SmartActors.com

SmartActors.com is an online acting education platform founded and led by CEO Alexia Robinson, a veteran Hollywood actress whose credits include appearances in Total Recall, The Nutty Professor, and series regular roles on Savannah and Good News. Robinson created SmartActors to solve a problem she observed throughout her career — actors needed access to quality coaching from working industry professionals but were often priced out of private instruction or limited by geographic barriers. The platform's model combines live one-on-one video coaching sessions with an always-growing library of on-demand classes, creating a hybrid learning experience that provides both the personalized feedback of private coaching and the flexibility of self-paced study. SmartActors distinguishes itself by employing instructors described as 'Hollywood Award-Winning and World-Renowned experts' who teach across a wide range of acting disciplines. The platform's tagline-level promise is that actors can learn from working professionals from anywhere in the world, using any smart device — removing the geographic and scheduling barriers that traditionally limited access to high-quality acting instruction.

In 2025, SmartActors operates as a tiered subscription platform that gives members access to live coaching sessions, on-demand class libraries, and personal mentoring at varying levels of engagement. The platform covers an unusually broad range of acting topics — agents and managers, audition technique, cold reading, commercials, dialects, headshots, improv, scene study, stage fright, voice work, and voiceovers — making it one of the more comprehensive single-platform offerings in the online acting education space. The live one-on-one coaching model is SmartActors' most distinctive feature, allowing students to work directly with expert instructors via video conference in real-time sessions tailored to their individual needs. This live element addresses the most significant limitation of pre-recorded platforms like MasterClass or Udemy — the inability to receive personalized feedback on your actual performance work. The on-demand class library is updated monthly with new content, keeping the material fresh and relevant to current industry conditions. Robinson's leadership provides a consistent vision for the platform, grounded in her own experience navigating a multi-decade Hollywood career.

Getting started on SmartActors begins with the free '7 Power Principles' class, which introduces the platform's teaching philosophy and gives prospective students a no-cost sample of the instruction quality and style. From there, students can explore the tiered subscription plans or book individual coaching sessions. The platform is designed to be accessible — students sign up through the website, choose their subscription level or book a session, and access content from any smart device with an internet connection. The live coaching sessions are scheduled individually between students and instructors, providing flexibility that fixed-schedule classes cannot. The on-demand library is available immediately upon subscribing and can be accessed at any time, allowing students to supplement their live sessions with self-paced study. SmartActors also offers a 50 percent discount on the first session with any private coach, reducing the risk for students trying the live coaching format for the first time. The platform's user interface is clean and organized by topic, making it easy to find content relevant to your current needs and goals.

The learning experience on SmartActors combines the intimacy and specificity of private coaching with the breadth and flexibility of a digital library. Live one-on-one sessions are the heart of the platform — students work directly with expert instructors on scene study, audition preparation, dialect work, or whatever skill they need to develop, receiving the kind of real-time, personalized feedback that is impossible to get from pre-recorded content. Between sessions, students can deepen their knowledge through the on-demand class library, which covers the full range of acting disciplines and is updated monthly with new content. At the highest subscription tier (Oscar Plan), students receive personal mentoring — a dedicated relationship with a coach who tracks their progress, sets goals, and provides ongoing guidance. The mentoring component transforms the platform from an educational tool into a career development partnership. The instructors' Hollywood credentials give the coaching a professional-level authority — students are not learning from hobbyists or recent graduates but from people who have worked at the highest levels of the entertainment industry. The breadth of topics covered means students can address multiple dimensions of their development within a single platform, rather than piecing together courses from different sources.

SmartActors attracts actors who want personalized guidance from working professionals and who understand that the most effective learning happens through direct feedback rather than passive content consumption. The platform appeals to early-career actors who need foundational coaching, mid-career actors seeking to overcome specific challenges or develop new skills, and aspiring professionals who want to prepare for the realities of the Hollywood market. The live coaching model makes SmartActors particularly valuable for actors outside of Los Angeles or New York who lack access to high-quality private instruction in their local markets. The platform also serves actors who are preparing for specific career milestones — upcoming auditions, first meetings with agents, pilot season preparation, or transitions between markets — and need targeted, expert guidance on a deadline. Robinson's own career journey from working actress to platform founder resonates with students who value advice from someone who has actually done the work, and her leadership ensures the platform maintains a practical, industry-grounded perspective.

SmartActors offers three subscription tiers in 2025: the Emmy Plan at $25 per month, the Golden Globe Plan at $50 per month, and the Oscar Plan at $150 per month. The Emmy Plan provides access to the on-demand class library. The Golden Globe Plan adds enhanced features and additional coaching access. The Oscar Plan includes 60 minutes per month of personal mentoring, with unused mentoring time rolling over to subsequent months — a generous policy that provides flexibility for students whose schedules may not allow monthly sessions. Individual one-on-one private coaching sessions are available separately, priced from $25 per hour to $125 per 30 minutes depending on the instructor's experience level and specialty. The 50 percent discount on the first session with any coach makes it affordable to try the live format before committing to a subscription or regular booking. Individual on-demand classes can also be purchased separately starting at $25. The free '7 Power Principles' class provides a zero-risk introduction to the platform. Compared to the cost of in-person private coaching in Hollywood ($150 to $500 per session is common), SmartActors' pricing — particularly the Emmy and Golden Globe plans — represents accessible pricing for the quality of instruction offered.

SmartActors is the right choice for actors who understand that the most effective learning happens through personalized feedback and who are willing to invest in live coaching rather than settling for pre-recorded content. If you are an actor outside of major markets who lacks access to quality private instruction, SmartActors' live video coaching model provides a genuine alternative that can match the effectiveness of in-person sessions. The Oscar Plan with personal mentoring is particularly valuable for actors preparing for significant career transitions or facing specific challenges that require sustained, guided support. For budget-conscious students, the Emmy Plan provides access to the on-demand library at an affordable monthly rate, and the free '7 Power Principles' class lets you evaluate the teaching approach at zero risk. However, if you primarily want self-paced content to browse at your leisure, platforms like MasterClass or Skillshare offer larger libraries at comparable or lower prices. If you want the highest-caliber celebrity instruction without live interaction, MasterClass is the better choice. SmartActors occupies a specific and valuable niche — affordable live coaching from working professionals — and is most effective for students who actively engage with the coaching sessions rather than treating the platform as a passive resource.

Start with the free '7 Power Principles' class to evaluate the teaching approach before subscribing, and take advantage of the 50 percent first-session discount to try the live coaching format at minimal cost. When booking one-on-one sessions, prepare specific goals and materials (scenes, monologues, self-tapes) in advance — the more focused your session, the more value you will extract from the coaching time. If you subscribe to the Oscar Plan, schedule your mentoring sessions consistently rather than letting the minutes roll over indefinitely — the ongoing relationship with a dedicated mentor is the plan's most valuable feature, and it requires regular engagement to be effective. Supplement your SmartActors coaching with self-tape practice between sessions — record yourself performing the material you worked on in coaching, review the recordings critically, and bring specific questions about your self-assessments to your next session. If you find an instructor whose teaching style particularly resonates with you, request that instructor consistently to build a working relationship that deepens over time — coaching is most effective when the teacher understands your specific strengths, challenges, and goals.