode on social media; it really helps other listeners find the show..and make sure to subscribe to get the next episode.Thanks so much for your support!Instagram: instagram.com/michaeldgolabIMDB: imdb.me/michaelgolabTwitter: twitter.com/michaeldgolabFacebook: facebook.com/michaelgolabactorLinkedIn: uk.linkedin.com/in/michael-golabSupport the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/michaelgolab)

Joe Hall is the founder of  Ghetto Film School – the award-winning nonprofit organisation works to foster talent within communities of colour, aiming to bring diversity to the notoriously white movie industry. We talk about the importance of community building, the significance of knowing ‘who you are’ and clarifying your motivation, the important skill of ‘learning how to learn’, the dangers of not having a clear mission/ vision statement, how you can’t help anyone as long as you’re judging them, the immense power of creative thinking/ storytelling, the difference between people who are good at their job and people who are just good at interviews, the significance of owning your mistakes, the crucial skill of listening, the power of solitude and so much more.With locations in New York City, Los Angeles and London, GFS is the most elite and inclusive film academy in the world, equipping students for top universities and careers in the creative industries through two tracks: an introductory education program for high school students and early-career support for alumni and young professionals. Guest instructors include J.J. Abrams, Wes Anderson, Jim Jarmusch, Anette Bening, Baz Luhrmann, Halle Berry, Lucas Hedges, Spike Lee, Steve McQueen, Freida Pinto, Chris Tucker and Matthew Vaughn to name but a few.***If you find this podcast valuable, it would be amazing if you could leave a one-off donation which helps us with the maintenance costs of the podcast and also helps us continue making it better. https://www.buymeacoffee.com/michaelgolab***If you cannot donate you can leave us a short 5-second review on ‘Apple Podcasts’ and share the episode on social media; it really helps other listeners find the show..and make sure to subscribe to get the next episode.Thanks so much for your support!Instagram: instagram.com/michaeldgolabIMDB: imdb.me/michaelgolabTwitter: twitter.com/michaeldgolabFacebook: facebook.com/michaelgolabactorLinkedIn: uk.linkedin.com/in/michael-golabSupport the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/michaelgolab)

Patsy Rodenburg OBE is recognised as one of the world’s leading voice teachers and coaches and also as a renowned authority on Shakespeare. We talk about  how storytelling has made us human, the immense power of saying ‘I don't know’, the importance of generosity, the significance of realising that you are more powerful than you think you are, the importance of working on yourself, how creating a ‘safe space’ boosts everyone’s creativity, the crucial moment of defining what ‘success’ means for you specifically, the important skill of absolutely loving the ‘journey’ and so much more.Patsy has worked regularly with the best-known actors of British theatre, including Dame Judi Dench, Sir Ian McKellen and Daniel Day-Lewis, as well as many of the biggest stars of film and television including Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig, Orlando Bloom, Hugh Jackman and Natalie Portman.She has worked with theatre companies all around the world; some of these include the National Theatre, the RSC, the Moscow Art Theatre, Complicite, Cheek by Jowl, and Comedie-Francaise. Patsy has authored several books on the subject of voice coaching, including ‘Speaking Shakespeare’, ‘The Right to Speak’, ‘The Need For Words’, ‘The Actor Speaks’, ‘The Second Circle’, ‘Power Presentation’ and ‘Presence’.***If you find this podcast valuable, it would be amazing if you could leave a one-off donation which helps us with the maintenance costs of the podcast and also helps us continue making it better. https://www.buymeacoffee.com/michaelgolab***If you cannot donate you can leave us a short 5-second review on ‘Apple Podcasts’ and share the episode on social media; it really helps other listeners find the show...and make sure to subscribe to get the next episode.Thanks so much for your support!Instagram: instagram.com/michaeldgolabIMDB: imdb.me/michaelgolabTwitter: twitter.com/michaeldgolabFacebook: facebook.com/michaelgolabactorLinkedIn: uk.linkedin.com/in/michael-golabSupport the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/michaelgolab)