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Biography
Andrew Benne, (born Andrew David Kossin, A.K.A, Andy David Kossin, A.K.A. Andy Kossin) is an North American Actor, Director, Writer, Acting Instructor, and Celebrity Acting Coach. Mr. Benne has appeared in films, television shows, and countless national commercials. He has also directed dozens of Equity-waiver hit productions.

Early life
Andrew Benne was born was born in Hollywood, California on September 28, 1963.

From 1979 - 1982, he attended Chatsworth High School, where he was greatly inspired by his Drama Instructor, Robert Carrelli, along with several contemporary graduates of Chatsworth who moved on to acting fame, including: Kevin Spacey, Mare Winningham (Class of 1977), and Val Kilmer (Class of 1976). [Source: IMDb]

Motivated to pursue an acting career, after graduating high school, he attended the Theatre Academy at Los Angeles City College (L.A.C.C.) from 1982-1983, considered one of the most highly respected professional theater training institutions in the United States.

[Source: *LACC Website https://www.lacitycollege.edu/Academic-Departments/Theater-Arts-Theatre-Academy/Department-Home ]

Upon graduation, he continued to study theatre and film under legendary acting coaches including Sanford Meisner and Stella Adler, as well as Paul Sills and Anthony Morina, among others.

From 1985-1987, he [worked?*** and studied at the world-famous ABC Situation Comedy Workshop with Bill Hudnut, while also studying the Eric Morris Technique, a type of ‘emotional instrument’ work, with coach Anthony Morina.

Concurrently, from 1985-1987, he studied under Joanne Linville, Arthur Mendoza and the legendary Stella Adler, herself, at the the Stella Adler Academy of Acting (formerly Stella Adler Conservatory of acting)[(Stella Adler page on Wikipedia] founded in Los Angeles in 1985 by Stella Adler, Irene Gilbert and Joanne Linville''.  (Note: the original Stella Adler Studio of Acting, in New York City, was founded in 1949 by Adler, and is not affiliated with the Stella Adler Academy of Acting. It’s  Los Angeles branch is named “Art of Acting Studio Los Angeles”, after her most famous book''

[Wikipedia Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stella_Adler_Studio_of_Acting ]).

Benne also studied with, and was greatly influenced by renowned coach and veteran teacher Edward Kaye-Martin, for whom he later worked [as] a ‘Teaching Meisner’ Apprentice, in 1986. There he also studied with Sandy Marshallin her first class, as well as Fran Montano.Some years later, he also worked with another protégé of Kaye-Martin, Maria Gobetti. [linked in].

In 1988 he began teaching for Kaye-Martin,until upon Kaye-Martin’ssudden passing in 1989. At that time, Benne opened his first Acting Studio, the celebrated “Moment to Moment Studio” in Hollywood (January1989-September 1999), acting as Coach, Teacher, Director, and Writer, and where he further developed and refined his “Hybrid Meisner Technique”, and integrated the various other methods he had previously studied.

Beginning in 1991, he continued his studies in the Meisner Graduates Workshop with the infamous Stanford Meisner and James Carville at the “Meisner/Carville School of Acting” school of Acting

In 1994, he relocated to his own "Moment to Moment Studio" to what was then a new state-of-the-art facility on Vineland Avenue, complete with its own loft soundstage, full kitchen and two baths, allowing for showcasing original material as well as production and shooting of student projects there. This successful studio became a source of talent for Casting Directors and Talent Agents who visited the original programs, all conceived, developed, and directed by Mr. Benne for his student. It became know as a 'working-actors' studio, as most of his students were successful in regularly booking paid acting gigs. The studio became an extremely active force in Hollywood, coaching an impressive list of celebrities, and working actors including: Iqbal Theba (Glee), Stephanie Storey (The Writer's Room), Eric Close (Suits), Mara Mariani (Parks an Recreation, and Kira Reed Lorsh.

In September 2000-2002, Benne became the Director, and an Acting Teacher of, the “American Academy of Dramatic Arts” in Hollywood, teaching daily for the 7 first-year sections. During the opening-year of its Hollywood Campus, he directed five productions, under the 'Director of Instruction', Georgia Phillips.

In September of 2001, he also founded “The Andrew Benne Studio”, a 35-seat equity-waiver Theater and Actor Training Studio on Lankershim Blvd, in the heart of the North Hollywood (NoHo) Arts District, where he served as Coach, Teacher, and Director. This popular theater hosted the celebrated “Alliance Repertory Company”, and improvisation group, SCAP (“Slow Children at Play”). The combined studio/theatre ran for just under 10 years, before closing in May 2011.

In November 2009, while also running the “Andrew Benne Studio”, he joined his old friend and colleague, Fran Montano, (with whom he’d studied under Edward Kaye-Martin two decades prior), as an Acting Coach, Teacher and [Co-?***]Director, at the “Actors Workout Studio” (AWS), also located on Lankershim Blvd., where they collaborated until November 2015 [Linked in].

In addition, he opened the "Los Angeles Acting Studio" in Beverly Hills, for private classes, and taught intensive acting programs in association with The Actors Workout Studio

In 2016, Benne relocated this studio to San Diego, and launched The Los Angeles Acting Studio, San Diego (A.K.A. Acting San Diego Studio), where he continues to teach a unique hybrid approach to the Meisner Technique including ‘Cassavetes-Meisner Improv’, ‘Raw Moments’ and his own ‘This is Really Happening Improvisation’, and Scene Study, in addition to doing private coaching. [Source: Linked in].

Benne current studio is the "Los Angeles Acting Studio, San Diego". In January, 2016, he brought on-board form student and alum, Irene Muzzy (Smitham) of the "Actors Workout Studio" in Los Angeles, to assist with teaching at his rapidly growing San Diego studio. He continues to work in association with Mr. Montana, and considers"The Actors Workout Studio", in Los Angeles his LA "home-base".

Philosophical views
“This is Really Happening” – Andrew Benne

AWARDS:

Mr. Benne has won two Dramalogue awards and an L.A. Weekly Critic's Choice award

Filmography & Television[Source: IMDb]

Slated (TV Movie) Gus 2015

Conceal Phil 2015

Bad TV: To Kill Bigfoot (TV Movie) The Hammer 2013

Halfway to Hell   Rioter 1 2009

Black Russian Bernie Lisk 2008

Dimples The Sheriff 2007

Watching Closely (Short) Mr. Baker 2006

Sell Out (Short) Dillon 1999

Thriller: Caron Detective 1999

7th Heaven (TV Series) Clancy Daniels

- We the People (1999) ... Clancy Daniels 1996

The Rockford Files: Friends and Foul Play (TV Movie) Cole Matson (as Andy Kossin) 1994

Star Trek: The Next Generation (TV Series) Apprentice

- Thine Own Self (1994) ... Apprentice (as Andy Kossin) 1993

Civil Wars (TV Series) Zvee

- Watt, Me Worry? (1993) ... Zvee (as Andy Kossin) 1992

Out on a Limb Officer Larry (as Andy Kossin) 1992

Honor Thy Mother (TV Movie) Student #1 (as Andy Kossin) 1992

The Wonder Years (TV Series) Dmv flunkie

- Road Test (1992) ... Dmv flunkie 1989

Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death Frat Rat (as Andy David) 1988

21 Jump Street (TV Series) Freddy Hennessy

- Coach of the Year (1988) ... Freddy Hennessy (as Andy David) 1988

Heathers Fat Cynic (as Andy David)

Sources

1  IMDb Mini Biography By: Connie Chiarelli

= Writer: The Big Chingnon =

References/Notes and references
1.   Jump up ^ Last, first (date). Name of page. Page xx. Publisher: xxxx

2.   Jump up ^ Last, first (date). Name of page. Page xx. Publisher: xxxx

3.   Jump up ^ Last, first (date). Name of page. Page xx. Publisher: xxxx

LACC:   https://www.lacitycollege.edu/Academic-Departments/Theater-Arts-Theatre-Academy/Department-Home

Actors Workout Studio http://www.actorsworkout.com/about-aws/