In our tireless but tiring search for the best things to do in the whole world, we blundered accidentally from the dark safety of the wings out into the limelight, clapping boards and coughing clichés. Mercifully Elisa Eliot was on hand to re-shape our misguided amateur dramatics and turn them into something we could tell our parents about.

Elisa first became involved in acting from a young age: “At first I participated in drama class and school plays, then when I was in middle school I got my first professional role in the Houston Grand Opera’s production of Attila. Although I knew my passion was to act and sing on stage and on the big screen all along, I also new and valued the importance of a great education so I attended Yale University where I studied Drama.”

“There are so many reasons why I love acting. You get the opportunity to delve into the lives of so many different and unique people. Also as an actor you get to transform and exercise both your mind and body regularly.”

With our boring business cap on, we had to ask about the terrible pay most young actors have to endure before they get anywhere near stardom. “In any business you have to work your way to the top positions. If you want to be a successful actor you have to pay your dues and work for very little (and many times for nothing) at first. As your career progresses you see that you’re getting better parts in better productions. At that point you will also see your compensation matching your work.”

As a professional actor and acting coach, ooh wanted to know about the most rewarding part of Elisa’s work. For her, it’s all about the students: “I love seeing my students book their first role. It’s wonderful to see their accomplishments and how the hard work has paid off. ”

Finally, we want to know Elisa’s top five places to build your acting career. Here’s some useful knowledge from inside the secret circuit!

1. Los Angeles, CA
2. New York, NY
3. London, England
4. Mumbai (Bollywood), India
5. Chicago, IL

Ooh’s pretty glad to see London in the list, and pleasantly surprised about Mumbai and Chicago. We reckon the Southern Hemisphere might have something to say about this, eh guys? We’re in the process of tracking down some Aussie and South African acting coaches to get the spin from the other side of the world.

In the mean time, you can keep up with Elisa’s latest on her blog here, or visit her website www.elisaeliot.com. Whether you’ve got a stage-fright problem, or any other burning question you can email her for advice here.