DIGGER. WOW, WOW, WOW! WHAT A FILM! I remember my mum saying when I was a kid, “When a film gets both brilliant and terrible reviews, I know I’m going to love it.” She would have been right about Digger. One of the most profoundly brilliant films I’ve seen in years. Alejandro González Iñárritu (Birdman, The Revenant) has made something fearless. I’ve always loved films that blend cinema and theatre, and this world seems to exist in the past, present and future at once. The writing and direction are extraordinary: absurd, hilarious, disturbing and deeply intelligent, without feeling the need to explain everything. Was that At its heart is an uncomfortable truth. We’ve been fucking up this planet for decades, yet we keep consuming, indulging in excess and carrying on as normal. Even those condemning the destruction enjoy the comforts contributing to it. Perhaps we’ve become so good at acknowledging the problem that we mistake it for doing something about it. The film holds a mirror up to us all. Tom Cruise and John Goodman. WOW! If they aren’t in the Oscar conversation, I don’t know what to say. Extraordinary performances. The opening music instantly reminded me of Jon Brion’s wonderfully eccentric score for Punch-Drunk Love. Different composer here, Cosmo Sheldrake, but a similarly chaotic, rhythmic energy. Coming from a production design background, I was blown away. Oscar winner Dennis Gassner, alongside Richard L. Johnson, has created an astonishing visual world that almost becomes a character in its own right. I felt as though I’d stepped into Roald Dahl’s wonderfully eccentric imagination, with a touch of Wes Anderson. Fantastical, absurd and disturbingly believable. And those final credits! The music disappears, leaving only the sounds of animals. I remained rooted to my seat. A film that uses absurdity to expose something deadly serious. I loved every mad, uncomfortable, visually spectacular minute. THIS IS WHY I LOVE CINEMA! ❤️ What is a film that profoundly affected you?

A huge shout out to @Eliza Leonard @Panos Kalomanas @Nanette Clarke who took on the challenge, buckled down and entered the World Monologue Games. And they’ve done it. They are all through to the Regional Finals in UK and EU. This is what happens when you stop thinking about whether you should do something and actually give it a go. Absolutely thrilled for you all. So well deserved. From all of us at The Actors Copilot, congratulations! 👏👏👏 I really hope we are not up against each other lol 😂

I was just thinking about how important it is to have a supportive network and being here for a while made me think, why don't we create a virtual event just to get to know each other and see where we're at, how can we collaborate, better support each other? In NYC I started going to some networking events and now I'm working on my own script. I know we've had great things happen with the calls with great guests. What could we start building?

I have a general question for you. Taking into account that you don't have a steady or large income from this industry, what job do you recommend, where the employer agrees to give time off for shooting days?

Our first shout-out goes to Josh Mermelstein! @Joshua Mermelstein Josh couldn't make tonight's masterclass with Amit Gupta, but he sent us a message with probably the best excuse you can possibly have as an actor — he was on set! We hope you had a fabulous time, Josh. Keep that momentum going. We missed you tonight, but this is exactly the kind of reason we love to hear. And there's another reason I'm giving Josh a shout-out. While looking for his photograph for this post, I came across his website, and I'm going to share it below for everyone to have a look at. This is important. As the industry changes and AI increasingly becomes part of how people and information are discovered online, actors need to think seriously about their digital visibility. Whether that's a strong professional website or eventually a really solid profile URL, make sure that when somebody searches for you, they can find you and immediately understand who you are and what you do. https://www.joshuamermelstein.com/ So well done, Josh. 👏 And to everyone else: share your wins with us. Booked something? Got a recall? Finished a self-tape you're proud of? Updated your showreel? Got new headshots? Made a new industry connection? Tell us. Big or small, a win is a win. Let's celebrate each other's progress and keep building that momentum. 🚀 Tracey & Claire ❤️