Episode 25: Joseph Millson on Phantom, screen acting, and writing Miller Rose Roberts

Joseph Millson on Phantom, screen acting, and writing Miller Rose Roberts

Joseph Millson joins Me'sha Bryan to talk about playing Monsieur André in Phantom of the Opera's 40th anniversary run, the craft of acting on stage and screen, and the creative leap into writing his debut novel, Miller Rose Roberts. It's a candid conversation about staying loose, staying useful, and building a career that can survive the ups and downs of the industry. They discuss performance technique, voice care, flow state, method acting, and why writing has become an essential part of Joseph's creative life. He also shares the story behind Miller Rose Roberts—how a dog walk, an old mailbox, and a fascination with seven-year cycles sparked the book.

Sound bites

"There is such magic to musicals."
"Concentrate on the other bugger."
"Acting shouldn't be a chore."
"Acting is just a game."
"I am enjoying writing more."
"What a great name for a girl."
"You can't fake it though."
"There's too much bullshit around."

Chapters

00:00 Meet Joseph Millson 
00:51 Playing Monsieur André in Phantom
02:08 Voice care and musical theatre
04:07 The live audience experience
05:14 Phantom's anniversary filming
06:30 Stage acting vs. screen acting
07:56 Getting out of your own head
10:46 Breath, relaxation, and flow
11:27 The "robot" phase of screen acting
13:40 Joseph's one-sentence acting advice
15:30 Listening as an actor
17:00 Meditation and performance
18:44 Lessons from Peak Practice
21:25 Method acting as play
23:02 Transforming for The Chameleon
25:04 Moving from acting into writing
26:09 Studying screenwriting and making Signs of Life
27:07 Why actors should write
28:38 The inspiration for Miller Rose Roberts
30:16 Miller's story and its seven-year structure
31:45 Finding personal truths in fiction
34:32 Writing the novel one chapter at a time
35:49 Finishing the book through a difficult period
38:14 The book launch and seeing a reader in public
39:03 What's next in Joseph's writing career
39:56 The realities of a long acting career
41:14 Day jobs and making a life in the arts
42:42 Staying creative between acting jobs
45:36 Where to find Joseph and his projects

@thatjosephmillson
@millerroserobertsbook
@signsoflifefilms