Congrats to ACT Contributor and Teacher,
voted best La Kid's teacher!
ACT WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE AUTHOR, ACTOR, PRODUCER,
ACTING COACH (AND SO MUCH MORE)
Donna Rusch
ACT Contributor
Spotlight
Backstage Choice Winner Michelle Tomlinson
W
by Judy Kain
What’s the
best piece of
advice you’ve
ever been
given?
Michelle Tomilinson has been contributing to ACT since it's inception,
nearly four years ago. We are honored to have such an accomplished writer,
actor, producer, and more, grace the pages of ACT each issue with her great
insight and heartfelt guidance. As a survivor of Papillary Thyroid Cancer, and a
new mom, Michelle Tomlinson uses her life to spread light, have fun, work hard
I think the best
and taste every moment to its fullest. “AN INTIMATE LOOK with MICHELLE
piece of advice I’ve
TOMLINSON” is her most recent producing endeavor, and is a labor of love.
ever been given was
Tomlinson is excited to share people’s first hand stories from many walks of life.
from a manager at a
Her wish is that these true stories resonate and inspire you to take action in your
TV station I worked
for while in college. His name was Don Johnson (no relation to the actor).
life, in a profound way.
He told me, “Never let anyone make you think you’re not smart. They may
As an accomplished actor, Tomlinson has received rave reviews in several
have more experience than you, but that doesn’t mean they’re smarter
than you.”
feature films, that have hit festivals, theatres and DVD releases. Although she is
What does winning a Backstage Readers’ Choice
Award mean to you?
Honestly, I was absolutely stunned when I was nominated. When I won,
more known for her work in Indie Horror Feature Films, such as “THE CELLAR
DOOR”, “BRAIN DEAD” and “GEORGE’S INTERVENTION,” Tomlinson has also
enjoyed juicy roles in Dramatic Indie Feature Films, such as “UNDERCURRENT”,
I felt a tremendous amount of gratitude to Judy Kain. Judy had faith in
“OFFICER DOWN,” and “ROAD TO THE OPEN.” She has also been in several
me to take on the 4-6 year olds, and later the teens. I felt so grateful to
Short Films and Plays. She currently plays the Series Lead in the Web Series
the parents who would entrust me with their children each week, as well
“KUNG FU FEMMES”.
as my mom, who has always supported my dreams. The support of my
husband has been amazing, because he made it possible for our family
to move to Los Angeles six years ago. Finally I am grateful that God has
made a way for me to pass along the joy of acting to the next generation
Tomlinson also professionally coaches actors of every age, ability and experience level, to book their auditions and to
as a mentor and instructor.
learn more about the craft of acting. She
What advice do you have for anyone who wants to
do what you do?
My advice to all people seeking a career in this or any other business is to
just do what you have a passion to do! You are uniquely made, so follow
your instincts. If you don’t know where to start, seek wise counsel from
someone who does what you would like to do and ask them how they
got there. Take good notes, and go for it!
has several students wh