So You Want To Be…An Actor: Conversations With Andre Fyffe

Andre Fyffe is an actor, producer born and raised in North West London.

Beginning his earlier career in stage school, Sylvia Young, in theatre his recent performance at Vaults festival physical theatre piece Boys which won ‘Outstanding New Work Award.’ His warm husky voice has granted him extra recognition doing voice overs and commercials for brands such as Volvic, Puma, and Adidas. Andre continues to develop his first feature film as he proves once again that his skills transcend acting.

IndustryMe caught up with Andre to discuss his career and top tips for aspiring actors.

Let’s start at the beginning. How did you first get into acting?

You know how parents can be sometimes, wanting their children to try as many different things as possible. My mum signed me up for loads of weekend activities, running and all sorts of other sports. Acting is just what stuck. We also had an end of term plays as you do in school. I joined the Silver Young programme shortly after, through which I gained a wealth of experience, whilst attending regular school.

I applied for a bunch of drama schools and got to the final auditions for about 7/8 but didn’t get in.

The entire experience was invaluable though because it taught me the basics of auditioning.

Do you think it’s important to go to drama school?

Well, I’d be lying if I said it didn’t help, but from where I’m standing not going to drama school isn’t the be-all and end-all.

In my career so far craft development and networking have been far more important.

How do you get the balance between confidence and humility right?

Confidence comes from a moment of courage. It’s not something I have ever been able to teach someone else. The one thing I can say is don’t show off.

How important is networking as actor and what advice would give for anyone struggling with this?

It is imperative. It’s not about who you know or even what you know, it’s about who knows you. As soon as they do you become an asset. Puma and Adidas know me as the guy with the deep voice for voice-overs.

Always be prepared before you head to a networking event. Think about who will be there, why you are going, what information you need to know. When you speak to people mention the things you are most proud of. Don’t complain. If you are feeling lost, try and talk to someone who is not talking to anyone.

My top 3 networking tips would be:

• Be yourself
• Put your best foot forward
• Be ready to learn

What’s been your favourite role to date?

I love everything I do; even the production stuff. However, my favourite project was a PSHE video with my school in primary school…I believe it was year 6. It was so much fun. If I can have that much fun with every project I do I’ll be a happy man.

How Does Being on stage compare with acting on screen?

I like both even commercials. Contrary to popular belief I actually love smiling. At the end of the day it’s all acting. What I enjoy is the different effect various mediums can have on an audience. With all that being said I do hope to do some feature films and maybe step into theatre.

Ooo theatre, interesting. Can you do any accents?

No…the art of imitation is…a challenging one. I’d have to listen to the accent over and over again.

How did you get into voice acting?

It all started with this deep voice. It was always something that I was interested in so I spoke to some actors about it. I did a bit more research, got myself a voice reel and reached out to some producers. The rest is history.

At what point does an actor consider getting an agent?

Whenever you feel ready. Everyone’s journey is different, there are no rules.

I wanted to step outside my comfort zone and start getting a wider variety of auditions. In all honesty, I looked at what other people were doing and had a little bit of a “bring me in” moment internally.

I wanted my career to move forward and that’s when I knew I was ready.

How important is your physical appearance as an aspiring actor?

It’s pretty important but your physical health is equally as important if not more so.

Acting is a lifetime career. You need to figure out your look. Primary example “The Rock” who has a strong and soft persona. This determines the type of roles you go for.

In regards to health, acting is a demanding career. Actors don’t talk about this enough. It’s as mental as it is physical. You find different ways to handle different things, work life balance is very important. Try to go on holiday whenever you can.

You need to find ways to step out of character and go back to your neutral self. Playing particular roles can be draining sometimes.

In this acting world, there’s no HR department. You are the CEO of your own business and it’s biggest asset. You have to make sure that your mental well-being is taken care of.

What are you working on for 2019?

I recently filmed a commercial for the new Taxi App, Mi Whip, produced a music video for upcoming artist Erin Louise whilst producing short film Slut with Fully Focused Productions young team!

I had short boxing film Spar screened at the BFI for this months Soul Event.

I am constantly auditioning and meeting up with creatives working on several scripts. 2019 so far has been good and I’m hoping to just continue as I mean to go on!