Meet Adam Leeuwenhart | Actor and Film Editor

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

Hi Adam, what do you attribute your success to?
I have been extremely fortunate to have had exceptional mentorship in my life. From a young age, I found role models who emphasised the importance of integrity and vulnerability.

That being said, one thing I severely lacked was a work ethic. When I entered acting training after high school, I admittedly had a pretty huge ego, believing myself to be ‘the real deal’ without having put any real work into the skill of acting.

As a result, I wasted a lot of time in the first half of my training, failing to appreciate the importance of honing the craft.

My coach and mentor, Amanda, who I still work with today, had a pivotal conversation with me midway through my training. She said:

“You’ve told me the kind of actor that you want to be, and I understand how important that is to you. I can see you’ve got some talent, but I also see that you’re squandering it. You’re always late, usually underprepared, and pretty rude to people. You don’t take this seriously enough to achieve your goals. I’m telling you this because I think you deserve the chance to hear what might be getting in your way. If you don’t start working hard, you won’t reach your potential and won’t experience the true joy of a prepared performance, which is what it seems to me that you ultimately want. So, if you truly want it, you gotta work for it.”

Along with introducing me to great teachers nationally and internationally, and sharing her own knowledge, she instilled in me the values of hard work, introspection, and self-honesty. I am grateful to have had a coach who believed in my potential, who was willing to address the blind spots in my approach, and who I have a really fun time working with to this day.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
What I’m most proud of in my work is the way I really give it my all when I work on a part. I feel really fortunate to do what I do, and I never want to half-arse a project.

You don’t need to convince me that something’s going to take work. I love the moments when a role suddenly clicks into place. These moments of inspiration come from the foundations built by hard work. I think that writers and directors rely on actors being in that space, and I understand how hard they work to create at that level. I want them to feel like they’re in safe hands, so I emphasise a “do whatever it takes” attitude when creating a character.

I absolutely love good writers; for me, it’s all about the writing. I value how they pour so much of themselves onto the page. Matching that vulnerability in performance and deeply analysing the text is a fair trade for great writing.

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is encapsulated by Chekhov’s quote: “If you want to work on your art, work on your life.” This idea is twofold. Firstly, a ‘tortured artist’ cannot work at their peak, so it’s necessary to manage your life to keep it as calm as possible. Secondly, the most effective and compelling work comes from a deep understanding of yourself. To resonate emotionally with an audience on a personal level, it has to come from what is deeply personal to you. Just as an athlete maintains fitness, my day-to-day job as an actor is to maintain a certain level of sensitivity, emotional awareness, and honest self-reflection. This can be difficult, but it opens me up to more fulfilling work and a more integrated life.

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’ve been back and forth across the East Coast of Australia at the moment. Obviously, if someone were coming to Sydney, I’d recommend seeing the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the Opera House, and the Botanical Gardens. Not only do you have a 3-for-1 experience in the same area, but it’s also one of the most beautiful areas of the city – all for free!

I’d also recommend seeing some theatre, either at the Sydney Theatre Company, Belvoir, or Griffin. I’ve seen some of the best shows of my life there.

There’s also a great secret bar called Uncle Ming’s, which is hidden behind a suit shop!

But I think what makes Australia great is its vibrant wildlife. If you want to see both Sydney and Melbourne, I would highly recommend renting a car and driving down the Great Ocean Road. It is a stunning drive where you really get to see the most incredible coastline and so much natural beauty. If you’ve got the time, skip the flight and make the drive because it’s a truly remarkable sight.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I love what you’re doing with The Shoutout series because I firmly believe everyone’s success is built on the support of those around them, and I want to dedicate my shoutout to the following:

As I mentioned before, to my acting coach, Amanda Crewes, who has taught me countless lessons, particularly the importance of thorough preparation for a role and how to do that as best I can, as well as the relentless pursuit of my goal. Her guidance has profoundly shaped my approach to acting.

To all the coaches at The Actors’ Hub who have had a lasting impact on my work: Ross McGregor, Ellis Pearson, Angela Punch McGregor, Linda Nichols-Gidley, and Elizabeth Kemp (and more).

To the actors who I trained with and who are my dear friends, my sisters, my parents, the Paniora-Garwood family, and Andy. For deeply influencing my values, my work, and my life.

This just begins to scratch the surface of the people who are foundational in my work and success, but we’ve only so much space in one interview, so hopefully that makes my thoughts clear. We need others to help us achieve what we want to achieve and be who we want to be.

Website: https://beacons.ai/adamleeuwenhart

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adamleeuwenhart/

Image Credits
Chris Huzzard
Shane van Litsenborgh
ABC via ‘The Heights’
The Actors’ Hub Studios
 Inc.