We’d love to introduce you to one of our incredible TBG staff members, Xander Jackson! Read our interview with him below…
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What do you enjoy most about working at TBG?
XJ: As an actor, writer, director, and budding intimacy professional, I most enjoy being able to lend what knowledge and experience I can to enrich the lives and careers of my fellow artists, many of which are just starting out in the entertainment industry. There is such a mystique around so many different facets of the industry that aren’t as easily accessible as one might think, and being a bridge to connect those education gaps is very rewarding.
What is your favorite class you’ve taken at TBG?
XJ: I’ve taken so many classes at TBG and it is hard to choose. I would have to say it’s a tie between Beginner II with Shannon Patterson and Professional Scene Study I with Lee Brock. Beginner II was the first class that really enveloped me in the Barrow Group tools, and I took that class right after I decided to pursue acting as a full-blown career. I dove head first into auditioning and was able to directly apply so many TBG lessons to my work.
I took Professional Scene Study I as my first class after the pandemic and was in a room with some truly phenomenal artists. It was the first class I participated in after I decided to be in the entertainment industry full-time. I remember feeling like I was truly a part of a greater community and had such a deep sense of satisfaction knowing I had found my tribe.
What is a project that you’ve been a part of that you are proud of?
XJ: Thankfully I have quite a few facets of my career to be proud of at the moment. I wrote, produced, directed, and shot my first short film in May, which is wrapping up post-production as we speak. Pushing something over the finish line, with very little other than my own will, feels like such a satisfying sense of accomplishment. I will take so many of the lessons I learned and apply them to future endeavors.
Additionally, I will be co-starring in a short film this coming fall that I was cast in by a director I worked with back in 2021. There can be a deep feeling of imposter syndrome in this business. Having the proof of concept of someone requesting to work with me again is a wonderfully tangible piece of evidence that I am right where I’m supposed to be.
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To take Xander’s favorite classes, try Beginner Acting Class II: Getting Specific starting 9/7 (or 9/8, or 9/13, or 9/17, or 9/22) or Professional Scene Study Intensive I: The Tools starting 9/10 (or 9/22)!
Check out TBG’s full schedule of classes!