Tony Freeman
Tony Freeman has appeared in over 250 plays and movies, including
Broadway and national tours of “The Lion King” as Zazu (the wacky,
British bird) for over 1,500 performances, and Tony Kushner’s musical
“Caroline, or Change.” Mr. Freeman’s television credits include guest
roles on “Law and Order” (twice) and “Law and Order, SVU.” He recently
worked on a new musical “All About Us” with showbiz legend Eartha
Kitt. Mr. Freeman’s other credits include a Barrymore Award in the Arden
Theatre’s production of Stephen Sondheim’s “Merrily We Roll Along,”
and nominations for three others. He has been a Guest Professional Actor
in Residence and Acting Teacher at Cornell University and Teaching Artist
for the Roundabout Theatre Company in NYC. In 2008, he appeared in
“Applause” at the popular Encores series in NYC, directed by two-time
Tony Award winner Kathleen Marshall.
MB: Have you ever experienced stage fright?
TF: I don’t usually have stage fright when I’m in a show. I get stage fright
when I stand up to speak as myself. If I stand up and say, “Hi, I’m Tony
Freeman,” I get nervous.
MB: Have you ever had stage fright when you’ve been in a play? If so,
how did you deal with it?
TF: Oh, yeah. Years ago I would get nervous when I was in shows. What I
did to get over the nerves was to concentrate on the other person on stage
instead of on myself—to put my focus more on them than on the audience,
so that it became just about me and another actor rather than me in front of
an audience.
MB: Was there anything that you’d tell yourself to calm yourself down?
TF: I would just say, “Concentrate on the first line you’re supposed to say.”
Just think about your first line or your first action. That gives you the impetus
to come onto the stage with a purpose, as opposed to thinking, “Oh my
God, once I walk through this door, there’s going to be an audience.”
MB: Why do you think you don’t get stage fright now?
TF: I guess because I’ve been in over two hundred shows. Once you’ve
done something so many times . . . But I have heard of people who have
been in a lot of shows who still get really nervous before every performance.
Some even throw up before every show.
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