Acting Mastery was established to provide actors with an inspiring set of regular classes designed to empower them. We take a simple, straight-forward approach to the acting process and combine it with a set of the most practical tools actors can rely upon in any situation — whether in front of the camera, on stage or in the all important audition room. Our goal is to inspire each actor to back themselves, while continually striving for excellence in their work.
SAY YOUR LINES
&
THINK WELL OF YOURSELF WHILE LEARNING TO SAY THEM BETTER.
DAVID MAMET
THE ACTING MASTERY TEAM
BEN MATHEWS
Founder of Acting Mastery
As a Coach
Ben is a passionate, inspiring and highly regarded acting coach. He has been privately coaching since 2008 and teaching since 2010. In addition to Acting Mastery, Ben has taught extensively at NIDA, Screenwise, The Hub Studio and AMAW Sydney. He has also taught directing for the BA program at AFTRS.
His clients have booked roles on a myriad of film, television, commercial, and theatre projects, including Thor: Love & Thunder, Shang-Chi, Nine Perfect Strangers, Maid, The Wilds, Fauda, Young Rock, Mr. Inbetween, Clickbait, Bump, Eden, Dive Club, Australian Gangster, The Secrets She Keeps, Fires, Wentworth, New Gold Mountain, Strangers, Hacksaw Ridge, The Water Diviner, Australia Day, Stargate: Origins, Ash vs The Evil Dead, Charmed, Longmire, Nashville, Evermoor, Love Child, Romance on the Menu, Home & Away, A Place to Call Home, Puberty Blues, Cleverman, Sisters, Pulse, Blue Murder: Killer Cop, Wonderland, Anzac Girls, Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries, Upper Middle Bogan, General Hospital, Ronny Chieng: International Student, Doctor Doctor, Here Come the Habibs, The Letdown, Tomorrow When the War Began, Friday on My Mind, Deadhouse Dark, Wham Bam Thank You Ma'am, and The Principal, as well as productions for the Sydney Theatre Company, Belvoir Street, QTC and The Malthouse.
As a Filmmaker & Actor
Ben is an award-winning director, writer and actor. He is an acting graduate of the Atlantic Theater Company, New York, where studied under David Mamet, William H. Macy, Felicity Huffman, and Clark Gregg, among others. He is a directing graduate of the Australian Film, Television & Radio School (AFTRS) in Sydney and graduated as a screenwriter from AFTRS in 2012. He was awarded the Kenneth B Myer Scholarship for Exceptional Talent in 2010 and won the Foxtel Scholarship for Exceptional New Talent in 2012. His work has received over twenty-five awards.
Ben has directed film, television, and theatre, both in Australia and the US. His short film Emily was nominated for the Foreign Film Award at the 2012 Student Academy Awards and by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in Los Angeles and was shortlisted for the Academy Awards. He is the first Australian to be nominated for the Student Oscars.
Emily won a host of other awards at festivals around the world including in the US, Europe and China. It also screened at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival in the Cannes Cinephiles, Cinema des Antipodes section.
In 2015, Ben directed a half-hour comedy pilot, BedHead for the ABC, based on a comedy web series of the same name. He is also co-writer and co-producer of the show, along with Claire Phillips, Jon Dalgaard and Tom Keele. It aired on ABC iView from September through October.
The original web series recently won 4 awards LA Web Fest 2016, out of 8 nominations. Ben was awarded Outstanding Direction in a Comedy Series and was nominated for Outstanding Writing and Best Comedy Series. Ben and his fellow co-writers were nominated for an AWGIE Award by the Australian Writer's Guild for the original web series. The web series was commissioned by ABC and Screen Australia as part of their Fresh Blood initiative in 2014. Out of the 24 Fresh Blood web series that aired on ABC iView, BedHead was the highest rating by over a hundred thousand views. In addition, the first episode went to air on ABC1 on March 18, 2015, opening a Best of Fresh Blood special hosted by Will Anderson.
In March 2012, Ben along with two of his colleagues, Kent Pearson and Shelley McLaren, won the MTV/Optus ONE80PROJECT with their trailer, Deadbeat Dads. For the first time in the competition's history, the trio took out all three awards: the Judge's Choice, the Public Vote and Best Student Entry. The pilot episode of Deadbeat Dads premiered on MTV on Monday, October 7, 2013.
As a commercial director, Ben has won two Silver Telly Awards for his ads for TMGM and Manscaped. He has also directed campaigns for Microsoft, TEDx, The Australian Open, DiDi, AMP, Pilot, Murdoch Books, and more. He is currently repped by STORY MACHINE.
With Manual Pictures, Ben conceived and directed an online viral hoax for the charity OzHarvest. It featured the Australian celebrity chef and MasterChef judge, Matt Moran. The video attracted the attention of the news media and reached over 4 million people in Australia and around the world in less than 48 hours, raising awareness for OzHarvest and the issue of food waste. The campaign won a Bronze Pencil at the AWARD Awards for advertising and was nominated for the prestigious Sabre PR Awards in Singapore.
Ben's documentary, Chrysalis was awarded the Shark Island Prize for Documentary and has screened at multiple festivals around the world.
He has directed 5 plays both in Australia and in New York, including Clifford Odets' Waiting for Lefty, Harold Pinter's The Lover, and David Mamet's Oleanna.
As an actor Ben has appeared in over 30 plays, including productions Sydney Theatre Company, Belvoir Street and Off-Broadway in New York City; in film and on Australian television. His theatre credits include A Hard God (STC), Powerplays (Belvoir), Stuff Happens (as AD to Neil Armfield), Men (Melbourne & New York Fringe, directed by Brendan Cowell), We Are The Himalayas (Sydney Fringe), Black Codes, A Man for All Seasons, and An Adult Evening of Shel Silverstein (Darlinghurst Theatre). He’s also performed improv as part of Sydney Fringe with the improv troupe, The Magnificent Finger-Gunners. Film credits include Everything in Between, Crushed, Reunion and the award-winning Nineteen. His television credits include the US TruTV comedy pilot Happy People Suck, In a Woman's World (ABC), All Saints (Seven) and Love My Way (Fox 8). He has been fortunate enough to work alongside Jacki Weaver, Claudia Karvan, Rose Byrne, Garth Davis, Neil Armfield, Edward Albee and Barrie Kosky among others. In 2012, Michael Hauge, the prestigious screenwriting expert from LA mentored Ben on his first feature film script.
In addition, he has also trained with Larry Moss, Patsy Rodenburg, Anthony Meindl, Miranda Harcourt, Kim Farrant, Kristin Linklater, Darren Gilshenan, Upright Citizen's Brigade, Second City, Improv Theatre Sydney, Scott Sedita, Steve Kaplan, Gregory Berger-Soebeck, and Greg Apps among others.
Ben spent three and a half years living and working in New York, two years in Los Angeles, and currently resides in Sydney. Born in Mexico, he holds dual Australian and American citizenship.
Holly-Anna Mathews’ career is a testament to her passion for the arts, her adaptability in the face of change, and her unwavering commitment to fostering talent in the entertainment industry. Her journey reflects not just a personal evolution but a deep-seated desire to contribute meaningfully to the craft of storytelling.
Holly-Anna Rose Mathews
Co-Owner/Co-Director of Acting Mastery
& Career Coach
As a producer, writer, actor, and co-founder of SquireRose Studios, as well as the co-owner of Acting Mastery, Holly-Anna Mathews is a dynamic and versatile force with a wide ranging background in the entertainment industry. Her journey from in front of the camera to a key behind-the-scenes player showcases her versatility and commitment to storytelling.
Holly’s career began with three years of intensive acting training, laying a strong foundation for her multifaceted career. The onset of the pandemic marked a significant pivot point, as she transitioned to behind-the-camera roles. Her work on the feature film “Everything in Between” not only provided her with hands-on production experience but also highlighted her knack for problem-solving, earning high praise from writer/director Nadi Sha for her critical role in the project’s success. In his words, Holly “was integral to the success of the shoot” and she “evolved into becoming the key problem solver on the production team.”
Her expertise further extended to the role of dramaturg for Tyler Dias’ web series “Packing,” where she played a pivotal role in enhancing the cast’s performances. In 2021, Holly’s career took another turn as she ventured into actor representation with TCM, which sparked her interest in actor career coaching. Leveraging her comprehensive industry experience, she has since been instrumental in guiding actors to achieve their full potential. In 2022, Holly’s career continued to evolve as she worked in the Art Department on “Lost Flowers of Alice Hart”, starring Sigourney Weaver, at Fox Studios. This role underscored her diverse skill set and her ability to contribute significantly across various aspects of production.
Choosing to focus on leadership and development, Holly declined several production roles to assume the position of CEO at Acting Mastery. Her vision and dedication have been key in establishing the studio as a leading institution in Sydney, offering unparalleled training and mentorship to aspiring actors. Holly’s unique blend of creative talent, leadership acumen, organisational and managerial skills, and industry insight led her to co-found SquireRose Studios with her husband, Ben. Together, they are committed to developing compelling projects that resonate with audiences worldwide.
Larissa Calarco
General Manager at Acting Mastery
Larissa works behind the scenes to ensure Acting Mastery runs like a well-oiled machine, from emails, social media, and marketing, to class and workshop planning, and events.
Larissa is extremely passionate about contributing to the creative and professional development of artists at Acting Mastery, and is dedicated to helping creatives find a safe, support space to train, be mentored and guided, work on their craft, and meet like-minded individuals.
After studying Science for almost a decade and graduating with her PhD in Molecular Biology and Parasitology, Larissa has returned to the arts to pursue all things performing.
Larissa is an actor, singer, and musician and has been performing professionally since she was 4, working on TVCs, short films, TV, and in music videos. You’ll likely see her in an upcoming class or workshop in studio, so be sure to say ‘hi’!
Nicholas Sampson
Assistant at Acting Mastery
Nicholas is one of our staff at Acting Mastery, working as a designer and also responsible for maintaining and taking care of our beautiful Acting Mastery studio.
Nicholas is also an actor and has recently been making his own work, including 'Atticus' set to release 2024 and his Youtube chanel 'Kick Neilby,' where he and Kieton Beilby make comedy skits. If you see him around the studio be sure to say hello!
Benjamin Wang
Coach at Acting Mastery
Meet one of our wonderful private acting coaches! When Ben completed his Bachelor degree at 22, he realised his love for acting. With nearly 10 years acting experience, Ben has appeared in ‘The Wolverine’, ‘Secret City’ (Netflix), ‘Shang Chi', 'Everything In Between’, and most recently produced and acted in the web-series, ‘CHIKAS’. He also landed the lead role in two Berubian’s Theatre Company shows in LA; ’Dark Side of the Moon’ and ‘Metro Med’.
In addition to acting and producing, Ben has 3+ years experience working as an assistant agent. He’s also coached many students on their self tapes/auditions. Working as an actor, producer, assistant agent, Ben has invaluable knowledge across various aspects of the industry and is passionate about helping actors get to where they need to give their best performance and book jobs
Laneikka Denne
Coach at Acting Mastery
Meet one of our wonderful private acting coaches! Laneikka is a queer writer and actor from Western Sydney. At seventeen, Laneikka wrote DEAD SKIN, winner of SA State Theatre Company’s Young Playwrights Award, performed in Sydney and LA, published by Australian plays. Laneikka’s second play FEMINAZI premiered as part of Belvoir Theatre’s Sydney World Pride Programming in 2023.
As an actor, Laneikka is leading two feature films; PUZZLE BOX, a horror feature and SALT ALONG THE TONGUE, a psychological thriller for distribution with Umbrella Productions in 2024/2025. Laneikka was the recipient of the Diversity Entertainment Creative Mentorship 2022, where they performed their play DEAD SKIN in LA, to be developed into a feature film adaption of the play. Laneikka's documentary “The Real Meaning of Pleasure” has been awarded development funding from Screen Australia and AIDC in 2023. Young, queer humans are at the heart of all of Laneikka’s work.