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Fine on Acting: A Vision of the Craft
Heralded as "Best Acting Teacher in LA" by Back Stage magazine, Hollywood’s most sought after acting teacher Howard Fine reveals the winning technique that has garnered his students international acclaim and the industry’s highest honors in his astonishing book FINE ON ACTING. During his twenty-five years as a teacher and director, Fine has developed a technique that is both useful and exciting. Emmy Award®-winning actor Michael Chiklis (THE SHIELD, FANTASTIC FOUR) writes in the foreword for FINE ON ACTING, “You’ve purchased this book because you either aspire to be an actor or want to be a better one. Either way you’ve made a wonderful decision. Howard Fine is a great teacher. His philosophy and approach to the craft of acting are the most helpful, encouraging and practically applicable I’ve ever encountered.” FINE ON ACTING covers the essentials for actors, including The Common Mistakes, Rehearsal, Auditions, Stage vs. Television and Film Acting, and Comedy vs. Drama. Fine also offers valuable advice for troubleshooting challenging situations, such as playing opposite a bad actor, nerves, memorizing lines, working with a bad director, and being emotionally blocked. A close colleague of the legendary Uta Hagen and the founder of the Howard Fine Acting Studio, Fine has worked with hundreds of stars, including Brad Pitt, Will Smith, Bradley Cooper, Chris Pine, Justin Timberlake, Lindsay Lohan, Salma Hayek, Simon Baker, Amanda Bynes, Gerard Butler, Jennifer Connelly, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Michelle Williams, Val Kilmer, Sela Ward, Jason Priestley, Kerry Washington, Amy Smart, Jared Leto, Wilmer Valderrama, Brooke Shields, Daryl Hannah, Rick Fox, Estella Warren, Christopher Meloni, Enrique Murciano, Garry Shandling, Alexa Vega, Heather Locklear, Geri Halliwell, Carla Gugino, James Belushi, Diana Ross, Jon Bon Jovi, and Josh Groban. Fine is one of the few elite acting experts who has devoted his primary career to perfecting the teaching and coaching of professional actors. His outstanding reputation is the product of his remarkable expertise uniquely coupled with his extraordinary gift to inspire.
- GenresNonfictionCreative
201 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
49 people are currently reading
175 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
April 4, 2020
TRIGGERS: the first chapter talks a bit about the Holocaust, fleeing to survive, and the struggles it can put on a family.
WRITING: Clear and personal, almost like reading notes from a friend or coach. There is a very honest style to Fine's writing.
WHAT I LIKED:
- "It's wonderful to have dreams...it's tragic to bear a delusion."
- You can tell how much Fine loves his work and the art of acting. The examples he uses from his personal life and coaching work are interesting and helpful with the topics he discusses.
- He is very honest about the world of acting and entertainment, and how hard and discouraging it can be.
- He explains his 8 step process for understanding and personalizing your character (which is also repeated in the Appendix for easy reference).
- His insistence on actor's doing their homework and research, and the ways to successfully manage it are quite insightful.
- His comments on auditioning and film vs. theatre acting were brief but the most helpful words I have heard on the subject so far.
- The chapter on "Troubleshooting" was extremely helpful, going over some basic concerns that I worry about and was not sure how to handle.
- The "Suggested Reading" section at the end of the book is nice.
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
- There are certain paragraphs that are repeated throughout the book, which can be a bit annoying. However, I did find that at that point in the book I had forgotten those key pieces of information. So, sometimes it was helpful.
WRITING: Clear and personal, almost like reading notes from a friend or coach. There is a very honest style to Fine's writing.
WHAT I LIKED:
- "It's wonderful to have dreams...it's tragic to bear a delusion."
- You can tell how much Fine loves his work and the art of acting. The examples he uses from his personal life and coaching work are interesting and helpful with the topics he discusses.
- He is very honest about the world of acting and entertainment, and how hard and discouraging it can be.
- He explains his 8 step process for understanding and personalizing your character (which is also repeated in the Appendix for easy reference).
- His insistence on actor's doing their homework and research, and the ways to successfully manage it are quite insightful.
- His comments on auditioning and film vs. theatre acting were brief but the most helpful words I have heard on the subject so far.
- The chapter on "Troubleshooting" was extremely helpful, going over some basic concerns that I worry about and was not sure how to handle.
- The "Suggested Reading" section at the end of the book is nice.
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
- There are certain paragraphs that are repeated throughout the book, which can be a bit annoying. However, I did find that at that point in the book I had forgotten those key pieces of information. So, sometimes it was helpful.
January 26, 2023
One big paraphrase!
The entire book is just one big paraphrase of Uta Hagen's work, with a little Strasberg and Stanislavsky mixed in. The point being that everything's been said before and this book has zero value. Just go to the source! If you want good Uta Hagen work, don't go to a washed down inferior version of her, go to Uta Hagen!
Ok, maybe I was a little harsh when I said "ZERO value"; if you haven't read through the works of the great acting teachers of the world (Stanislavsky, Strasberg, Meisner, Adler, Hagen, etc), then sure, you'll probably learn from this book. But then my question would be, 'why haven't you??'
Side note: the author makes claims about Meisner and his technique, very clearly without doing his research. For example, he talks about his "repeat" exercise, about which he says, and I quote, "the rehearsal exercise I call 'repeat' is not to be confused with Sanford Meisner's repetition exercise". Then he proceeds to demonstrate EXACTLY what Sanford Meisner taught! You can't say it's nothing like something you know nothing about!
In summary, if you want a good book on acting, read the tried and true. Go to the source. The teachers who, every actor would agree, are the greatest. Don't waste your time with this.
The entire book is just one big paraphrase of Uta Hagen's work, with a little Strasberg and Stanislavsky mixed in. The point being that everything's been said before and this book has zero value. Just go to the source! If you want good Uta Hagen work, don't go to a washed down inferior version of her, go to Uta Hagen!
Ok, maybe I was a little harsh when I said "ZERO value"; if you haven't read through the works of the great acting teachers of the world (Stanislavsky, Strasberg, Meisner, Adler, Hagen, etc), then sure, you'll probably learn from this book. But then my question would be, 'why haven't you??'
Side note: the author makes claims about Meisner and his technique, very clearly without doing his research. For example, he talks about his "repeat" exercise, about which he says, and I quote, "the rehearsal exercise I call 'repeat' is not to be confused with Sanford Meisner's repetition exercise". Then he proceeds to demonstrate EXACTLY what Sanford Meisner taught! You can't say it's nothing like something you know nothing about!
In summary, if you want a good book on acting, read the tried and true. Go to the source. The teachers who, every actor would agree, are the greatest. Don't waste your time with this.
April 23, 2020
Absolute must-read for all actors, from beginners to pros, and anyone that wanted to know what is it exactly that actors do? Everyone knows acting isn't just memorizing lines. So many bad actors on films and TV who just memorized their lines quickly went out of work in today's competitive world and here Howard Fine goes into brilliantly and meticulously teaching how to practice the craft of acting to become a great actor.
January 31, 2023
Howard beautifully describes that how the craft of acting is a preparation of holistic development. Not only by watching people act but preparing a role by an in depth research on socio-cultural, political, psychological and geographical understanding requires to act on a single role. Acting is a labor, indeed.
April 17, 2025
Such an incredible read!
This is the acting Bible. I will use this throughout my acting career and I’m also gonna take his acting classes. I feel so privileged and fortunate to be able to read such an informative book. If you’re someone who takes your acting seriously this book is a must read. Study it back to back!
This is the acting Bible. I will use this throughout my acting career and I’m also gonna take his acting classes. I feel so privileged and fortunate to be able to read such an informative book. If you’re someone who takes your acting seriously this book is a must read. Study it back to back!
January 14, 2022
The acting book I come back to year after year. Howard's passion and dedication to the craft rings through each page and I use the wisdom spread throughout this book in my career more than any other. Any student of acting should have this book on their shelf.
January 15, 2020
Excellent - Howard explains his ideas really well and his practical wisdom is gold. Some sections repeat ideas from other sections, but that probably makes referencing back easier.
May 12, 2020
This is an absolutely brilliant book that encapsulates the art of acting from the position of empathy and relational approach to the part. Absolutely been mind blowingly transformational for me
June 29, 2022
This book is not just an acting book. It is a way of seeing the world and then using that in your work. It gives you tools on how to hone your awareness.
July 14, 2023
Excellent breakdown of the craft. So many great insights
February 14, 2024
(Simplistically) The concise version of A Challenge for the Actor with updated material, worth reading for any actor, the eight steps have been changing how I approach the process alone.
August 18, 2025
Most practical and comprehensive guide to fundamental acting technique I’ve come across so far. Repetitive, but in constructive ways to help the points he’s making sink in. 50-page autobiographical opening feels unwelcome at first, but ends up giving a nice depth of speaker.
October 1, 2013
I love this book, I agree and learn so much with everything howard fine teaches. I had the honor to audit his class and few times and meet him myself, he is such a great person and teacher. He really cares about the craft of acting and takes is very seriously, it a great feeling to know domain from Howard fine to let me know I have great potienal in acting. When I move back to Los Angeles Howard fine acting studio will be my home where I study my craft to become a better working actor!!! Get this books it a must!
April 4, 2013
This book is the reason I moved to Los Angeles in 2011. I am now in Howard's master class. It was worth moving to LA just to study at the Howard Fine Studio.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews