A Conversation With Scott Rogers

A Conversation With Scott Rogers
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"Your dad makes shoes, you go into the shoe business. Your dad makes shows, you go into show business." -- Scott Rogers

Scott Rogers was born into a family in the entertainment industry. An industry he saw from many perspectives growing up and one he couldn't help but become involved in. After all his family was in it, he was surrounded by it, moved by it and knew he had to be in it. Against his father's wishes he quit college to embark on his adventure. Something he is admittedly not proud of.

His first job he worked for free, learning the intricacies behind the scenes. In the beginning he thought he wanted to be an actor, but while working in props and learning all facets of the business including lighting and sound, he became a keen observer and was determined to get into stage management. His passion sealed, he landed the first and most important job of his career. His stepping stone. After that, directing would soon be on the horizon.

Stage management required him on the road, a nomad. Traveling the circuit gave him the chance to prove he was capable. To himself and his father. He was pocketing $750/week (at the time the money was really good) on the adventure of his young life. Nothing could stop him. Almost nothing. A stage manager, and anyone else involved in the production of a show knew, once the run was over the money stopped. Then you began again.

When asked about his successes, what he was most proud of, the worst review of his career came up.... "The one most people would not mention", Rogers said. His first major effort as a director was a project with the star of Knots Landing, Donna Mills. She had been cast first because of her star power which always helped a show's success and because she had performed theatre in the past. What Rogers didn't know was the actress, his lead, had done theatre, but not as an actress, as a dancer. The play was known to be difficult, even for the most seasoned actor.

ES LIAISONS DANGEREUES, which later became Dangerous Liaisons, would be the unenviable "feather in his cap". It was a difficult project. He had an unqualified lead actress and it was his first important work. The long hours, toil, and hard work were rewarded, although not as he had hoped. He garnered the much needed publicity, but in the worst way. He received the worst review of his life from one of the most important papers in entertainment. The Los Angeles Times said, in his words, " The plotting direction basically sucked". He was publicly trashed, humiliated. His life was over... and he survived. He lived to do it another day. So many give up after such a magnificent failure.

" No matter how bad things seem, if you simply persevere. The setbacks put your future successes in perspective."

Just a year later he received the best reviews of his life and many accolades, for his work on "Prelude to a Kiss". This from the very same people at the Los Angeles Times.

Failure and learning from it in a painful public way makes you resilient enough to press on and continue to create, evolve and innovate. The key ingredient to making it. Rogers had it.

His coaching took off after directing extensively he was asked to coach an actress for a role in the 90210 spin-off, Melrose Place. He got her through the network audition and he never heard from her again. When he inquired about her to a friend close to the show he learned she didn't make the cut later on. He did realize he had a knack for coaching actors and the one's who stuck with him on their way up realized it as well.

He is methodical in his approach to critiquing and helping others learn. His honesty, no nonsense approach and pure logic are his most valuable assets in the space as well as the business world he operates in. The fact that he has helped so many individuals move forward in their careers and perfect craft is a testament to his abilities.

About Scott Rogers:
Scott served as Acting Coach for 20th Century Fox Studios under a 3-year, exclusive contract, coaching actors for film and television projects. Scott is a 30+ year member of Actors Equity Association, AFTRA and the Screen Actors Guild (now SAG-AFTRA), where he sits on the SAG-AFTRA National Board of Directors and serves as Co-Chair of the SAG-AFTRA National Conservatory Committee (charged with providing support for the training of professional actors across the country. He recently served as Acting Coach on the feature film "Princess Ka`iulani" starring Barry Pepper, Will Patton, and Q'orianka Kilcher. Scott's been hired by actors, studios, and production companies to Coach/Produce/Direct hundreds of actors, including: Donna Mills (Knotts Landing), Sharon Lawrence (NYPD Blue), Steve Allen, Jayne Meadows, Pat Morita (Karate Kid), Brooke Burns (Dog Eat Dog), Dominic Purcell (Prison Break), Charles Grodin, Catherine Oxenberg and many others. You can learn more at www.scottrogersstudios.com .

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