Meet Sean Maguire | Acting Teacher

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

Hi Sean, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I’ve been a professional actor for over 40 years and come from a family of teachers. For many years I’ve had people ask me how do I get into the business? Where do I train? How do I get an agent? So during the pandemic, my brother stayed with me and he was teaching his students Irish Dancing via Zoom, and it occurred to me. I could teach people acting the same way. I thought maybe I could to start a school where I could help people get started in the acting world. This September our school turns five years old.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I started acting at the age of five in a film called ‘Voyage around my father’ with Alan Bates ,Jane Asher and Lawrence Olivier. After that I continued to book work on films like Month Python’s ‘The meaning of life” At ten I joined a children’s drama series “Grange Hill’ where I stayed for five years and learnt a lot about the process of making a show. I continued in some small parts in films like “Waterlands” with Jeremy Irons and Ethan Hawk.
When I was 16 I joined a big BBC drama TV show called “Eastenders” which helped establish me as a known actor in the UK. Then that lead me to getting a record contract with EMI parlophone records and went on to have 8 top 30 hits.
After that I went back to theatre doing plays like Joe Ortons ‘loot”and ‘Romeo and Juliet” to try to learn more about the craft.
in 1999 an American manager saw me in a UK drama and asked if I wanted representation in the United States. I was flown over to screen test for a movie, shortly after and even though I didn’t get the film my manager took me round to lots of general meetings and I landed my first American movie
‘Prince Charming in the title role opposite Martin Short, Christina Applegate, Billy Connolly and Bernadette Petters. I also signed a deal with Warner Bros to make a show for them. I ended up doing 3 different sitcoms for them over the next 8 years. Then I made a comedy movie for 20th century Fox ‘Meet the spartans” which went to number one at the US box office.
I have been incredibly lucky in my career, it of course hasn’t always been easy. There are times in every actors like when they feel that they will never work again, all a actors have this fear even and insecurities but I find during those times try to learn new skills, an instrument or a new dialect. There is always more to learn and great plays to read so an actor should never be bored. I’ve also found one of the most important things is to be professional and kind. It’s a surprisingly small business and your reputation proceeds you.
One of the things I wanted to do with our school The Players conservatory is along with myself is to have professional actors. train the students because not only are they skilled at the craft but they also understand the realty of what its like to live the actors life. We also have professional writers courses, song writers course, directors course all with professionals from the industry.
I love discovering talent and helping people get their start in the business but I’ve also helped people over come their shyness and helped some students with their public speaking which has been hugely rewarding.we’ve also got a number of differently abled students which has been incredible and taught me so much. What we’ve tried to do is build a community amongst our students that allows them to be mentored and supported on their journey.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Well Hollywood itself is fun to show our guests. the Hollywood sign, the Chinese theater , hand prints etc going down to Venice Santa Monica and Malibu is a must. Lunch at paradise cove is a pretty spot.
A walk along Melrose for the shops. Hiking Fryman canyon, swimming bike riding at the beach.
Maybe a movie at the Cinedome is fun or the El Capitan Theatre.
My kids love going to Universal Studios, Six flags and Disneyland., Knotts Berry Farm is also really fun if you like roller coasters.
LA also has some great museums. The Getty is a lovely day out. The building itself is beautiful and the grounds are gorgeous place to have a picnic.theater.
I live in studio city so there’s lots of great bars and restaurants nearby.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I run the school with my wife Tanya, so obviously she’s the one I wish to thank the most because it wouldn’t work without her and also our teachers Jarvis George, Maire Clerkin, one of our students Stacy Krugman helps us with promotion and admin aspects.
I’ve also been taught by many teachers over the years. The great actress and teacher Amanda Redman who I worked with on a BBC show called Dangerfield in the UK,
The legendary Lesley Kahn and the incomparable Howard Fine.
My parents Michael and Kathleen Maguire have run one of the biggest Irish dancing schools in London so they have been a huge influence on me but Ive also learnt most from decades on sets with great actors writers and directors along my career.

Website: https://theplayersconservatory.com

Instagram: @The_players_consevatory

Linkedin: theplayesconservatory

Twitter: @theplayscons

Other: email – theplayersconservatory@gmail.com

Image Credits
Sean maguire