Bernard Hiller Acting and Success Studio

I Called to ask a COUPLE of brief questions on the studio & the «guy at the front desk Dustin» was extremely rude. your odd… entitled… lucky I answered the phone personality is very confusing. calm it down buddy. Calm. It. down. As for Bernies I wouldn’t know, that was enough to tell me it wasn’t for me.

ANYONE WHO THINKS YOU NEED TO HAVE A BOYFRIEND OR GIRLFRIEND IN ORDER TO BE A GOOD ACTOR IS OUT OF THEIR F#%*ING MIND!!!
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I never post reviews, but I felt compelled to as a favor to my fellow actors out there.
There are many actors in this town who are desperate for their big break, and are seeking the help of anyone who will help to get them there. Of course, this is a harsh business, and it stands to reason why many would feel as though they are not good enough.
This is where Bernard Hiller comes into play…
I took a Theories of Persuasion and Manipulation class in college, and this guy hit many of the sweet spots in terms of how to manipulate someone. Especially…
1. Convince them that they are not good enough.
Echoing what others have said, he spends most of the time talking about how you are not good enough and pretending like he is q therapist who knows exactly what has gone wrong in your life. At one point, he even told me to repeat after him, saying «Bernard, I need you to help me.» Even if you disagree with his intuition, he will insist that he knows what is best. Which leads me to…
2. Offering salvation/​a solution
He claims that he can help you become the best version of yourself. By the end of our session, I could not wait to leave. He told me that he liked me and that his class would change my life. I am not wasting my time or money on getting bullied into submission.
It is not difficult for actors to be manipulated in this town. To Bernard’s credit, he is good at it, and he is not the only one. Do not be fooled by the fact that he name drops people such as «Bruce Dern, Bryan Cranston, or Eddie Redmayne.» A lot of people know famous actors, but it doesn’t make them ultimately better individuals or acting teachers in the end.
My fellow actors, do not allow this man to take away your power and convince you that he can help you get it back. We are better than that.

Bernard Hiller is what I call a ‘Master Tailor’.
Now you might b wondering why I call him this, since he is an acting coach/​mentor/​teacher. Well, I’m referring to his ability to seemingly take some magic invisible ‘thread’ and a golden ‘needle’ that takes the broken pieces of ‘fabric’ of who you are now (the aspiring actor) and ‘sew’ you back together! So you may accomplish this dream/​goal/​feat!!! Of… BEING AN ACTOR!
I believe we r born whole and beautiful… But as time goes on we allow the doubts and fears and insecurities that creep in from listening to the wrong folks and stories that we replay over and over in our heads and truly start to believe these negative thots. We try to ‘become’ an actor while sabatoging the whole process by not allowing our instrument (our soul) to be fixed first! Broken down hearts/​souls/​finances/​talents do not thrive in an unhealthy environment! So until we focus our attention on the WHOLE instrument (acting is not just a body that spews out words at another person) and getting it running in tip top shape we are all fooling ourselves!
Through Bernard Hiller’s weekly classes we work on scenes yes… but we first and foremost work on being authentic as human beings! Truly loving yourself! Not until this happened for me did I BECOME me!
LOVE is the major theme here! If you want to feel love… experience love… give love… share love… and finally, truly LOVE yourself then Bernard Hillers classes is where you need to rush as fast as u can to get your front row seat!
Then when you experience one of his many international Masterclasses, this is where u get the Big Bang for your buck! I think every adult that is 18 or older should experience his masterclass at least once… we really would «all get along»! Most of us r going through life… Faking it… we don’t know who we are! Bernard Hiller will give you back to you!!! Thank you Bernard Hiller for introducing me to myself! I really truly am in love with this person!!! ME! Bring it on!!!

I’ve been studying with Bernard Hiller for four years and the man is incredible. I first met him in London and he was one of the first acting coaches who really saw my blocks and helped me get through them. If you are serious about this industry, and I mean REALLY serious, not just playing about, this man will see it in you and he will go out of his way to help you. I was scared of him at first as he’s tough. The reason he is tough is because this industry is not for shrinking violets, nor is it for anyone who thinks it is easy, for it is not an easy industry to start out in.
My acting ability has improved dramatically since I met him and it’s because of the friendly nature of all the actors who come to his classes and for the incredible way he inspires me to take one more step forward, every single day. There are no rivalries, egos are left at the door and everyone supports one another.
So many come and go to his classes and don’t get him, and that’s fine, everyone is on their own path.
If you want to be the greatest actor, you must be the greatest person in your own life as well. This is what Bernard teaches and I am grateful I found him when I did.

As a business woman and public speaker, I doubted why I would need an acting coach but as it was provided as a fundamental part of a speaking program I was attending, I was open to try it. I learnt more about stage presence and being the authentic me in that morning than I could possibly have imagined. As a result, I signed up for the Miami masterclass and some preparation Skype sessions.
It’s fair to say my life has changed, how I see the world and how it sees me is different, and more importantly, I have found a teacher who challenges me but is there to guide you through. Bernie may see your issues/​blocks BUT he always offers help/​solutions, so you can be the very best human being you can. It’s not just about being a great actor, it’s about having a great life, and this is definitely the place to learn it!
I would recommend this studio, to anyone looking to make real life changes and start living their dreams.

I was looking for a new studio to take my work to the next level. Unfortunately, stopping here was a waste of my time. I called to inquire about auditing a class and I was told I wouldn’t be allowed. Instead, I had to schedule a one-​on-​one private coaching with Bernard (for $ 150, of course). Most other studios will let you audit for free or for a small fee.
I was excited to meet with Bernard in person and talk to him about his classes. I assumed he would give me a scene to read and we would spend the hour working and getting up to speed on his technique.
When I arrived, he had no material to work on. He told me «I can tell a lot about someone by the way they look out a window.» That was the first red flag, but I was willing to play along. So I looked out his window. Then he proceeded to berate me for almost the entire hour about how negative of a person I was and how I was «stuck inside my own head.» He told me that my success came from luck and it was remarkable that I had gotten any work at all before meeting him (another red flag).
Please keep in mind that I told him nothing about myself and never read a single scene or line of dialogue for him. This was all based SOLELY on how I looked out his window. He asked me if I had a good childhood, and I said yes. Wrong answer, according to him. That was my main problem with Bernard. Everything he said was right, even though it was based on no information whatsoever. Everything I said was wrong, and if I argued with him I was «just being negative and not wanting to learn.» Learn what? I wasn’t even sure what he was trying to communicate to me.
He assumed he knew all about my life (again, based on zero actual information) and had no problem telling me everything he thought was wrong with me. At one point I stopped trying to correct him when he was wrong about me because he didn’t listen to a single thing I said.
His method is actually quite brilliant (for him) if you are willing to give him power. Everything you say is wrong. Everything he says is right. If you don’t agree, that’s just you being negative. Therefore, nothing you say can ever contradict him. That’s classic manipulation.
In all fairness, he was right about some things. But this is the equivalent of a psychic making «predictions» about your life. Some of it will probably be true, but you have to overlook all the things that aren’t.
At the end of the hour, I had only said a few sentences. He did a spectacular job of making me feel terrible about myself, which is exactly what he set out to do. It’s a lot easier to sell your snake oil when the buyer thinks he has an ailment that it can fix.
I found him to be predatory. He tells you all the things that are wrong with you and then offers to fix them for money. The problem is, he didn’t give me a single insight into how he planned on helping me. We never read any material, he never saw me act or perform, I still have no idea what his classes or teaching style is like, and he highlighted «problems» with no solutions.
At the end, he invited me to his class. Again, I wasn’t allowed to audit before blindly giving him money up front. I left the «coaching» session feeling less informed about his class than when I arrived.
He came highly recommended and has done good work with some actors. I’m sure that some people will do well with him, but I can’t say for sure. To be honest, I know nothing about his classes or technique, but that’s his fault and not mine. I showed up with an open mind and tried to learn as much as I could, but I’m not willing to let a dictator berate me about things he doesn’t understand. He constantly preaches against «negativity» but I found him to be overwhelmingly negative himself.

I’m more than willing to (finally) share my experience with you.
I’d love to give no stars for Bernard Hiller, but unfortunately it’s not possible to choose that.
I’ve participated in his master classes in Europe and also came to LA to work with him in private and attended his studio class in Sherman Oaks once.
Besides the great energy of the big groups of actors and the nice people I’ve met, I can’t share any other good experiences.
Bernard kept telling me in his privates I’m not opening up enough and that I’m blocked (maybe I really was, because he was scaring me by his voice tone alone). Most of the time I saw him, he insisted I’m a negative person and was insulting my homeland’s mentality. Doesn’t HE seem a little too negative?!? But that’s not all, he went further by saying my family is not good for me and I should leave them, stop contacting them and move to LA to work with him, because he’s bringing me the success I’m aiming for! I was so shocked by his comments and his inappropriate, unprofessional behavior in many ways and realized all he does is manipulating people (I wasn’t the only one)! After two weeks in LA, I decided to quit «working» with him. When I told him, he became furious and warned me of going back home to Europe. He insisted I’m only going back because I’m scared and miss my family and boyfriend — oh, and he said my boyfriend is going to leave me for the pressure I’m putting on him for coming back for him! 1. this wasn’t the case and 2. is this ridiculous or what?! Like he knows every person on earth. Sorry Bernard, I gotta disappoint you: we’re still together for six years now.
Since I’ve only attended his official class once, I can’t say much about it. You don’t really get to act (also from what I’ve heard) and you do a lot of «opening up» exercises. It’s more about your mental health than acting.
All in all, he’s a business man looking after all the money he can get. This person doesn’t know what he’s doing. Oh wait, I’ve to correct me, he knows how to manipulate people (using their pain to his advantage) and how to pretend to be someone he’s not.
Moreover, I wouldn’t recommend his book! Most of his teaching consists of «copying» Larry Moss «Acting is Everything» and Ivana Chubbuck’s «The Power of the Actor».
He doesn’t know Angelina Jolie, Leonardo DiCaprio or whoever, he just takes the chance to get a picture with a famous professional whenever he’s spotting one.
There are real acting classes in LA! :)

I especially feel compelled to write this review after reading one by Suzi D. and realizing that we had a very similar experience in this class. I agree with the last sentence of her first paragraph and the next 2 paragraphs in their entirety.
I’ve been in this business for almost 30 years and was led to Bernard Hiller by a tweet from a casting director I’ve always admired and respected. She raved about his book so I bought it, read, resonated with a few things and thought maybe this could be the person to mentor me to the next level of my career.
I had two private sessions with him, did a lot of listening because that’s what he demanded and was very specific about why I was there. One of the things he talked about was how important it was to have a mentor and that we need to continuously be engaged with people who are at the level we aspired to. When he invited me to enroll in his group class, that’s what I expected but imagine my disappointment to find a class full of beginners, mostly youngsters with «day jobs» and big dreams. Nothing wrong with that, but Bernard’s 1 hour lectures revealed a very strange philosophy on the industry and I found them to be less than inspiring. I could almost call them detrimental to anyone pursuing an acting career.
It was so uncomfortable for me I bailed after two classes without even requesting a refund.