Zero stars SCAM! My fiancé was excited about attending the Adult Commercial Workshop course. She struggle during her introductory monologue the teacher (who never showed his face) gave no constructive feedback and proceeded to tell her to "call back in 5yrs when she's ready" and hug up in her face. She thought it may have been a mistake and tried to reconnect, and was never allowed back in the class. I dont leave comments, but the disrespect, confusion, and frustration my fiancé experienced made me want to save everyone the headache. read more

Killian is a well respected and skilled educator in our community. Thank you for encouraging, inspiring and being an incredible mentor for many! Happy Holidays! "LEAP AND THE NET WILL APPEAR." -Killian McHugh read more

I'm incredibly grateful I found Killian's Workshop! I had always done well in live commercial auditions, but when things moved to self-tapes, I started struggling. Taking his commercial and callback classes were a HUGE help. Then, I joined the Actor's Gym where I turn in weekly tapes for feedback and a mock callback session. I get honest feedback and critique, and I always feel more confident in my real auditions when I'm regularly doing the gym workouts. I don't think I've met a CD that cares so much about the success of their actors. read more

Killian truly cares about his students and actors and goes above and beyond to help them! I love his direct candor and direction!!! I would highly recommend his classes because he tells it like it is instead of sugar coating everything-which is much more helpful!!! read more

Wowww...have i already been learning from Killian for 11 years?!? I was introduced to Killian by way of my Agent in 2014, and we've remained creatively connected ever since :) Killian keeps actors sharp and prepared for anything and everything b/c truth is: we never know what we are going to get in the audition room or in self-tape requests. The lessons/skills he teaches in his classes as well as the Actor's Gym are insightful, practical, and applicable! Those tools have become a staple in my actor's toolbox, and i am proud to say that i am a working SAG-AFTRA actor who books commercials as well as film/TV and voiceover projects. Past credits include multiple Super Bowl campaigns, major national/holiday campaigns with A-list talent, and network/cable TV shows. Thank you, Killian!! I adore you :) read more

Best commercial classes in Los Angeles for over 10 years now. Killians classes are no less than phenomenal and will you get you right. If you want a successful commercial career this is the coach to do it. read more

Great way to sharpen your skills commercially. I've been in class 8 months now, and feel I've come a long way. Highly recommend if you're looking for guidance in the commercial industry. read more

I am so grateful to be in Killian's Actors Gym. It is a great place to stay in shape and challenge myself. Commercials can seem inaccessible but working with Killian weekly in the Gym has given me confidence. His insight is invaluable. He's preparing us to compete at a high level, truly he just wants the best for us all, which is to succeed. Glad we have him in our corner! read more

Truly the best in the business! I recommend all of my clients to Killian's Commercial Workshop! For years, they've consistently poured into this industry and I'm forever grateful to have met this team! read more

As a newcomer to the area and industry, i researched several organizations with hope to find workshops that would cater to me as a unique individual and they delivered. Killian's workshops are the absolute BEST. I can't express how grateful i am for such read more

So glad to see so many negative reviews! I took this class 6 years ago and at the time there were only 2 or 3 negative reviews and I was so afraid to speak up for fear of retribution. There was valuable information to be learned in class but it was delivered in the worst possible way. Fear and shame were the main teaching methods employed in class. If you respond to a "tough love" teaching style, take this class. If you want a teacher to help you learn without making you feel small and incompetent, don't take this class. This class was recommended by my agent and we were told we had to send an email to our agent telling them how much we loved the class at the end of the class too. Definitely felt like a scam by pushing more classes at the end too. It was the most expensive commercial class I have ever taken. read more

One of the most unprofessional workshops ever. They have a actors gym they just started and i paid for it and emailed them multiple times and never received any of my sides. I emailed them and messaged them about my sides and finally got a response. They told me that they would cancel my class but i could continue for the month of December so it wouldn't be for nothing ( which i appreciate) but then went back to not answering any of my emails. On December 31st they finally responded and i received some little commercial audition. I sent over my tape and joined the zoom and auditioned. After I did Killian has some little girl tantrum and started yelling at me over the zoom saying "did you say that my stuff is a scam on our instagram?" To which i replied "i didn't say it was a scam, i said I would contact my bank" and he then said how long he has been in the business (which people out here only say that when they are trying to make a power move and no one ever cares how long they've been doing this. Then proceeds to tell me he was sending me my money back and yells " BYE BYE" and disconnects the zoom. He is the most emotional unprofessional person ever. Please do not join such scum, their are better classes out here who will treat actors with respect and dignity! read more

Killian's Commercial Workshop - My post in JANUARY 2024 after I never received any sides - Performing Arts Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Killian teaches every class wanting the best for all of us. He sets us up for success, providing real examples of what we'll experience in commercial auditions and on set. Every class and actor's gym, I receive actionable steps to improve my work. Because of Killian, I now walk into every audition confident and prepared for anything. read more

I am enrolled in the Actor's Gym with Killian. I love it because it is literally like a gym. We do reps every week to get stronger. We get helpful feedback that we can use for practice and auditions. This class challenges my discipline to send an email every week for the sides, tape the audition and show up on Friday for the callback. I am grateful for Killian and all he is doing to strengthen us as artists. read more

I was a little unsure at first because of the reviews, but the more I read, the more it seemed like people were just being overly sensitive. It's Hollywood--no one's here to baby you. I decided to give the class a shot just to see what it was like, and honestly, I ended up really enjoying it. I was in the April Zoom class and had a good time. Don't knock it till you try it! read more

I've taken Killian's adult commercial workshop, his callback workshop, and his ongoing actors' gym, which is a weekly workout of what you learned in the commercial workshops and new things along the way. There are many good theatrical teachers in Los Angeles, but not so many places that teach one the skills to book commercials. Killian's is at the top of those places that teach "commercial acting." Killian draws on his long experience as a casting director for commercials as well as his own experience as an actor. If you want an honest critique of your commercial skills, go here. If you want to be flattered, go somewhere else. You get straight talk from Killian, because he cares about you succeeding. read more

I'm new to acting and came across Killian's workshop workshop online so decided to try it out. I ended up really enjoying the experience and learned a lot more than I expected. It definitely gave me some things to work on and think about. I noted in comments about Killian in the other reviews so was a bit nervous about that and admit he's an acquired taste but by the first class I already started to appreciate his dry sense of humor and appreciate his directness. read more

To follow up, I took Terry Berland's commercial workshop. AMAZING. She will teach you how to book. And she's lovely and professional.

Killian (the owner) will randomly scream at you when you're in front of the camera. If you check him then he has you on tape to use at his discretion later. This happened to me plus a friend that I recommended. I thought he was great for the first few classes so I happened to mention it to a friend who signed up. Then on the final class, he went psycho. He later did it to her plus another person that she knew. Also, I was recommended to him by my agent. Agents need to stop recommending this psycho but they get a cut so... read more

I took Killian's 4 week intensive and it was fantastic. As a former creative director/copywriter, I've been in hundreds of casting sessions, on the other side of the camera. I assure you, Killian delivers the truth about the casting process. It moves quickly, it sometimes feels rude or brusque, but it is a business, not an artistic exercise. Killian gives practical, no nonsense advice about dissecting copy, proper eye line, improv and much more. If you want to understand this very specialized aspect of the actor's journey, take Killian's class. read more

If you wanted to be verbally assaulted once a week, give this man your money. I was in the callback class hoping to learn some valuable information to help me get more bookings, but I dropped the class after feeling like absolute dog shit the first two weeks. The first class did have a lot of great tips and info; however, its nothing groundbreaking that I wouldn't be able to find at another studio. Killian is a narcissist who gets off swearing at his students. If you ask a question, prepare to be made to feel like a dumb ass for wasting his time. As far as I'm concerned, I paid for class so I'm going to ask my damn question. As actors, we are in an industry where we don't receive validation and are constantly wanting it along with positive feedback. Killian feeds on this and uses it against us. You do not need to be abused to learn. Go somewhere else to take a commercial class! read more

Every negative review here says the same. Although there is good information given, it's not worth the disrespect you will receive. At first, I thought this was a character he was playing to toughen skin. And I Iove CRITICAL teachers. But there is NOT a fine line between critical and disrespect. Avoid. I just stopped going. Didn't even ask for the money back. Just a horrible experience and memory. read more

The reviews are true. I don't know who hurt him but just don't go there. Not worth it to be incredibly disrespected by a teacher who throws tantrums if you don't give the right answer... If we knew the right answer, we wouldn't be there paying YOU to teach US what the right answer is. Save your money. read more

signed up for the actors gym and the adult workshop. learned a lot. had a great time.

This person has zero respect for actors. Simply asking a question will send him over the edge into a profanity laced tirade. His husband who helps him with emails is just as bad with his passive aggressiveness and refusal to apologize when proven wrong. I've dealt with his ego before when classes were in a classroom setting. Now that it's all virtual, his disrespect has doubled and the quality of classes has gotten worse. You can go for the sake of going or you can find a better class like I did. If I see Killian at Trader Joe's again I'll definitely tell him a thing or three about himself. read more

I just recently attended Killians commercial workshop and it was awesome, I got so much out of it. I learned major keys that I would have never known without having taken this class. Killians delivery is very direct and straight forward, which I appreciate because he clearly relays the information we need to succeed. I believe he is this way because he is passionate about teaching and wants us to succeed, he cares. I'm excited to go into the world now with this new found information and in turn confidence, knowledge is key. If you are very sensitive maybe this isn't for you because he is blunt (never mean - no direct insults, just constructive group criticism). Overall I would highly recommend this class if you have a true interest in bettering your work ethic and performance. read more

Killian's personality only aligns with some- for those of us who are attentive, listen well, are quiet and focused on the work, it's amazing. I really do appreciate a no bullshit, no people pleasing attitude and can say that it was quite refreshing after taking soooooo many classes with teachers who didn't control the classes and allowed them to be therapy sessions for people who are unstable, overshare and take up class time seeking attention and validation. For those of us who do the work to get proper support/therapy etc outside of class and just want to LEARN in class instead of be forced into emotional labor, it becomes such a drain on our resources. But Killian is different. He was never rude or mean to me, at all. I found him surprisingly supportive, actually. I left the classes feeling like I got a good handle on the work and although the classes were challenging and nerve-wracking, I know he does this on purpose so that we are less stressed in the actual thing. The only reason I took off a star is because although I took several of his classes a year and a half ago, I haven't booked. I've gotten callbacks, but the statistics that are continually used were not reflective of my experience and also kind of made me feel demoralized knowing it worked for so many and hasn't yet for me and yet I'm employing everything I learned consistently. In the last classes of some of the workshops I actually felt so inspired. I still think back to some of the things he said and shared. read more

I WORKED FOR KILLIAN... I also took his classes.. (the following is my personal experience and opinion) It all started by me taking all of his classes at the time- intro, callback, improv, refresher. To be fair, there was some helpful information about things like cheating out, understanding the copy, your attitude in the room, buttons, what casting may look for, etc. And these "nuggets for some", in my experience, are found by diving into an angry hateful swamp-- Then he offered me a job. It was kind and I really believed we were helping each other. I was 21 years old and just moved here. I knew next to nothing. And when that's the case you start to believe a man like KILLIAN has all the answers. You enable the "god complex". Let me just say, that coming full circle and reading all the recent reviews about his monstrous demeanor towards actors, starving artists, is deplorable and you know- it sounds the same as it was 10 years ago, if anything he seems to have gotten worse. But to be fair I'm just reading some reviews.. you decide. 10 years ago KILLIAN was often unreliable, spontaneously and even intentionally angry in the name of "teaching actors" the "real deal". He was the IT GUY for commercials, through some confluence of events and probably some hard work on his part, he was made to be the guy. But the other reality was that he was quite an angry guy and from what I could see- a drunk, who turned some commercial experience and (at the time) being located within Alyson Horns casting office into a cash cow. Agent after agent would call and beg me to get their new actor into KILLIAN so he could transform them Into a money machine. Has he helped some people be better? Yes. Would some of them have done well without him anyway? Likely, some people just have a look the commercial world wants. But the real question is at what cost? How many artists have been hurt or mislead by the man? The amount of trauma, and retraumatization this man has caused so many people is dejecting in the least- in my opinion. I've been here in Los Angeles 12 YEARS now and let me just say, you don't need to be abused to work in LA as an actor. This town may beat you up a bit, some of it making you stronger, some of it challenging your morale... life can be hard. But... do you want to intentionally walk into an angry abusive boot camp as a sensitive artist? If you believe that's what you need, if you're impressionable and a good soldier who is trained to grow from abuse-- GO FOR IT! It may work for those of you. This is my truth. Find yours, do some research. Heck sounds like his classes taught by others may be less toxic and helpful? I'll leave you with something POSITIVE- Killian shares in one of his classes a Nina Simone YouTube video- "I wish I knew how it would feel to be free" live in Montreux- 1976... this song has permanently altered me, thank you Nina and thank you Killian for sharing. read more

My agent repeatedly referred this class to me. I, like many people, read the reviews before signing up and was a bit hesitant from what people have said. Four weeks later: I just finished his Commercial Workshop and couldn't recommend him more. I appreciated his honest and direct notes/feedback on my work and the commercial business. He never yelled or personally attacked anyone in my class. Killian's been in the game for decades, so he has a lot of knowledge about this ever-evolving industry. The fact that it's once a week for a month was also appealing to me (I manage a BUSY schedule). He straight to the point and doesn't waste your time. Money well spent. read more

Killian is an absolutely vile human being. I would never recommend his school to anyone and demanded (and received) a refund after a disgusting exchange with him and he wasn't even my instructor! I was told to head up to a classroom a few mins early by my teacher and apparently that was not okay with Killian. I got two words out before he very rudely and loudly TOLD me to get out of the room then called the two teachers upstairs to berate them for that. All the students heard the exchange and felt so bad for the teachers as it was clear he is an absolute jerk. It is my understanding one of them is no longer there and has started her own school. Best wishes to you! Killian has a host of bad karma to experience and seems to forget that people more often share bad experiences than good. All the reviews and talk in the industry are proof. read more

Killian's Commercial Workshop - Performing Arts Near Me - Los Angeles, California

After taking most other commercial workshops in Los Angeles, I can safely say Killian's is the place to be. You won't feel like you are wasting your time and money. The classes deliver the goods and teach you all possible audition types you will encounter for commercials. And they even help you get an agent after the 4 week introductory class. 5 stars hands down. Some other places are 4 stars so don't limit yourself. But 5 stars is well earned for Killian's. read more

Killian's Commercial Workshop - Waiting Area - Performing Arts Near Me - Los Angeles, California

I've taken several of Killians workshops - and they are LIFE CHANGING. He approaches the work in a way that reminds you that you are an artist, and challenges you to take your work to the next level. I love his approach - every time I've studied with him I've booked within weeks of taking his class. I hear in LA that "Killians so tough" "Killian isn't that nice" "Killian is too hard" -- lemme tell you, if you don't have a thick enough skin to handle a teacher who has a very opinionated POV and is ACTUALLY such an advocate for his actors then go home. This isn't showNICE it's showBUSINESS, and Killians cares. He cares about his actors and I appreciate his honesty and ball busting demeanor; he takes this shit seriously. As it should be. The first time I took his class he inspired me to write - I wrote my first musical, now do stand up, have a SUNDANCE FINALIST script, and have done a Broadway Tour. Take his workshop - it will change your life. read more

I took the next level up with Killian, and it's true, he is a condescending shithead. While his critique on commercials may be valuable, it's not worth having to spend any amount of time with Killian. I would rather peel my skin off with a razor blade. I walked out of my third class and never came back bc of his rude behavior. I don't need a teacher to be nice to me...I just need them to NOT be a self-loathing dick. read more

Sort of a late review. Took his 4 week class last year, killian mchugh walks in angry that we are there. The body language and mood is one of an angry frustrated person, like we are all dumb fucks imposing on his time and space. He comes in sets rules and regulations of what we can and cannot do in his glorious presence. I saw past all of this to see through his false bravado to glean anything from the 4 weeks of saturdays. You are not allowed to ask questions until the final day of the 4 weeks, not a good teaching method. Because everything he says, does or spouts off is "pure gold", so he thinks. We have nothing to ask or say until the end. There are a few pearls of wisdom in a few of these classes, but the methodology of his ways is disturbing and angry. Classic narcissist. Know me first, then hate me, be fair about it, give me a chance to make you dislike me, don't do it right away, that seems childish. You must have a tough, thick skin to sit through all of this, if you get angry and walk out and choose not to come back, you let killian win at his childish game, don't do it. If he ever talks to my kids in this manner, it surely would not go far nor end well. Don't be intimidated, he's a paper tiger, angry at the world. He should be happy to work steadily in the acting realm with a steady job and paycheck. But there are some that are never happy and tend to take it out on others. Besides you've paid good money for these classes. More like classes to get berated, bullied, dehumanized and condescended upon. DONT BE INTIMIDATED, BETTER YET, AVOID HIS BEHAVIOR BY NOT SIGNING UP! Hollywood guarantees and owes no one anything, it's pure luck and chance. Read the other reviews of this business, kindness goes further than being mean, being condescending, or being a general asshole to people. You'll see the best of killian mchugh being interviewed on YouTube back in 2010, that's the only time you'll see him smile. In reality, killian yells at his class telling them to think hard if this is what we really want to pursue in our lives, if he only really listens to what he spouts off. Selling classes is a most reliable way of securing a paycheck weekly compared to the actor who lives hand to mouth daily. Many of the reviewers are afraid of Hollywood reading this and won't get hired, BULLSHIT! its better to have a spine than to live as a worm. Nobody really gives a fuck about anyone in Hollywood, its all about what they can profit from you. Once you know that, you're on your way to clarity.. Actors are a dime a dozen in this town, not any of us are that special, wake up. His helper, Jacob is very nice, quiet, how long he will last around killian mchugh is unknown. It's hard to recommend this business to anyone, if he was able to take it down several notches this business would flourish much better, I've been through hell and back in my younger days and have seen much more than this man can mete out, nice try killian, mchugh, try harder. If you really wanted to see super asshole, that would be me, i think killian is quickly gaining ground on me in that area. Perfect. Oh, btw, I've booked 4 national commercials since 2013 and didn't take a single class from anyone, once again, it's a look and luck. My first acting class ever is with killian last year. The best actor in you is what you glean from your own life, through experiences and your ability to think quickly on your feet, not what someone who isn't you, shoves what works for them down your throat. Your agent should be sending you out to specific auditions that you'll most likely fit you, not any and all. Always remember, you're not always going to book every commercial audition you go on. That's life, that's acting. The last day of the end of the class are about 20 minutes of killian selling more classes, " callback classes, improv..etc." it's funny if anyone else signs up to more abuse! Cha ching! Cha ching! Fool me once...aint happening a second time. Consider, all the 5 star reviews you can read here, don't have many that agree with them, for they live in great fear of telling the truth, that's Hollywood folks! THOSE WHO CAN'T, TEACH. read more

All I have to say is I learned a lesson. READ ALL REVIEWS BEFORE SIGNING UP WITH A CLASS! Plenty more had bad experiences with Killian not unlike mine. The night before I confirmed for class I felt fine. The morning of class, I was sick with covid and lost my voice. I couldn't get in touch with anyone so I thought I'd tell him personally in zoom class . When class started I almost quit then and I SHOULD HAVE. Killian doled out directions in such a condescending, rude manner. But I gave him the benefit of the doubt and waited to see him alone in my "zoom box" to tell him I couldn't attend. When he showed up, there was only a photo of a tiger cub, no human face, so I said "hello tiger" which he took as an insult, then gruffly asked for my name and barked "Speak!" (like to a dog). He denied all this when I tried to get my money back of course. I'm sure Killian has some good information to impart, but believe me there ARE other classes out there with amazing, great teacher's. I was told KIllian's "shtick" is to toughen you up for the real Hollywood. I've worked in the business for over 30 years, and NO ONE has ever treated me like that. (well maybe one jerky casting director, but that's another story). That kind of "Shtick" is old time B.S., and doesn't work anymore, and i know what you can do with that schtick Killian. read more

I took the Foundations Class at Killian's Workshop and I loved it. Taking the class was out of my comfort zone and not something I have any experience in. I like to push myself to try new things and this was on my list. The class I took was led by Jaret, he is an AMAZING teacher/coach. He makes the class fun and engaging and he gives you real and constructive feedback in an authentic and kind matter (not something you come across everyday in LA). I highly recommend this class for anyone even considering doing commercials in LA! It is worth every penny! I also met a lot of great people in the class and look forward to more classes at Killians (especially with Jaret as the teacher). Overall it was a rewarding and productive experience. Thank you Jaret!! read more

This review is for Jaret and the Foundations Class, which I cannot recommend highly enough! I've taken all kinds of acting classes in LA for about seven years and even took a few commercial classes previously, but I wanted a refresher as I was finally seeking representation and I had heard that Killian's was the place to be. First of all, Jaret is an AMAZING teacher with a kind heart and a great sense of humor. He's honest while still being encouraging and gives excellent direction and notes. For a four-week class he really packs in a huge variety of mock audition styles, so you get to practice and be prepared for all types of scenarios. I definitely recommend taking notes and making a cheat sheet for yourself of his little "golden nuggets" of advice that you can refer to before you walk into any audition. That's what I did and it has helped me greatly! Whether you're brand new to commercials or just want to be reminded of those things that can elevate your audition above the rest, I would recommend this class to anyone and everyone, without hesitation. I actually got an agent and had my first-ever audition (which led to a callback) while taking his class, and I give Jaret ALL the credit for that callback! I hope he teaches more class at Killian's... If so you'll find me there. :) read more

As a teacher, you are teaching people something they don't know-while taking their money. If you are a math teacher, you wouldn't yell at the student that got the math problem wrong. They learn by their mistakes. In this class, you can expect to be yelled at for "doing it wrong" WITH expletives. This type of teaching is outdated and honestly just cruel. I just paid money I barely had to be screamed at. Super. Thanks. read more

Stay away from this guy! My agency had recommended him, and from the moment I walked in was extremely rude. I'm thinking to myself, "I'm giving you money!, and this is the treatment?!"... He. acted like he was doing me a favor by being there, yelled at me within 30 seconds of entering the room because I had not memorized the material that was given to me a few minutes prior to going in. I came right back at him, not violently, but verbally saying, you don't intimidate me, and don't ever speak to me in that manner, I'm not some new kid (i'm middle aged) who will put up this! And I want my money back!.. This literally was all within one minute of entering his studio. Save your time! Your money! Your energy! Stay clear away from this angry, and miserable man... Someone else had mentioned in previous review, kindness goes much further. :) read more

I took the adult workshop not too long ago but took some time before writing this review. The reason I didn't write it right away is because this town is small, we are actors trying to get better at what we do, and so we are conditioned to always be nice and on our best behavior and don't want to be blackballed in any way. But if you look at the most liked reviews on this business, you'll find that the reviews most liked are the ones that didn't care much for the style of teaching Killian does here. I believe this is because other actors who have taken this course agree with what I said above about us often swallowing our opinion for the sake of our careers. The reason I decided to write this review now is that I have a very high amount of appreciation and respect for my fellow actors working hard to make it in this town and I feel you should know what you're paying for if you come here. I have thick skin. In fact, I think if military standards were kept in more places, we'd be much stronger as people and I hold myself to very strict standards in nearly everything I set out to do. It's the reason I took this class, because I heard Killian is strict and means business. But I don't believe one has to talk down to people to get their point across. And in talking to other people in my class here, every person felt the exact same way I did. Is the information good? Yes. I did learn some commercial techniques so I do appreciate that. But when you speak to the class like you're better than everyone else, well, a part of me is learning (hence note taking) but the other part of me is just waiting for this course to end. I have taken many, many acting classes here in LA and have had some wonderful, caring, but strict instructors who sincerely appreciate their students so I know what that looks and feels like. I did not get that vibe at all from Killian's workshop. What it felt like is, "What I say is right. And even when I'm wrong, I'm right." I can't speak for the other instructors here (other than Killian). Reading these reviews, it seems many of them may be very good and not nearly as...well, you know. One funny thing I noticed was that in the very first audition setting in class, when we watched our auditions on tape, Killian told us everything we were doing wrong and how much work we needed and how bad we were. Totally understandable and I did appreciate that. But then in the last audition at the end of the course, some of us (I'm sure myself included) made some very big "errors" when we should have known better after this amount of time. But this time, those errors were overlooked by Killian. Instead, this time, after he instructed us for weeks, he picked out the positive things we did and literally ended the class by saying, "This proves what a great teacher I must be." Umm, okay. Oh boy, definitely a memorable experience. In any case, I love being an actor as I'm sure you do and we'll all meet people like this from time to time. Just a bump on the road to greatness. I hope this review helped you in some way. I've heard great things about Judy Kain's commercial class and plan to take that one next. Break legs out there everyone. Wish you guys all the best! read more