“Jess is equal parts brilliant acting coach and creative cheerleader. She cultivates a calm environment that is collaborative, while always making sure that the story on the page gets told. She also happens to be one of the most amazing humans you'll ever meet. I always walk out of our sessions feeling inspired—I cannot recommend her highly enough!”
“I can’t say enough good things about Jess. She’s incredibly smart, deeply understands the craft of film acting, truly cares about her students, and is one of the loveliest people you’ll ever meet.”
“You owe it to yourself to get into her class. Jessica has become a staple of my practice for the past three years, and I’ve come to rely on the community of students I've met in her class as sources of inspiration. She has a clear and empathetic style of teaching that unlocks text in a way that few teachers can. Jessica crafts an environment where we feel safe to learn, to fail big, and ultimately to grow.”
“I owe my time on Hunters to her entirely. Working with Jess brought me a new perspective on how to approach the work, and most importantly, how to have FUN. She has a way of gently challenging me to be as present and spontaneous as possible. I owe the last two years worth of work to having studied with Jess. Without taking her class, I wouldn't have discovered how to own my perspective, how to use what was going on, how to push through some idea of a scene into just living it. Jess is a tremendously skilled teacher.”
“Jess Cummings truly brings out the best in all her students. She gives you the opportunity to test, play and fail in a safe and supportive environment. You always walk away learning something new about yourself and the craft after working with her. She really helped me with my transition and confidence from Musical Theater to TV/Film acting and I have taken her advice and skill set in every audition or piece of material I’ve had come my way. Jessica is an excellent acting coach and a rare find in our industry!”
“Working with Jess has helped transform my understanding of how to ACT in front of the camera - it became less scary, less about getting things exactly right, and more about what real, in-the-moment human behavior looks like and feels like. There's a freedom and thoughtfulness to her work and above all, she's a truly decent human being with a deep sensitivity to the nuances of what it means to be a working artist today.”
“My ability to understand scenes has developed dramatically since I started taking class with Jess. As a coach she is supportive, specific, and collaborative. She encourages the actor to bring themselves to the scene and approaches the work with positivity and a sense of play. Even when I don’t feel like being a post- apocalyptic zombie, she somehow can make the scene work for me! She’s truly a gem of a human and an actor and I owe so much to her in my career.”
“I couldn’t recommend her more if I tried. I came to Jess when I was feeling extremely burnt out by the business of show. She has an innate ability to find the humanity in every scene, which makes a lot of sense because she really sees the ::human:: inside every neurotic actor. In a cold business, Jess’s bedside manner cultivates a safe environment for actors of all levels to thrive. I’m so grateful to call Jess my coach and friend.”
“I only wish I could have her with me at every audition, she is my secret weapon. She has this incredible sense to know just exactly what I need at the exact right time. I feel free to be vulnerable and not to be afraid to take chances so I can grow. She teaches with consideration of what is happening in our lives personally and in the world. Her class has become what I look forward to every week. Jess is my Sensei, my secret weapon, my soft place to land. She has meant so much to me as an acting coach and as a human.”
“Jessica Cummings is an absolutely essential member of my team. She has taken the time to get to know me and is therefore best equipped to coach me, making sure I am authentically myself in every audition.”
Marija Juliette Abney
Film: Black Panther, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame Isn't It Romantic, Black Nativity, 18 1/2 Television: Luke Cage Broadway: The Cher Show, After Midnight
“Jess is the sweetest and warmest acting teacher I have ever had. She always made me feel at ease even though the acting world was a new environment for me. It really taught me how to make a great audition tape, and expanded my knowledge of how performances translate on camera which I can use in various creative fields. I loved the intensity of it. Jessica has a way of gently and charmingly pushing you into the deep end.”
Andreja Pejic
Film: Dali Land (with Ben Kingsley), Habit, The Other Me, The Girl in the Spider's Web (with Claire Foy)
“Jess is a mage, a sorceress, a jedi. She brings her substantial talents as actor, director, producer and overall awesome human to the table ever time I’ve worked with her. Jess has an uncanny ability to break down a scene and direct and encourage actors to make the scene their own. She’s brilliant. And insightful. And compassionate. And funny. Did I mention brilliant? ”
“Working with Jess is one of the best decisions I have ever made for my career. There are a million acting classes in New York City and it was hard for me to decide where to go. Taking class with Jess is worth every single penny. Her classes and coaching have helped me grow as an actor, as an artist and helped me BOOK my first LEAD role.”
“Jess is the perfect combination of warm and supportive with a strong dash of no bullshit. She nurtures the best parts of you while also helping you identify and let go of your bad habits. She knows just what adjustments to make to get you to stop acting and start being human.”
“Jess has the incredible ability to help the actor break open and specify every scene from start to finish and find our own unique specific space to play within it. She helps you really lean into your own instincts and clarify every scene so brilliantly. Not only is she an amazing teacher, she’s also so kind, hilarious and incredibly down to earth which makes for just an absolute joy of a time working with her!”
“Jess's acting class has always been a highlight of my acting career and training. I was surrounded by talented people that were all at different levels in their careers and it was amazing to see what Jess was able to bring out of all of us. Jess's class is a joy to be in and time truly flies by leaving you waiting for the next one.”