Today we’d like to introduce you to Lesly Kahn.
Hi Lesly, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start, maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers.
I attended Cornell University and went on to receive a BFA in Acting from New York University and an MFA in Acting from The Yale School of Drama (now the David Geffen School of Drama). I was excited to begin my career as an actor. But I quickly realized that I had two problems: I had a massive amount of student loan debt, and I hadn’t really learned how to act.
A friend of mine suggested that I get a teaching job. I began teaching the “Styles” class at Marymount College while starring in an off-Broadway show written by Ira Levin, for which I received an Outer Circle Critics nomination. By the end of the first semester, I had a full-time schedule teaching and was running the BFA Program in Acting. This was the job that changed my life.
I eventually found my way to Los Angeles, where I appeared on shows such as “The Equalizer,” “Quantum Leap,” and “The Commish,” as well as several movies of the week and a pilot. Despite this success, I really missed the impact I was able to have teaching. I decided to open an acting school in Hollywood, and Lesly Kahn & Company was founded.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The journey to becoming a working actor is probably one of the hardest things anyone must go through, especially at the beginning of their career. I know these challenges all too well as I personally faced them, and I live them every day working with my actors at our studio.
An actor faces a constant barrage of relentless challenges. One of the biggest challenges is competition. Hollywood attracts people from all over the world, and it is difficult to stand out. This is even more challenging in today’s world of social media and the short attention span of our society. Another challenge is a lack of experience. Many actors are ill-prepared in their training (as I was) and have limited opportunities for auditions, and when they do land an audition, they do not have the knowledge or experience to execute what is presented to them. On top of these main challenges, you can add basic survival by dealing with financial instability and uncertain income by having to balance working for a living while pursuing your dream. It takes an enormous amount of emotional resilience to face almost constant rejection and typecasting, while trying to network to build connections in the industry and devote the time to training daily to become a better actor. These are the main challenges that Lesly Kahn & Company seeks to address with our actors as we work very closely with them on all aspects of these challenges.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I spend most of my time in private coaching sessions or classes, working with my actors on scenes from television shows, films, and plays that they have booked or for which they are auditioning. This can be up to fifteen different stories that I get to inhabit every day, from science fiction to drama, to comedy, to horror, and everything in between. I get to be a hero, a nerd, a villain, a femme fatale, a mobster, all in an average day. I have the greatest job in the world.
During the past 30 years, more than 30,000 actors have passed through the doors of Lesly Kahn & Company, with many going on to have successful careers in film, television, and theater – including several who have won or been nominated for an Academy Award, Emmy, or Tony. I am privileged to work with a faculty of approximately 50 acting professionals who teach, train, and prepare thousands of actors every year through a variety of courses, workshops, classes, and individual coaching that cover every aspect of an actor’s career.
I am also very proud of our merit-based scholarship program. For more than 20 years, the program has ensured that exceptionally talented actors from marginalized groups who would not otherwise be able to afford training receive the same opportunities as others.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
When I was in high school, deeply ensconced in the theatre department, my teacher was an amazing woman by the name of Barbara June Greener Patterson. She was a phenomenal educator. She would always say, “Acting is a gift of love, Cherubs.” And it was and still is. I am a teacher today because she was such an amazing role model and so inspiring to me.
Also, during that time, I had a close friend in the theatre department named Josh Rosenzweig. Years later, he happened to be living in LA, and when I moved there, he and all his friends adopted me again. One day we were all having lunch at Farmer’s Market, bemoaning our lives as actors. Someone at the table asked, “When were you last happy?” I said, “When I was teaching.” Josh said, “Start a class. We’re it.” I did. They were. And I am forever in all of their debt.
Along the way, there have been countless actors, agents, managers, producers, directors, studio executives, and casting directors that I have been fortunate enough to collaborate with and learn from, which has made me a better teacher, and I am eternally grateful for their support. At heart, I am still a student and continue to learn and grow by being a part of this community.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://leslykahn.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leslykahn/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LeslyKahnActorTraining/
Image Credits
Lesly Kahn & Company
