Our Team | The Heller Approach Acting Studio

BRAD HELLER Brad started out at Boston University School of Theatre Arts where he received his theatre degree. Hollywood was his calling, so he moved to Los Angeles and studied with the famed Don Richardson. When Don Richardson passed away, Brad felt compelled to carry out Don’s legacy. He began teaching as well as producing films while continuing to have a successful acting career. Brad enjoys teaching the lessons that he uses in his own professional acting career and has a strong passion to pass these tools on to help actors perfect their craft. Today, Brad has students who have been studying with him for nearly fifteen years. From Judge Reinhold and Mary Gilbert, to David A.R. White and Masi Oka, Brad’s students have successfully created acting careers, and constantly keep their acting tools sharp with The Heller Approach. His students have booked series regular, recurring roles, guest starring roles, and co-staring roles on hit shows like “Criminal Minds”, “The Unit”, “CSI”, “Las Vegas”, “Malcolm in the Middle”, “Monk”, “King of Queens”, “Joey”, etc…, starring roles in major Studio Films and Broadway theatre productions, and hundreds of commercials. He has also taught many professional comedians how to take their comedy and put it into a believable character which helps them book sit-com work.

A Message from Brad

I find it very important to keep these tools alive and pass them on to others who may be going through what I did as an actor. If you are an actor, or are beginning to study acting, just know that there is a technique out there that will keep acting enjoyable and help you perfect this beautiful craft. You can learn to hone your talent as an actor and create believable characters while making them entertaining … and KEEP ACTING FUN!

Acting is like a marathon, you train, train & train, Then you win!!!

BRAD HELLER ON “CRIMINAL MINDS” ON CBS

“Brad, I saw the show and you did a wonderful job. It was a very good role and you made the most of it. Thanks for being part of our show. Our casting people have been very good at providing us with top talent and you are now part of that. All the best, Joe Mantegna” Brad always encourages his students to bring in their audition material, and he works with them to make sure they are always prepared – making sure their reading is both believable and entertaining. He works with all levels – from the beginner to the master, and every student works on cold reads or rehearsed material on stage in every class. Brad’s team includes some of Los Angeles best acting coaches. Training with The Heller Approach refers to always keeping your acting tools fresh. The term “you win” refers to

conquering any fear, making it through the audition process and getting the role!

Brad recently finished acting in the film DANCER AND THE DAME (opposite Billy Gardell, Mike from CBS hit show MIKE AND MOLLY) and has another film in theaters now called MOM’S NIGHT OUT, in which he acted opposite Emmy Winner Patricia Heaton (The Middle, Everybody Loves Raymond).

EVAN ARNOLD

Evan Arnold is a Los Angeles native with over 25 years of acting experience in television, film, commercials (over 100) and theater (Member: BUFFALO NIGHTS and TROUBADOUR theater companies, both award-winning). His Father was an award winning member of the DGA who worked on such films as The Godfather Part II, Bladerunner, Sixteen Candles, War Games and The Jerk as well as having directed Jean-Claude Van Dame in Bloodsport. Evan’s Mother was a prominent and prolific theater producer in Los Angeles, with productions in London, New York and Miami. Having met and watched directors on the sets of his Father’s films from Sam Peckinpah to Sam Raimi, Evan has seen a vast cross-section of Hollywood styles in action. His own acting credits include recurring and regular roles on multiple TV series both comedic and dramatic such as Growing Pains, Just The Ten of Us, Close To Home, and The West Wing (where he worked with Bradley Whitford, Jimmy Smits, Kristen Chenoweth, Janeane Garofalo, John Spencer, Ed O’Neill, Stephen Root, Marlee Matlin and Alan Alda over two seasons). An alumnus of the prestigious HARVARD SCHOOL (now Harvard-Westlake) in Studio City – from which the likes of Jake and Maggie Gyllenhaal and Jason Reitman matriculated – and U.C. Berkeley, he has studied acting with Terrance Hines, Diane Hardin, Milton Katselas and Jeffrey Tambor. Evan, Brad Heller. and Sean Nepita met 15 years ago on an acting job and have remained friends and colleagues ever since.

DAVID A.R. WHITE (Celebrity Guest Teacher)
David has been working in the entertainment industry in Los Angeles for over fifteen years. David was a student of Don Richardson and studied alongside Brad Heller in Don’s Masters Class. David has starred in over 20 films. Recently he produced and starred in the mega-hit GOD’S NOT DEAD which was a theatrical success across the country. He just wrapped starring and producing the film DANCER AND THE DAME acting opposite Billy Gardell (MIKE from CBS’s tv hit show MIKE AND MOLLY), and also was one of the producers and creators of the film MOM’S NIGHT OUT. He has 5 more films he is shooting, and hopes to finish by the end of the year. David A.R. White has been a working actor and producer in Los Angeles for over ten years. He was raised in a small farming town outside of Dodge City, Kansas. He moved to Los Angeles in the early 90’s. At the age of 19, without knowing anyone, just six months after moving, David landed a recurring role on the Emmy award winning Television Sitcom, Evening Shade for three years. He played the best friend of Burt Reynold’s son. David then went on to guest appearances on such shows as: Coach, Saved by the Bell, Sisters, Melrose Place, Martial Law and many others. With that passion, David took his first crack at producing a feature length production The Moment After, in 1999. He produced and starred in it . The following year, he produced and starred in another ground breaking Faith based movie, Mercy Streets opposite Eric Roberts, Stacy Keach and Cynthia Watros. This movie received a theatrical release and opened in fifty cities across the United States and played in almost every country in the world. In 2001 David was nominated for THE MOVIE GUIDE AWARDS’ BEST ACTOR for his dual roles in Mercy Streets. His running mates were Mel Gibson in The Patriot, Denzel Washington inRemember Titans and Will Smith in Bagger Vance. In addition Mercy Streets was nominated for the BEST FAMILY FILM AWARD. In 2003, he produced and starred in SIX…the Mark Unleashed opposite Stephen Baldwin and Eric Roberts. In 2005 David’s produced with 20th Century Fox, the Frank Peretti film, The Visitation. It stars Edward Furlong, Kelly Lynch and Martin Donovin. Also in 2005 David’s Company produced the sequel to their first film The Moment After. Early 2006, David became a founding partner in the new distribution/production entity PURE FLIX ENTERTAINMENT. Their first movie, Hidden Secrets, David wrote, produced and starred in. This film also stars John Schneider, (Dukes of Hazzard, Smallville), and Reginald Vel Johnson, (Family Matters, Die Hard). In 2007, David produced The Wager, starring Randy Travis.In 2008, David wrote, directed and starred in a comedy based off his one man show, called Holyman Undercover. The movie also stars Fred Willard, John Schneider, and David’s wife Andrea Logan White. In 2009, David produced Sarah’s Choice starring Rebecca St. James, Dick Van Patten and his wife Andrea Logan White. Some of his additional film credits include: SIX…THE MARK UNLEASHED, THE MOMENT AFTER 1,2, IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE, THE VISITIATION, HIDDEN SECRETS, HOLYMAN UNDERCOVER, RUN ON, MARRIAGE RETREAT, ME AGAIN, and his Dove-nominated performance in JERUSALEM COUNTDOWN (based on the best selling book that sold close to 2 million units). In 2012, David created, produced and starred in the GMC original film, BROTHER WHITE. He co-starred with Reginald Vel Johnson, Jackee, Victoria Jackson, academy award nominee Bruce Davison, Ray Wise and his wife Andrea Logan White. For his work, David was nominated for the coveted CableFAX best acting award. In 2013, David starred in REVELATION ROAD 1&2. David also just finished directing the movie REDEEMED with Ted McGinley and Grant Goodeve, and also starred in the sequel Revelation Road 3 which comes out later this year. David frequently has our students audition for his films and many have also been cast. David resides in LA with his wife and 2 kids.

KERRY STEIN Kerry as been an actor since age sixteen, and has appeared in countless network television shows, commercials, films, and stage plays. Having studied acting and directing for eleven years with the legendary Don Richardson, Kerry has been teaching actors for the past twenty years. He is thrilled to be associated with the academy. His greatest joy, is helping actors use their own presence fully and effectively as the character.

BRITTANY RENEE

Brittany Renée was born and raised in Manalapan, New Jersey. She began her career at the age of three as a model with Ford Modeling Agency in New York. This experience opened the door to commercials and she appeared in numerous national spots for products like Coke, Pert Plus, and Barbie. After few years of working on commercials and print, Brittany began to pursue a television career.

It wasn’t long before she landed a major recurring role on the NBC day-time drama Another World, and also played a young Lea Thompson in the NBC mini-series A Will of Their Own. She made numerous appearances on shows such as Judging Amy, Strong Medicine, Gilmore Girls, Cory in the House, and Ghost Whisperer. Brittany starred in the powerful Allison Anders film, Things Behind the Sun, which was accepted for presentation at the Sundance Film Festival. Working with Allison again, she shot In the Echo as a series regular opposite Marcia Gay Harden. Brittany’s love of comedy landed her a recurring role on Malcolm in the Middle for a five episode arc. She also had the opportunity to work alongside Courteney Cox in the MTV pilot, Dirt Squirrel.

Brittany continues to add on to her list of film credits such as Pulse 3: Invasion, Forget Me Not, Nowhere to Hide, and the family comedy The No-Sit List. In her first web-series Sweety, she took on the role of a spunky girl who deals with the challenges of being a teenager in high school and reveals her talents for theater and music. It’s evident that Brittany has a great appreciation for music and loves to sing.