MEET THE FACULTY
Train With Currently Working Actors
GRAHAM SHIELS
Founder, Instructor (Film & TV)
A graduate of the Yale School of Drama and most recently wrapped a top-of-show Guest Star on Taylor Sheridan's SPECIAL OPS: LIONESS on Paramount+. Graham is a working actor with professional experience spanning over 20 years. A celebrity acting coach in Los Angeles, Graham coaches Series Regulars and up-and-coming actors alike. Graham himself was a Series Regular on Syfy's fantasy psychological thriller OLYMPUS, a Recurring top-of-show Guest Star on FOX's 9-1-1: LONE STAR, AppleTV+'s TRUTH BE TOLD, HBO's TRUE BLOOD, The CW's ARROW, and Disney XD's comedy LAB RATS, and has booked over 30 network Guest Stars including CBS All Access' STAR TREK: PICARD opposite Sir Patrick Stewart. Graham has also appeared in major Hollywood blockbusters: GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY, THOR: THE DARK WORLD, and YES MAN opposite Jim Carrey. His theatre roots are reflected in his regional theatre credits: The Mark Taper Forum (directed by Tony award-winner Brian Bedford), South Coast Repertory (world premiere by Howard Korder, creator of HBO's BOARDWALK EMPIRE), California Shakespeare Theatre, and the Yale Repertory Theatre. Graham has shared the screen and stage with Oscar award winners Holly Hunter, Marcia Gay Harden and Anna Paquin and numerable Tony and Emmy award-winners.
ALEX ROSS
Director GSS New York, Instructor (Film & TV)
Alex Ross is the Director of Graham Shiels Studios NYC Campus. Since 2019 actors coaching clients of Alex have booked roles on nearly every major television network. He has worked with Academy, Emmy and Tony Award winning directors such as Steven Soderbergh, Mike Medavoy, Kenny Leon and Casey Nicholaw. As an active performer, Alex understands the aesthetics of the modern casting office, and maintains close relationships with casting professionals from Los Angeles to London. Alex’s career coaching clients have landed representation with top agencies and management firms including KMR & Luber Roklin, consistently reach new highs in network television auditions and have even launched production companies. Alex’s Acting credits include TV/Film: “Logan Lucky”, “Bull”, “Law & Order SVU”, “NCIS LA”, “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.”, “Queen of the South”, “Long Road Home”, “Revolution”. Broadway: Book of Mormon (Elder Price Standby). National Tour: A Soldiers Play (Standby Taylor/Byrd/Wilcox) VO: Smite, One Piece, Black Butler. Alex also hold a music degree in vocal performance from Oklahoma City University. In 2024 Alex will play supporting roles in the theatrical releases of two major motion pictures.
YAN-KAY CRYSTAL LOWE
Instructor (Film & TV, Mastermind & Demo Reel)
Current Series Regular, Rita Hayworth, on Hallmark's SIGNED, SEALED, AND DELIVERED, Crystal has been a professional actress for more than 20 years--not only as a captivating rising star but also as one of Hollywood's most in-demand Scream Queens and sought after Sci-Fi heroines! With a strong history of credits, her most recent include WONDER opposite Oscar-winner Julia Roberts and Syfy's PRIMEVIL: NEW WORLD. Her extensive experience as an actress has given her opportunities behind the camera as well: her directorial debut, the short film BECOMING SOPHIE, was accepted into the Cannes Short Film Library and won the Award of Merit from Indiefest. Her latest production, THE CURTAIN, was accepted into 25 festivals worldwide with numerous wins including the Matrix Award at the Vancouver International Women's Festival, as well as a nomination for Best International Director at the Portland Film Festival.
BRENDAN ROBINSON
Instructor (Film & TV)
Originally from Portland, Oregon, Brendan cut his teeth as a young actor in regional theater.
After relocating to Los Angeles at age 18, he quickly landed a major role on the hit T.V. show
“Pretty Little Liars,” which ran for seven seasons on ABC Family/FreeForm. He has also had top-
of-show, recurring guest star roles on “Weeds” and “Good Luck Charlie,” and top-of-show guest
stars on “Bones,” “How I Met Your Mother,” “Cold Case,” and “Review.” In features, he was
most recently seen in a supporting role in Michael Bay’s “Ambulance.” Brendan also starred in
the independent feature “Feels So Good,” and had supporting roles in “The River Why,” and
“The Do-Deca Pentathlon.” He starred in the CW Seed’s “Beerfest: Thirst for Victory,” the
sequel to the hit movie of the same name. As a producer, Brendan currently has several film
and television projects in active development at major studios.
RACHEL MARSH
Instructor (Film & TV)
Rachel first developed her love of the craft on stage through improv and sketch comedy at the Upright Citizens Brigade (UCB) theater, where she is a current house performer. On television, she was the breakout star of the latest Netflix hit original series, UNSTABLE, co-starring father-and-son duo, Rob Lowe and John Owen Lowe. She stars as ‘Luna Castillo,’ the quirky yet quippy biotech engineer. Additional notable television credits include: the wildly successful iCARLY revival for Paramount+, which remains one of the streaming service’s top acquisition drivers; the HBO Max HEAD OF THE CLASS series reboot; and the Disney+ supernatural comedy, JUST BEYOND, opposite Mckenna Grace and Lexi Underwood.
Rachel has studied under Graham Shiels for over 5 years and attributes much of her success to Graham's on-camera technique and sense of play. She's excited to share her learnings at GSS!
SYLVIA KWAN
Instructor (Film & TV)
Sylvia Kwan may perhaps be best known for her recurring role as surgical intern Dr. Mabel Tseng on Grey's Anatomy. Her film, List of a Lifetime, in which she starred opposite Kelly Hu and Shannon Doherty, was nominated for a Critics Choice Award as well as a HCA Award (Hollywood Critics Association Television Awards) and NAMIC Vision Award. She has appeared on Station 19, NCIS, and NCIS: LA, along with numerous commercials. In addition to film and television, Sylvia also has extensive onstage credits including most recently a sold out run of King of the Yees at the Tony Award winning Signature Theater in Arlington, Virgina, Orangutan in Water By the Spoonful at the Mark Taper Forum/Center Theater Group, and Tong in Vietgone at East West Players for which she was nominated for a Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Lead Performance.
AARON ANASTASI
Instructor (Film & TV)
Southern California native Aaron Anastasi most recently wrapped a recurring role on J.J. Abrams’ upcoming series DUSTER for HBO Max as well as Ryan Murphy’s upcoming series AMERICAN SPORTS STORY on FX. After shaving his head as an experiment, Aaron saw an upsurge in bookings including BOSCH on Amazon, 9-1-1 on Fox, and Marvel’s RUNAWAYS for Hulu / Disney+. When Aaron began getting a flood of auditions for Russian characters, he first decided to hire a dialect coach. After booking a Russian role on NBC’s MAGNUM P.I., he decided to start taking private Russian language lessons which lead to two more Russian character bookings including a feature film and the aforementioned J.J. Abrams HBO Max recur. Other recent bookings include GASLIT on Starz, DAHMER: MONSTER on Netflix, and THE FAMILY BUSINESS on BET+. Aaron’s coachings have lead to multiple recurring Guest Star and Co-star bookings on both network shows and major streamers.
Hanna-Lee Sakakibara
Instructor (Film & TV)
Hanna-Lee Sakakibara is a versatile performer with experience across Film & TV, Video Games, Commercials, Voiceover, Improv, Dance, and Podcasting. Most recently seen in the Sci-Fi series Shatter Belt (Amazon/Apple), she has appeared in Star Trek: Picard (Paramount+), CSI: Vegas (CBS), and Nickelodeon’s Danger Force. She has also led in Hallmark’s Redemption in Cherry Springs and played a recurring role in Days of Our Lives. In the gaming world, Hanna-Lee performed full performance capture (Pcap) for Madden 24 and portrayed a rogue hero in Dragon Age: The Veilguard. She also recently dubbed a role for Netflix’s foreign series Mother Knows Best. Her other credits include 9-1-1, Lucifer, Glee, and Rock of Ages. Whether dancing in Pharrell’s music video, performing in Hair at the Hollywood Bowl, or starring in campaigns for major brands like Coca-Cola and Apple, Hanna-Lee’s diverse talents have shaped a dynamic and multifaceted career. She is also a member of the improv team Wimbledon and the host of the MixUnderstood podcast, which was featured on Apple Podcasts under Emerging Voices. Additionally, Hanna-Lee has over 15 years of professional dance experience, bringing a unique understanding of movement, physicality, and creative expression to her work and teaching. Her wide-ranging experience, combined with her passion for creative exploration and personal growth, ensures that Hanna-Lee offers students a unique and well-rounded approach to their craft.
Jamar Gilbert
Instructor (Film & TV)
Jamar, a native of Mississippi, is a graduate of The Theatre School at DePaul University, where he earned a BFA in Acting in 2016. Now based in Los Angeles, he has established a distinguished on-screen career, with notable appearances in acclaimed television series such as Perimeter (BET), Shameless (Netflix), Chicago Med (NBC), Justified: City Primeval (FX), CSI: Vegas (CBS), Work in Progress (Showtime) and more.
His stage work is equally commendable, with performances in esteemed productions at Writers Theatre in Chicago, Studio Theatre in Washington, D.C., and most recently, the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles. Jamar is proudly represented by Innovative Artists and Thruline Entertainment, and continues to bring depth and authenticity to every role he undertakes, both on stage and on screen.
ALICE PRIME
Instructor (Teen)
Alice Prime, a dedicated disciple of the craft, has been immersed in the world of acting under the guidance of her esteemed coach Graham Shiels since 2015. Recognizing Graham's unique approach as the closest experience to the real dynamics of working in the entertainment industry, Alice lovingly refers to GSS as her home away from home. She leveraged the studio's connections to forge crucial links in the industry, paving the way for her journey as a working actor.​ Alice's passion for acting is deeply rooted, having started in commercials as a child. However, she officially embraced her calling when she made the pivotal move to Los Angeles in 2010. Her dedication bore fruit with the theatrical release of the film "Ted Bundy: American Boogeyman," where she shared the screen with the charismatic Chad Michael Murray. In her most recent feature film, "The Mattachine Family," starring Nico Tortorella, Alice continues her upward climb.​ Alice's love for the art of acting is palpable, and she considers it a profound honor to guide others on their own transformative acting journeys.
JOHN FULTON
Instructor (Commercial Workshop)
John has filmed over 75 commercials for companies like Amazon, Disney, Chrysler, Toyota and Geico. He’s currently in new national campaigns for Zelle and Wonderful Pistachios and this fall he’ll star with Terry Bradshaw for Fox Sports. After hosting his first show MUST LOVE CATS on ANIMAL PLANET, John has been a consistent force in the commercial world and has studied with Graham since 2013. Since he was a kid, he’s loved commercials and is beyond excited to bring a fun take with serious devotion to the craft of advertisements.