John Gordon was the first teacher I worked with when I moved to Toronto. Since he’s opened The Dirt I’ve been happy to send anyone who will listen his way. I not only trust him with my own work but have the confidence and trust that he will spread his knowledge and skillset to those that I have recommended.

I’ve been fortunate enough to be a working actor but as many of us have found as of late, the industry has had a bit of a lull. I had been coming off shooting a major series and by the time it aired I did not want to be rusty should more opportunities come my way. During this downtime I decided it was better to stay sharp, and continue to stay ready rather than move into the next job having to restart the “engine”. I felt it would be the right move to go back to John, who knew me well enough to know what I’d done previously as well as my strengths, weaknesses and habits. John was the best person to help me get to where I wanted to go.

During the session John challenged me and helped me navigate new territory through various scenes that were not in my normal casting. Working my way through the 6-week session, I both felt and saw the growth. As I’ve aged into a different point in my career it was important that my range represent the types of roles to come, and could John intuitively could see the puzzle pieces that would bring it all together. By the end of class I had confidence that I could play and succeed in the type of casting that will likely come my way in the future.

John Gordon is a trusted mentor, teacher and friend. It’s a comfort to know that both John and The Dirt Underneath are nearby any time I need to re-immerse myself in Scene Study with quality peers looking to do the same.

He’s established an incredible place for actors to try new things, work with other talented performers and be guided by quality instructors. After almost two decades, I still can’t thank him enough.

Credits: (The Audacity, Dinner with Friends, 24-Karat Christmas)

I have been attending John Gordon’s Monday Masterclass since 2017. It has been a structural shift in how I approach my work; my career.

John has given me licence to think beyond the narrow band of roles I once assumed were “mine.” In his class, I am cast as leads: complex, high-status, low-status, volatile, restrained. That recalibrated my internal bar. I stopped defining myself by a narrow type and started working from the assumption that my range was the starting point, not the exception.

That shift translated directly into action. Five years ago, I approached one of the top agents in town with a level of clarity and confidence I would not have prior to studying with John. The quality of auditions changed. The scale of the virtual rooms changed. Expectations changed.

I have recently played a brain-damaged goon from South London opposite Minnie Driver (The Borderline), to a high-status tennis club owner in a period costume drama opposite Jann Arden (Murdoch Mysteries), to a vainglorious militia leader in 1990s Michigan (in the critically acclaimed horror film V/H/S/94)

That breadth is not accidental. It comes from being trained to jump both sides of the status coin without apology. I now arrive on set, unaware of what side of me will come out and that is both terrifying and glorious. When you dismantle your own barriers, what follows may feel like chaos, but it is often the precise disorder required for something larger, and more honest, to emerge.

John doesn’t slot actors into categories. He dismantles them. If you’re willing to do the work, he expands your sense of what is possible, and then expects you to pursue it with utter abandon.   

Credits: (The Borderline, The Handmaids Tale, American Gods, Map to The Stars)

Studying with John came at exactly the right moment in my career. 

The way that Covid has changed auditioning and the sense of community we once had was eroding my love of acting. 

When I started studying with John, I immediately rediscovered why I had worked to become an actor in the first place. In his class, it’s not about being bookable or right for the part. It’s about doing the work. Delving into the scene and exploring the character, connecting with your scene partner and most of all – taking risks knowing there’s no judgement.

John brings a breadth of experience to his coaching and his passion for actors and doing the work is evident. He has a unique, open and humorous way of encouraging his actors to dive deeper into the scene or the character. When I’m in his class, the outside world slips away and I’m completely engaged; whether I’m on camera or I’m watching my fellow actors work and assimilate John’s direction.

Credits: (The Boys, Cross, Workin Moms, Signed Sealed Delivered, The Kennedy’s, YPF, Foolproof)

John creates the kind of environment for his classes that I used to dream of. It’s a safe space for experimentation, risk-taking, and growth, all while knowing that your artistic journey is being seen and respected. John’s exceptional ability to collaborate and guide scene selection enables students to focus on and explore the most challenging or exciting aspects of their work.

Every session I had with John left me feeling increasingly at ease and self-assured in my craft, which in turn bolstered my confidence on set and during auditions. John’s passion for the craft and the profession is not only evident but also infectious, inspiring me to approach my relationship to the work with the same level of energy and enthusiasm.

Credits: (Canadian Screen Award winner: Best Actor TV Movie, Priscilla, See, Star Trek: Discovery)

Click here to watch Bryce’s Video Testimonial.

Credits: Harry Potter and The Cursed Child (play)

When I first came to study with John, I was at a low ebb in my approach to acting.

I had lost much of the fun of performing, and each new project or audition brought on a sense of dread rather than one of excitement and possibility. Working with John has helped me to rediscover the joy of acting.

Not only does he encourage actors to try bold choices and risk failing spectacularly, but he meets each performer exactly where they’re at, judgement free. Having someone who is able to speak directly to my specific mental blocks and habits has been challenging, and ultimately deeply rewarding.

John’s unique insight and incisive direction have been invaluable to my growth as an actor, and I now approach each project with a confidence and curiosity that I will continue to develop thanks to him.

Credits: (The Way Home, Sex/Life, Romance Retreat, Saving Hope, Baroness von Sketch)

It’s really easy for actors to get bogged down with their bad habits, fears and demons, and nobody understands that more than John. One of the things I love most about him is that he always makes space for his students to acknowledge these parts of ourselves, without letting them run the show. He is incredibly intuitive and is able to assess an actor’s needs without calling attention to them. The morning of my callback for “Women Talking,” John delicately pulled me out of a negative spiral and placed me into a state of gratitude and trust… a state from which he knows I do my best work.

John has always been two steps ahead of me, offering scenes, exercises and words of wisdom that have pushed me in directions I didn’t know I needed to go.

Credits: (Women Talking, The Good Doctor, Murdoch Mysteries, Glass Houses)

John’s class was one of the first acting classes I took in Toronto. I came in as an extremely shy, very nervous, introverted person who didn’t have very much knowledge of the industry. I wasn’t loud, confident or comfortable with attention and I believed that who I was went against everything an actor was ‘supposed’ to be. It wasn’t until John gave me one of the greatest pieces of advice which finally allowed me to feel like I belong. He told me that I, Tanu was a shy person, and that was completely okay. “If you are shy, be shy. If you are loud, be loud. If you are confident, be confident. Be exactly who you are as a person, as long as you can allow yourself to be brave as an actor”. …It still gives me goosebumps.

Now years on, John’s class is one I always intermittently come back to. He wears his heart on his sleeve and inhibits a real honest human openness which instantly creates a safe and comfortable atmosphere for you to explore your artistry without needing to focus on a perfect end result. He meets you where you are and takes on board personal goals and preferred material that you the actor choose to approach. I always leave his classes feeling mentally healthier and more importantly having gained deeper insight into myself and the way I work. Also, he’s just a hella cool human overall! Thank you John, for always welcoming me with open arms and making space for me; shy Tanu the brave actor.

Credits: (Umbrella Academy)