Howard Fine is recognized as one of the premiere acting teachers and most sought-after coaches in the entertainment industry. His career as a renowned acting educator and specialist is rooted in New York, primarily at the American Music and Dramatic Academy, where he also headed the Acting Department. His passion for coaching the best and brightest professional actors and actresses led in 1985 to his relocating to Hollywood, where his prominent reputation emerged.

His talent roster has included such celebrities as: Brad Pitt, Val Kilmer, Diana Ross, Jennifer Connelly, Sela Ward, Billy Campbell, Jon Bon Jovi, Kim Delaney, Elle McPherson, Brooke Shields, Darryl Hannah, Kelli Williams, Alison Eliot, Chris Meloni, Rosanna Arquette, Lee Tergesen, Claudia Schiffer, Jason Priestly, Michelle Williams, and he currently works with Garry Shandling, Salma Hayek, Gerry Butler, Mark Dacascos, David Eliot, Heather Locklear, Richie Sambora, Michelle Kwan, Michael Chiklis, James Belushi, Scott Wolf, Rob Estes, Lori Loughlin, Mark Harmon, Pam Dawber, Maura Tierney, Adrian Pasdar, Heather Tom, Elizabeth Berkeley, Jared Leto, Jack Noseworthy, Danny Nucci, Tisha Campbell, David Faustino, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Estella Warren, and Tori Spelling among many others.

The prestigious Howard Fine Acting Studio--a New York conservatory-like professional Studio, with its two stages and one open space--has grown to over three hundred current students and eight additional master faculty members. Mr. Fine is a close colleague of the esteemed Miss Uta Hagen and has twice engaged her in a rare public discourse on acting, which he hosted first at Paramount Studios and three years later at the Writers Guild of America. His contribution to the television and film industry has helped influence the now-prevailing standard for even the most accomplished working actors to be coached or continue studying at leading studios, such as his, in order to maximize their performances and constantly improve and grow as artists.

For five years, Mr. Fine reviewed the Oscar-nominated performances for the Los Angeles Times Calendar (Entertainment) Section. He is regularly invited to comment on the Oscar-nominated performances by media such as Access Hollywood, USA Today, “E” Entertainment, Extra, Sky TV and the BBC in the United Kingdom. Backstage West has enlisted Mr. Fine’s expertise for its coverage on private coaching, and he has twice been featured on Entertainment Tonight. MTV’s Making the Band invited him to coach O-Town’s lead singer in order to spotlight the real rigors and standards of serious professional acting.

In addition to his career as a distinguished coach, teacher, and acting advisor, Howard Fine is also a celebrated theatre director. He made his Broadway debut staging Michael Chiklis in DEFENDING THE CAVEMAN. He directed Lee Blessing’s FORTINBRAS, starring Billy
Campbell, in the premiere production of the Howard Fine Theatre in Los Angeles, winning a DramaLogue Award and an Ovation Award nomination for direction. He also directed a series of one-act plays starring Jim Belushi and Lori Loughlin to celebrate the naming of the second theatre in his studio. Mr. Fine directed the award-winning production of G.R. POINT, starring Craig Sheffer at the Callboard Theater and MOONCHILDREN at the Candlefish Theatre. He originally began directing in New England, staging a wide variety of productions from the dramatic works of Ibsen and Chekhov to musicals, such as Anything Goes and Stop the World, I Want To Get Off. Mr. Fine is a member of the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers.

For eleven consecutive years, he has directed the critically acclaimed AIDS benefit, “Divas: Simply Singing”, produced by and starring Sheryl Lee Ralph at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles. It has featured such artists as Roberta Flack, Jennifer Holliday, Maureen McGovern, Melissa Manchester, Rita Moreno, Whoopi Goldberg, Sharon Stone, Nancy Wilson, and Tisha Campbell.

He will soon be seen on NBC and Joel Silver’s The Next Action Star. Additionally he directed a benefit for Planned Parenthood of Jane Martin’s play “Talking With,” featuring an all-star cast of female soap opera stars.

As a lover of the craft, the art, and ultimately the powerful magic of acting, Howard Fine is one of the few elite acting experts, who has devoted his primary career to perfecting the teaching and coaching of professional actors. His outstanding reputation is the product of his remarkable expertise uniquely coupled with his extraordinary gift to inspire.

John has a decade of experience preparing speakers and speeches for public audiences and media appearances, working with progressive politicians at the national and local level, corporate and academic leaders, and other folks who want to do their best for their audiences.

John and his partners recently worked with Harvard economists on research that shows how critical politicians' non-verbal communication is to their electoral success, and developed a tool called the virtual primary to gauge politicians' prospects for success on the stump.

John has served as communications director for the national security and science faculty at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, and previously worked on international education issues with former National Economic Advisor Gene Sperling. As a management consultant, John prepared and delivered presentations on strategic issues for executives at over a hundred major companies in the U.S. and overseas. He holds honors degrees from Harvard College and Columbia Law School.

John can be reached at john@KNPcommunications.com.

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