How Acting Coach Bernard Hiller Facilitates Hollywood’s Next Big Stars

Bernard Hiller’s fingerprints are all over the entertainment industry. Over the course of three decades as an acting coach, Hiller has earned himself the nickname the “transformational wizard” thanks to his ability to shepherd lost prospective actors towards a self-starting mentality.

“I’m a facilitator, helping people connect to their talent and their potential,” Hiller told ComicBook.com. “I help people find a roadmap to their possibilities. I’m also a coach, which means that I’m also a mentor, and a mentor can help you find a part of yourself that you could never find on your own. One of the things that you can tell from successful people is that they always ask for help. Average people never do.”

Hiller’s past masterclasses have featured acting legends like Al Pacino and Bryan Cranston in guest speaking roles. While he puts a large emphasis on the acting realm within his teachings, Hiller’s philosophies are applicable to any industry.

“I found that the acting exercises and training that I have created or discovered to be the most powerful training in the world for whatever you want,” Hiller noted. “My whole philosophy is helping you become the person that you would need to be to achieve what you want. What kind of a person would you need to be to be able to open a store? To be an entrepreneur? The idea there comes from the acting world, because each and every one of us is acting. 

“When I say acting, I don’t mean fake, but you are talking to me now as a friend, then you’re a boyfriend, then you’re a businessman. You actually expect other people to play the part. We are all playing parts. How well you play that part will determine your success. All we do is play roles. You couldn’t live without acting. Acting is something that is part of all of us.”

One of Hiller’s closest partnerships in Hollywood comes with actress Lindsay Lohan. The two have collaborated for over seven years, and Lohan credits Hiller for being someone who “changed her life,” mentioning that he has helped her see “what’s not written on the page.”

Outside of stars like Lohan, who’s first acting credit came when she was just seven years old, Hiller finds that many who possess talent keep it dormant.

“I find that most people are not in show business. They’re in hide business,” Hiller continued. “They’re hiding their gifts, they’re hiding their talents. There’s a game called hide and seek, a great game for kids. What I’ve discovered is adults are playing it, but no one’s looking for you. They’re just hiding. I’m saying it’s time to come out of hiding. If you have a gift, if you have a talent, you need to come up and put it in front of people. No one’s looking for you. You have to put yourself in front so they know it’s there. I believe that that’s really our mission is that we need to give our gifts and the world would be a better place.”