SPOTLIGHT ON BEST PERFORMERS: DANIEL COSENTINO
STARCAST: How long have you been acting, and what inspired you to become an actor?
DANIEL: I have been acting for about 4 years now. I always loved entertaining people, and ever since I was a little kid I was always performing; singing mostly. It wasn’t until I saw my first live show, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, that I realized that I wanted to be on that stage doing what they were doing. Singing and theatre is where I caught the acting bug from, and my passion for on-camera stuff slowly evolved over time.
STARCAST: How did you prepare for your StarCast scene? What informed your performance?
DANIEL: In the words of my acting coach, “think the thought, swallow the thought, say the words,” I learned the lines first in order to be able to go on with the process. I then took the scene and figured out what sort of state of mind my character was in. Once I’m in the state of mind of my character, I just let it sit in my gut and ride on the words. Whatever happens on my journey through the scene was just organic. I actually wasn’t even going to submit, but at the last minute I changed my mind, and I’m glad I did! It was almost 3 o’clock and I started work at 4, so I had to quickly set up my camera and get the audition on tape. And the rest is history!
STARCAST: What kind of acting gigs have you had thus far, if any?
DANIEL: One of my first acting gigs was a series of commercials for Airheads Xtremes; the spots with the 3 kids in the convenience store. I’ve also done some indie and short films, some regional theatre and voice work on a new animated series. A little bit of everything so far!
STARCAST: We know you’ve fantasized about an awards acceptance speech. How does the opening line go?
DANIEL: First of all, I want to thank my family for all their support; being here today wouldn’t be possible without them.
STARCAST: Have you had any notable successes or setbacks you think other actors could learn from?
DANIEL: This isn’t an easy industry and theres always going to be times where quitting seems easier than going forward; never quit! You’ll encounter bumps and obstacles you’ll have to get over, but we’re all in this crazy industry for one reason; because we love what we do, and can’t see ourselves doing anything else. So whenever you’re in doubt, just stop and really think about why you’re doing what you do. Always follow your dreams!
STARCAST: Have you had any acting training, and can you speak a little bit to the importance of drama programs or acting classes?
DANIEL: Yes, I have acting training. Most of my training came from David Rotenberg at the Professional Actor’s Lab in Toronto. (If any of you are ever in Toronto, take a class with David, you’ll be glad you did!). I also have a degree in Theatre from York University, but I guess my training really started at a regional theatre in Hamilton, Ontario called Theatre Aquarius. I spent the four summer’s of my high school years at their performing arts school where we received singing, acting and dance training. We then performed a full scale musical at the end of the summer! Training and classes are so important. As an actor you always want to be doing something pro-active for your career and classes and workshops are a great idea! Even if you are in still in high school take drama class, or enroll in community theatre. You’ll always learn something new!
STARCAST: What are your favorite actors’ services and resources?
DANIEL: Starcast has been a GREAT tool so far! Here in Canada there’s Casting Workbook which is like Actor’s Access/Breakdown Express, but through the site they let you create your own website. Does twitter count?
STARCAST: What’s your dream role, and do you have a favorite actor or actress?
DANIEL: My dream role…to be a lead in a film or TV show. One of my favorite actors is River Phoenix. He was really young when he passed away but was an awesome actor. All of his performances were so raw and honest.
STARCAST: What are your short term acting goals?
DANIEL: Short term acting goals: to keep working as an actor and to start booking some larger roles!
STARCAST: The biz can be tough. What motivates you to keep at it?
DANIEL: I sort of answered this in one of the other questions but my love for acting just keeps me going. I can’t see myself doing anything else so I just keep plugging away and going for it, one day at a time.
STARCAST: Do you have any special or funny skills we should know about?
DANIEL: I really enjoy singing (I actually trained vocally for 9 years), and as for funny skills…could I get back to you on that?
STARCAST: Do you have any audition tips for your fellow actors out there?
DANIEL: ALWAYS be prepared and confident in what you’re auditioning with, but most importantly have fun with it!
STARCAST: Do you have a website, YouTube channel or reel you would like us to post? And do you have a Twitter or other social media handle where you would like people to follow you?
You can also follow me on twitter @dcosentino
Thanks, DANIEL! You can check out Daniel’s great StarCast performance at www.starcastauditions.com/best-performances. If you don’t see his video, shift the sort function from “Most Recent” to “All.”
