How Karim Diane Books Hollywood Roles | Acting Coach Brad Heller

I'm Karim Dion and I play Jay Den on Star Trek Starfleet Academy. Tell yourself whatever you want. I'm sure you will find a way to live with yourself. You always do. That is my co-signed toast. You deliver it yourself. I am finding my way back to Earth. - Um, sorry. I I didn't mean to interrupt. I could come back. - No, it's okay. It's all right. Come on in. Um, H. exponentially as an artist and I'm so thankful that this is like you know the journey that I took to get here I guess. Yeah. I got a DM from a guy who got Jaden tattooed on his thigh, - but like not in his uniform, like in in like a speedo. And the moment I saw my face on a grown man's thigh, I was like, "This is permanent." Like, this is an incredible like this is the coolest like family to be a part of. I'm just so lucky to be here. Um, - I have to mention this because you got to work with Holly Hunter and Coach said that he felt like even with being in a scene with an Oscar winner, like you stole that scene. I think that's such a beautiful compliment. - Kudos to you, you know. Um, I also know that you bring, it's been said that you bring like warmth and you bring like this charm and this essence that he feels other actors don't bring. You get all the praise like and I love that for you. Um, there was also other things that he said like he mentioned that you worked on an episode uh episode 4 where you had to do a monologue with him. Mhm. - Can you tell me a little bit about that? Cuz he didn't tell me nothing. He just was like, you know, I had this really cool experience with him, so I wanted to know about it, too. - A That's sweet. Um, thank you first of all for saying all those sweet things. Um, yeah, episode 4 I had like this bit. It was based first episode of TV in my life that I've ever had based like on me and the character that I was playing, which was like really really cool. Um and so yeah, it was definitely like a big moment and I have a big speech. Um my character is a student and he is in speech speech and debate class and he's debating um I mean he's essentially debating for like the liberation of his own people. um and you know at the same time dealing with stage fright and and anxiety. Um so in that final speech that he has is him overcoming so much and it's one of the first times it is the first time in the series that you see him speaking clearly and confidently. Um so I really wanted to rehearse it. I wanted to make it um great and also I'm dealing with with speaking in this like low voice. So, like that added an extra layer to the challenge. Um, so yeah, I called Brad and he actually invited me to his class. So, I like, you know, was with everybody like I watched other people do their scene and then it was my turn. Um, and then yeah, we ran it a few times on Zoom in front of the entire class. Um, he gave me notes. I did it again and again and again and then um, he sent me off. I practiced it again on my own a couple times and yeah, by the time I got filming, I felt really confident. I felt very prepared. Um, and yeah, I'm really really happy with how um this scene came out. And I'm very thankful for Brad um for helping me out. - It's crazy cuz we can relate to it as actors, too, though. like even in Zoom auditions like being in that room like being nervous and still trying to play the role the way that they asked for. So I I could see it. I could totally see it. And being in the position where you have to audition after audition and you know sometimes it takes so many nos to get to that yes. Like was there any tips that you got from being in class that maybe Brad gave you in class to go through like high pressure auditions? - 100%. Like Brad was the first person that really encouraged me to lean into who I naturally am. Um and that is one of the biggest lessons I've learned from him. I think in the beginning I wanted to fit the mold of like what a what I thought a leading actor would be. I would try to like carry myself a certain way or like alter the way I speak um to to I don't know to be like Michael B. Jordan or whatever, you know what I mean? But I I am not Michael B. Jordan. I'm Kim Deion. You know what I mean? And I am different. I am um softer. I am not like this like alpha male. I'm not like 10 feet tall and 300 lb. Like I am - saying like remember we don't sing, - right? Exactly. Exactly. That's the point. That's what Brad really like taught me. Like you actually have different qualities which are cooler which are you know what I mean? And so like he in my audition a lot of times would be like okay stop stop speaking like that stop like holding yourself like that now just do it as yourself and like see you know what it comes out as or like he tell me smile like you're a happy person like smile more in this one or like one time he told me to like turn around and like do a little dance in the middle of audition like just anything would bring out like my natural personality and truly truly truly I did not start booking being worked until I took that advice. And I I go to auditions still to this day and I try to add myself where it makes sense for for the character. But um yeah, I try to add inject myself a little bit and show my personality through these characters as much as I can and I think uh it serves me well. I feel like through all the auditions that I do and like anything that I ever done, to go back to what you say, they're all like different layers of of who we are almost like we all have these different sides of ourselves, so we can just tap into them, you know, and you've played - a variety of things. You played a gangster - like, right, - okay, you may not be this tough, you know, gangster. You still from DC, you know what I mean? like you still know what's going on and how trust me baby I lived I'm from New York - and I also lived in Owen Owens Mills at one point so okay - I was around the area a lot I was in DG County I was I used to go to Rose Bar in DC like I know all the DC stuff have a lot of DC friends so you you still you still are able to like tap into those other characters because there's you have layers at the end of the day you know and I think that's amazing I haven't really Well, I just started to realize like, okay, like you can be yourself. You don't have to watch yourself while you act, you know? And - yeah, totally. I there's I be tell like when you say he's from New York I there's a friend of mine who is such a talented actor and there was one time I was reading an audition with him and um he was he's from New York. He has this dope ass New York New York accent, but he was like shift he want he was like shifting his accent to make it sound like less of an accent and like for like um and I was like dude just speaking a regular like do you know New York accent like that lit like y - like you know it's so crazy I steer away from it all the time. I'm always like I'm trying not to sound too too Harlem like the Latina could come out a lot too. So I'm like let me not because the role is asking for this specifically. So I know sometimes it's hard to like get wrapped up in what you think they want you to deliver rather than what you - are really is like I'll really read the breakdown and if it doesn't say that he's like a specific kind of way then I'm like yo what's good like I really like then I try as much as I can cuz like it's cool it's fun and it's it's you - I love that um you've been training for nearly 15 years with him a coach like off and on. - Oh my god. I've been training with Brad for like damn when you say like that. Oh my god. Yeah. - You been in the game for a minute, boo. Like - almost cuz I was like 20 maybe I would say closer to 10 but like over 10. But yeah, I mean I guess almost 15. That's wild. - I mean, what keeps you coming back? Like why why why his class versus anyone else? Like what makes you come back to that class in specifically or his teachings? - Um I just trust him. Like I feel like I've seen the way other people coach and some people be lying to you for real. Be like, "Oh yeah, like that was good." like, "Yeah, that was great." Like, "Yeah, send that in." And it don't be great and it don't be good. And I feel like Brad was like one of the first people to be like, "It's just not there yet, man." Like, or like he I feel like has always told me the truth and has always been like, "No, stop faking and stop trying to be this other person, bro. Like, do you." Um, so yeah, I just I just trust him at this point. Um, and so that's what keeps me coming back. He's a really honest person. - It's really refreshing for you to say that though, cuz I'm a new student in his class. I don't even have a month with him. And when I first did a scene with him, he even called my like he called my agent cuz he has a relationship with them and he was like, "Yo, she's really good." Like, and he said all those things to me, but I was like, "Okay, you're supposed to say that. Like, you want me to come back?" Like, you know, I I have trust issues clearly. So, I'm like, "Okay, like I'm really good. Okay, yeah, sure." But it's refreshing that someone like you says that, especially in this day and age, because people do be lying. Like, - so I'm like, is is he being honest? Am I really that good? like he went to the extent of even letting my manager know like yo she's you you guys have a gem you know so I love that you pointed that out because it's - Brad is not Brad is not picking up the phone and calling nobody unless - it's the truth and that doesn't mean to say like there's a lot of people from all different levels that like take his class there's a lot of people experienced but there's also like a lot of beginners - um and uh you know, he's still like gentle with with like newer people and I feel like he he encourages them in a in a way without lying um and just being honest about like how they can like kind of progressively uh get better and advance and and and eventually become professionals. Um but he does it in like a very just a real and like honest way. Yeah. No, if he's picking up the phone and calling your manager and your agent, it's it's it's not a lie. It's because he really um he really believes it. - Okay. Like you um again, you've been going back to the classes. Has anything changed? Like has anything has he evolved any of his ways and like teaching you any type of way? Like has it been any changes or anything that you pick up every time? Like is do you learn something new every time or have you seen any type of like evolving Um, in the way that like Brad teaches me. - Yeah. I mean, I would say like when I look back at my old self taste, I thought I was good and I was not like I was not ready at all and I really thought I was lit. But so like I I do believe that like my ability as abilities as an actor have like gotten better. I hope so. Oh gosh. Um, so in turn like the way that he teaches me has had to change to kind of like adjust to like what I'm able to do. I would say in the beginning the way he was teaching me is more like wow like you have you know kind of you're a performer and you're like a natural addict but like - it was very it was like you know you have the naturalness but like let's really fine-tune this part and this part. I don't believe you here. I don't believe this part. Let's, you know, fix that. Um, let's, you know, try it a different way. Like, um, so in the beginning it was very, uh, specific for like specific line deliveries and, um, and stuff like that. Now that I'm more experienced, the um, the help that he gives me is more general. It's kind of like um, okay, this is one way to read it. Let's let's try it a different way. Let's try it. You know, if you were angry or if you were upset or if you're excited. Um or let's try, you know, they're more broader strokes. Um now, which is always helpful. Like I there will never be a point where I don't like couldn't use the help of an acting coach. Um it's it's yeah like running scenes before I go and film them is like invaluable to me cuz it it gets me - um ready for when that red light comes on. - Um but yeah. Yeah, I think that answers the question. I think in the beginning it was - very specific and now it's like kind of broader strokes. But Brad's a working actor and he is more protective than anything else. I find like for you I don't know if you have other coaches that are on set, but is it like does it make it different for you to have a coach that's on set? - Um I we've never I've never most shops don't really be giving you coaches on set ever, honestly. Um, that's not - No, I'm saying like working with a coach that's actively working for you, like is it different than working with a coach that isn't a working actor? Like isn't on a series or - Oh, okay. I got you. Got you. Um, that's a good question. I don't think that is as much of a determining factor. I don't think it matters so much if you're working or not. I just think it's the quality or the of the human being like - if they're insecure, if they're jealous, um then that is something that I avoid altogether, not just in coaches, but in my platonic and romantic relation and my familial relationships. Um, so, - um, has it impacted your confidence in any way? Like being able to work with different types of people or being able to work with Brad? Like, has it impacted you as an actor? - 100%. Yeah. Working with Brad has made me 20 times more confident because um, like he'll give me ideas of like I I will never forget this. I auditioned for the Power Rangers one time. - I love Power Rangers. - I do too. Like I I was geeked because I was like, "Oh my gosh, I grew up watching them." And Brad told me I was auditioning for the character was like very like fun, young, and jovial. And Brad gave me the idea. He was like, "When you come up on this line, do a 360 spin and then like do a little like like a dance." And I'm like, "Brad, that's really out there." He was like, "Dope." Trust me. He was like, and I did it for him. He was like, "No, do that for real." In the room. And this is when auditions were still in person. So, I went and I did it. And the casting director at the end was like, "Listen, baby. I" And she they do they never give you feedback after audition, but she was like, "That little spin that you did, your whole personality that you bringing." She was like, "You did an amazing job." She said, "I'm not going to catch you because you're 6'2 and the Power Rangers got to be like it can't be so tall." But she was like, "I just wanted you to know that you did a great job and you made some amazing choices." So after that experience, I remember thinking like, "Wow, like I wow, like Brad got some good ideas and he knows what he's talking about and now I feel a lot more confident taking um like chances and and um making really bold choices." Um, I yeah, now that I think of it, like in every single audition that I do, the first thing I think of is how can I within the first 5 seconds do something not crazy cuz you don't want to look like - show them who you are. - Yeah. but like a little bit of a personality. Even if it's like slightly changing a word or adding an ism of some way um or some expression, but like within the first 5 seconds, I try to do at least one thing. Um and that really stems from what Brad taught me. Um yeah, you he's you've made me so much more confident as an actor, for sure. - I love that you said that. this is like this is going to change so much for not just me but like for me I'm I'm going be honest for me it changes so much you know um he's always saying how acting is a two-step process so it's like you were saying earlier whether it be singing or dancing but any type of performance you know you have to bring those things to life but now even saying that you also to make make sure you are yourself in the room or bring something of yourself to extend that layer of what you're playing. Right. I love that you said that because I'd be scared to be myself sometimes. - I know. - It's a It's scary to be like because you don't want to steer too far from the character, - you know? I know. - So, it's like being in that room sometimes. It's scary. I'm always myself when I introduce myself like, "Hey, my name is Nina. Hola, you know, whatever whatever." But once I fall into the character, I'm like, damn, I got to change my voice or maybe I shouldn't do too much New York or maybe my Latinness my blackness needs to come out more or like maybe I can't give too much sauce. Like, but you say - Yeah. I feel like especially as black people, we have been been told, especially within the context of the entertainment industry, we have been told, you know, like upfront and also subliminally by like, you know, when we go and look at magazines, who's on the covers or who, you know, who is winning the Oscars, you know what I mean? It's they don't always they don't usually like look like us or sound like us. So like I think self like we're we receive a message that is like you know we want to dilute ourselves so that like - literally to tone it down - tone it down. Yeah. We we're we're we're pretty much told to tone it down. And so that's how I went into Brad's class like trying to tone it down and like hide who I am. But like truly truly truly Brad is the one that's like no actually like you are dope exactly as you are and like not not every single role obviously is going to call for you like doing the most and like just you being your full self. And so, of course, there's, you know, a lot of moments where you have to just discern, but I think it really comes down to you making a bold choice, like you really reading whatever is on the page, seeing how much of yourself you can or can't bring to the role, and whatever percentage that is, like making the hard decision like this is who I'm going in as. And ultimately, if you're comfortable and confident in that room and you deliver a confident performance, then they g they gonna mess with you regardless to be honest with you. Like even if it's completely off and you like get it wrong, the cast director is going to be like, "Oh, that's actually a really great actor. - Let me She might not be right for this one, but I really like her. let me bring her in for this next this other joint. Um, and that is way more worth it than like walking in kind of like unconfident, unsure, like not really making a specific choice um and delivering like you know a less compelling performance. So yeah, I encourage you girl like like - bring yourself as much as you possibly can. Um, I haven't seen you act before, but talking to you, you I love I love the way you sound. Like, your accent is so dope. - Thank you. - Um, you have like a really like raspy kind of like voice. - Great. You have a great look. So, like Yeah. No, I totally encourage you to like be yourself as much as you possibly can cuz I promise you it'll take you so much - further. Thank you so much. - I'll I'll say this too. I'll take an even deeper step and say that like I used to um I used to not uh I used to tell my manager to not have me audition for any queer roles because I thought that like I just thought that like it it might be - t casting - t casted and I might be like limited and I might you know, and people might assume or people might conflate who I play on screen with who I am in real life. Um, and I was scared of that. And after a while, especially, you know, studying with Brad, I was like, actually, you know what? Like, screw all of that. Like, like, - I'mma be myself. It's - Yeah, I'm going just I'mma just go I'mma just go and like bring as much as I can of myself to these characters regardless of like their sexualities like um and truly the moment that like I shed any kind of like preconceived notions that society tried to um put on me, as soon as I like just shed all of that, my first role I not ironically I like like um yeah, my first role was like the gayest character you've ever um and that's the first thing I got booked for. And now this role that I'm playing right now is um the first he's the first gay cling on in like Star Trek like I think - um which is like a huge deal. Um, so yeah, I like I encourage all actors to like just screw what anybody like says about like who you are supposed to be or who you're supposed to be playing or like how to do it. And um yeah, I really encourage every everybody, not even just actors, but people in general to like um to be themselves as much as they can. And um um yeah and and make a choice for real and like just rock with it like heavy. Yeah. - I love that you said that. I almost tear up because I'm Dominican again and as far as I know my lineage just stems back to the island of Espanola. Like we don't really know nothing else outside of that. U my stepdad that raised me is Cuban. So, I have a little bit of that, but I'm like full-blown Latina and I grew up in one of the blackest places in America, which is Harlem, you know, and when I I find that when I get into a room, I have to hide that. Like, I have to hide my Latiness because then they'll be like, "Well, we ask for a black actress." And I have heard it. I have heard it in some auditions when we were still doing big a lot of inerson auditions where it would be like, "Well, why is your name Rodriguez?" You know, like, "Well, where's your family from?" And that's kind of made me want to hide that part of myself a little bit because I don't want to confuse anybody. Like, we come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. Like, on my island, we're we're predominantly brown. So, I really like received that you just said that. Like that was so important. I used to be so proud of like my heritage and like who I am. And so like yeah, I'm Dominican. Like I used to always speak Spanish and like now even in Miami I won't like I'm like no like tone it down. Like you like we were saying earlier like tone it down tone it down. So, thank you for saying that because I know that's something that the universe needed me to hear and probably - a bunch of other people that saves them from like hiding in fear and like hiding behind who they really are in their auditions or in any type of role. Um would you say that this is that would be one of the most important things that he has instilled in you or there's anything else that he has has instilled that you take with you outside of like just being yourself in some type of way? - Yeah. No, I that's the number one thing cuz I remember like a distinct switch in my brain where I was like, "All right, let me just because I was scared because like I would always I would try to like talk like this in auditions and like literally I would try to be Michael B. Jordan, but I was like, you know what? No, that's not - I'm literally not him. I'm like, "Yeah, I have like a little bit of a softer voice and I'm like a soft person and I'm funny and like I remember a distinct switch where I was like, okay, like that you know this the way I am might serve queer characters like and that's really cool and there's like a large space for that. So like let me just naturally be myself." And I swear that's when I started really working in this industry is when I felt more comfortable being myself. - Sorry, I was going to ask what was it this the like the deciphering thing that made you move from training to working actor? Would you say it's that? - Yeah. Um, it's a combination of two things. I would say definitely that it's definitely like just being more comfortable with myself as I naturally am, the way that my voice sounds, um the way that I, you know, may come off, just like or or the way that I'm perceived, just find being comfortable with how I am naturally perceived. I think that was definitely a big turning point um in my career because once once you become com once you understand how people perceive you, you can like use it to your advantage. you can like really um lean on it in certain auditions, not every audition cuz again certain certain roles you have to completely change the way that you sound and you know the certain roles I have to speak in completely different accents and that is um a plus. But um a lot of roles just really require you to be yourself. I'll never forget I shot like a pilot and I asked the director like hey what what can I do to like study and you know be prepared when we come back if we come back. Um and she was like babe this you literally just go live your life cuz this world is you so like just be yourself. - Um and I was like man that's that's so cool that's awesome. Um so yeah that I think was a big turning point for me. But then um also like full transparency like my career really changed once I signed to an agency that I'm with. And I've really enjoyed being honest and vocal about that because when I first started out I was with kind of like a boutique agency. And I think a lot of people might tell new actors like it doesn't matter what agency you're with, like as long as you're like getting auditions and you're fine. Um, and that's not honestly that has not been my experience cuz truthfully when I switched to my current agency, Paradigm, um, and Paradigm is like a ve like they're um they're really uh they're I mean like what's her name? Um, Sydney Sweeney is on Paradigm, you know what I mean? Like they have a lot of really like huge talent. Um, and um, so I noticed as soon as I switched to them, my auditions um, became bigger and like I, you know, started being considered for like larger roles, larger pro projects. Um, so I think that's definitely like I just like to tell the truth about that because uh I think sometimes people like to blow smoke in in people's ears. I do think the agent, not just the agency, but also the agent that you're with matters. It really does. Um, so I would say it's a combination of those two things. and finding the right agency and agent for me as well as me um uh understanding like myself. - Awesome. So really like your team and like making sure that they see the bigger picture too. Um - speaking big big big um coach said that he loves your laughs and he's always trying to figure out ways to make you laugh. Is there like something funny or something that has stood out or like maybe a joke between y'all two that you have or a funny moment? - Um, can't think of anything a specific joke that he said, - but um I don't know. I feel like in the beginning he might just like say something that's like not scripted to like kind of like make you like what throw you off - and like - yeah kind of throw me off and get me to laugh in a way. Um I feel like that's a technique that he would use. Um yeah, I I do very vividly remember him always trying to make me laugh in different ways or always telling me to laugh. Um because it just yeah that it just shows the the uh realest or most unfiltered part of yourself, who you are naturally. Um and that's that's that's I think is the key. that's what they want to see. Like even if you're you speaking in a different accent or your hair looks different or whatever, I I think they want to see a real person, - right? - The icebreaker. - Yeah. Yeah. For sure. Um and speaking of physicality, I think another thing I want to say that I have learned um is I'm really into fashion. I'm really into like - I know I know I'll be watching you. - So like I'll always tell actors like play around with like the physicality right if it calls for like for Star Trek when I went in I knew I was playing a young character so I went clean shaven. I also knew I was going to find an alien. So, I put in these like - not distracting, but like kind of natural green contact lenses cuz I just felt like they - they look like otherworldly and like kind of like alien like um and the producers liked it so much that they I have green eyes and - I know I'm like that's where the idea came from. That's lit. It came from like truly a a a style choice that I made in my audition and I'm always doing that. And another role I booked, I booked a pilot where um the character description was like he's this artsy like he's an art student and he's young and he's in school. So I went into the audition with I think green hair. Um, like I just got the spray from, you know, the corner store and like - and then on the call back I came in with red hair because I was like he I I just in my real life enjoy changing hair colors. Um, so I was like I feel like he would do the same thing. And I remember in the call back she was like, "Is your hair red now?" And I was like, "Yeah, no. I just I be fixing it out. Like I don't know. I could make it I could turn it back green if you want." And she was like, "No, no, no. Actually, I like that. And so when we shot the pilot, one scene I had green hair and then the next one I think I had purple hair. Um, so yeah, I be telling people like especially my boys when I do these self tapes, I I have mastered no makeup makeup. You hear me? Like I tell my boys, go on YouTube and find a makeup tutorial by a man and learn how to beat your face. Like - go to Sephora and color match now. So it makes it so much easier. - You could walk into Sephora and be like, "Hey, can you help me out? Like what's up? What do I need?" When I tell you every self tape I am contoured for the gods. I have my concealer. I have, you know, I have everything. But like - if you you can't clock it, you know what I mean? And it's very like it's very stealthy. And yeah, I guess my point is like you have a minute to convince people why - not like you said the first 5 seconds for sure. - Yeah. So yeah, that's that's my two cents on on that. - Well, I just again want to give you all the praise and you really you really instill some things and some gems into me, especially with being a new student in coach's class. I call him Coach B, but it being in Brad's class. Um, full circle. Like, so you answered so many things for me without me even having to ask you about like even just being honest and saying, "Nah, he's honest. Like, you don't have nothing to worry about. He's not going to BS you or nothing like that." But I do want to steal like 20 more seconds of your time. I play a little game. Of course, just a heads up, I have I want to say like a minute and a half left before somebody's going to call. Okay. Okay. Let's do it. - So, I'm going to put 20 seconds on the clock - and I'm going to ask you this or that. Um I'm just going to ask you some this or that for actors. Okay. - Okay. - So, cancel and 20 seconds. So, lead role or supporting role? - Supporting. I know it's a crazy answer, but - TV or film. - Um, film. - Comedy or drama? - Comedy. - Ah, you want to give me four? I got to ask you one more cuz then I know if you really my type of people. Tacos or pizza? Definitely. Fish taco. Fish taco. Yes. Taco any Tuesday, boo. Thank you. Thank you so much for everything. Like you love to meet you. You're awesome. - I hope to work for you one day. Who knows? - Yeah, me too. I hope I'll meet you in person one day. - No, for sure. You got my number, so you already know. And um I wish you all the best. Okay.