Today we’d like to introduce you to Anne Beyer.
Hi Anne, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I grew up in a small town in South-West Germany. My childhood was rough, but the reality is, most artists had an unpleasant childhood. It’s the reason we are clinging to art. It helps us escape. My outlet as a teenager was writing poems and acting them out in front of a mirror.
Although I consider myself an introvert, I was still a rebel. I never wanted to fit in, and I never did – still don’t. At 16, I was introduced to modeling through a friend and even won a couple of beauty pageants with the Miss Germany Corporation. I took the winnings and opportunity to move out of my mom’s place. Being on your own at such an early age pushes you into the deep end and you just have to learn how to swim. Not something I would recommend, by the way! I did all the typical jobs you would expect an aspiring model/actress to do while going to castings. I soon booked some work and ended up on the Runway for a well-known German bathing suit label. However, being on tour for a few months made me realize modeling wasn’t fulfilling for me. So, I decided to enroll at a Theater Academy in Germany. But early in my schooling, I received an offer to perform at an Open-Air Theater and their new season from one of our drama professors who was the artistic director of that theater. As a result, I had to end my training at the Academy as they don’t allow students to do professional work. I didn’t have to think about it twice and decided to quit school. As a young adult, I was 21 at the time. You don’t necessarily think things through. My time as a cast member at the theater taught me so much, but I also knew I was missing some critical tools for my craft. An established actor friend I had worked with in the past, offered to take me under his wings and prepped me to audition for the best drama schools in Germany. Yet, even with all the hard work, I was never accepted.
As money began to run out, I needed another plan and heard from a friend that a hotel resort in Greece was looking for actors and dancers. There was a 2-week audition process in Croatia, where we learned evening programs filled with musicals, dance shows, and comedy sketches. Those of us who made it went straight to Greece to prepare for the resort opening. Fourteen hours a day, we were performing – either to entertain the guests at the pool during the day or to be on stage at night. I was in love! The season was over so quickly, and it was time to figure out where to go next. I was 23 at the time and all I knew was, I didn’t want to go back to Germany. So, I decided to move to England. The country of Theatre – my passion. I picked up a job at The Landsborough Hotel in London and used my spare time to see as many plays and musicals as I could. London is expensive, and when I felt financially stable, I decided to do the whole drama school audition thing again, only this time in the UK. I used the classical monologues I worked on back in Germany and memorized them in English. It was different. I was different. I had more life experience and was more grounded. I received offers from two prestigious drama schools and chose the one that gave me a 3-year scholarship. I graduated with a BA (HONS) from the Royal Academy of Birmingham in 2008.
Drama School was one of the best times of my life, working the craft, 9 AM – 6 PM, Mo-Fr …well, and in your 3rd-year throw in Saturday and Sunday because you perform and help other productions set up in the theater. One of the side jobs I had during that time was at a movie theater. I absolutely loved working there! I was surrounded by film lovers and had the added benefit of watching movies for free! That’s when I got really interested in on-camera work. After my BA, I still didn’t want to go back to Germany, so I packed my bags and headed to Los Angeles. When I was 13, I had a vision about this very moment. It felt so right! I didn’t know anyone and all I had was a “corner of a living room” I rented from some woman I found on Craigslist. Again, in your 20’s, you think differently. Nothing can harm you, the world is yours…ha! I am so grateful God gave me the faith to make that big leap then because now, I would be way too chicken. I took a job at a warehouse working for a German fashion label to make ends meet. In just a few months, I was promoted to international sales and even walked the L.A. Fashion Show for them.
During that time, I met my husband, and after being in L.A. for 3 years, working on a couple of web series, going to every industry mixer I could find, and performing with a small theater group (we even won an NAACP award), we left California and moved to Texas. My husband is an FX animator and was given a supervisor position on a film being produced at a studio in Dallas. I found Texas to be the best training ground I could have asked for. I was a part of an amazing theater group, wrote and produced my own stage play, and scored dozens of commercials, many short films, and indie productions. I produced several of those myself and won some major film festivals. Texas is the Indie Film Mecca, the production quality is SO good, and I soaked up every second of it! I was also given the opportunity to teach at a handful of incredible acting schools.
In 2017, six short years later (Ha!), my husband and I decided to go back to LaLaLand. I felt so ready! And I was – but L.A. is tough. It took me some time to get seen by Casting Directors. But by God’s Grace and hard work, I booked a 3 episode recurring in my first year there. Shortly after I signed with my dream agent who I am still blessed to call my rep, and had some life-changing producer’s sessions (callbacks) and bookings.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Yes, there were many obstacles. And please know that I am sharing this with a grateful heart, understanding, and newfound strength.
I have been a foreigner most of my life, by choice, and should add that Germans are not very welcome in some countries.
When I first came to the US in 2008, several reps told me that based on my accent they couldn’t sign me. Even though that hurt, I appreciated their honesty.
But that didn’t keep me from trying. It never has. Living in different countries has taught me so much. I listen better and I am willing to learn and adapt. I know I have to work harder than most, but so do other “outsiders”.
When “Americans” hear “German,” they think of blonde hair, blue eyes, and an Austrian German accent. It’s akin to only thinking of “Southern Belles” you hear someone is an American.
Many times in my career I’ve been told “you have to work harder, look at the Brits, they do American so perfectly”. I have trained with the best accent reduction coaches in L.A., and while it has helped, it hasn’t been easy. I never really had an ear for dialects/accents, even in German.
So, let me explain: In English, there are sounds that don’t exist in German. For example all the voiced sounds like s, v, g, j, z …and then r, w, u, not to mention the vowel placement.
A British English speaker speaking American English would be comparable to a German speaker speaking Austrian German. It has a different sound and rhythm and some differences in words but a lot of sounds are similar. Speaking American English without an accent as a German native speaker IS the same as speaking German without an accent as an American English native speaker.
And that is only the accent, not the language itself. I know my native Russian, Portuguese, Nigerian, and French-speaking friends agree with me on that.
Having said all that, I am so, so grateful for all those casting directors, showrunners, and producers who want authentic accents!
L.A./Hollywood was different 14 years ago but right now there is a shift in the industry! I am super excited for all of us who have not fit in any specific box for all these years! Our time is finally here!
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Just to mention a few highlights of my career, I had the honor of working with Gary Oldman and David Fincher on Mank (Netflix), J.K. Simmons and Betty Gabriel on Counterpart (Starz), Pamela Adlon on Better Things (FX), Joel Kinnaman on for “All Mankind” (AppleTV), and Frances McDormand, who invited me to a producer session with her and her husband Joel Coen at Warner Brothers a couple of years ago. I didn’t book it but reading with her was a dream come true!
Writing these things down alone gives me chills and fills me with so much gratitude!
I am an actor, a storyteller, and yes, I can tell stories anywhere, but having the opportunity to do so on a bigger platform with talent I’ve been admiring for decades, is very rewarding!
Other work:
I am the face of the Bafta award-winning PS5 game Returnal and you can currently watch me Guest-Starring in seven episodes as Louisa Mueller on the Apple TV show “For All Mankind”.
I will also pick up shooting on the 3rd season of the hit TV show “The Chosen” (Peacock TV) at the end of August, in which I play Shula, the blind woman. And you can watch me in the new “Tales of The Walking Dead” series (AMC) in a few weeks (I’m not sure if I’m allowed to say that quite yet, but by the time this is published it might have already aired!)
How do you think about happiness?
What makes me happy? Besides acting?!
Watching a great show, (like Black Bird on AppleTV…Holy Moly!!), with my hubby and my two fur babies, some good food, and a glass of wine – Why? It inspires me and having my little family around me grounds me.
Spending hours in the library – because it amplifies my imagination.
Being in church, worshipping, and getting filled with the love of God – He is my purpose and the reason I keep going.
Walking through the green rolling hills of Virginia – It gives me life!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @annebeyer777
- Other: imdb.me/annebeyer
Image Credits
Headshots by Matt Kallish Screenshots: For All Mankind, The Chosen Anne is repped by Brittany Stone at the Stone Talent Agency in Los Angeles.
