Mary McCusker
Senior Lecturer of Theatre Arts, College of Communication and Fine Arts | Loyola Marymount University
Los Angeles, CA, UNITED STATES
Lecturer of Theatre Arts
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Biography
Mary McCusker is one of the most respected acting teachers for children, young adults and adults in the Los Angeles area. Born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts, Mary studied acting, dance and musical theatre at the Boston Conservatory of Music. She lived in New York and studied method acting with the renowned teacher, Sanford Meisner in his two-year program at the Neighborhood Playhouse. After graduating she moved to San Francisco and joined the improvisation company, The Pitschel Players. The company moved to Los Angeles and she continued with the show for 2 years.
Her acting career includes Films: Insurgent, Incredible Shrinking Woman, Circle of Power, Blood Barrier, The Client, Turner and Hooch. TV: Ordeal of Patty Hearst, Choices of the Heart, Amateur Night, Missing Children and Memorial Day.
Theatre: Miss Firecracker Contest, Al Franken & Tom Davis Show, Art of Self Defense and Twenty- Four Hours.
In the 1990′s she switched careers with a film called THE CLIENT. Hired by Joel Schumacher, she coached the two young boys who had the lead roles in the film, focusing on Brad Renfro. She coached Brad on his next 3 films: THE CURE, TOM & HUCK and SLEEPERS.
A series of coaching jobs followed, OPERATION DUMBO DROP, FIRST DO NO HARM, and MAFIA. On the 1997 film, FOXFIRE, she was hired for the rehearsal period to work with the lead actresses. One of the actresses was Angelina Jolie, 19 years old, starring in her second film.