Is there really such a thing as an 'overnight success'?

In my experience, the answer to that question, is a resounding NO!

Success in the acting industry, or anything worthwhile in life, for that matter, takes A LONG TIME - years, decades, or more.

That's certainly been the case for Hollyoaks actress Haiesha Mistry too.

She may look super-young, but Haiesha has been putting everything she has into the acting industry for the last 10 years, and it's only now she is able to reap...

WOW - what a Q&A this was - with one of the MOST SUCCESSFUL casting directors I've had the pleasure of hosting on Act On This - Victor Jenkins CDG!

Responsible for casting some of the VERY BEST TV drama in existence - Humans, Unforgotten, Broadchurch, Grantchester, The Rook, to name but a few - Victor's casting and acting career advice is INVALUABLE!

Hear Victor's advice on agents, auditions, self-tapes, making waves online, creating your own work + MORE!

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It's gives me GREAT pleasure to welcome back an AWESOME friend of Act On This - head of Hollyoaks casting, Peter Hunt CDG!

I wanted to give members the chance to interact with Peter directly, so we opened the floor up for an 'anything goes' Q&A session!

Being one of the most loyal and honest casting directors in the game, this guy didn't disappoint, and dropped some PRICELESS knowledge-bombs, GUARANTEED to help you book more castings than EVER BEFORE!

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When I bumped into BAFTA-nominated writer and creator of BBC One's Poldark, Debbie Horsfield, at a recent readthrough - I just HAD to ask her to take part in a podcast with me.

You see, we hear about casting from a casting director and director's perspective all the time - but NEVER from a writer's perspective.

Writers play a HUGE part in casting their shows, particularly with many of them being exec producers too.

I caught up with Debbie to get her view on casting, along with the keys to...

What can I say about Daniel Edwards?

Well without massaging his ego too much, he's one of the most genuine, honest and loyal casting directors in TV.

I first met Daniel when he was casting ITV's Mr Selfridge, and since then he's gone on to cast INCREDIBLE shows like Ripper Street, Line Of Duty (co-casting with Kate Rhodes James), ITV's Him, Channel 4’s Born To Kill, and Netflix smash The Innocents.

Recently, I was reading-in for Daniel on a undisclosed drama, that he is currently...

I met Rachel Shenton, when we were both working on Hollyoaks - many moons ago.

A couple of years back, she started talking to me about a film she wanted to write, about a deaf girl, born into a hearing family.

I thought it sounded like an amazing idea, but we both knew it would require a tremendous amount of work to make it a reality.

Fast forward to the present day, and that film is not only a reality, it's just won Rachel AN OSCAR!

Of course, I had to invite Rachel down to MediaCityUK for...

Dan Hubbard CDG needs no introduction - but we'll give him one anyway!

Dan is an absolute powerhouse in casting and has been responsible for casting no less than 16 feature films in the last couple of years .

Titles included Angel Has Fallen - starring Gerard Butler and Morgan Freeman, Ilkley - starring Derek Jacobi, and Executive Producer - starring Orlando Bloom.

Dan and the team at Hubbard Casting have cast some of the biggest film and TV franchises of all time - including The Lord Of The...

Ladies and gentleman - let me introduce you to one of the most POPULAR TV directors I have EVER met - Mr Mickey Jones!

Over the years, Mickey has directed literally HUNDREDS of episodes of the UK's favourite soaps - including Coronation Street, Emmerdale, EastEnders and Hollyoaks.

I met Mickey for a coffee in MediaCityUK recently, and was instantly struck by this guy's heart.

He's such a GIVING director, and is always on the lookout for new talent to give that first break to.

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Known most famously for playing the iconic footman, Thomas Barrow, in Downton Abbey - Rob has come A LONG WAY in the 15 years since I met him at an acting class in Manchester.

I asked Rob to join me at 'On The 7th' in MediaCityUK for a long overdue catch-up and chat about ALL THINGS acting!

During our chat, Rob and I discussed:

• Rob's experiences filming 6 seasons of 'Downton Abbey'.
• What it's like when a dream job like Downton comes to an end.
• Knowing when it's time to find a new agent - and...

If there is one thing I've learnt from 15 years of working as a professional actor - it's that there is NO substitution for hard work!

This applies to everyone in the acting industry - both in front of and behind the camera.

One of the hardest working directors I have EVER met is Lewis Arnold.

At just 31 years old, he's already directed MASSIVE TV hits, including Misfits, Humans, Prey and Broadchurch - a phenomenal achievement.

I caught up with Lewis for a chat about what has lead to his...