We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Scott Vickers. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Scott below.

Alright, Scott thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Looking back, what’s an important lesson you learned at a prior job?

Important Lesson Learned at a Prior Job

The most important lesson I learned as an actor — and how it built Interact Screen Actors Academy

When I first came through as an actor, I carried something quietly with me.

Pressure.

Because I didn’t go to drama school.

There’s this unspoken narrative in the industry — that if you haven’t trained at one of the big institutions, you’re somehow less legitimate. Not “properly trained.”

And when I landed my first acting role on mainstream TV in the UK, it was a huge revelation.

I remember walking onto set thinking,
“Everyone here must have gone to drama school. I’m the only one who hasn’t.”

And what I realised shocked me. Many of the actors had never set foot in drama school.

Then I landed a leading role in BBC drama River City I worked out that – Only about 50% of the cast had gone to drama school.

Some of the strongest, most grounded, most truthful screen actors on that show had not?

They’d learned on the job. I learnt that Ian McKellen (Magneto / Gandalf The Grey) did not go to drama school and many legendary actors all over the world.

They’d learned through experience.
Through awareness.
Through craft.
Through doubting ie work and learning from people who had been there and done it.

That was the moment something shifted for me.

Because I’d bought into a belief that simply wasn’t true.

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The Lesson

The industry doesn’t reward certificates.

It rewards performance.

It rewards authenticity.

It rewards actors who can deliver under pressure on a professional TV or film set.

And honestly — some of the best actors I’ve worked with never went to drama school.

I worked recently with Charlie Creed-Miles — known for Nil By Mouth, The Fifth Element, and Peaky Blinders. No traditional drama school background. Same with Liam James Collins and incredible talent – the most complete actor I’ve directed to date – never went to drama school or stage school.

There are countless others.

And the truth is — while some brilliant actors do come out of drama schools, formal education is not the gatekeeper people think it is.

That realisation changed my life.

Scott, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

About Me

I’m Scott Vickers — film director / writer and founder of Interact Screen Actors Academy.

I’ve just come off an fantastic film shoot starring Liam James Collins and Charlie Creed-Miles (Peaky Blinders – Fifth Element – Nil By Mouth) We shot it in Scotland at Dunnottar Castle and Dundas Castle incredible shoot. Liam and I co-wrote the film about a reckoning between two kings – look out for it – it’s delivered in the language of Shakespeare.

I started my career performing in theatre I performed on Londons West End in Chicago the Musical, which is equivalent to New York’s Broadway – I spent three years learning discipline, stamina, and what professional standards really look like at the highest level.

From there, I moved into straight acting and went on to work extensively in television, including five years on the BBC series River City.

But the real turning point in my career came when I wrote and directed my first feature film, Matriarch, which was picked up for worldwide distribution by Lionsgate. We made it on a tiny budget — and it went global.

That experience changed everything.

Because I now understood the industry from both sides of the camera.

I know what actors feel.
And I know what directors, producers, and distributors actually look for.

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Why I Built Interact Screen Actors Academy

When I was coming up, I didn’t go to drama school. I felt the pressure of that. The imposter syndrome.

Then I realised so many working actors hadn’t gone to drama school either.

What matters isn’t a certificate.

It’s whether you can deliver. Of course training is important you must put the work in but you do that my connecting with acting mentors or professionals who have had success – learn from them.

That’s why I created Interact Screen Actors Academy — a professional online drama school designed specifically for people who want to enter the TV and film TV industry and complete their full training online – become a pro actor without leaving your home. It’s possible.

We train actors from the UK, LA, New York, Atlanta Canada, Ireland, South Africa, Australia and beyond.

You don’t need to relocate.
You don’t need to spend $100k
You need proper screen acting training.

Actors at places like Juilliard / NYFA often pay $150k+ for three years of training before living expenses – you simply don;t need to do this anymore. Come join Interact and start your career for a fraction of the cost.

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What I Do

Through Interact, I teach actors how to become bookable TV & film actors using our 4 Pillars:
• Mindset – presence, awareness, pressure control.
• Craft – technique, character work, screen truth.
• Credibility – showreels, self-tapes that convert.
• Business – agents, casting strategy, industry navigation.

I work with complete beginners to professional actors, and with experienced actors who want to level up and book consistently.

Many of my students now work professionally.

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What Sets Me Apart

I’m not just an acting coach.

I’m a working film director
I’ve been on major TV sets.
I’ve directed known actors.
I’ve sat in edit suites and audition rooms over 25 years.
I’ve negotiated distribution.

So when I train actors, it’s grounded in reality — not theory.

People often call me “the actor whisperer” because I can quickly see what’s blocking someone’s performance — mindset patterns, technical gaps, industry blind spots — and fix it.

No fluff.
No fantasy.
No motivational hype.

Just professional screen acting training that works.

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What I’m Most Proud Of

Of course I’m proud of Matriarch and its global success.

But what matters more to me is watching actors transform.

Seeing someone go from self-doubt to confidence.
From “I don’t know how to do this” to booking work.
From aspiring to professional.

That’s why Interact is growing so quickly.

Because actors don’t just want inspiration.

They want clarity.
They want structure.
They want results.

And that’s what we provide.

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If you’re serious about becoming a professional screen actor — or levelling up your acting career — that’s what we do here.

Have you ever had to pivot?

A Time I Had to Pivot

When Interact Screen Actors Academy took off, I found myself constantly on screen — coaching session after session. It wasn’t sustainable.

So I pivoted.

I built a team. I trained other coaches to deliver the same high standard. I created structure so we could grow without losing quality.

That shift turned Interact from a one-man operation into a scalable, global acting academy.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Good. This should feel grounded. Not defensive. Just mature perspective.

Here’s a tight version:

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A Story That Illustrates My Resilience

The arts are subjective.

It’s not like running a race where you cross the line first and win gold. In acting, filmmaking, scriptwriting — someone will always not like what you do.

That’s the business.

When I made Matriarch, people told me it was impossible to produce a commercially viable feature film for around £40,000–£50,000 without big names attached.

Some people read the script and loved it.
Some watched the film and loved it.
Some didn’t get it at all.

That’s subjectivity.

But we trusted the vision, read the market carefully, positioned it properly — and it secured worldwide distribution with Lionsgate.

It went on to appear in multiple top-10 lists, and The Scotsman ranked it among the top films ever shot in Scotland — alongside titles like The Wicker Man, Under the Skin, and The Descent.

That taught me resilience.

Believe in yourself — but don’t be delusional.

Study the field. Understand the market. Accept criticism. Keep going anyway.

Because in a subjective industry, staying steady is the real win.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://interact-hq.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/interact.screen.actors.academy
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottrvickers
• Twitter: https://x.com/ScottRVickers

Image Credits

Phil Ammon