April 17, 2017

Meet Margie Haber of Margie Haber Studio in West Hollywood

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Margie Haber.

Margie, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
With over 40 years of experience, I have been known as Hollywood’s top audition coach. While this is how I began my career, my philosophy empowers actors to create strong ‘characters’ for both auditions and booked roles in TV, film and stage, as well as finding their own power in their lives.

I have always given all to my students. It was while teaching at the Lee Strasberg Institute in the 1970’s that I noticed actors were confident at scene study but struggling with the audition process. Using my past experience as a speech therapist combined with my acting experience, I developed the internationally recognized Haber Phrasing™ and a 10-step instinctual approach to cold reading and auditions.

The Margie Haber Studio opened in 1986 and just a few years later, two of my clients, Brad Pitt and Michael Easton, were testing for the same role in the film “Thelma & Louise”. That was Pitt’s career breakthrough role, and I have helped thousands of other actors do the same ever since.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Has anyone’s journey been smooth?! As human beings, we struggle with so many obstacles and that becomes a part of the journey we take as teachers. If I had stayed the teacher I was when I started 45 years ago, I would have had a difficult time. As the business has changed, so have I. There are a lot more self-tapes now, versus in the earlier years, actors had the opportunity to meet casting directors in generals and get to know them. Self-tapes have become a benefit to actors in that they can create the “slices of life” previously and then edit the actual audition themselves.

A big obstacle for me was how was I going to reach the world outside of LA? Ten years ago, I created the wonderful International Studies Program which has given opportunities for people all over the world to participate in a 2-week educational workshop at my studio. It is mind blowing to witness the amazing changes these people go through in such a short space of time both in life and as an actor.

I also felt that my book “How to Get the Part Without Falling apart” – though it is a great book, it doesn’t give actors the opportunity to live in the behavior – they can read about it but they can’t watch me live in the behavior. A solution for this challenge was creating my “Stop Acting” app, which enabled actors to watch the process of creation versus doing it intellectually.

So, let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Margie Haber Studio story. Tell us more about the business.
I am an author and an acting coach known as an “Audition Guru” for film and television. However, the journey I have taken over the many years of teaching has expanded that specialty into helping actors find their power. Actors become very frightened when they walk into a room because they feel they are going to be judged. Usually, the stakes are very high in that they need money, they are afraid they will lose representation or they will be a failure. My job is to take them away from being desperate about booking and doing well and replace it with the love of creating a life. Whether it is in an hour, a week, or as a series regular. This philosophy of creating a life sets me apart from other acting coaches. I actually don’t see myself as an acting coach but more of a behaviorist who focuses on relationships.

Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I think in order for luck to happen we have to be willing to put ourselves in the situation where we can risk to be seen. My luck started when I was singing in New York in 1968, and as luck would have it I came early for my private session with my voice coach. Mary Wilson from the Supremes was just finishing her lesson and asked me to get up and sing with her while she worked on her new song. That fortuitous moment changed my life. In 1970, my best friend Mary asked me to move to Hollywood and live with her. I took that risk and that was the start of my career.

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