On Acting...and Life

A New Look at an Old Craft

By: William B. Davis

Narrated by: William B. Davis

Dozens of books on acting exist, but none of them are quite like this. On Acting...and Life provides both insightful acting advice and the memoir of an acclaimed actor of both stage and screen. Modelled after Stephen King’s best seller On Writing, the book is divided into two parts.

Part one takes listeners on a 70-year journey that begins with William B. Davis, at age 12, riding his bicycle through the streets of Toronto to his first acting classes, and eventually leads to him starring in the long-running television series The X-Files. From a summer theater in Ontario to the National Theatre of Great Britain to the National Theatre School of Canada to the William Davis Centre for Actors’ Study in Vancouver, few have achieved such a colorful journey. Along the way, Davis met all sorts of familiar faces, including Donald Sutherland, Brian Cox, Albert Finney, Laurence Olivier, Maggie Smith, David Duchovny, and Gillian Anderson, among others.

Although there is a lot about acting in part one, the heart of the book for an aspiring or working actor is in part two. What has Davis learned in 70 years of working both in the theatre and in film and television? A lot, as you will see. Davis’ grasp of the art of acting is vast and practical. And in some ways, original.

In his final chapter, Davis explores the underlying philosophy of acting and actor training and argues for bringing the work in to the 21st century.

©2022 William B. Davis (P)2023 William B. Davis

A great listen informative and entertaining

As a fan of the X-files and an actor in training it was great to hear stories and insights from a veteran of radio, stage, and screen. Well read, and enjoyable, with much useful information. Give it a listen. The truth is in here.

Part philosophy, part memoir, part tips of the trade

A well-rounded and well-narrated treatise on acting, its philosophical aspects, practices, and one actor’s experience with the craft.
Through anecdotes and tips (both personal and acquired over an extensive career) Mr Davis takes the reader on a journey allowing them a glimpse behind the mask.
Though not an actor myself, I still found this book interesting for the simple fact that I can better appreciate cinema, TV, and theater actors by learning a little bit about the effort that goes into breathing life into the characters written in the script.