by FIlmInk Staff
After twelve years working professionally as an actor, Kya Stewart is about to experience a career-defining full-circle moment.
Ten years ago, Kya Stewart attended a weekend workshop with acclaimed Australian acting coach Anthony Brandon Wong, where she was first introduced to the principles of the Chubbuck Technique. Inspired by its transformative approach to character and storytelling, she immersed herself in Ivana Chubbuck’s best-selling book, The Power of the Actor, and hasn’t looked back since. Over the past decade, Stewart has continued studying and applying the internationally renowned technique to every audition, every role, and ultimately, the actor she has become.
Now, ten years after first opening The Power of the Actor, Stewart will finally train with the woman whose words have quietly shaped every performance she’s given since. When Chubbuck returns to Australia in August through Acting Mastery founded by Ben Mathews and Holly-Anna Mathews, Stewart will fulfil a lifelong dream by learning directly from the mentor whose philosophy has guided her career for the past decade.
More than simply an acting methodology, Stewart credits Chubbuck’s philosophy of “fighting to win” with profoundly influencing both her professional and personal life. The principle – that actors should actively pursue what their characters want rather than fall victim to the circumstances of their life – has become a guiding philosophy well beyond the screen, reminding Stewart to back herself, chase ambitious goals, and keep fighting for the career she has spent over a decade building.
The timing couldn’t be more significant. Stewart’s upcoming feature film, Her Last Laugh, in which she plays the lead role of Taylor alongside Ana Thu Nguyen (Mortal Kombat 2) and Peter Thurnwald (XO Kitty)releases on September 13th, with her performance shaped extensively by the The Chubbuck Technique. The opportunity to now learn directly from the woman whose work helped shape that performance marks a deeply personal and professional milestone.
Stewart said: “I’m excited, nervous, and deeply grateful for this opportunity and to ultimately, just meet Ivana. I feel that she truly has a way of communicating and working with actors, and I can’t wait to experience some of that magic for myself. I have no doubt that the workshop will really challenge me, but honestly, all the best ones do. I can’t wait!”
Stewart’s story offers a rare look at the long game of actor training and how one teacher’s philosophy can quietly shape an artist’s career over many years before culminating in a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn from the mentor who inspired it all.
