Actor Bill Coelius Visits Drama Class
In addition to learning from talented faculty, Millbrook students get to interact with working professionals who drop by to offer insight. Elaine Lifter’s acting and playwriting classes in particular have had a steady stream of entertainment industry pros—including Neil LaBute, William Sadler, and Dominic Bergeron ’97. On Tuesday, Bill Coelius added his name to the list of luminaries who have donated their time to Millbrook student actors.
Coelius has an impressive resume, guest- and co-staring on The Office, Modern Family, and The Blacklist, and many other TV shows. He’s also had supporting roles in films like Taking Woodstock and Brave New Jersey, and his stage credits include Pig Farm and Everything Will Be Different. Coelius has also appeared in over 50 national TV commercials, and he’s a faculty member at T. Schreiber Studio & Theater.
The class gathered on the stage in the Chelsea Morrison Theater, circling their chairs around Coelius for an informal chat about everything acting. Rather than lecture, Coelius asked the students what questions they had for him, and the group spent over an hour together bonding over their craft. The discussion covered everything from Coelius’ work with actors like Will Ferrell and Tony Hale to how booking commercials let him travel the world. He also shared how he worked 50 different jobs to support his acting dream, noting that students who want to make a career of acting should prioritize flexibility in their day jobs to facilitate auditioning.
Another practical piece of advice he offered was for serious acting students to start watching shows not as civilians, but as professionals, keeping notes analyzing the content and listing names of productions staff they’d like to work with in the future. For the students who don’t plan to pursue acting professionally, he explained that the skills they’re developing on-stage at Millbrook—public speaking, confidence in front of a crowd—will translate well to whatever vocation they choose.
Another practical piece of advice he offered was for serious acting students to start watching shows not as civilians, but as professionals, keeping notes analyzing the content and listing names of productions staff they’d like to work with in the future. For the students who don’t plan to pursue acting professionally, he explained that the skills they’re developing on-stage at Millbrook—public speaking, confidence in front of a crowd—will translate well to whatever vocation they choose.
But the crux of his message was that of service—a core value of the Millbrook Community. “I think the reason that I'm still an actor is that I realized early that the strongest tool that you have is service,” he said. “Basically, asking the question, ‘How can you help?’” It’s that mindset which has guided so many Millbrook students to lives of meaning and consequence, and we’re so grateful that Mr. Coelius took the time to come to campus and model service for our performing arts students!
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