Courses taught

  • Scene Study
  • Meisner Approach
  • Acting for Film & TV: Intro
  • Acting for Film & TV: Intermediate

Biography

Joe McCoy is the Senior Educational Administrator of the Academy. A graduate of the William B. Davis Centre for Actor’s Study, he is a gifted teacher of the craft he has been honing for many years as an actor and as a director. He is known for his humour, insight, and absolute passion as an educator. Intuitive and knowledgeable, he works in a relaxed and often hilarious style that allows students to feel safe and free from judgement.

“Sometimes people arrive here not respecting themselves, but that doesn’t last long. [chuckles] I think in-depth training re-humanizes us. There are as many acting languages as there are actors. I find that developing a common language with each actor is key, but even before that to establish the aesthetic of reverence for this work is vital. Then of course, we are irreverent with each other, which keeps people from getting too stuck on themselves. We are continually challenged to get out of our own way. I’m just a doorman, really. I show them the door, but they walk through by themselves.”

Testimonials

  • “Joe is without question the finest teacher I have had… His way of teaching can be intensely personal, but never invasive. How does he do that? I think I speak for all of us when I say that working with him has been a profoundly transformational experience. Thank you, Joe.”

    Jamie Nesbitt – Multi award-winning theatre artist, Vancouver

  • “Any person looking to embark on a career as an actor would do well to study with Joe. He has the ability to understand and engage with actors in pragmatic language. He is able to shape each individual actor by holding them accountable to the work, while coaxing the best of who they are to come out and play in a safe environment. He is able to do this with a profound respect and love that very few acting coaches have. The knowledge that Joe passed on to me provided me with a strong foundation as an actor. To this day, any discovery I make in this art form has the fingerprints of Joe’s guidance and coaching.”

    IMDB:Warren Chow – Cosmopolis, Crash and Burn, The Listener

  • “Joe helped me succeed in some of my earliest auditions. He believed in me… and this helped me to believe in myself. I loved working with him because he was honest and got right to the point. Thank you Joe for being a great mentor and coach; your help is why I am where I am today.”

    IMDB:Dylan Schmid – Once Upon a Time, Falling Skies, Horns with Daniel Radcliffe

Credits

Film & TV (selected roles)
  • Davinci’s Inquest (Brad Turner) – CBC
  • The Keeper (Paul Lynch) – Peace Arch Films
  • Lola (Carl Bessai) – Telefim Canada
  • The Land of the Blind (Andrew Struthers) – Fourth Eye Films
  • The Dead Zone (Ellie Kanner) – Lionsgate Films
  • Urban Myths by John Edwards
Stage (selected roles)
  • Heathen Valley by Romulus Linney (Harlan)
  • 12th Night by William Shakespeare (Malvolio)
  • American Buffalo by David Mamet (Teach)
  • Hot L Baltimore by Lanford Wilson
  • Brilliant Traces by Cindy Lou Johnson (Henry)
  • Shivaree by William Mastrosimone (Chandler)
  • En Piece Detaches by Michelle Trembley (Henri)
  • Private Lives by Noel Coward (Gary)
  • The Woolgatherer by William Mastrosimone (Cliff)
  • Bury the Dead by Irwin Shaw (Driscoll)
  • Born Yesterday by Garson Kanin (Paul)

Directing

Stage:

  • The Swan by Elizabeth Egloff
  • A Perfect Ganesh by Terrence McNally
  • Wrong Turn at Lungfish by Lowell Ganz
  • Picasso at the Lapin Agile by Steve Martin
  • The Memory of Water by Shelagh Stephenson
  • Social Security by Andrew Bergman
  • Crimes of the Heart by Beth Henley
  • The Woolgatherer by William Mastrosimone
  • Little Voice by Jim Cartwright
  • Agnes of God by John Peilmeier
  • Little Shop of Horrors by Howard Ashman
  • Extremities by William Mastrosimone
  • Central Park West by Woody Allen
  • Hotline by Elaine May
  • An Interview by David Mamet

Film:

  • Cascadia with Jim Knox