Jordan Beswick, CSA
Acting Coach
"It's got to do with putting yourself in other people's shoes and seeing how far you can come to truly understand them. I like the empathy that comes from acting."
- Christian Bale
ACTING COACH
“Jordan does not teach nor train, he lifts you up using your own imagination to create characters in the given circumstances. If you let yourself go, breathe, and focus, it is as much a fun process, as it is above all the greatest gift to an actor. I wouldn’t start a project without having a long conversation about it with him. Thank you, Mr. Beswick. Without you it wouldn’t have happened.”
- Denis Ménochet
"Thank you sincerely for being with me all this time. I'm so grateful. The way we discuss is essential for me. You give meaning to all of this. So important. You are a master."
- Paul Kircher
"Jordan is the Michael Jordan of coaching. He manages to adapt entirely to the actor he has in front of him. As I worked with him, the feeling of being totally open and ready to accept any role arrived. We keep our flame because in addition to all that, the work is always done in pure joy."
- Félix Lefebvre
"What a beautiful observer Jordan is. All of what he saw in Theo in the script of L'été dernier were such beautiful keys."
- Samuel Kircher
"Everything Jordan brings is genius for the actor."
- Suzanne Jouannet
“My experience with Jordan was incredibly fulfilling, as an actor and as a director! I still use quite a few of the things I saw him do at VO/VF, and always remember his patience, dedication and never judgmental way of directing!”
- Alexis Michalik
“There is a before and an after Jordan Beswick. My feelings and my new way of working are obvious, the cinema finally opening its arms to me is proof.”
- Alban Lenoir
"Everyone deserves to have a Jordan in their life. He asks himself and you questions. We don't judge, we search, we learn, and it's beautiful. It enriches the gaze and opens the heart."
- Capucine Valmary
"I met Jordan at a moment of insecurity, of questioning. He gave me confidence by installing in me each character and taking me into spaces of life and imagination with always the same benevolence."
- Khalil Ben Gharbia
"The experience Jordan Beswick shares is unfiltered and endless. The depth and generosity of Jordan's interventions are a treasure for the listening actor who will always find something to enrich himself. Jordan gives and hones the tools to create the very root of the characters being addressed. Using the imagination as an inexhaustible base, allowing the play to go towards the right and simple, in total freedom, tending towards independence, as a total creator, of the character's soul and the universe that surrounds it. The journey is joyful and profound. I recommend the workshop and the meeting with Jordan to all actors who wish to cultivate their art of acting."
- Paul Hamy
"Jordan is an incredible coach and human being who knows how to provide the necessary tools to actors. He is very wise and takes the work beyond the set."
- Ella Pellegrini
“Jordan is like a magician. With his quiet and generous presence, he has the gift to get the strongest emotions out of everyone on stage. He truly loves and understands human beings. You can feel it also in his plays. Personally, I’ve lost count of all the actors that I know, that have been deeply moved by Jordan. He’s simply the most talented of us all. He’s an admirable person.”
- Marie-Julie Baup
“I’d just graduated from the National Conservatory, and Jordan really made me move forward in the emotional process. It was a very positive and constructive way of coaching. He taught me how to create a character deeply connected to my personality. And the most important thing is that he gave me all the confidence I needed. Thank you.”
– Anne Bouvier
“Working with Jordan has been an amazing experience for me. He brings you to the deep heart of your character, making you behave, feel and think like her… He is the internal voice of this thrilling process!”
– Marie Gillain
“Jordan’s method is about finesse, developing your imagination to the max. Never brusque, he tends to you like a mirror and you create the reflection.”
– Alexis Moncorgé
“I needed to RE-invent my process: I trained with Jordan Beswick!”
– Vincent Elbaz
“YOU are the best teacher I’ve ever ever ever had! You made me realize more things about acting in a few weeks than I had ever acknowledged before! You planted seeds in my brain that are finally blooming!”
– Soko
“Jordan is a guide who accompanies us. He does not shape us, he opens our minds so that we dive into the deep complexities of our characters. Once we understand them we become empathetic and everything else follows."
- Alexander Ferrario
"Jordan knows how to spot what is unique in each actor. He opens doors to our imagination, and gives us essential keys for our professional progress...and always in the pleasure of playing."
- Maïté Bufala
"Jordan is an incredible coach. He has a very caring approach and creates a very "safe" workspace. He gave me a new perspective of my job as a director. Jordan, thank you very much."
- Julia Rohart
“My mentor, my greatest guru, therapist, and all time hero.”
– Thorbjørn Harr
“A liberation, an upheaval. Jordan allowed me to discover my potential but also what type of actor I really wanted to be. What happiness.”
- Tristan Zanchi
“It’s a workshop that reconnects with humans. The other becomes the most fascinating being. Jordan has contagious empathy. How lucky to know him.”
- Benicia Makengele
“The work of emotions is done in depth. Jordan is exceptional.”
- Lukas Ionesco
“Jordan is a brilliant coach who knows how to adapt to all types of actors and pushes them to get the best out of themselves. He is an endearing man because of his generosity, his sensitivity and his humor.”
- Aïtor de Calvairac
“Working with Jordan is an incredible opportunity! His way of nourishing each of us, of taking us beyond what we would have given in a scene... It's extraordinary. We are in such a climate of trust, he sees so well in each of us, in our characters, that he allows us to let go of everything and give the right note at the right time. The tools he gives us to approach the characters are essential and being guided by him is a gift!”
- Mama Prassinos
“Jordan is a teacher, a coach and a human person of exceptional professionalism and kindness. This workshop allowed me to touch areas that I had buried within myself for a very long time. I'm going to use this method next week.”
- Pierre Devaux
“The experience was even richer and deeper than I expected. Yes, there is a before and an after. THANKS.”
- Marie-Anne Mestre
“Jordan is one of the rare masters of the dramatic art that we sometimes have the chance to meet. A being of deep humanity, of remarkable intelligence, who reads inside you and accompanies you on the path of inner discovery with delicacy and respect. Working with Jordan is a blessing for actresses and actors who want to know themselves better and who want to get as close as possible to the right emotion and true feeling.”
- Erik Stouvenaker
“Jordan is an excellent coach, who pushes you to surpass yourself while always being kind. I appreciated his kindness and tact linked to his work demands.”
- Clarisse Normand
“It was sublime. Jordan is an absolutely incredible person. It's the best workshop anyone can do in this industry. His kindness and professionalism give you all the tools to be confident on stage or in front of the camera.”
- Jonas Bachan
“Jordan is a miracle for all actors who wish to go further in their acting. With kindness and rigor, he transcends us and it is so beautiful. An internship with him is a human adventure!”
- Fatoumia Mladjao
“Working with Jordan Beswick is the most complete acting experience ever. You work as an actor, as a lawyer, but most of all, he helps you to work as a human. He gives you all of his amazing energy for searching deeply into a character’s life, with all of the understanding and empathy we can have. And you really feel secure, he protects the actor in the work. So you feel free enough to explore and try all you want to. Every year I have the choice to work with someone else, but I always go back to Jordan.”
– Helena Soubeyrand
“To work with Jordan is to realize the power of your own imagination and to trust it to connect you with the characters that you have to play. In this approach, Jordan acts as a guide who invites you to ask yourself the right questions and to avoid the stumbling block of judgment during the process of creation. All in a friendly atmosphere where we learn to create in joy. In three words; Empathy, Enthusiasm and Empower… My wish for you all is to meet Jordan, because much more than the great, talented coach that he is, he is one of the most humane people I have ever met. With all my heart, thank you Jordan!”
– Zineb Triki
“Working with Jordan Beswick is a long trip, a deep process. It’s like taking care of your soul. The way he works is instinctual. You learn to ask the right questions. Go to the essential. Jordan is a real magician. He reveals our fears and at the same time lets us express the child inside of every human being. Jordan is a psychologist. He understands how people’s minds work. You don’t pretend to act like the character you become the character. Jordan spends his time saying: “You’re extraordinary!” That sentence is the essence of his work. It makes us more confident. He is a real guide for me.”
– Jina Djemba
“Working with Jordan means that you’re going to explore things you didn’t expect. You have to accept to feel lost to finally learn more about yourself as an actor. There’s a before and an after Jordan.”
– Vanessa Guide
“When I decided to do Jordan Beswick’s workshop, my first workshop ever, I’d heard pretty much everywhere that his work was fantastic, but yet, I was a bit doubtful. I was terrified to change my habits, to try a new approach, terrified by the idea of failure… Terrified to begin again. After my first day with Jordan and our group, I felt so free. Free to try, free to fail, free to find myself going in places I’d never been… Jordan is everything except judgmental. All he wants is to make you feel free enough to go far beyond what you could expect. He just wants you to be free and surprise yourself. No self-judgment. No boundaries. I can say that he’s changed so many things in me: he gave me confidence, but not only as an actress but as a human being. Words are honestly not enough to describe how powerful Jordan and his workshop are. I only wish I’d started my work with Jordan earlier…”
– Clémentine Poidatz
“Working with Jordan Beswick is an extraordinary experience. He leads you deep into the reality of a role, to places you would not have had the courage to go before. At the end of his workshops you find yourself in a win-win-win situation: the actor in you grew higher, your role became real and you met an extraordinary human being called Jordan Beswick who has a lot to teach about the nature of human beings.”
– Daniela Holtz
“When I met Jordan the first time, I didn’t know if I’d be able one day to be proud of my work, I was really insecure. I took his workshop in Paris, because
everybody told me that he was the best… Jordan is not only the best, he’s a man who completely changed my way of working and my life in a way. There was a before and an after Jordan in my life and career.”
– Cécile Cassel
“There’s only one theatre teacher I’ve ever gotten along with, his name is Jordan Beswick. While others teach you ‘tricks’ and ‘techniques’ that enable you to create intentions and to ‘act’… he teaches you not to act… and that’s why it works with him and I go back to him anytime I need coaching!”
– Max Boublil
“Jordan Beswick is the most amazing coach I’ve ever met, because nobody loves observing and understanding people as much as he does. He sees the deepest in each human being, and knows how to share it in his masterclass. His generosity is endless. I’m so lucky to have crossed his way, as an actress and as a friend.”
– Mona Walravens
“Working with Jordan has been a revelation for me. He helped me not to think as an actor anymore but as the character I was supposed to impersonate. He helped me to breath with it and to relax in order to be and not to show anymore. Working with Jordan is a wonderful journey that never ends but always takes you further and deeper into the magic of acting.”
– Mathieu Delarive
“Jordan Beswick is someone who truly loves people. During his coaching sessions and lessons he’s so much in love with the actors that he totally forgets about himself. You literally have to remind him to eat and drink. I think that’s what you call PASSION.”
– Martin Baden
“I have been acting professionally since 1990, working busily in theater, television and film. I am proud to say that I gained a lot of experience over the years. However, it wasn’t until I met Jordan Beswick that I began to truly understand what acting is really all about. Before him acting was doing for me, the more I did the better I was, I thought. After my revelation with Jordan Beswick I knew that good acting means to ask the right questions, make good and interesting decisions and then let go. And voila suddenly acting was so easy, harmonic, fluent and rewarding. I have done five workshops with Jordan because every time I get to learn something new and I have the opportunity to practice what I’ve already learned. That´s the important thing. Jordan opens your eyes then you as an actor have to practice. But it’s pure joy because you’ve experienced with him how wonderful acting can be and once having experienced that you’ll want to feel it again and again. If you want to dig deeper as an actor, learn how to do less and be more, achieve things as an actor you’ve not even dreamed about, work with Jordan. I personally am looking forward to the next workshop with him. Jordan is the best.”
– Proschat Madani
“It’s hard to say in a few words all the benefits Jordan Beswick brings to you in the way you work and feel. His kindness and professionalism will take you to another level of conscientiousness and he will make you independent with the way you think, the way you work with yourself and others and at the same time, make you feel that he wasn’t there during the entire process. He is a Teacher. One that shows you the door and lets you open it by yourself just by guiding you with passion and heart. His classes are rare and unforgettable. And so is the man. Thanks Jordan.”
– Pierre Cachia
“When I was pregnant…I took a one-month workshop with Jordan Beswick…He quickly figured out this side of me that’s funny but refuses to show anything deep. He kept getting me to work on depressive characters and nervous breakdown scenes. It was horrible. I used to say to myself, “My poor baby, what am I doing to you?” I wasn’t getting it. Jordan made me understand that I had to let go, stop torturing myself and think of the character. Emotions come more easily that way.”
– Alice Taglioni
"I was lucky in my career as a professional boxer to train with Cus Damato, who trained the greatest boxers like Mike Tyson and so on ... my training with Jordan will remain in my memory with that of Mr. Jean Luc Godard, Jérôme Savary and others. Jordan Beswick again thank you for your subtle and generous work towards the actors. Fraternally I embrace you."
- Stephane Ferrara
“Jordan Beswick is the happiest man ever, the most loving, respecting, talented director, he has a deep knowledge of people, of life and acting. To know him and to work with him is a gift every actor should receive.”
– Yvon Martin
“Every actor in the world should meet Jordan at least once in their life. What a present and what a chance! The energy, the love, the joy of acting, the care Jordan gives and communicates through his work and his benevolent look, awakens the creativity, the confidence, the envy in each of us. It’s a magnificent gift!”
– Hélène Seuzaret
“Jordan is simply the best coach for acting!!! As simple as that. He knows how to help you achieve your work. He guides you. Until something emerges. And often I’ve seen miracles. Even unexpected ones! The work with him is always great fun. I love Jordan. Thank you Jordan.”
– Julie Judd
“There is a before and an after Jordan Beswick. I grew up by your side, I understood my job by your side… You brought me where I was afraid to go. I followed you… and understood why I was afraid. Because until you I was doing like… you gave me the keys to BE. Thank you for all the “take a deep breaths” that are still in my heart and continue to help me each day of my life. I will always be your princess with the humungous balls you gave to me!!!!”
– Gaelle Gauthier
“I’ve been working as an actor for over 20 years now, and I’ve worked with many greats directors; they know how to put on a scene, direct a show, but there’s only one person I’ve encountered who really knows actors, who knows their needs and the specifics of their job, and that’s Jordan Beswick. He really helps actors to deal in a very human way with all of the character’s conflicts.”
– Cyril H Dubreuil
“After three years of studying in what is supposed to be the “best acting school” in France I had lost sight of what acting really was; creating a character and connecting with his feelings, genuinely. Jordan’s work allowed me to think and feel from the place of the character. In his workshops he creates a real atmosphere of trust and benevolence which allows the actor to feel totally free to generate huge performances. I often say, Jordan could take a chair and make it win an Oscar!”
– Christophe D’Esposti
“The first time I met Jordan was when he coached me for the lead role of the first film I myself was directing. The result was beyond expectations. Work and pleasure, simplicity and humanity, strength and presence, energy, breathing and relaxation… There is such a variety of words to describe the materials with which he so loves to work. What might define him best would be to say that he works on “being” — and he does it with a passion. The passion of a man for men and women, the emotions that cross and overwhelm them… I continue to take the Studio VO/VF workshops on any possible occasion and, every time, they make me grow. What Jordan gives is such sharp, subtle work for an actor, and so personal, that it fills me with energy, quiet strength, confidence and inspiration. This truly is what Jordan is to me: the one who inspires me to do my utmost. An angel.”
– Pierre-Olivier Mornas
“Jordan Beswick is a wonderful person, director, coach, artist! He loves actors and the actors feel it and become like flowers that blossom! I had the great opportunity to work with Jordan and it was the best experience I’ve ever had. And it lasts forever! I’m not the same anymore. I feel transformed and grateful. Thank you Jordan!”
– Natasha Mashkevich
“It’s hard to describe the work of Jordan. You can write very much about it or nothing at all. For me, his work is about exploring your freedom as an actor and getting rid of your fear of being on stage or in front of the camera. I did a workshop with Jordan 2 ½ years ago and I still live on it. It`s like if you have a lunchbox, which lasts very long and your body, mind and heart take the best things out of it. Dear Jordan, thank you very much for creating a space where I could rediscover trust in me an my work.”
– Sven Hönig
“Jordan Beswick has a unique way to work with actors, because he has a unique way to look at people. He always sees the best in them and slowly helps them make the best of it. You will never hear him speak ill of somebody. For him it is a waste of time. He always concentrates on the good parts and for that and many other things, he is an inspiration. Any actor who has the chance to cross his path is lucky and grateful.”
– Stéphane Foenkinos
“Working with Jordan is such a dream. He allows you to open the doors that were locked or that you didn’t allow yourself to open. He makes you feel as if everything was limitless in your mind and in your body. As if everything was possible to create and feel. As if you can give birth to a human being instead of a character. And it happens. You’re able to create feelings and the skin of your character. Jordan helps you to become an independent actor who has the responsibility to do everything in his power to create life.”
– Sophie Charlotte Husson
“When I first met Jordan at the Studio VO/VF worshop, I was listening to him introduce his way of working and I thought, “This is exactly what I’ve been looking for since I starting acting!” Guess what? It lasted four weeks. Four weeks of truly jumping into deep acting. Jordan has the talent of observing and listening to you with respect and kindness, while very subtly pushing you to achieve your best, which makes you feel free to experience all facets of your characters. Not playing them but feeling like they feel. He gives you simple keys to open your mind and create a space where you let yourself go for something you thought you would never be capable of. But you are! Jordan doesn’t show you how to do it, he helps you get to it by yourself, with simple questions about your character; his thoughts, past, energy, beliefs, feelings and relationships. Then it becomes extraordinarily exciting to create and experience another human being who you may have been afraid of at the first reading. As of this moment, I have done four workshops and many trainings for auditions, plays and movies with Jordan. I really think that every actor and actress should work with someone like Jordan to discover the pleasure of acting.”
– Cyril Aubin
“Jordan Beswick is an excellent director of actors. He has a sensibility and a keen sense of observation that is quite impressive. Watching him in his work and even during breaks he always finds the right words to make you go where it is necessary for you to dig. The scenes he gives you to work are carefully selected according to your needs and weaknesses. It is always positive and a joyous mood. It is a pleasure working with him.”
– Hichem Yacoubi
“Jordan Beswick keeps a very important place in my actor’s memory. Despite the difficulty of the actor’s dirty job, he always knows how to work with joy, humor and patience. He deeply knows how to look at people. He has a remarkable sense of people’s wishes, aspirations, and capacities. He feels what an actor is able to do even before the actor knows it and he is really able to reveal someone to himself. He is also very delicate in his approach which is for me one the most essential qualities for a pedagogue. Jordan loves people first, for what they are, and that’s the reason why he’s a great teacher and why I’ve recommended so many times to my Parisien friends!”
– Volodia Sere
“When I first started working with Jordan Beswick, I discovered I was schizophrenic, or at least a little. The fact is that Jordan helped me reach personalities buried inside me. He shepherded me towards deep emotions that I was hiding or had not yet explored. Working with him is like being parachuted into people’s lives. He is right there by your side, guiding you along your journey, insuring you never get lost. Jordan’s work is like a puppeteer’s, but without the strings; once you have worked with him you have absolute freedom thanks to the skills he has taught you, and that’s very rare and very precious. I can’t wait to work with him again.”
– Tadrina Hocking
“I’ve always been really afraid of theater teachers. Cause in a way I don’t want to learn how to be the perfect actress and lose who I really am. I have had bad experiences before. So when I first opened Jordan’s studio’s door I was a shy and scared animal. But after 10 minutes with him I knew I would love him and thank him for the rest of my life. First of all he asked me to take a deep breath and then we talked about the character as if we were talking about someone who really exists. Jordan is very observant and knows quickly exactly who you are and he respects that. He helps you to create and build a character through who you are, to breath with the character, to make the character alive. He helps you to create memories for your character and to experience those memories to really feel them. And that is amazing. That completely changed my way of approaching a role. He taught me how to make decisions for my character even if nobody else ever knows them, as an actor, but mainly as the character. Jordan is not a theater teacher, he is more than that. He has changed a lot of things about me but not who I deeply am and he gives me self confidence every day. I have only one regret… I would have loved to know about his workshop before.”
– Alysson Paradis
“I met Jordan many years ago, I did his workshop without any recommendations, just because I wanted to improve my acting in English. And then… well I guess it has been an artistic crush… I really didn’t expect this workshop to be so intense, so true, so sincere. I felt like I found the right person to work with. Jordan is the most intuitive person I’ve ever met, he can push you into places you didn’t even know existed inside you, he revealed me to myself, gave me confidence. I wouldn’t be where I am without him, not only as an actress, but as a person. He’s a magician. He’s a gentleman.”
– Déborah Grall
“Jordan Beswick is for me, one of the most rare and precious professionals I have met in my life. His talent and extreme conscientiousness of people, his approach and his work about acting, a “perle rare”! His perfect knowledge of the job, his sensitivity, objectivity, his passion and seriousness, as director, actor and coach give the conditions to create the best. He is sweet and energizing, he listens and is honest… All that we can hope for to be free to let go!”
– Julien Lucas
“It’s always scary to “act” in front of somebody. The person looking at you has an incredible power on you and you feel so fragile. Jordan Beswick knows this and always brings you into the state you dreamt to be in for that specific scene but never dared thinking you would be able to go there. Because he has a kind of “scanner”, a great intuition and experience, he really sees you and your weakness. And this is precisely what you’re gonna be working on! Working with Jordan is a deep and intimate experience that always brings you confidence. He knows exactly how to push you and makes you feel a scene in a way you hadn’t even thought. His extreme kindness and profound love for actors and human beings allows you to go deeper and deeper but never feel in danger. Laughs, cries and tears are just a game and Jordan helps you to really find the limit between you and the actor which protects you forever.”
– Salomé Stévenin
“Working with Jordan Beswick is an amazing experience. Jordan’s energy is incredibly communicative and working with him is like a trip inside your mind, a safe trip because it’s only about acting and feelings… I really love working with him because it helps me reach other levels in my acting…”
– Salim Kechiouche
“Jordan Beswick loves everyone. Every single one. I often wonder how he succeeds in what I consider a true miracle. How can that man love every soul in this holy world? And yet, I never heard a mean word out of his mouth. I never heard a word that didn’t show how much he cares. I guess it’s what makes him so good at directing actors, or writing plays. He cares. And makes you care. Even for very, very strange music. I used to never dance. Jordan made me dance during his workshop to torturous computer noise some people call “dream music”. Now I swear I love dancing. (although I’m still a very bad dancer, but I don’t blame Jordan, I blame dream music) Jordan is to actors what Geoffrey Rush is to Colin Firth in “The King’s Speech”. When it comes to making something real about a character we all kind of stammer, and he’s our orthophonist. When we lie, he finds a very kind way to make us stop the bullshit. When we hide, he takes the time, all the time we need to become more confident about what we keep inside. And he always makes us breathe. Breathe. I worked with him before, and I’ll work with him in the future. I’ll tell you why. As an actor, I am afraid of pure madness. I don’t want to think of my dead grandmother whenever my character cries. I don’t want to go crazy because I’m playing a crazy guy. I guess you know what I mean. I remember one time in the workshop, I was a lost, distressed, torn, tearful boy from Jordan’s play “Club Hell” in the middle of a painful scene. At one point, out of nowhere, Jordan said “Remember that it’s not real. We’ll all be back home tonight and tomorrow we’ll try again. Just remember that it’s not real. It’s not real pain, you’re acting. That’s just what you do.” A noble man is what he is.
– Ivan Cori
“‘Why did I wait so long to finally do it?’ was the first question I asked myself after the first day of training. I’d heard so much about him in the last years… and you know what? Believe the hype! And believe all the praise you’re reading here in these testimonials! Jordan Beswick is an amazing teacher who will make you connect again with the thing that made you choose acting in the first place. A thing you can lose, even when you’re working, along the way. Passion. And also fun, joy, total dedication to a text. I had the privilege to work with Jordan last year and I can honestly say that as an actor there’s a before and an after. Period. His passion is infectious, he looks at you and you feel like he gets you in a heartbeat, he ‘s so dedicated to his work, you keep on wondering when and where he found this energy! Again passion, you’ll read great texts, play, work scenes from movies you love, explore your emotions, reconnect with yourself. It can be a bumpy ride but Jordan will always be by your side, and help you out… And he has a great sense of humor! So be ready for amazing serious acting work, passion, joy and fun…what are you waiting for?”
– Raphaël Lenglet
“Working with Jordan Beswick is amazing. His particular passion and talent for the art of acting is rare. The actor, every actor, working with Jordan connects to an incredible joyful vital creative process. Working with Jordan Beswick is to be challenged at every moment by all the extraordinary possibilities in an actor’s craft. With Jordan I felt like I was on planet Dagobah. He was Yoda to my Luke Skywalker.”
– Julie-Anne Roth
“I am so grateful and I feel so lucky to know Jordan, as a coach (the greatest) and as a person (the greatest too!). Working with him has completely rocked my world. As an actor, he brought me to places I couldn’t even imagine I was able to go. And he can do it with anyone, because he has so much love for actors, acting, human beings, and life in general, that he always finds the keys to open the doors where you could be stuck, emotionally or technically. He always gets the best of you… A workshop or a coaching session with Jordan is the safest place on earth where you can try, imagine, create complex characters without any judgement, in absolute kindness and gentleness. I feel so much more confident since I’ve known him … and blessed!!”
– Zouheir Zerhouni
“His ability is rare and special: Jordan leads you to develop your acting abilities and power of imagination in a wonderful way, with great experiences, not by standard but very individually. I am very grateful being led by Jordan further on – to places that are as an actor very enriching to discover, very beneficial to implement into your work, thank you very much, Jordan!”
– Matthias Kress
“Many years ago I started to work as an actor with Jordan Beswick, he was my coach at the Studio VO/VF in Paris. I enrolled in many workshops with him. Now I actually live in Los Angeles, and thanks to Jordan, last September, I enrolled at the Lee Strasberg Institute. Also, from 2001 to 2008, I was the lead role of the TV show “Fabien Cosma” (Prime Time) for France Television. Working with Jordan has been extremely beneficial to my work as an actor. Jordan Beswick has the rare ability to really know the actors, help them in their work, to build the character, to analyze the scene to make it real, to find the right adjustments to create the situation because he is passionate about his work and loves actors. He has a high sensitivity that allows him to find the right words to bring the actor into the truth of the situation of the scene, “to be” the character like in real life without “acting”. Personally I can’t wait to work with him again.”
– Louis-Karim Nébati
“I met Jordan almost 10 years ago when I was acting. After having met crazy self proclaimed acting coaches whose failing personal acting careers led them to seek revenge for their non personal achievements, and made them think about full wallets and the pipe dream for “wanna be” rather than “wanna do”, my path crossed Jordan’s. He has the most healthy approach for coaching actors. Forget about the “urban legend” about “you have to remember when your ancestor hurt you – when your hamster raped you – when your green plant killed you, in order to give the best performance”. If you need a shrink or a sofa, it’s not the right place. Forget about your navel : Jordan has one credo “acting is believing”. He makes you create a world, which must not hurt you, but where the power of imagination allows the actors to go far beyond any other methods. Why? Because it’s not about you, but the character. It’s not about your world but the character’s. Healthy, I tell you! I can tell, now that I am writing and directing, having worked with him helped me a lot to characterize, and to direct actors. But beyond that, I can tell I have NEVER seen and met such a generous person. He really cares for the actors, for the craft. He always challenges himself as well. He is really thrilled when one of his pupils is working in the business. He is really moved when one goes further in its capacity to “believe”, and therefore to act more sharply. He gives so much to us, that even one life time wouldn’t be enough to thank him. Jordan is just a real angel. Meet him, talk to him, work with him. If you are not under the charm… Well …. Sorry for you!”
– Cécile Vernant
“Acting is about believing!!! But most of the time actors focus on their own experiences or finding the way to act! Jordan Beswick takes you to the point where you lose yourself! You have the choice to refuse or accept to go there! Experimentation, trial and error, risking…the process of building a character. And believing it. It can be surprising and terrifying! But if you go on that process…well…it can be better than sex! Acting is not about finding yourself! It’s about forgetting yourself! Jordan Beswick helps so much! With life, fun, and generosity!!!”
– Norbert Ferrer
“Jordan Beswick is a gift. Working with him I have learned so much, as an actor as well as a human being. He surrounds his actors with love and non-judgement, he cares about you, listens to you, makes you feel safe. He gives you a place where you are free, where anything is possible, where there is no right or wrong, no good or bad, just yourself. He is there with you all the way in your journey to create and experience the emotions a character goes through but at the same time gives you the tools to be independent, pushes you to “do the work”. And it’s always with love. Lots of love. I feel truly blessed to have worked with him. And I’m not the only one who feels that way!”
– Tom Cordier
“I’ve had the opportunity to work several times with Jordan Beswick. I’ve watched him work with a great variety of actors, from people with successful careers to absolute beginners: every single time I witnessed the same commitment from him and a profound evolution in the work of the actors. Jordan hasn’t invented anything, he doesn’t have tricks or a sacred handbook… He’s simply a fantastic, incredible, rare and truly loving observer of the human being. And that concerns the actor as much as the character (which he prefers to refer to as a person). That’s a huge lot! That’s the very foundation of our job! He endlessly reminds us of what we are in a great variety of ways: human beings choosing to believe we are other human beings for a necessary length of time. He shows us that for every single character, there is so much to believe in! And once that choice is made, all there is to do is to share, instead of show. As simple and obvious as this might be, I’ve rarely, if ever, experienced such a work anywhere else, neither in workshops nor, sadly, on most of the stages and sets I’ve crossed. It’s always a great experience working with Jordan: a very secure place to train, to try things, and to learn so much about those human beings we like to work on.”
– Matthieu Dahan
“Jordan is an extraordinary coach. I sometimes ask myself how I could act before! Jordan creates a place where you feel safe and loved. Where you can really try. Where you’re not afraid of being judged. Where you can relax… And CREATE so freely! I think an actor is truly not the same before and after Jordan. I’m so lucky to have worked with him. I would recommend him to every actor who thinks an actor needs to work and work and work, to create, to evolve, and to live!”
– Romane Portail
“To describe Jordan’s talent in a few words is so difficult! You have to experience it to really understand how precious he is for actors… To work with Jordan has been a revelation for me. He is like a hypnotist. In a short time and with few words, he can make you have feelings you were sure you weren’t able to express for a role, he makes you be someone else… You just need to take a big breath, to jump in his game, follow him without any fears and let things happen… He helps you to find the freedom you need and if you don’t trust in yourself, he will! Jordan loves and knows human beings and actors like nobody else. No matter if you are a beginner or a confirmed actor, he directs you the same way, gives you the same incredible energy and trusts you all the same… Now I can’t work on a role without thinking…Ok, what would Jordan tell me…?”
– Gabrielle Atger
"Jordan reminds you what acting is all about: making decisions, being transparent and open, just doing. Taking a character's perspective 100%, not judging them and giving them humanity. And all this is about your imagination, your imagination. Your ego as an actor has not lost anything there, that needs to stay at the door. And that means sitting in a room with ten egoless actors who are just there for the cause and the most positive, inspiring, motivating leader you could imagine. And this reminds you of why you love acting so much. Is it exhausting ? Yes. Is it too much? Yes. Would I do it again and again? Yes."
- Felix Geiwagner
"Jordan is an absolute connoisseur. His understanding of the human psyche and knowledge of human behavior is exceptional. Through conversations, wise questions and targeted hints, Jordan helps the actors to understand and internalize the core of the role and also all its nuances. The result is a truthful and subtle game that captivates, touches, and/or even makes the audience laugh. Throughout his work, Jordan meets his opponent with respect, calmness, humor and humanity. I recommend everyone to visit Jordan's workshop and embark on a very special journey."
- Orestes Fiedler
“I worked with Jordan many years ago, and what I learned with him is still so present in my life and in my work today! He made me understand so much about acting! I dream of the day I’ll work with him again! He loves people and loves actors; for him, everyone is extraordinary, and that makes people give the best of themselves. He senses perfectly your personality as an actor and tactfully knows how to guide you. Definitely the best coach I’ve ever worked with!
– Michèle Bilhaut
“Jordan is the best acting coach I ever met. His method is the safest, that’s why you feel free to go deeper into the human being when you’re working on a character with him. With Jordan, everything is about imagination, for me it is the strongest method to reveal a real, very specific person.”
– Jonathan Bizet
“Jordan is an incredible director of actors. First because he loves actors profoundly. He has the ability to “bring out,” not only our best, but strengths and sensibilities we didn’t suspect were there, things we were afraid of exploring… After my first training with him in Paris, I said to myself that if an actor appears “bad” on the screen, it is often because the director simply doesn’t know how to manage him. There are so many directors who use force, violence, and perversion to make us just and good in a scene, Jordan has methods of his own, far from all this, that allow us to be independent afterward in our work! My second training with him in Berlin was a real joy, because German actors are more “physical” than French and “judge” themselves less. We had even more fun! Jordan is so “human,” I love him profoundly!”
– Moana Ferré
“Jordan Beswick is a master. Working with him is an invitation to surpass yourself, to discover the process that accompanies the creation of a character and to meet the limitless power of imagination. It’s an invitation to feel, to listen, to create, to enjoy.”
– Laurette Lalande
“Since I began working my acting skills, I have done many effective trainings. But…this one with Jordan was truly the best for me. For my state of mind and my personality. This coach is very open minded. He can analyze from A to Z the scenes and the psychology of the characters. He’s also funny and at the same time 100% professional. Thanks to him, I improved my way to act. Generally, every actor I meet, I give them this advice: train with Mr. Beswick (if they have the opportunity)!
– Lionel Ruzi
“Love him. Nice guy. Precise, generous, precious. The best teacher ever and one the most beautiful people on earth.”
– Camille Brunel
“How do I describe my experience with Jordan Beswick in a few words? I first met him more than ten years ago… And I can honestly say that he changed my life both as a human being and as an actress. Jordan’s work is filled with what he is best at: loving people! He is exceptionally good at making any actor achieve his best work. Working with him is a blessing! Not only did he change my perception of acting but he also gave me the confidence to finally do what I also have been wanting to do for years which is to direct actors. He is the best at sharing his passion for acting. I’ve never met an actor who doesn’t think the best of Jordan Beswick!!”
– Cécile Carrère
“I was blessed and privileged to work with Jordan Beswick, a few years ago, in Paris. Jordan has a really generous approach of how to bring actors to their best, to let them connect deeply to a character with a gentle guidance. He knows how to help the actors to open up, using imagination and bringing awareness of the way they breathe or would breathe as this character in that specific moment. That amongst many different techniques he uses as a coach. And little by little, touch by touch, just as a puppeteer, he gives a direction to the act of acting by creating an identity to what was only a name with some words to deliver… As an actor, I always think of Jordan when in the process of creating a character. As a coach, I love using some of his tools. For me, he is a reference. He is also the one who gave me confidence and I have on my desk the cards he wrote me, framed so I read them whenever I need it. Jordan brings light, love and gratitude in his work. I wish I will work again with him.”
– Valérie Lecomte
“I just loved doing this masterclass. Jordan brings with him so much kindness and benevolence that “working” is easier. Through questions, he guides you to real understanding and caring of your character. I’m grateful to have worked with this amazing teacher who is above all a wonderful human being, and I will certainly apply again.”
– Laetitia Ayrès
“His teaching is gentle, full of fun, but firm. He doesn’t “damage” the “person” in the process of “building” an “actor”… He has a fresh, peculiar choice of scenes & monologues, which makes you learn more about politics, history, psychology…humanity.”
– Tatiana Gontcharova
“When I was a seventh grade English teacher at the Summit School in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, I decided to begin taking acting classes. I am so grateful that I chose to take them from Jordan Beswick. Jordan had already been an accomplished teacher at Lee Strasberg, a very prestigious acting school in New York. I remember thinking: How lucky for me that he now lives in North Carolina! I did not yet know how lucky I really was. Class with Jordan was what I looked forward to week to week. I couldn’t wait to show him what I’d been working on, hear his cogent and precise feedback, and take away a new assignment for the following week. Jordan has a way of being a very rigorous teacher while remaining one of the most encouraging people in the profession of teaching and also in theater training that I have ever met. I learned so much from Jordan—mainly, that I had a voice in the world and that I could learn to use it. Because of Jordan’s profound love of teaching, his rigor in the classroom, and his precise encouragement to his students, I made the decision to go back to school for theater at North Carolina School of the Arts and eventually to move to New York where I now have a career in directing theater. I can trace my life as it is now (which I love) back to my decision to take class with Jordan. He’s a person who guides people to open themselves up and engage with the world around them, and he can bring out their best selves. I can say without a doubt that my life has become more full since Jordan was my teacher.”
– Gaye Taylor Upchurch, actress/director
“It was a joy for me to work with Jordan and I can only recommend it to anyone who wants to further grow and promote their talent. He creates a unique, value- and ego-free working atmosphere that inspires one's own creative and playful truthfulness. His love for working with the actors can be felt throughout and has allowed me to continue to grow. Try yourself without pressure and with demands. Run and fall and be assured of his unconditional support.”
- Timo Hübsch
CASTING DIRECTOR
“I worked with Jordan on my feature film, Forty Shades of Blue, which went on to win the Grand Jury Prize at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival. He was responsible for the local casting in Memphis. One day we had an open call that brought out 1500 hopefuls. When we had a call back, Jordan greeted each and every one by name. His love and respect for actors is clear and present. But perhaps most important is his eye and ear for character. Working with him as a director was a great collaboration because he understands both film, and storytelling. He works closely with the director to make sure his or her vision is realized. And he remains calm under pressure. When two weeks before we started shooting, I informed him I had written a new character — a four year old boy who needed to speak both Russian and English, and that we had to find locally in Memphis — he listened calmly, then went out and found him. Plus he’s fun. My only hope is that we get a chance to work together again soon!”
– Ira Sachs, writer/director
“I have collaborated with Jordan on three projects, two feature films and a short film. I wouldn’t hesitate to work with Jordan again. He brings a superb breadth and depth of knowledge of actors to the table, has exciting, imaginative ideas for characters, and a keen eye for talent. And of course, he’s a joy to work with. It is always an invigorating collaboration working with Jordan and I hope to do so again soon.”
– Sam Zalutzky, writer/director
“I have worked with Jordan in the past. He is a truly wonderful casting director with amazing taste and talent.”
– Sheila Jaffe, CSA
“I’ve known Jordan Beswick for over 25 years, going back to when I first became an agent and he was working for a very successful and powerful manager. Meeting someone like Jordan in this business is SO rare. He is a completely genuine person filled with love and joy and seemingly infinite patience. He also has a very quick and wicked sense of humor! He is one of those people you could put in any setting, no matter how formal or informal or chaotic or peaceful, and you would have the same grounded, sunny-spirited Jordan. I’ve loved seeing his career evolve and transform and for him to use his powers of creativity to their fullest. When he calls about business I know it’s going to be really interesting and involve great material. Jordan and I bonded for life when we were in a not-serious-but-still-scary car accident on the way home from Trinity Rep (seeing theatre, of course!) one snowy Sunday afternoon over 25 years ago. A happy accident, indeed.”
– Sarah Fargo, Agent – Paradigm
“Jordan Beswick’s taste in actors is superb — his ability to match exquisite actors to the written page, a gift. View his casting direction in the feature Urbania, and you’ll see exactly what I mean.”
– Patrick Baca, CSA
“When Jordan Beswick co-wrote Al Roach Private Insectigator with me for Turner Classic Movies, he also cast it with James Garner, Michelle Forbes, Kathy Kinney, Gregg Berger and Freddy Rodriguez. We created a buggy sized animated film noir movie that made quite a stir at the Palm Springs International short Film Festival where we were presented with Audience & Critics Pick and Best in Show. We will soon be collaborating on a new animated series and I could not be more thrilled.”
– Obie Scott Wade, writer/director
PLAYWRIGHT
“I have had the great pleasure both to act in and direct Jordan Beswick’s work. It is funny, and fearless. He knows a thing can be funny and sad – and even terrifying – at the same time. He writes the way people speak, with overlapping and energy and forward drive in the language, and with so much appetite. When a devastation comes it is unexpected and unannounced. It feels like there is a kind of self contained savagry in his plays, as if he is getting out of the way of the characters expression of self, he lets them rise and fall as they must. He has an original voice, that never annouces itself as being that. As a collaborator he is calm, generous and intensely curious. He is an asset in so many ways.”
– Madeleine Potter, actor/director
“I first met Jordan in the 1990’s in New York while he was working for one of the top managers in the city. He went on to build an impeccable reputation as a casting director and actor’s coach for theatre, film and TV… For many years now his work as a playwright has been steady, intelligent and prolific. Jordan is one of the hardest workers at his craft that I have come across. He has tackled the most difficult subject matter in his plays, always unflinching with the truth yet always with compassion. I myself had the pleasure of directing one of Jordan’s plays at the Riverside Studios with a cast that included; Daniel Craig, John Hannah, Emily Lloyd and Ben Walden. While working with Jordan he never tired of approaching each part of the creative process with the most positive attitude and an openness of mind. Jordan has also enjoyed tremendous success for his work in Paris as well as America. His energy and love for the work is faultless.”
– Marcus D’Amico, actor/director
“Staging new work is always challenging—even moreso with the playwright in attendance—so it was with mild trepidation that I invited Mr. Beswick into the rehearsal process of his amazing play, “the F word,” at the Actors’ Theater of Washington. During his too-brief week with us, Jordan navigated the perfect course between staunch defender of language and tireless cheerleader for the production. His presence became the glue that brought the cast together and shepherded them through the always dark third week. I can’t imagine we could have achieved the quality of production we achieved without Jordan’s participation. His breadth of talent is only eclipsed by the depth of his soul and the warmth of his humanity. It was an honor and rare pleasure to work with him.”
– Jeffrey Keenan, director
“Jordan Beswick writes plays which require good actors. You would think this would be true of all plays, but it’s not. Junior-high students, if they will just learn the lines and speak loudly, can get every laugh there is to get out of a Neil Simon play. To achieve the far-richer and far-deeper effects which Mr. Beswick’s plays offer, a player must be able to act between the deceptively-simple and straight forward lines. He must know the play thoroughly, and know how it ends, in order to play into the innocent beginnings the secret underlayers of experience whose revelation leads to the bittersweet conclusions. He must also have the skill to orient himself to be precisely “placed” for fantasies and flashbacks which subtly disclose keys to characters and relationships, and capable of sustaining mood and personality when two interlocking scenes are onstage at the same time. And he must know how to walk the delicate, shifting line between comedy and drama, tragedy and farce, which is typical of this dedicated artist’s work. Mister Beswick does not write of ordinary people or ordinary situations-at least, not of situations and people ordinary to the stage. His stories have glitteringly particular and eccentric details, his characters complex and even contradictory aspects, which make them more like real people and situations than “genre” plots and puppets. Above all, the Beswick player must reach within himself for the solid universals that underlie and support the amusing and touching aspects of his very individual characters. It’s not an easy way to act, but it offers unique rewards for both the artist and the audience.”
– Robert Patrick, playwright, “Kennedy’s Children”