About Acting Essentials

ACTING ESSENTIALS is a Six-Part Course (held on Sunday afternoons in Brighton, Victoria)

that looks at all aspects of Working as an Actor in Melbourne

– with particular emphasis on film, television & television commercials, and agents.

– Understanding Scripts and Making Choices

– Auditioning Techniques and Character Development

– Understanding how the business “works” and On-Set Etiquette

– Screen Test Preparation for Television Commercials

– Screen Test Preparation for Film and Television Series

– Understanding Agents, Casting Directors, Call Sheets, Contracts & Deal Memos

Having made his living by working in the entertainment industry full-time for the last 40 years,  Kewley has gained invaluable knowledge in almost every area of the industry, not just as a performer but also as a writer, producer, designer, and so on.

Although not trained as a teacher (or as an actor for that matter!) Kewley has been in demand for many years as an audition and screentest coach, preparing young (and old) Melbourne actors with scene and character work.

A ‘Showreel Scene’ performed by two ACTING ESSENTIALS students – Addam Bramich and Mitchell Hope:

Kewley is also regularly employed as a Script Editor and Consultant on scripts and development of Student Films at VCA, Rusden and Swinburne, and has lectured film students about the process of working with actors. He has also been the MC and/or Guest Speaker at a number of functions and seminars run by Equity (MEAA), including Make Your Own Fun and the annual Equity Graduates Days, held at the Malthouse Theatre, for the graduating students of WAAPA, the National, the VCA as well as Ballarat, Flinders and Tasmanian Universities.

Since 2004 Kewley has run a number of his short courses for actors as an “introduction to the industry” known as ACTING ESSENTIALS, covering everything from scene work and auditions, to on-set etiquette and understanding the complex Agent / Casting Consultant / Actor triangle.

ACTING ESSENTIALS STUDENTS HAVE INCLUDED:

MITCHELL HOPE

After taking the Acting Essentials course in 2011, MITCHELL HOPE worked opposite Kewley in the short films WHEEL, THE KEY TO CASTING and CLYDE’S TRACK, and was cast by Kewley in YES MUM, the 2 minute cinema commercial for the TAC.

He played the younger version of  Tim Farris in the INXS: NEVER TEAR US APART mini-series for the Seven Network.

At the end of 2013 he signed with Disney in the US to play the lead role of Prince Ben in their DESCENDANTS trilogy. He began shooting the first film in Vancouver in May 2014 opposite Dove Cameron, Kristin Chenoweth, Kathy Najimy and “Twilight” star Booboo Stewart.

DESCENDANTS 2 (2017) and DESCENDANTS 3 (2019) followed.

The American Netflix Christmas movie LET IT SNOW (2019) followed, before a return to Australia to play the lead role in the feature film LOVE YOU LIKE THAT (2020) opposite John Jarratt and Chris Haywood. He is represented by United Talent Agency in the US, who also represent Johnny Depp, Harrison Ford and many others.

ANDREW MORLEY

ANDREW MORLEY played one of the lead roles in the 2012 Network Ten/Nickelodeon television series LIGHTNING POINT (aka ALIEN SURF GIRLS) which he shot at the Warner Studios in Queensland (above) followed by three years (and 231 episodes) as Spencer Harrington in one of Australia’s most popular television series – HOME AND AWAY.

After completing his contract on HOME AND AWAY Morley returned to Melbourne to join the cast of NEIGHBOURS (above) where he played the role of Jack Callaghan over 364 episodes from 2016 to 2018.

Morley also starred in the short films ICE (above), CLEAN, and SHEPHERD’S HILL – all opposite Jeremy Kewley.

In the US he is represented by leading Hollywood Talent Management Consultants ‘Management 360‘.  

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AARON JAKUBENKO

2010 student BLESSING MOKGOHLOA spent 2012 in New Zealand starring as Castus in series 3 of the hit US cable network series SPARTACUS: WAR OF THE DAMNED (below).

Although he is based in Melbourne (and has a Melbourne-based agent), Blessing is also represented in New Zealand by Auckland & Wellington agent Sharon Power Management.

Since completing the Acting Essentials course, Blessing has performed on stage at the Loft Theatre at  Chapel off Chapel in ALL THAT I WILL EVER BE for Fly-On-The-Wall Theatre, and  BAD BLOOD BLUES for Manilla Street Productions – for which he was nominated for the 2012 Green Room Award for Best Male Performer in Theatre (Independent). He played Dale Kovak in NEIGHBOURS and also appeared opposite Kewley in two short films – the award-winning DIT IS EK, set in South Africa, and THE KEY TO CASTING.

Following guest roles in ABC-TV drama series THE TIME OF OUR LIVES and NEWTON’S LAW, Blessing appeared in the hit 2017 Australian feature film ALI’S WEDDING and was cast as one of the leads in the ABC-TV medical drama series PULSE (2017). He has guest-starred in episodes of Network Ten’s sit-com MR BLACK (2019) and crime series MY LIFE IS MURDER (2019).

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JAKE RYAN

One of the very first ACTING ESSENTIALS students, JAKE RYAN moved to Sydney to further his studies at the Actors Centre, then went on to play Constable Ray ‘The Blizzard’ Blissett in Channel Nine’s UNDERBELY: RAZOR in 2011 (above).

He went on to play guest roles in the Nine Network’s HOUSE HUSBANDS, and Network Ten’s MR & MRS MURDER. On the big screen Jake appears in THE SAPPHIRES and Buz Luhrmann’s THE GREAT GATSBY.

Ryan was reunited with Kewley when they played Uncle and Nephew in the new Nine Network/Screentime series FAT TONY & CO. (2014) and went on to play Bea Smith’s husband Harry Smith in WENTWORTH (2013-2015) on Foxtel.

He appeared in the television series of WOLF CREEK in 2016 and the feature films OUT OF THE SHADOWS and BLUE WORLD ORDER before joining the cast of HOME AND AWAY in 2017, playing ‘Robbo’ Reid, a role which has brought him a large fan base. He continued playing ‘Robbo’ until  2020 (pictured).

Jake also features in the upcoming feature films STREAMLINE opposite Jason Isaacs and Levi Miller and COLOURBLIND, and plays the lead in the New Zealand movie SAVAGE (2019).

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CLAUDIA HRUSCHKA

After taking part in ACTING ESSENTIALS in 2009 CLAUDIA HRUSCHKA went on to shoot two motion pictures in 2011 – the Working Dog film

ANY QUESTIONS FOR BEN?  opposite Josh Lawson and Rachael Taylor, and SCUMBUS (below).

Claudia’s theatre roles include Abigail Williams in THE CRUCIBLE and June Stanley in THE MAN WHO CAME TO DINNER at the National Theatre in St Kilda. On television she guest starred in Foxtel’s CONSPIRACY 365 and THE LIBRARIANS on ABC-TV and returned to feature films with START OPTIONS EXIT in 2014 and APERTURE in 2018. She stars in the  Australian feature film APERTURE (2020) 2021 action crime drama HOODLUMZ (2021).

In the States, Addam appeared in the feature film A BOY CALLED SAILBOAT (2018) opposite Best Supporting Oscar winner J.K. Simmons.

He also features in the LA-based films A ROYAL CHRISTMAS ENGAGEMENT (2020) and U.Z.L.A. (2021), as well as producing and appearing in the short films  JACK’S DAD (2017) and THE FIRST MONTH IS FREE (2018).

After appearing opposite Kewley in the short film BEAT (below), LUCAS LINEHAN went on the receive great reviews for his starring role in the feature film MONSTER PIES, which won Best Film at the 2013 Melbourne Queer Film Festival. The film was released on DVD in the US through TLA Releasing. (In some countries the film was re-titled MODERN LOVE.)

As well as those mentioned above, a number of other ACTING ESSENTIALS students have gone on to appear opposite Jeremy Kewley in a range of short films including

MITCHELL HOPE in CLYDE TRACK

LUCAS LINEHAN in BEAT

ISAAC BROWN in SERVES FOUR

TOM CARMODY in ON TRACK

DANIEL HILL in HOMOSEXUALITY KILLS

STEVE SHEERAN in DEAD BEATS

DEAN KIRKRIGHT in CLYDE TRACK

WILL WEATHERITT in HAVE ANOTHER

GENYA MIK in THE KEY TO CASTING

… and the list goes on!

For a comprehensive list of ALL the actors who have taken part in ACTING ESSENTIALS, click on the “List Of Former Students” page