In his classes, Nelson teaches his students how to find the emotions from the structure of the script, the action in the scene and the meaning of it all from the character’s point of view. As he states: “When it all becomes meaningful; when you have a clear and specific goal and action, the emotion will come floating to you.”
After working for many years, Nelson felt he still had not reached his full potential as an actor. His initial training had taught him to focus on his own emotions to create his performances, but this felt limiting and, at times, exhausting. In search of a training that would allow him to deliver more truthful performances, he stumbled upon the Meisner training in Taiwan. It turned out to be the missing piece of the puzzle.
It was an experience he describes as liberating and empowering. By turning his attention outward, towards his acting partners, he learned to truly observe and react. It became possible to completely be “in the moment” during the scene: active and dynamic, with access to an almost infinite source of inspiration and energy, all the while staying natural and grounded.