Staff

All coaches have been trained extensively by Michael Woolson and are proficient in the technique taught at Michael Woolson Studio.

Michael Woolsonc
Michael Woolson
Private Coaching
Following a decade of work in front of the camera, Michael Woolson realized his true passion as an acting coach in the film industry. After developing a course on acting for UCLA in 1998, Woolson began coaching at The Larry Moss Studio, where he coached for three years. In 2001 he founded the Michael Woolson Studio in LA, a theatre located adjacent to Beverly Hills where he and his colleagues conduct classes and hold productions. Some of Michael’s directorial endeavors have included Neil LaBute’s The Shape of Things, produced by Danny Devito, Jonathan Marc Sherman’s Women & Wallace, John Patrick Shanley’s 4 Dogs & A Bone, Cock by Michael Bartlett, and Laura Eason’s Sex With Strangers.

Michael Woolson has become one of the most prominent and respected acting coaches in Los Angeles having worked with a number of Academy Award nominees and winners. He is recognized for his unique ability to cultivate depth and authenticity from his students in an environment that is nurturing and inspiring. Woolson has worked with thousands of actors from talented up-and-comers to award-winning celebrities with successful careers. He is the author of several books on acting: The Work of an Actor and Emotion on Demand: An Actor’s Workbook for Mastering Emotional Triggers which are currently being adopted for use as textbooks in many colleges and universities across the country.

Michael Woolson has a deep-seated interest in architecture and resides in a historical landmark home built in the early 1930s in the South Carthay neighborhood of Los Angeles. Married to holistic nutritionist, Rachel Avalon, he believes firmly in the principles of clean and sustainable energy.

Frederick Stuart
Frederick Stuart
Private Coaching
Frederick Stuart started his acting career 25 years ago when he was chosen as a 2nd year student at The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama to perform Romeo at Dame Peggy Ashcroft’s Memorial Service in Westminster Abbey. He performed along side British acting royalty Sir John Gielgud, Peter O’Toole, Ben Kingsley, Judy Dench, Vanessa Redgrave, Ian Holm as well as Harold Pinter and Peter Hall and was directed by the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Trevor Nunn.
He toured Great Britain and appeared in the West End playing Jean in Strinberg’s Miss Julie. In London he played Lord Byron in Bloody Poetry, Konstantin in The Seagull , Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing and Pirelli in Sweeney Todd.
Here in Los Angeles he is a Resident Artist at A Noise Within Theatre Company in Pasadena where he has played numerous roles including Tartuffe in Tartuffe, Cassius in Julus Caesar, Edmund in King Lear, Richmond in Richard III, Nandor in The Guardsman, Sidney Carton in A Tale of Two Cities,Bernard Nightingale in Arcadia and Hamlet in Hamlet.
He has worked with The Independent Shakespeare Company playing Oberon in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Bollingbrook in Richard II, Jaques in As You Like it as well as Crab the Dog in Two Gentlemen of Verona.
He has worked extensively in Film and TV currently starring in Empty Space on Amazon Prime.
Other credits include The Last Tycoon, The Odyssey, Keen Eddie, Trail of Tears, Queen of the East, The Delivery, Alive and Kicking, El Cartel, The Chief, The Bill, Dreaming of Joseph Lees, The Geeks, Romeo and Juliet.
Happy Anderson
Happy Anderson
Private Coaching
Happy Anderson is a unique and talented character actor, teacher, audition coach and director. His teaching experience includes The New School (NYC), Ohio Northern University, Indiana University, The People’s Improv Theatre, The NY Film Academy, and The Professional Performing Arts School in New York City. He also has an extensive body of work in television and film. On the feature side, Anderson’s credits include David Ayer’s Bright, opposite Will Smith and Edgar Ramirez; Taylor Hackford’s The Comedian, opposite Robert De Niro; Suzanne Bier’s Birdbox, opposite Sandra Bullock; Tony Gilroy’s Duplicity, opposite Julia Roberts and Clive Owen; and Bad Boys for Life, opposite Will Smith and Martin Lawrence. Most recently he was seen in John Slattery’s Maggie Moore(s), opposite Jon Hamm and Tina Fey. He was recently seen in Jeff Nichols’ The Bikeriders opposite Austin Butler, Tom Hardy, and Jodie Comer.

Recent episodic credits include the modern Western series “Bring on the Dancing Horses,” from Michael Polish and starring Kate Bosworth; and Steven Soderbergh’s limited series for HBO Max “Full Circle,” opposite Dennis Quaid and Claire Danes. Happy’s prior television work includes recurring roles on “Mindhunter” (Netflix), “The Knick” (Cinemax), “Gotham” (Fox), “Snowpiercer” (TNT) and “The Blacklist” (NBC). He also appeared on “The Deuce” (HBO) and “Quarry” (Cinemax), among many others.

Happy also has numerous regional, on and off-Broadway theatrical credits including Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice with Al Pacino. Having recently relocated to Los Angeles, Happy was one of New York City’s most sought after audition coaches for over 15 years!