Michael Woolson

Michael Woolson is an American acting coach, author, director,^[1] and founder of the Michael Woolson Studio in Los Angeles, California.

Michael Woolson on the cover of The Work of an Actor - Photographed by Annie McElwain 2010

Coaching career

After spending ten years as a working actor,^[2] Michael Woolson began his career as an acting coach^[2] in 1999 when he began teaching at the Larry Moss Studio. In 2001, Woolson built and founded the Michael Woolson Studio just outside Beverly Hills where he and his staff conduct classes, as well as produce and direct theatrical productions. He has become one of the most prominent and respected acting coaches in Los Angeles having worked with a number of Academy Award nominees and winners, including 2023 Golden Globe Winners, Austin Butler (“Elivs“) & Evan Peters (“Dahmer-Monster: The Jerffery Dahmer Story“). He is recognized for his unique ability to cultivate depth and authenticity from his students in an environment that is nurturing and inspiring. ^[3]

Publications

Michael has published two books on acting: The Work of an Actor, an in depth guide in which he details acting techniques, and Emotion on Demand: An Actor’s Workbook for Mastering Emotional Triggers, a workbook that guides actors through exercises to achieve greater emotional connectivity.^[4]

Clients

Michael Woolson has coached several notable performers, from talented up-and-comers to award-winning actors. Some examples include the following:

• Austin Butler ^[5]
• Evan Peters
• Hailee Steinfeld attributes her Academy Award nominated performance in True Grit to Woolson's coaching.^[6]
• Rudy Pankow^[7]
• Brie Larson
• Sydney Sweeney
• Dennis Quaid
• Joey King
• Mila Kunis
• Kyle Gallner
• Hilary Duff
• Abigail Breslin
• Chiara Aurelia
• Justin Chon
• Jeanine Mason