About
Hi! I’m Debbie McLeod and I love teaching and helping people! It is my Joy! I am a professional actor and singer, director, teacher & coach, and manager of talent.
Acting and singing are my passions and teaching is my calling! If you choose to work with me you will find that I truly care about you.
My goal is to get to know who you are, what your dreams and visions are, to nurture your gifts and talents, to grow your confidence to believe in yourself, and to encourage you to trust your amazing instincts and abilities.
In our sessions, we will dive into the craft of acting, singing, or voiceover at whatever level you are on, from beginning to professional, giving you tools to help you achieve and sustain your best work for any role or song, in any situation.
My experience as a performer is extensive, having been a SAG-AFTRA working actor for over 30 years and a highly trained singer who has starred on and off-Broadway.
As a master teacher, I hold an MFA in Acting/Directing and have been teaching acting and singing, musical theatre, voiceover, and audition techniques for over 25 years, in professional studios, such as The Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute, in schools, colleges and universities, as well as privately.
In my teaching, coaching, and management, I have had the pleasure and privilege of developing many young people, as well as some more mature folk, into working careers in the acting biz, which is very exciting!
Clients have included Kaley Cuoco (Big Bang Theory), Brianna Cuoco (The Voice), Jack Stanton (The Mick, Outmatched), Gabrielle Christian (Love’s Second Chance - Hallmark movie) and many more.
Can’t wait to meet you and learn more about YOU and how I can help you! 😊
Specialties
Musical styles
Years experience
Able to read music
Lesson length
Student's age
Reviews
Gabrielle C.
Teri D.
Heather C.
Sophia S.
Amy S.
Diane S.
Frequently asked questions
What is your typical process for working with a new student?
My process is to first identify their level of experience. Depending on that and on what they are wanting to study most, we will proceed. For example, for Acting for TV and Film, we will begin with learning to Slate for the camera, interviewing for acting jobs on camera, then on to simple and fun Commercial copy (and Voiceover and Animation copy (if that is their interest), and on to Scenes from TV, Stage, and Film, as well as Monologues. We will also include Improvisation skills. Through all of this I teach Truth in Acting and being as natural as possible- methods pulled from the great teachers, Stanislavsky, Meisner, Strasberg, etc. I help actors go from Stage skills to On-Camera skills, as well. And if they are singers, we can get into that for Animation, in addition to Stage work.
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
I have a B.A. in Acting, Minor in Music from Florida State University. Also an MFA (Master of Fine Arts) in Acting/Directing from California State University Long Beach.
I am a certified performer and teacher from the Manhattan School of Music Professional Musical Theatre Workshop.
Also, I am a trained and certified member of teachers of MICHA (Michael Chekhov Association).
I am a Master Teacher of Acting for over 30 years having taught at Lee Strasberg Film and TV Institutes in NYC and LA, at many colleges and universities, and in my own studio for over 20 years in Burbank. I teach and coach actors and singers daily and am still a working actor. I also manage a small, exclusive group of actors in my McLeod Management company.