Aspiring actor Anthony Khalifa shares his story with the Michelle Danner Acting Studio, the Los Angeles Acting School. 

INTRODUCTION ABOUT YOURSELF.

My name is Anthony Coulet Khalifa. I was born in south France in 1987 and lived in Paris my whole life until 2015–when I decided to move to Los Angeles and pursue my dream.

When I was a kid, I always enjoyed going to school; having fun with my friends and learning new things. But my favorite part was entertaining my classmates, finding the humor in every situation. I always liked being the center of attention, especially when I was little. Even though I neither took acting classes nor performed during that time.

WHAT FIRST DREW YOU TO ACTING?

In my former job, I discovered that that I could easily put on a mask for my business relationships and through that, I discovered one of the best tools I could have to take on myself in any “role” in this craft.

For when you’re managing and working with people, trying to get something from them, you have to find the best attitude to accomplish those tasks. Acting is all attitude. You have to change in accordance to the person you’re interacting with. I realized how important of a skill empathy was to be a good actor.

WHAT WAS YOUR EDUCATION LIKE?

My parents loved to travel and always took me with them, and it was at that time when I realized how lucky I was to have such an experience so early in my life. For it fed my desire to discover new cultures and open my mind.

And although my mother was the one who raised me, both of my parents taught me respect and got me understand how important family was.

So like my mother would have wanted, I stayed in school until I graduated from college as a Civil Engineer. Science was something I also loved. I then worked for an international company for a few years, but repressed my artistic side as a result. Something my father tried to bring out of me.

WHAT ARE MY FUTURE GOALS? 

Well actually I’m going to be featured two upcoming feature films directed by thee Michelle Danner! One one her projects is this awesome Documentary that she’s doing on becoming an actor  while the other is a sequel everyone’s raving about, the second installment in the The Bandit Hound franchise! (Go to http://www.allinfilms.com to find out more!).

My goal is to be cast as a lead or supporting role in a movie or a TV show where the script gives me the kind of freedom I’d like to truly express myself. I want to become a great actor and to be respected for the work I do.

I AM CURRENTLY STUDYING AT THE THE MICHELLE DANNER LOS ANGELES ACTING STUDIO, ONE OF THE BEST ACTING SCHOOLS IN LA

The Michelle Danner Acting Studio was my first experience in the acting industry.

And I’ve learned a lot of different things in regards to acting technique, emotional tools, but especially myself. All of the acting teachers at this acting school are very supportive. They make you work to find out what’s most unique about you.

WHICH ACTORS DO YOU DRAW INSPIRATION FROM?

Al Pacino was a great source of inspiration for me in the movie Scarface which was a film centered around a very strong character with an indomitable personality.

James Gandolfini who was in The Sopranos was also very complicated and hard to understand, which are great qualities to have in a character.

So bottom line, I think the type of roles that I draw most of my inspiration from are leaders who can embody respect, fear or even confusion. I love those kind of roles because even though they have their humanity, their impulsion can make them fascinatingly unpredictable—roles where your gut reactions produce some very interesting choices.

There is also another kind of character I’d love to play from Julian Mc Mahon, specifically Nip Tuck. I would love a character that plays on seduction, lust and arrogance.

ADVICE FOR ASPIRING ACTORS:

“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”

This was the motto that made me leave my job in Paris to come in Los Angeles to become an actor and unleash my artistic side for the first time. When you have a dream, you have to do everything you can to reach it. Especially if you’re passionate about it.   Don’t rush into it, do it step by step and always remember to nurture a discipline within in yourself. And in time, you will reach your dream if your aim is true.

And for our readers, please look forward to more interviews with aspiring actors and dreamers as we share what stories our students bring from their homes and journeys. More to come from Michelle Danner’s acting school !