Drama Studio London tutor enjoys success as an actor and Oscar-nominated producer
Intro
Drama Studio London alumnus and tutor Henry Hereford, who teaches screen acting, has worked on films including the Academy Award-nominated To Leslie.
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When Media Tutor and Drama Studio London (DSL) alumnus Henry Hereford, who teaches screen acting, first graduated, the industry was a very different place to what it is today. You couldn’t do more than one thing.
“It wanted to put you in a box - you were an actor or a director or a casting director or a producer. One actor friend successfully cast a Channel 4 series but had to do it under a different name as the industry wouldn’t approve,”
he says.
Thankfully, Henry adds, things have changed for the better. Now you really can do everything.
In 2023, I was a co-producer on ‘To Leslie’, which shook up Hollywood with its Oscar nomination for Andrea Riseborough, while also starring as an actor in the feature film ‘Luther: The Fallen Sun’, which was the top film on Netflix for April. I also shot a national commercial for Amazon and taught DSL students self-taping practice,”
he says.
As a student at DSL Henry recalls being told that his career would be his own unique journey:
it might take a while, but this was the best advice I ever got.”
His journey took him to Australia and then to the USA, where he worked as an actor for 12 years, before continuing his career back in London.
“While I was in Los Angeles, a good friend who had written a film offered me a role but also asked if I would help her produce it. It wasn’t something I had ever done before, but I really enjoyed being part of the project from the script stage and seeing it through to its release on Amazon.
Through this experience I learned the process from beginning to end. Even though it can take years, it is incredibly rewarding, and I discovered another passion,”
Henry recalls.
From that moment, Henry began attaching himself to other projects.
When I read the script of ‘To Leslie’ to say I was blown away would be an understatement. Five years later and a shoot in a pre-vaccine COVID world Andrea was being nominated for an Academy Award.”
They say you need at least seven concurrent projects because they will all move at different rates, Henry explains:
Currently I’m working on my seven projects! They include a short film ‘Violin Boy’, a family story set against the backdrop of knife crime, and a road trip movie with a twist that has just attached ‘I Hate Suzy’ star Daniel Ings and ‘Superstore’ comedy legend Mark McKinney.”
Drama Studio London
Drama Studio London, part of the University of West London, offers demanding training, delivered by professional actors who will help bring out the very best you have to offer, hone your ability and skills and have you industry-ready by graduation.
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