Geri Courtney-Austein

Geri is an award-winning actor, director and voiceover artist who has been an active member of the AMAW community since 2009. She feels grateful to be surrounded by artists whose passion for each other and the artform create such a loving and vibrant space to play, explore and grow. Her work can be seen on TV shows and features like BETTER CALL SAUL (AMC), ATYPICAL (NETFLIX), SCREAM QUEENS (FOX), and THIS CLOSE (Sundance Now) and alongside Sophia Bush in the feature HARD LUCK LOVE SONG to name a few. As a lover of storytelling and comedy, she has been performing since she could walk, and maybe even before! Her commitment to learning and curiosity about the world and human behavior lead her to graduating with a bachelors degree (honors) in mathematics, sociology and Spanish from the University of Arizona before moving to LA to attend a conservatory acting program at the Art of Acting Studio. Her passion for comedy lead her to UCB and the Groundlings and eventually to AMAW. She is a huge clown (literally and figuratively) and has studied at the Idiot Workshop and performed wild and entertaining characters all over Los Angeles. She produces and hosts the monthly variety comedy show, TWIN FLAMES, is the writer, director and star of the digital action comedy series, JAMES BLONDES, and is the host and creator of the sex positive podcast called FINDING MY YUM. Geri is deeply committed to fostering a brave and safe space for actors to grow and explore and is so thrilled to be on this journey as a facilitator at AMAW. WHY DO YOU ACT? I grew up watching classic movies and fell in love with Lucille Ball, Katherine Hepburn and Cary Grant. I was enthralled with their presence, freedom and pure joy on screen. I cried with them, laughed with them and went through some of my most difficult moments with them. Performing myself felt like magic. The opportunity to transmute my feelings, connect with an audience and unlock new parts of myself was the most intoxicating feeling. As I delve deeper into the artform, I am constantly inspired by what can happen when an artist fully embodies a story and a character and taps into their truth, their unique individuality. And what a cathartic and transformative role actors play in reflecting humanity’s most beautiful and terrifying characteristics, allowing people to feel and in the process creating a space for healing and growth. I feel the most alive when I’m on stage or filming and I absolutely love being a part of a community endeavoring to make something exquisite. TESTIMONIALS: “I've been taking Geri's classes for about 3 years now and I can't even begin to fully express how much I've grown, not just as an actor, but as a person, as well. Geri creates an incredibly safe space to explore those scarier, more vulnerable, pockets of yourself. She really knows how to gauge when to push you further than you believe you can go, and when you've safely explored far enough for the day. I really cherish these classes and am so happy with the work I've done and how much I've grown because of Geri and her class!" -Robyn Couch “Geri has been my teacher for 4 years and is a phenomenal instructor. In that time she’s been able to create a very positive and productive space that has allowed me to grow into a vulnerable artist who isn’t afraid to dig deeper and discover new things in my work. She always approaches us with patience, love, and understanding. Most importantly she gives us the courage and room to be ourselves.” -Cameron Blunt