Ryan Stride interviews actress, singer and accent specialist - the amazing Amy Walker Amy Walker is an award-winning actress, writer, singer/songwriter and producer, who is famous for her amazing mastery of a multitude of dialects and singing styles, which she has showcased on her YouTube channel. All over the globe, her one-woman comedy shows have been really successful and earned her many fans. As an actress, she has won various awards, both on TV and on the stage, where she has portrayed many interesting and unique characters. She's also voiced characters in video games and performed live with Jeff Goldblum and made a record with legendary performing artist Jack White for his Third Man Records. Amy founded www.21Accents.com where she shares her passion and unique method of coaching, empowering the next generation of people wishing to learn how to develop their singing, acting and speaking skills. RS: Hello Amy. Super pleased to be able to do this interview with you for The Peace Dimension. May I begin by asking you how you are faring during this year that some people call 2020; others refer to as 'that time I slipped into a slightly weird parallel universe'? AW: (Laughs!) Oooh gosh. You know I've had many experiences where I feel I've been in a parallel universe. This one is different for sure. In general, I tend to take things in stride and go 'OK how can I can grow from these present circumstances'. And this is no different. You know, I've been in post-production for pretty much my entire time for my short film: Into Light. Which my boyfriend Nipun Nair, is almost all of the post production department! So, we've been holed up working on that. And just pouring myself into the next step for that project. And also a time of a lot of inner reflection or inner work. And my partnership - gosh it's deepened. It's like nothing teaches more, if you pay attention, than just being with one other person for sixth months solid. So that's been incredible. But I'm somebody... I tend to say that my primary job, my full-time job, is working on myself. All of the arts, all of the outlets are functions of that practise. I'm definitely taking it all very sincerely...and wearing our masks and not really going out except for groceries. Except for coming here very carefully to do this social distanced outdoor - only 50 people in the audience- play. It's A Doll's House Part 2 and I play Nora. It's a phenomenal play and I'm very honoured to be here. RS: Has the lockdown experience made you do lot of soul searching and made you think something really random or drastic like...actually forget acting and being a creative artist, I want to be a professional video gamer or a stunt woman or a psychologist? AW: The awesome thing about acting is....I can do all of those things! Maybe one day I'll play a video gamer? Just this morning I watched an awesome video about how this gamer was able to use his art to spread awareness about the importance of Black Lives and Black Lives Matter Movement and equality. I loved that. And I did actually get to voice a new character in a fabulous game so that was cool. Psychology is part of my life too. You know I think part of being an artist for me is about, at least once a year, questioning everything and really looking at: What of this is what I really feel called to be? And are there any parts that I am marching towards that are just there to prove something, or there because "I need to be a certain way"? I have definitely been able to peel back some layers of 'oh gosh I thought this needed to look a certain way if I'm going to be a real actress' and getting to peel those back. Everyone says "you have to do this or you have to do that" and I have done it all a really different way... But I am deeply fulfilled every day, doing what I love with phenomenal people I am so inspired by and especially Into Light, our short film, is a testament to that. It's the highest quality in every department. Everyone working on it... I'm passionately grateful to be working with. And the purpose of raising awareness of these true stories that were not written in the history books- and being inspired to vote. You know those are really important things to me. And the journey - looking at the journey of equality, and how that has been imperfect, and who has really pledged their lives to that journey... In some ways, yes, I have been able to peel back layers of what I thought it was supposed to look like and just go for the ride so I am what I meant to be and I don't know what that's gonna look like... it's kind of a day at a time. RS: Of course, we all want you to be the Amy who entertains, teaches and inspires us with your performing skills and passion - in case you needed reminding of that. So, what plans do you have on the horizon? AW: Well...I knew there was going to be a time I was going to be able to talk about this play! Probably none of you will get to see it. Maybe some of you will if you are in the Washington area and you're very well suited up with your mask and can come to Whidbey Island for the first two weeks of August. I wish everybody could come and see it. But it's so timely. Apparently the projects that keep coming to me are about women's history and all of our history really, and empowerment. It's a sequel to A Doll's House written by Lucas Hnath and it won 9 Tonys a few years back. It's a really potent timely project and I have an incredible cast that I'm working with and director. And so yeah, that will be an adventure. [Update since publishing: The theatre has had to postpone this play until Summer 2021, due to new state-wide restrictions prohibiting even distanced, masked live performances]. I'm so so honoured and thrilled that we have dropped the teaser so far for Into Light. And then in August we will be launching the film) and we are looking at a really cool way to launch this as a celebration of the centennial of women - it being on paper- that we have the right to vote and are included in the 'all people' that our constitution was created to protect and honour. I am also working on a poetry book that involves collecting all the poems that I have been writing all my life. And I'm doing it in a way where I'm handwriting them on one page and then on another page, I'm typing them out. Then there's a larger picture of what we're aiming to do with Inez Milholland's story- she's the one that Into Light is about and you can learn more on that at www.intolightofficial.com RS: Now if I may just focus on your voice talents for a moment- when I saw you do the 21 Accents on your YouTube channel what I noticed was that before each accent your whole facial structure seemed to change, especially your eyes. Would you say that the way we can adjust our facial muscles can have a strong effect on our mind? AW: Well yeah, absolutely. I know there's been a lot of research on how when you smile, it's really hard not to feel happy, and vice versa. (Amy drops into an Irish accent here!) For me when I'm feeling different ways I might just drop into a different accent. (Amy now shifts to a New York accent!) Or if you've been following my stuff, sometimes I just wake up in a character and I gotta just record it. But yeah, if I am in a particular mindset, it will make more sense to me to just, you know, drop into some kind of accent. And yeah ok, if you have a lot of jaw tension that is going to make you tense and it's going to make You, who are watching me, feel pretty tense too. If I'm talking through my teeth even if I'm talking about how much I love everything and I'm so comfortable: how could I feel very comfortable? So, I think it definitely influences your mind. RS: With each accent you would do it seemed that not only your facial expression and manner would change but also your whole character. I was trying to figure out how much of that was based on the emotion and traits you were projecting into each persona and how much of that was based on my own experiences and perceptions of those accents and regions. Seems our accents are embedded with history, our ancestor's journeys and much much more. Could you share your thoughts on all of this? AW: I could...how many hours do you have?! There is a lot to unpack there. So this is interesting - I mean this goes to: What is a character...really? As you may know I went to university in Australia. I lived there for a year and a half - the University of Wollongong. Yay The Gong! I spoke in an Australian accent as that was the easiest for me- it made the most sense. But I wasn't being "a character", I was being me. I was never hiding anything. If somebody was like: "Ah yeah did you grow up in Sydney or Melbourne?" I'd be like: " No, Seattle. " I wasn't like: "Yeah right, I grew up in Sydney". you know. I think the difference for me is that I have made it a practise of getting so comfortable of whatever accent it is, that I am just me in that accent. And then if I am further going into a character I can take all the parts and bits and pieces of myself and rearrange them, and so then my same light shines through. First I make it feel like me, and be super comfortable. And if I need to further shape that into a character, I'll just shape the bits and pieces and then it looks different. So, for me I like to play with how I perceive accents and the content they are saying through that lens. There are parts that are embodied in the sounds of an accent that are universally felt a certain way. And just like a rumour or just like a stereo type, some of that might be based on a past truth, or experience, or ethos, but that doesn't mean that it applies now. RS: One terrific actress who has conveyed various accents particularly in the popular series Killing Eve where she plays an assassin is Jodie Comer. In the show she does everything from French to Russian to Italian. Would you ever like to play a character like that on screen who has a need and an ability to switch accents and manner so smoothly? AW: Yes, the two areas that I love the most as an actor are, somebody who is switching seamlessly and; I love a bio pic. So, if I have to be very specifically one person and study them (like the nerd that I am) and really hone in on their particular way of moving and sounding and viewing the world - I love that. RS: You've used your voice acting talents in various computer games including Fallout 76 and also as the voice of a character called Lunara in the game Heroes of the Storm. So, speaking of assassins, I looked this up and Lunara seems to be a green haired centaur like character who is... an assassin? Amy how do you prepare for a character like this? AW: Well Lunara was described to me by the director as "the thorn who protects the rose of the forest". That she is a protector of the forest. And as a vegan I can get behind that and I think that's really cool. Roses have thorns and they protect the rose. I think an assassin is more like someone who is hired to kill someone else and my understanding of the game is that is not an accurate description of the character. And my character in Fallout 76 is a robot nanny and she is not an assassin of course! (Amy says that part in a French accent). She is very fun...very funny. I didn't even remember auditioning for that role. I showed up and they said by the way she is French. So yeah they tend to be very secretive about games and tell you pretty much nothing. You'll get a description assuming it's something you went and auditioned for. And then you'll come in and then you'll learn about the world. You often don't even know what game you're auditioning for because they'll be very secretive. RS: There seems to be this interesting crossover where gaming companies or even live animation productions make use of talented film actors and actresses to bring life to their gaming characters. Mark Hamil who although most famous for playing Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars films has become especially well known as a voice actor. Are you familiar with Mark's voice work? AW: Not super. I need to go look him up now. Of course, he's Luke Skywalker and I follow him on social media because I think he is brilliant, funny and has a good point of view. But no, I am not really (familiar with his VO work). So, yay Mark, I will check you out more! RS: Yes, he seems to have a fun sense of humour and many fans. Now Amy, performers often devote a lot of time to preparing the body for certain film, TV or stage roles. Are there any mind/body or physical training routines you like to use, such as Yoga, Pilates or breathing techniques? AW: Yeah, I have several. I like to run. I like to do trail running. I do Yoga. It kind of comes in waves. There were times where I did it every day and I am getting more into Qi Gong. I think if there is a role that requires a certain particular regime or relationship to a certain kind of food or body, then you can create that. A couple that come to mind when I played Irena Synkova in I Never saw Another Butterfly. She was in the concentration camp Theresienstadt. I had no real experience of rationing and so I spent three days- I walked from this house actually. I had a backpack and a trench coat and just the clothes on me. And I had a piece of bread I think, a hard-boiled egg, one carrot, one square of chocolate. I think that was it, and water. I walked from here to the ferry which is- I don't know how many miles - several, so it took a while and then I took the ferry to the bus. Then I took the bus to the train in Seattle. And I took the train down as far as it would go, in Oregon. I spent three days not having a place to stay. I had no experience with rationing. It's a different thing when you are fasting. I have fasted for a week or ten days for different spiritual things, to get more clear or connected. But when you know you are not going to eat, it's really different than when you have this much food and you have to take a little bite of it and put it away. To my mind that's harder and then, not having a place to stay. I thought I'll just sleep in the train station. They closed it and so it was scary and weird and fascinating to walk the streets and have people look at me like I was homeless. Which for those days I was. I do abs and arms and run and have certain things that I don't eat. I haven't had anyhting like being in a Marvel movie yet, so I haven't had to do a big training thing. I did do Mixed Martial Arts for my first two years in LA, and I liked getting into a different way of being in my body. So yeah, I am open to it. When I played Helen Keller in The Miracle Worker I spent a year blind folding myself, practising going outside. And still if the lights go out, I don't turn them on. I still love to feel my way around and trust that I know where my tooth paste is; and I would play the piano blind folded. I like getting into my body in different ways. RS: Wow Amy, you really prepare for your roles in an intense way. I really got a sense of that rationing journey you went on. That's impressive. Earlier, we discussed about accents and their connection to character, or at least perception of character. Do you find that when you apply certain accents you start thinking or behaving in a way that's very different to your normal every day self? AW: Absolutely. It seems to me that there are frequencies or energetic patterns where a character exists. Thought patterns that exist that I will tap into. And when I am in that I am not deciding; I am allowing. It's the same for me when I played Nancy in Oliver. Every time before that show- that show nearly did me in, I sprained my ankle. I got so sick. It was the only time I ever was not able to come onto the stage. For two shows I completely lost my voice. But I would meditate each time and ask that women whose stories resonated with Nancy's- that they would live in me . That I would be able to tell their story. So yes, I will meditate, just like I will when I do the Celebrity Sketches, and I will feel like I am in a different thread of action. RS: I sense you go deep into your characters so that's really interesting regarding how you connect with the character and what they represent... what they have had to go through. I show people how using meditation techniques can really help in so many different ways especially during difficult times like 2020! I mention a lot more about this in my book The Peace Dimension. You seem like a very positive person so, Amy, what helps you gain your sense of hope and get your energy to a good place? AW: That's a great question. I do meditate daily, at least in the morning and almost always at night. That for me is invaluable. I have to be at that peaceful place within myself. And just surrounding myself with good people who keep me really honest about myself. Talking about things before I make a big decision or a reactive decision. And meditating on things, so that I feel that I am not just stuck in my little view of it but that I can really release any of that pent-up energy. Watching inspiring films and television are very helpful. I am watching Mrs American right now which is phenomenal. Reading. I love Penney Peirce- she is one of my favourites. I love The Gene Keys by Richard Rudd. Writing and sharing... The Beauty of Accents- The Amy Walker Interview continues in part 2. To see a full video of this interview with Amy and hear these amazing accents, please visit Amy's YouTube channel. Amy's website is www.amywalkeronline.com/ The Peace Dimension by Ryan Stride is available on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk Copyright © Ryan Stride 2020 All rights reserved Comments are closed.
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AuthorBorn in London, England, Ryan wishes to share with people how the mystical can be found in the moment, allowing great things to happen. Ryan is also a writer and social commentator who is currently working on a script and several new book titles. ArchivesCategories |