Meet Lilach Mendelovich | Acting & Audition Coach

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

Hi Lilach, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I’ve always loved the performing arts. I feel like most actors have that story of them as a little kid putting on plays in the living room… that was definitely me. I also got bored very easily. No other hobby was able to hold my interest, except acting and directing. I loved that each role was so different, each story something new to explore. And once I got a taste of it I couldn’t imagine spending my life doing a job that was the same every single day.

That led me to majoring in Theater at UCLA (go bruins!) with a focus on acting and directing.
That restless curiosity also turned me towards writing, and interning at a few casting offices… I loved all of it and constantly felt torn about which one I should focus on. This was before the multi hyphenate glory days, when industry pros and coaches all told me I had to pick one if I wanted to succeed.

So I pursued acting for a while after college, but it never felt exactly right until I started teaching and coaching.
Suddenly I was able to bring all of my different passions and experience to my work every day. It all clicked and I’ve been doing it professionally since 2016.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
As an audition coach and teacher I work with actors of all levels of experience. Some who are just getting started, and some that have multiple series regular roles under their belts.

While I have a lot of experience with all types of Film and TV auditions, my specialties are definitely script analysis, comedy, and those super tricky physical auditions that trip actors up.

I have 3 classes on each of those topics: Script Detective, Find The Funny, and Audition Master (respectively) and I teach them all online. I’m a big believer in practicing how you’re gonna play – and 90% of auditions are still being seen virtually these days! Whether it’s self taping or a live online audition. So it makes sense to teach my classes in the same medium.

In my experience an actor needs 3 big things to thrive: technique that sets you free, practice that builds trust in yourself, and a compassionate mindset that helps you stay positive and hopeful.

I had to take a huge leap of faith when I started my business. I was at a crossroads and I could either keep my side gig and do coaching part time, or I could dive in fully. My mentor, Wendy Davis, said “sometimes you’ve gotta burn the ships, you have to let go of that safety net so that you have no choice but to soar”. So I dove in head first!
It was scary, but I am so glad I gave it my all right from the beginning. It’s what I truly wanted to do.

Once things started rolling success came easy. Students were loving my classes, clients were booking jobs left and right… at some point I was teaching 70 people a week at Wendy’s studio Acting Pros and had to train additional instructors. I was also a guest instructor at the SAG-AFTRA conservatory summer intensive, AMAW, and other studios around LA.

Then Covid hit and changed everything!
I had always worked on referrals and word of mouth, but that all changed when there was no work for so long and people weren’t connecting the way they used to. It took a long time for me to restructure my entire business and how actors can find me… especially because there are so many great classes and so many scammers out there. It’s been an adjustment trying to break through the noise.

It really helped me to focus back on what I loved about my work the most. I think for me, it’s that moment where something clicks for an actor and they have a breakthrough. The whole scene comes to life… there’s real magic in it. And I love being the person that can guide them to that breakthrough. So I’ve been putting a lot of my tips on IG for free to help actors who might not have access to the best most expensive in person schools.

The biggest lesson I’ve learned: the beauty of being a storyteller is that every experience, good or bad, teaches you something about life and what it means to be human… and then you get to take all that richness and put it into your work. Even if you just sit around bored, you have an opportunity to glean some truth about yourself and the human condition. For an actor no day is wasted.

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.
I love that being in LA means you’ve got the beach on one side, the mountains on the other, and a lot of great food and drinks in between! Griffith observatory is always a favorite to take visitors, as well as the Getty Museum. We’d do the West side for a day and hit up 3rd Street in Santa Monica, or a day at the beach in Malibu.
Hiking is a great way to see the city as well. And I usually try to work in some special LA only type activity like a movie night at the Forever Cemetery, or a wine night at Barnsdall Art Part overlooking the Hollywood sign.
My new favorite thing to do is a silent disco! There’s a company called What The Float and they do a silent disco in a different LA neighborhood every month. I’ve discovered so many new areas of the city and great bars and restaurants while dancing the night away.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’d like to shoutout Emily Grace from Pickford West Society. She is a fantastic writing and career coach who helps actors write their own material so they don’t have to wait to get picked by the industry. It’s so important to have a sense of autonomy in this business and she does such a great job helping people with that. She was one of my mentors when I started out and I wouldn’t be where I am without her support. 

Website: lilachcoaching.com

Instagram: @auditioncoachlilach

Image Credits
Myron McClure