Hugh Jackman’s acting coach helps MindChamps pre-school chain with K2 graduation shows

SINGAPORE – No one is too young, and no creative project is too small, to get the attention of established acting coach Dean Carey.

He is also the founder and director of Actors Centre Australia in Sydney, which has helped launch the careers of many screen and stage talents.

Some of them,

such as Australian actor Hugh Jackman,

have gone on to become celebrated names in Hollywood and on Broadway.

Mr Carey recently worked with his youngest students ever – a group of six-year-olds in Singapore.

They are Kindergarten 2 children at local pre-school chain MindChamps, where he is the Dean of Theatre. He has been training its teachers and principals in performing arts since 2017.

But this is his first year helping with the K2 graduation shows, which take place from end-November to December at the pre-school chain’s headquarters at Marina Square.

On a recent visit to Singapore, the 63-year-old Australian tells The Straits Times: “Whether they are famous actors or six-year-old children, I love working with anybody in the world of creativity.”

His job is not to hone the pupils’ acting skills, but to help design the stage space and script a play that allows every child to shine.

For the 2023 cohort, The Power In You is a sustainability-themed show that reminds kids and their families to protect the earth’s precious resources.

“We make sure that there is never a leading star or supporting role. It is about this group of kids as sea creatures or that group who become birds,” he says. “And when something is too challenging for somebody, we’ll work around that.”

If the experience can spark the kids’ interest in becoming an actor when they grow up, Mr Carey says he will be sure to tell them to “get as much exposure as you can to the creative arts, watch terrific theatre shows and all the films that you love”.

Social media platforms have presented many opportunities for those who like to perform or be in the fame game. But he advises those who are serious about being in show business to study the craft first.

“You may have a YouTube hit with a million views but most likely, this success won’t last. To have longevity in any industry, you need to study the craft and get a solid foundation.”

That sets the difference between an amateur and a professional, he adds.

“Amateurs often can do the job only when they feel ‘right’. But professionals can pull off a great show even if they feel ‘off’, because they have the technique.”

Mr Carey cites the example of Jackman, the star of musical movie The Greatest Showman (2017) and the X-Men film series (2000 to 2017), who made efforts to master the fundamentals of acting before he found fame.

Among the schools the 55-year-old graduated from was the Actors Centre Australia, where he did a full-time acting course in 1991 and has been its patron since 2007.

Mr Carey recalls Jackman as a student who was curious and committed to acting. “He hasn’t changed after all these years. He is also still as humble and generous as before.”

The centre’s other famous students include Oscar-winning Australian actress Nicole Kidman, 56, and Oscar-nominated Irish actor Colin Farrell, 47.

“When we saw Minority Report (2002), one of the very first films Colin did, we went, ‘Oh my gosh, he is the guy who had classes here for six months.’ It’s quite amazing when you see people leap like that,” Mr Carey says.

Likewise, the veteran coach finds deep satisfaction in helping the MindChamps pre-schoolers in Singapore have a memorable graduation show.

“Who knows what they might become in 20 years? They could be an actor, an animator or a computer coder,” he says.

“But experiences like this set them up in a really good way. They feel like they can contribute and are acknowledged.”