Coach Spotlight: Amanda Kiener
✨BEHIND THE SCENES WITH AMANDA✨
We put Coach Amanda in the hot seat with 12 rapid-fire questions—zero prep, no script, and a few surprises. Her answers? Bold, honest, and exactly what you’d expect from someone who makes scene work feel like play. Let’s go!
Coffee, tea, matcha, or…? Double espresso with oat milk, please. ☕️
What do you love most about teaching/coaching actors? When actors light up after trying something new and surprise themselves. 💡
Favorite movie you never get tired of watching? Downton Abbey, the film version. 🫖
The book you recommend the most to actors? Art & Fear by David Bayles & Ted Orland 🎨
What’s your favorite role you’ve ever played—and why? Selina, The Color Blue. We had the most supportive creative team and I was able to stretch into deeper emotional depth and access. 💙
Go-to snack or treat between coaching sessions? An everything bagel, scallion cream cheese, and an Olipop. Yum! 🥯
Who’s an actor whose work always inspires you? Viola Davis. 🎬
What’s something students might be surprised to learn about you? That I'm a Metal Head! 🤟
Favorite place you’ve traveled—or dream destination? The UK! Total history nerd. 🇬🇧
When you're not teaching or acting, we’ll probably find you…? Cooking with my boys! 🧑🍳
What do you hope students feel when they leave your classes or coaching sessions? Excited for their next role, and up for the challenge! 🎭
Your personal motto (or a quote you live by)? You are the sky, the rest is the weather. ⛅️
Whether she’s helping you loosen up in a scene or guiding you toward more grounded choices, Coach Amanda brings the kind of direction & clarity that makes class feel fun, focused, and genuinely empowering.
From Acting to Coaching: Amanda’s Journey:
Amanda Kiener is a working Actress, on-camera coach, and teaching artist with seven years of experience in film and television. Passionate about accessible training, she was raised in competitive performing art schools. Scholarship programs allowed for training from childhood (Dunedin Fine Art Center, Gladys Douglas School for the Arts, The Marcia P. Hoffman School of the Arts) graduating with a Theatre diploma (Pinellas County Center for the Arts).
Amanda began coaching independently five years ago, by request, for both industry and audition guidance. She then served as a former senior staff, on-camera coach, and an in-house editor for Book From Tape Acting Studios until its closure in 2024.
With an expansive background in unique mediums like Character Performance (Walt Disney World), Creature Performance and Performance Capture (TJ Storm, Joining All Movement), Voice Acting: Character, and Radio Imaging (Adam Vernier, Book It Acting Studios), and Pro-Wrestling (WWE Recruit ‘15). Her unique background meets current On-Camera training (The BGB Studio, Book From Tape Acting Studios, Drama Inc., Arvold Warner Studios). Amanda is committed to continual training, learning new techniques and gaining experiences to bring to her community. She advocates for current industry guidance that marries the cerebral, emotional, physical, and intuitive work of an Actor.
She believes, as a neurodivergent creative herself, that we can adapt classical and expand modern techniques to serve the individual expansively for each medium. Amanda arms creatives with the tools to show up on set in a place of empowerment, exploration, and with a voice.
Coach Amanda teaches Actorsite’s Saturday Scene Study and Saturday Fundamentals classes, offers private coaching, and leads special topic classes for our Intensive of the Month sessions.
To train with Amanda:
🎭Youth Classes → actorsite.com/classes-youth
🎭 Adult Classes → actorsite.com/classesadult
🎬 Private Coaching → actorsite.com/audition-coaching