HCAC is a place where actors at every level and all ages go to free their talent. For Shrey Bhargava, it was discovering Lee Strasberg’s Method Acting that further paved the way to where he is today. Now pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) at University of Southern California (USC), Shrey looks back at his time at HCAC, finding that a lot of what he’s learnt is germane to his actor’s journey, even across the Pacific.

We shine a light on Shrey Bhargava in this month’s HCAC Spotlight!

Hi Shrey! What’s up? 

Hi! Well, I recently finished a run of The Last Days of Judas Iscariot  by Stephen Adly Guirgis and am currently in rehearsals for a play, How to Survive a Millionaire written by Mary Lyon Kamitaki. I am also hosting a Live TV show called Below The Line weekly. Each episode is half hour long and features an interview with an industry professionals working in Hollywood. It aims to raise awareness on below the line jobs, as well as obtain advice for young hopefuls from successful practitioners.

I am also the founder of a Youtube Channel & Film Production Company called, Nightingale Films. The production company has a Singapore wing and a Los Angeles wing. I founded the Los Angeles wing after getting to LA with some film students and other students interested. We recently released our latest short film, One Day and are in pre-production for 2 short films.

Other than that, just living and loving life to the fullest!

What were the workshops you took part in at HCAC?

I took Lee Strasberg’s Method Acting Introduction with Kamil Haque, HCAC’s founder, and later took Acting for Camera. I actually emailed Kamil before he opened up HCAC in Singapore. I was looking for Singaporeans who had gone to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career, and who could give me advice or help. I bumped into Kamil on the internet, wrote him an email and he told me about his plans for HCAC. Once HCAC was up, I was excited to learn from him, so I signed up for the class! I had never taken a technique specific class, so I really wanted to learn what Strasberg’s Method was all about.

Shrey in Colours of Singapore.

I learnt that Strasberg’s Relaxation is a really effective tool to increase awareness of one’s own body and really learn to check in with one self to get rid of tension. I also benefited a lot from Kamil’s way of coaching. I learnt about sense memory, emotional memory and affective memories and how they work in acting. It was technique specific, which gave me a set of tools to fall back on when I need to.

How much did you change at HCAC?  

I would say tremendously. I gained a mentor in Kamil, and he really guided me to pick a monologue and work on it and improve on it. I still use the monologue today for auditions. I gained perspective about what it is like to train as a professional actor, what it takes to bring a body of work to the next level and the amount of dedication and hard work required to put up a strong piece of work. I still use the monologue today.

Kamil’s training has also given me an advantage in my classes at USC. I relate to many of the new techniques being taught here, and the experience has allowed me to explore at a deeper level here.

Shrey in Murderer (2016), Nightingale Films.

What does HCAC give to you that you cant really find anywhere else or would be harder to find elsewhere?

A personal collaborative relationship – I found a mentor in Kamil and wouldn’t trade that for anything else. Also, a network of inspiring, kind and talented individuals who are ready to work and create art. The HCAC community is a family. I love the potlucks, Christmas celebrations and the opportunities to collaborate!

You can follow Shrey Bhargava on Facebook & instagram (@shreybhargava)!