Tony Hale brings insight and encouragement

Recently, our theater community was visited by alumnus actor Tony Hale '95 (Com/Arts). Tony is perhaps best known for his role as Buster Bluth on Arrested Development, but he’s also appeared in the movies Because I Said So, RV, Stranger than Fiction and The Tale of Despereaux. His upcoming projects include the movies Happythankyoumoreplease and Not That Funny, as well as an ABC pilot titled Awkward Situations for Men.

Despite his impressive Hollywood resume, Tony came across as very down-to-earth and honest, willing to share his personal stories and to invest in the lives of current Regent students. During a question-and-answer session, Hale shared his own experiences with the ups and downs of the audition process, and the inevitable rejection that accompanies the life of any actor. "It's very difficult not to take it personally," he told the audience. "It's gonna be a roller coaster. It might not end up how you think it's going to end up, but it's going to be okay."

Several fortunate students were given the opportunity to set up one-on-one coaching sessions, and the feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Here’s what some of our students had to say about Tony:

“I’m thankful Tony took the time to speak with each of us - it was an absolute pleasure. He also specifically addressed the conundrum of being Actors who are Christians without being Christian-Actors. This is my first time ever on a Christian campus and I'm finding the juxtaposition of our faith and our field an interesting one. A lot of us needed to hear that acting / performing is messy and dirty; it just is - and that to present the truth, we can't be afraid of that.” - Ashley Manning, first year MFA

“Tony’s insight and encouragement was invaluable!” - Michael McLendon, first year MFA

“I appreciated Tony’s candor and caution concerning Hollywood’s tendency to make empty promises and his advice to make sure your agent really knows you.”
Emily Fazakerley – Regent University Employee

“Tony is proof that it's possible to make it in this business while maintaining integrity, discernment, and humility.” - Katie Fridsma, MFA graduate

We look forward to having Tony visit us again in the future!