We recently had the chance to connect with Lauren Patrice Nadler and have shared our conversation below.
Lauren Patrice , it’s always a pleasure to learn from you and your journey. Let’s start with a bit of a warmup: What makes you lose track of time—and find yourself again?
I actually lose track of time when I’m teaching. Acting class is my lifeline. I love diving inwith my students, exploring characters, and uncovering what truly makes them tick. In those moments, I’m transported into a different time and space—it’s enthralling. Watching an incredible performance emerge from the work we create together, and then crystallizing it through notes afterward, is a fascinating and exciting process.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Lauren Patrice Nadler, founder of Lauren Patrice Nadler Studios—a full-service acting studio that has nurtured and launched many notable actors from the ground up.
My training roots stem from the philosophies of Uta Hagen and Stanislavski, yet I am completely self-taught as a teacher. Over the past 25 years, I’ve developed my own innovative methods that are both thought-provoking and daring, while also pushing actors to break through their comfort zones. Yet my students are safe and in good hands. My goal is always the same: to guide actors toward truth in every performance, by whatever creative means necessary.
At LPN Studios, I teach through scene work from plays, that align naturally with all genres in film and TV, and my own signature improvisation format, which was brought to the stage in a 10-year monthly live theatre run. That show is now in the midst of an exciting revival—it’s too funny, very healing, and too powerful to stay away for long.
Though I began as an actor, I discovered my true calling in teaching and directing, and I’ve been joyfully addicted ever since. In addition to my work in the studio, I’m currently collaborating with a producer, directing short films that are thriving on the festival circuit. These projects are now being developed into a slate of pilots for television and film.
Okay, so here’s a deep one: Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
I was always a rebellious, difficult youth—trying not to fit in, because nothing ever felt like “me.” I had unique opinions, an unusual style, and no interest in living in a world of conformists. What I did know, even then, was that I was meant to create art.
As a child, I drew, painted, sculpted, and wrote poetry. I also danced—ballet, tap, and contemporary. My dream was to be a rock star, but that wasn’t in the cards. Then I discovered acting, and for the first time, I was in my element. Later, when I found teaching and directing, I knew I had arrived in my true heaven.
I grew up in New York but eventually moved to Los Angeles, without the preconceived notion that Hollywood had to be superficial. And even if it was, I was determined to carve out my own corner—one where integrity and truth truly mattered. And here I am.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Honestly, giving up was never an option. Failing? Sure. But quitting—never.
I remember the time I was on a production team, for a project I cast Adrien Brody in (before he became the Oscar-winning star he is today). Meanwhile, I was couch-surfing with all my belongings in storage, bartending until 4am, and on set by 7am. This was before cell phones—if anyone needed me, they had to page me. My friends and family were worried, often times looking for a return call from me on my beeper lol “Get a real job,” they’d say. NOPE, that just wasn’t for me!
The undeniable pull of entertainment was insatiable, and somehow, I dug my way through all of it—and today, I’m a director, a sought-after acting teacher and coach, launching careers and helping actors find their truth. I can hardly believe it myself sometimes…but here I am.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. Is the public version of you the real you?
Absolutely—what you see is what you get. I’m a bad liar, and don’t possess the ability to be anything but real.
I’m colorful and cranky. Ethereal and expressive. Grown-up and playful. Vibrant and exhausted. In mourning and yet joyful. Appropriate and uncensored.
I am everything—and on the right day, you just might get it all.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
I don’t know if people will always see it, but I hope they’ll remember how much care and compassion I gave—how deeply I believed in them. If someone has been in my life, I don’t give up on those who haven’t given up on themselves. And even then, I’ve often held on long after.
I’ve ached for the ones I love when they’ve been disappointed, and I’ve always tried to be fair in every equation. Above all, I’ve lived for my integrity.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://LaurenPatriceNadlerStudios.com
- Instagram: @Laurenpatricenadlerstudios
- Facebook: Lauren Patrice Nadler
- Youtube: @laurenpatricenadlerstudios
Image Credit
Headshot: Nicole Tompkins
