The Journal | 04 September 2026

7 Things I Learned Filming Testament Season 2

I leveled up my screen acting on this one.

I had just wrapped shooting on Testament Season 2, playing Herod Agrippa I. It was my favourite acting job so far. I loved the intensity. The pace. The cast and crew. Most importantly, I loved Agrippa.

The shoot was full on. 12-hour days. Schedule changes. A character at the heart of the story. I had to be bang on it. Lines, energy, focus, character arc, relationships, shot sizes, business, continuity. It reminded me that screen acting is not just about doing a good take. It is about being ready to serve the story, the schedule, the director, the edit and the atmosphere of the whole set.

Here are the seven things I learned.

Lesson 1: The best screen acting needs preparation and instinct.

Most scenes I arrived fully prepared. I had followed a meticulous process – objectives, beats, given circumstances, tactics, shifts, business, reactions. Countless rehearsals.

Other scenes suddenly got brought forward in the schedule. I had far less time to prepare. My first reaction was the calm, measured response of a professional actor…panic.    

But here’s the interesting thing. Sometimes it actually sharpened my performance. I found tears springing to my eyes that wouldn’t have been there had I rehearsed the scene to death. I took notes quickly. The scene was more collaborative. I could trust my instincts.

Some scenes took longer to land. My usual process would have helped. It is a case of assessing preparation scene by scene. If a scene feels distant, I dig in. I follow my process. If a scene feels immediate, I may leave more space for my instincts.

As actors we can overvalue the version of ourselves who has 17 pages of backstory. I love that actor too. But there is also something exciting about the work that happens in the moment.

The goal is not to choose between preparation and spontaneity. Prepare enough to be spontaneous.

Don’t cling to choices you made three weeks earlier in your kitchen. But don’t arrive empty either, praying that the acting gods will descend when action is called. That’s not instinct. That’s gambling.

Lesson 2: Have a clear process.

I had a clear process before filming started. I had a plan. I didn’t get through absolutely everything. My acting plans tend to start off like I’m training for the Olympics and then reality gently taps me on the shoulder. Unfortunately (or not, actually) I can’t lock myself in a room for 3 months like Daniel Day Lewis. But having a plan meant I could focus on the most important things.

It is always best to start from the physical. I did this through animal studies. I picked three animals that I felt Agrippa moved between and used physical qualities from each of them. I chose a fox, a peacock and a snake. Small physical triggers: a way of standing, watching, turning, waiting, attacking or defending. It gave the character a physical vocabulary I could return to quickly.

I mapped the emotional journey.

I was shooting scenes from episode 4 on day 1. Without a map of the journey, that can get messy very quickly. Having notes that told me exactly where I was emotionally, physically, politically and psychologically in the story was invaluable. I could look at the scene number, check my arc and know: this is where he is. This is what has just happened. This is what he wants. This is what he is hiding.

That gave me confidence.

Lesson 3: Be kind. Be generous. Be easy to work with.

I don’t think this can be overstated. Learn people’s names. Speak to the crew. Take an interest in what people are doing. Be warm. Be open. Have a sense of humour. Don’t be the actor who turns up, disappears into a shroud of mystique and only reappears to ask whether their close-up is before or after lunch.

If you are carrying a big part of the day’s work, your energy matters. People do look to you. The story might be revolving around your character. The crew might be spending hours lighting you, dressing you, checking your hair, recording your voice, moving cameras around you. They are making sure you look and sound your best. Your mood travels. Your attitude spreads.

If you can lead with warmth, playfulness and professionalism, that helps everyone.

And I mean everyone.

The lighting department are helping shape how the audience sees you. The sound department are making sure your performance is actually usable. The costume team are constantly checking that everything sits right. Makeup are with you first thing in the morning and throughout the day, making sure your face survives 12 hours of lights, sweat, weather and whatever strange emotional journey your character is on.

Makeup and costume are with you constantly. They are part of your rhythm. Building a good relationship with them is part of the job.

Lesson 4: Think about the edit.

That doesn’t mean trying to do the editor’s job. Don’t start shouting, “I’m giving you a cut point!” after every take. But screen acting is captured, shaped and discovered in the edit. You need to understand what you are offering.

Clear reactions matter. Eye flashes matter. The moment before and after a line matters. React before you speak. If another character says something important, your response might be what gives the editor a reason to cut to you. If you land a thought clearly at the end of a scene, that might become the button. If you offer useful moments between lines, you are giving the editor options.

Sometimes actors think screen acting is only about what they are doing while speaking. That couldn’t be further from the truth. The most valuable material is what happens when you are listening, processing, concealing, reacting.

Lesson 5: Always know your shot size.

Ask the camera operator. Not in a needy way. Not every three seconds. But know which shot you are in. It should affect the scale of your performance.

In a wide shot, broader physical choices may read beautifully. In a close-up, the smallest shift of thought can be enormous. You can save your most intimate work for the moments when the camera can actually see it. That doesn’t mean ‘do less’. It means understand the frame and let the frame help you.

Lesson 6: Continuity Continuity Continuity!

Continuity can sound boring until you realise it is one of the things that can make or break the edit. If you pick up the glass on one line, turn on another, sit at a certain point or cross the room before a particular thought, those choices need to be repeatable if they matter to the scene.

That doesn’t mean becoming robotic. It means being aware. If you discover a useful piece of business in the rehearsal or first take, write it down. Check with the script supervisor. Know what you did and why. That way, you can remain alive in the scene while still giving the editor material that cuts together.

Lesson 7: Screen acting is a team sport.

Yes, your job is to act. But your bigger job is to serve the story, support the people around you and offer the camera something truthful, flexible and alive.

That was my biggest reminder from this shoot. The best work didn’t come from being perfectly prepared or completely spontaneous. It came from standing somewhere in the middle: prepared enough to be confident, open enough to be malleable and generous enough to enjoy the whole thing.

Not a bad way to approach an acting career.