Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Ann Robb. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Ann, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

I used to think that jumping out of an airplane to skydive at age 64 was the biggest risk I had ever taken, but my decision to become an actor on stage and screen, at age 64, makes that risk pale in comparison.
Having been a singer all my life and being used to big and small stages, I decided to become an actor and began taking acting lessons and learning more about stage performance. I had not done anything in the theater since college and I wanted to learn all I could, before actually auditioning for a part. I worked backstage, as a props manager, a stage manager, then auditioned for a play and won my first role. What concerned me, was whether I would handle the memorization, so I started learning my lines early. While I was prepared and knew all my lines and blocking, etc., stepping out on that stage the first time, not knowing whether I was any good or not, was absolutely terrifying. Had I invested all that time, a couple years (and money), only to bomb? I was the first person on the stage, in that first play and according to many in the audience, I nailed it. It was exhausting, but exhilarating and I was hooked. I went on to perform in several plays, before the film bug bit me.
Again, I invested a lot of time and money taking classes…acting on film is an entirely different thing than acting on stage. On stage, everything is big, and I have a very expressive face, which made me successful on stage, but acting on film is tight, close and does not require a lot of movement, especially in your face.
Much of it is in your eyes and voice, so I had to literally retrain, to not be super expressive. By now, I was getting older and wondering if I could have success, acting in film. I began getting roles in student films at a local college and I was off and running…
I continue to train and have had some obstacles that were out of my control, such as a two-year pandemic and then a yearlong strike in the industry. Meanwhile, I’m not getting any younger, so my window is shrinking, but I remain committed, and I love what I do.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Again, having been a vocalist most of my life, it was a natural progression for me to begin an acting career. As a retiree, I had the time to devote myself to my craft and began taking classes, learning all I could about the stage both front and backstage. When I began acting on film, I took many classes before actually working in film. I was an extra in a few projects, to observe what happens behind the camera and I continue to train, to this day, though I am now a working actor.
In terms of providing a service, I offer myself to fellow actors as a reader for their auditions. In the Southeast, especially, most auditions are self-taped and since COVID, in-person auditions are very rare, and callbacks are often done on zoom. When self-taping, you need someone to read the opposing lines to you and I feel that the better the reader, the better your response to those lines. I enjoy helping my fellow actors succeed. I don’t feel that I am in competition with others. Casting Directors are pretty amazing…you are either what they are looking for, or you are not. They always get it right.
As to what I am most proud of…first and foremost are my three kids and my grandchildren. Second, is the fact that I have stayed the course, in spite of some setbacks. I am not seeking fame or fortune, I simply love what I do.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

The day and age of someone plucking you off the street and making you a star is long since gone. Until I began working as an actor, I did not know how much work was involved. I don’t say that as a complaint, I state it as fact. Unless you are working steadily, you must either continue to train, or constantly be practicing in front of the camera. In an on-camera audition, your face has to convey your surroundings, how many people you are talking to and where they are positioned. You have to actively listen and respond to your reader. Often, casting directors want you to give them two completely different takes of the same scene, so you need to understand as best as possible (since you rarely get an entire script), what is happening in a scene, your relationship to the other people in the scene, where the arc (or change) is in the scene. There is a lot of preparation before you step in front of the camera. That is the job, the audition. That is where all the work is done. You may have many, many auditions before you book a role. Acting can be mentally draining, if you don’t understand that “not getting cast is not personal”. You must be able to understand that it is not rejection, you simply are not right for that role. A teacher recently told me, talk to that voice in your head, or it will surely talk to you and much louder. You must be able to shout that doubt down.
When you do book a role, there is a lot to be aware of on a set and one of those things is that there is a lot of down time, so you must be prepared for that. Take a book, anything, to fill in the time. Be respectful of everyone on set, whether fellow actors or crew.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

For me the most rewarding aspect of being an actor is the people I have met on the journey. I love that everyone is in the same boat and for the most part, very supportive of each other. I am amazed at talent and it’s an awesome thing to watch an actor become a character. It’s also very rewarding to see an audience reacting positively to a project you have worked on.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://imdb.me/annrobb
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annrobb1
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ann.h.robb

Image Credits

Headshot courtesy of Val Tannuzzi Photography