Endorsements

"Everything you taught me was more than useful. I am deeply grateful." - ALEJANDRO GONZÁLEZ IÑÁRRITU, director, THE REVENANT, BIRDMAN, BIUTIFUL, BABEL, 21 GRAMS, AMORES PERROS 

"Thank you for teaching me how to direct actors. Taking your classes made me believe I could direct. Taking your classes gave me a base, a foundation, a framework to find my own style. To step out on faith. I'm forever grateful. Love and respect to you, magnificent Judith Weston." - AVA DuVERNAY, director, WHEN THEY SEE US, QUEEN SUGAR, A WRINKLE IN TIME, SELMA, SCANDAL, MIDDLE OF NOWHERE 

“I am eternally grateful for your help.” - TAIKA WAITITI, writer-director, JOJO RABBIT, THOR RAGNAROK, HUNT FOR THE WILDERPEOPLE, WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS, BOY, EAGLE VS SHARK, FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS

"Judith Weston is an extraordinarily gifted teacher. She doesn't so much explain as she changes your consciousness of the creative process and restores your confidence in it, through acting. I was delighted to find out that what I had always perceived as the over-intellectualizing, self-regarding methodology of The Actor is in fact just the reverse - a kit of concrete, practical tools to make the ineffable reachable, time and time again over many takes or performances." - DAVID CHASE, creator, executive producer, writer, and director of THE SOPRANOS

“Judith, you have had such a profound effect on my work as an actress. It was such a stroke of luck that I found your class when I did and I know that my work blossomed so much since I started studying with you. I hear your voice often (probably daily) when it comes to my work. And I just want you to know how grateful I am that I found your class not only because you are so inspiring as a teacher but also an amazing woman that I can look up to.” – CAITRIONA BALFE, female lead, FORD V FERRARI, OUTLANDER

"Judith's method is wonderful because it is practical. She has given me numerous tools to solve problems on the set and to earn the trust of actors. Her classes and her book are invaluable resources to any director." - LAWRENCE TRILLING, director, GOLIATH, RECTIFY, PARENTHOOD, MASTERS OF SEX, PUSHING DAISIES, DAMAGES, BROTHERS AND SISTERS, NIP/TUCK, MONK, SCRUBS, INVASION, ALIAS, FELICITY

“I took a seminar with an acting teacher named Judith Weston. I learned a key insight to character. She believed that all well-drawn characters have a spine, and the idea is that the character has an inner motor, a dominant, unconscious goal that they’re striving for, an itch that they can’t scratch. I took to this like a duck to water.” - ANDREW STANTON [from his Feb 2012 TED Talk] writer-director, FINDING DORY, WALL-E, FINDING NEMO, A BUG’S LIFE; director, BETTER CALL SAUL, STRANGER THINGS; writer, TOY STORY, TOY STORY 2, TOY STORY 3

"Directing my first movie would have been impossible without Judith's book, 'Directing Actors.' Her insights taught me how to audition actors, how to cast intelligently, how to rehearse. When production began, I cribbed a set of Weston reminders on to a 3-by-5 index card, and kept it in my shirt pocket every single day of shooting. She saved me." - BILLY RAY, writer-director, A HIGHER LOYALTY (in production), THE LAST TYCOON, SHATTERED GLASS, BREACH; writer, CAPTAIN PHILLIPS, THE HUNGER GAMES, STATE OF PLAY, FLIGHTPLAN

“I love talking to Judith about story and character. She is truly interested in what make people tick and how that is the heart of storytelling. I've had many conversations with her, and always walked away infected by her curiosity. More importantly - with the feeling that we are all in this together, and we might not understand this thing in which we are together fully, or all the time. But we can try to, one story at a time.” - RITESH BATRA, director, THE LUNCHBOX, THE SENSE OF AN ENDING, OUR SOULS AT NIGHT, PHOTOGRAPH

"Yes, Judith is the secret weapon for so many talented filmmakers. But she’s also that restaurant where the food is so delicious, you don’t want to tell anyone about it for fear you won’t be able to get a table one day when you are really hungry. So against my better judgment, here goes… Not only is Judith my single best resource as a director, she's simply one of the best and most generous teachers I've ever had. I would not consider making a film without getting her input at each stage in the process. Her workshops were the starting place for me in breaking down artificial but stubborn walls between actor and director; between director and screenplay. Once addicted, I began working privately with her, and have found her as inspiring in the writing process as she is in the casting process. As energizing during shooting as during the edit. As useful on a narrative film, as on a documentary. Known for her insight into scripts and actors, her gifts extend to all aspects of storytelling, and beyond that to life. When I am shooting, she is often my first call in the morning and my last call at night. But Judith is no Yoda-like figure trafficking in abstractions. She is immensely practical – unafraid to get down in the dirt, to argue, conspire, cajole, to give you the tools you need to overcome each day’s obstacles by any means necessary to make a scene, a moment, great. Perhaps rarest of all, she’s willing (kindly, constructively, but firmly) to give you the bad news, when something you’ve worked hard on still just isn’t that interesting. But there’s seldom a pause between that revelation and the moment when she calls your attention to the idea that helps you get the enterprise back on track. I wish I could carry her with me every day." - ANDREW JARECKI, director/producer, THE JINX: THE LIFE AND DEATHS OF ROBERT DURST, ALL GOOD THINGS, CATFISH, CAPTURING THE FRIEDMANS

“Judith helps you understand the actor's process in a way that is intuitive and applicable, and she is also an incredibly talented script analyst. Her analysis of my original pilot script taught me things about the characters I'd created and the world they inhabited that I'd never even realized were there. I highly recommend her to any director, or anyone, who wants to improve their ability to work with actors. Her teaching has been invaluable to me.” - TED HUMPHREY, executive producer, writer and director, THE GOOD WIFE 

"Animation is a very collaborative art form, but participating in Judith's workshops - both as actor and director - taught me more about the uniquely creative process of collaborating than twenty years in animation. In my profession, the actor is often seen as just a voice, recorded in isolation, cut up and then reassembled. I found Judith's book, and later her workshops, bridged a huge gap in my education as a director helping me better understand the actor's process. Judith clarifies the unique relationship between actor and director. She shows you how to promote an atmosphere of safety, allowing creative spontaneity between you and your actors. The value of this cannot be overstated. When you are free to explore ideas without fearing loss of control, great things can happen." - VICKY JENSON, co-director, SHARK TALE, SHREK

“Judith Weston taught me how to listen – what she called ‘listening with your whole body.’ She taught me about the power and the magic of the subconscious world. She showed me doors and windows and portals into creative possibilities I scarcely knew existed. Her wisdom changed the way I write, the way I direct actors – and, with no exaggeration, the way I look at life.” - MARK FERGUS, writer/creator, THE EXPANSE; co-writer: CHILDREN OF MEN, IRON MAN; director: FIRST SNOW

"I bought a copy of ‘Directing Actors’ about ten years ago, right before I directed GHOST WORLD. Looking back through it today, the thing that struck me, is how dog-eared and tattered it is, which speaks volumes about just how much I referred to it. It's a terrific book - concise, insightful, and practical - and has helped me enormously. Thanks Judith!" - TERRY ZWIGOFF, director, BAD SANTA, GHOST WORLD, CRUMB

“Judith Weston gave me the greatest gift you can give to a first-time director - she gave me confidence in my ability to work with actors. What my actors didn't know is that most of the brilliant direction I gave them was ripped straight from her book, 'Directing Actors.' Thank god they had not read it! She is my mentor. She is my friend. I will be forever grateful for her extremely hands on and applicable advice for directing actors and I know I will use it for the rest of my career. She has a contagious love of the process and an unbelievable understanding of human emotion. I would not be where I am today if it had not been for her.” - SHANA FESTE, writer-director, RUN SWEETHEART RUN, BOUNDARIES, ENDLESS LOVE, COUNTRY STRONG, THE GREATEST

"Judith Weston is not a drama teacher, she is an art teacher. She understands that at the heart of great drama is a powerful mystery. What she shows you in her workshops and her book are simple and effective tools that help you get deeper and deeper into that rich, complex and surprising place." - DAVID JACOBSON, writer-director, DAHMER, DOWN IN THE VALLEY

“Judith, you have so much integrity and I love how throughout the years you have encouraged me to keep it honest and real and to trust my instincts. It feels so good to be able to go to sleep and know that my work has integrity, that I have kept it honest to the story, to myself, to the characters. I also like how you help me to break down the humongous task of directing into smaller, doable steps. And most of all that you encourage me to look inside me for the answers, and to trust my instincts and my passion, which are ultimately my most important asset as a director.” - PATRICIA CARDOSO, director, REAL WOMEN HAVE CURVES, QUEEN SUGAR, EMERGENCE, RO, LIES IN PLAIN SIGHT, MEDDLING MOM

“In your classes I learned to love actors and acting. The experience opened for me the secret door to the magic I witnessed when actor and material find each other in just the right way. What I once thought were 'happy accidents' and performance miracles are now the kernels of creativity I relentlessly pursue with an actor finding a performance. You helped me find that part I could play in the process and how to capture it.” - FRED TOYE, director, WATCHMEN, THE MAN IN THE HIGH CASTLE, THE BOYS, THE GOOD FIGHT, WESTWORLD, THE GOOD WIFE, PERSON OF INTEREST, RIZZOLI & ISLES, FRINGE, CHUCK, CSI:NY, LOST, BROTHERS AND SISTERS, GHOST WHISPERER

"Yesterday I rocked a huge video game session 100% Judith style!!!! Through and through! We got amazing reads, amazing moments, and amazing scenes. The actors told me they had never done a video game session like this before...and found the whole experience to be much more enriching and empowering. Once I sat in my director's chair, your super powers downloaded into me...and everything felt so super natural. All the scary transformative moments I've had in your class really paid off. I felt like you were sitting right next to me. And I can never begin to thank you for all that you've done for me. I'm simply not the same person I was when I started my journey with you." - ANDREA TOYIAS, Voice Director, Blizzard Entertainment, WORLD OF WARCRAFT / DIABLO / STARCRAFT

"Judith Weston is a great teacher. She's inspired me to be interested in people more than concepts, behavior more than attitudes, process more than results. In her classes I've learned to ask more questions, to trust what is happening, and to always be willing to dig deeper. She is the kind of teacher who makes me excited about taking chances." - NORMAN BUCKLEY, director, PRETTY LITTLE LIARS, THE FOSTERS, RIZZOLI & ISLES, JANE THE VIRGIN, GOSSIP GIRL, CHUCK, THE O.C.

“I really wanted to thank you because I know that I could have not done it without the knowledge I got from you. You will always be one of the greatest teachers I've ever had and I'm truly proud to be one of your students. Thank you for teaching me to love my actors.” - TANEL TOOM, writer-director, TRUTH AND JUSTICE, shortlisted for 2020 Academy Awards International Film; THE CONFESSION (nominated for Academy Award, Live Action Short Film, 2011)

"Judith Weston has a genius for finding the soul of a script and helping directors and actors bring it to life on screen. She uses philosophy, psychology, and an ardent analysis of the human condition to achieve performances that are profound and real. Judith taught me how to communicate with actors in a completely new way, and what I learned from her has had a huge influence over both my work and my life. She is an incredible communicator, a gifted teacher, and a remarkable human being. I can't recommend her classes highly enough for directors and actors who want to bring more emotional truth to their craft." - JULIUS RAMSAY, director, THE WALKING DEAD

"Judith's ideas and principles are incredibly useful when it comes to giving clear, actionable direction to actors. To anyone aspiring to direct, I would recommend making her classroom one of your first stops." - LEV L. SPIRO, director, MODERN FAMILY, UGLY BETTY, WEEDS, EVERYBODY HATES CHRIS, ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT, ARLI$$, THE O.C., EVERWOOD, GILMORE GIRLS

“Your workshop was wonderful in letting me know that many of the things I am already doing are the correct way of dealing with actors and taught me other things that add to that knowledge. And your patience and unbridled energy and passion for what you teach is more than admirable, it is inspiring. So thank you once again for this wonderful experience, one I will never forget and that will continue to help me on this path on which I am forever learning about new and wonderful things.” - MICHAEL TRIM, director, ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK, WEEDS, PARKS AND RECREATION

"A book that is exciting for beginners and extremely useful for professionals; that is both 'how-to' and 'self-help'; and one that inspires not only the mind but the heart as well. 'Directing Actors' is the best book out there!" - PETER WERNER, director, JUSTIFIED, BLUE BLOODS, GRIMM, LAW & ORDER: SVU, ELEMENTARY, MEDIUM, ARMY WIVES, UNFORGETTABLE, MOONLIGHTING

"Judith, you're the one that gave me the tools for success with actors!" - KAREN GAVIOLA, director, SONS OF ANARCHY, CRIMINAL MINDS, CSI, NCIS, BLUE BLOODS, CSI: Miami, CASTLE, PRIVATE PRACTICE, LOST, GHOST WHISPERER, PRISON BREAK, BROTHERS AND SISTERS, NYPD BLUE

"Judith's thoughts and insights have proven indispensable to me with every project I direct. Her approach is not a prepackaged plan. She gives you the fundamental tools and ideas to make your preparation, planning and execution deeply personal and inspired. I know my own work and career have been permanently informed by the things I've learned by working with Judith." - ROBERT DUNCAN MCNEILL, director, SUBURGATORY, THE MENTALIST, SUPERNATURAL, WHITE COLLAR, CHUCK, LAS VEGAS, DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES, THE O.C., STAR TREK: ENTERPRISE, STAR TREK: VOYAGER, DAWSON’S CREEK

"Many directors are on uneasy ground when giving actable adjustments to actors. Judith's ideas and tools can provide you a firm footing and revolutionize your approach. I believe that working with Judith's ideas and principles has been the most useful time I've spent preparing for my work." - JOHN PATTERSON, director, THE SOPRANOS, SIX FEET UNDER, CARNIVALE, THE PRACTICE, LAW AND ORDER

"Judith's 'Acting for Directors' cleaned out 'badly comfortable' directorial habits, accumulated over the years, and blew a fresh wind through my system. Especially when directing episodic TV, where speed is so important, we need a concise language to communicate not only with the crew, but especially with our actors. And for some odd reason, this language is still a 'foreign' language to most of us. In Judith's class we discover that this foreign language is actually our 'native' tongue, that we have it within us, that it is fun. And then we get to play! This class should be mandatory for every director, new or veteran, who has the desire to explore his craft deeper and bring out better performances in his actors." - WINRICH KOLBE, director, "24", ANGEL, PREY, STAR TREK:VOYAGER, STAR TREK:NEXT GENERATION, STAR TREK:DEEP SPACE NINE

"Judith Weston's 'Directing Actors' (seminar and book) gave me my first real insight into the work of the actor and the relationship between actor and director. Practical, scary and inspiring, it taught me to think in new ways and turned out to be the ideal introduction to the impossible task that lay ahead." - HENRY BEAN, writer-director, THE BELIEVER (Sundance 2001 grand jury prize winner)

"When I began directing my first feature film my greatest apprehension was working with actors. I had no idea how I was going to do it. I didn't know where to begin. I was full of doubt and fear. Because of Judith's books and classes that fear became the source of my greatest pleasure and satisfaction on the movie. Her teachings gave me confidence and insight and real practical, useful tools to do good work. Before every session with an actor I would go over my script pages and re-read Judith's books and my notes from her classes. This 'homework' allowed me to walk into those sessions with the confidence born of preparation and a joyful heart at the thought of the adventure to come. I now love working with actors and know that this will be a lifelong journey of discovery. It is a journey I would never have had the courage to take without Judith's wisdom to guide me." - JOHN STEVENSON, director, KUNG FU PANDA

“Judith Weston’s book effectively encapsulates many of the concepts that great directors and acting teachers have used for decades.” - JOHN BADHAM, director, SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER, WARGAMES, BLUE THUNDER, NICK OF TIME, STAKEOUT, DRACULA, BIRD ON A WIRE, plus multiple episodes of many television shows

"Judith Weston has taught me about more than directing. She has taught me about life. Her deep understanding of the human condition serves as a constant reminder that filmmaking is a mirror of the soul. Whether she is guiding a director in rehearsal technique, or an actor in bringing life to a scene, her intention is always to break through facades and reveal the truth of the underlying human experience. If you take a Judith Weston class, prepare to be pushed beyond your comfort zone and into the terrifying and exhilarating world just beyond, the world where your art and your heart become one. You will never look at directing, or life, the same way again." - KAMRAN PASHA, writer-producer, NIKITA, KINGS, SLEEPER CELL

"Judith Weston is a secret treasure for directors. She offers practical tools to help you get a deeper understanding of the script and of the characters, and then helps you develop a language to communicate your ideas in a way that corresponds to the actor's process. What's more, she does all of this in a way that encourages spontaneity and creativity." - JEFFREY FRIEDMAN and ROB EPSTEIN, directors, LINDA RONDSTADT: THE SOUND OF MY VOICE; HOWL; THE TIMES OF HARVEY MILK; PARAGRAPH 175; THE CELLULOID CLOSET; COMMON THREADS: STORIES FROM THE QUILT

“You've taught me the essential tools so I could carry on with the visions that haunt me day and night and to embrace the process which I will continue to learn. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”- DEJA PREM, writer/producer/director/actor at Green Coco Production

"In one weekend, Judith Weston will either teach you, or reconnect you, with the process of acting. Her overview of styles and methods are invaluable to anyone who has to deal with actors. And her class is easy to reach from most major freeways. For these reasons, and more, I strongly recommend that you take it." - ZAK PENN, screenwriter, THE AVENGERS, THE INCREDIBLE HULK, X-MEN:THE LAST STAND, ELEKTRA, BEHIND ENEMY LINES, INSPECTOR GADGET, LAST ACTION HERO

"Judith Weston understands the complex relationship that exists between actor and director. She demystifies the psychology of actors by explaining in simple terms what they need from the director in order to bring their roles to life. Whether a first-time director or an experienced veteran, you'll benefit from listening to Judith Weston." - MARK STEVEN JOHNSON, director, GHOST RIDER, KILLING SEASON 

"After living on movie sets for over fifteen years, Judith's class opened a door for me to an aspect of that creative process about which I had never really been aware - acting. Her teaching style is organic, logical and extremely helpful." - RON JUDKINS, production sound mixer, LINCOLN, MINORITY REPORT, PUNCH DRUNK LOVE, ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE:AI, SAVING PRIVATE RYAN, SCHINDLER'S LIST

"Thanks for the superb directing class. I learned so much." - DARRYL BATES, editor, 2 BROKE GIRLS, HOT IN CLEVELAND, GILMORE GIRLS, BECKER

“I had a very interesting opportunity to employ your directing techniques earlier this year. I’ve been making a 3D Imax movie of U2 in concert, and Bono was having trouble with certain parts of his performance on stage. We worked on taking his attention off himself and placing it on the audience, finding a strong intention, using verbs and concentrating on the effect he was having on his audience. He really got into it saying that no one had ever worked with him in such a clear and helpful way. Then to see him successfully apply it in front of 80 thousand people was a real treat.” - TOM KRUEGER, cinematographer, U2 3D

"Judith can and will allow you to see with new eyes." - DENNIS GASSNER, production design, I917, BLADE RUNNER 2049, SKYFALL, QUANTUM OF SOLACE, THE GOLDEN COMPASS, BIG FISH, O BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU?, THE TRUMAN SHOW, FIELD OF DREAMS, BUGSY, BARTON FINK, MILLER'S CROSSING