Lesly Kahn & Co - Los Angeles, California

Nick M.

I strongly advise against enrolling at Lesly Kahn's acting studio. After spending significant time here, it's clear that her technique is deeply flawed, superficial, and completely misaligned with psychology and neuroscience. It produces robotic, shallow acting—hardly the foundation of a successful career. This might explain why Lesly has never written a book; her approach wouldn’t withstand the scrutiny that comes with putting something in writing.

Lesly was a failure at the esteemed Yale MFA program and has channeled that frustration into creating a “technique” that lacks rigor, targeting actors who lack the intellectual drive to study acting for what it truly is. She positions herself as a genius by recycling basic acting concepts like thoughts, genre, relationship, and given circumstances as if she invented them. In reality, these ideas have been foundational in acting for decades—what she’s doing is nothing new. She dismisses essential elements like objectives and beats, labeling them as "method" and therefore inferior, while trivializing method acting as simply "thinking about your dead grandmother."

Lesly Kahn’s studio might seem appealing at first glance, especially if you’re new to acting and eager to learn. I’ll admit, she does have some understanding of comedy, particularly sitcom cadence and musicality. She teaches what she calls the "technicals" of comedy, including reversals. However, these tricks are nothing more than superficial techniques that many other teachers explain better—and within a much more holistic approach to acting. Students need a comprehensive understanding of the craft, not just these cheap tricks that Lesly pushes, which are disconnected from the deeper, more meaningful aspects of acting.

Lesly also offers a workshop called "More or Les," where you work on a lot of material quickly in 1-hour classes. While it’s good to practice under tight timing, her superficial quick tricks still fail to produce great acting, so what’s the point? You can get outstanding training elsewhere, like Margie Haber’s cold reading class. Howard Fine also currently teaches a class to help with quick turnaround auditions.

Worse, the environment at this studio is toxic. Lesly’s method of teaching relies heavily on manipulation—belittling, shaming, and guilt-tripping students to keep them dependent on her. She dismisses other reputable acting techniques and teachers, encouraging you to unlearn everything that might actually help you grow as an actor. If you question her methods or dare to think for yourself, she’ll turn the class against you, making you feel isolated and unsupported. This toxic approach fosters self-doubt and insecurity, making students feel like they aren’t good enough as they are. Just a reminder, this is the same teacher who infamously suggested a Jewish student reject her heritage and pose as “Rosie Ramirez” as an experiment to get more acting work—another example of how she instills toxic dependency by undermining students' sense of self.

Her studio fosters a cult-like atmosphere where dissent is not tolerated, and students are trapped in a cycle of constant rehearsals (applying her flimsy technique), which of course leads nowhere. The teachers, who haven’t done significant acting work themselves, reinforce this flawed technique, leaving students stuck in a loop of frustration and stagnation.

The rituals she enforces, like the bizarre candle-lit hand-holding circle at the end of her Comedy Intensive, are more about brainwashing than building any real community. It’s all designed to make you feel like you’re part of something special when, in reality, you’re just being manipulated.

There are far better teachers out there—like Larry Moss, Howard Fine, Ivana Chubbuck, and Margie Haber—who can offer you a comprehensive, effective approach to acting. Don’t waste your time and money on Lesly Kahn’s superficial, toxic, and manipulative studio.

Andy Stratton

Definitely do NOT go here if you have have NO interest in being a working actor. They help you become TOO bookable!! Like PLEASE get all of these acting jobs out of my face. The teachers are TOO brilli-- huh? ugh sorry I gotta go... Scorsese is calling. Typical. Since starting at LK he just won't leave me alone.

Joon Ho Bong

This place is INCREDIBLY sales-y, in that they feed off of the scarcity mindset that exists in Hollywood to get desperate and hungry actors through the door. The studio is also VERY VERY white, and as a result also very problematic in how it approaches conversations and topics of gender, sexuality, and disability. We had one scene where one character had to stare at another character's behind, and there were multiple women in my class that were uncomfortable with men staring at their bottoms. Lesly Kahn's teachers, as far as I know, have been using this scene for a while now, and despite this reaction, they don't shift.

I also had a personal interaction with a teacher during our weekly class during the comedy intensive where I let him (GRANT) know that the week prior, I went last (to act) and I preferred to not go last this week. Grant proceeded to forget about me, which wasn't the big issue. The issue was when I brought it up to him after class (our last class), he told me that I should've let him know. WHICH IS EXACTLY WHAT I DID. He blamed me for not being more proactive. The lack of accountability really floored me. AND, they tried to make it look like you're the one missing out for not coming back. I took this class many months ago, but it was still on my mind that I had to come back and leave a review so others could be warned. It's a money pit, don't waste your money at this studio. It's also PRETTY EXPENSIVE.

Blessed Kabasu

Did an audition with them. The reader was great but $120 for a 20 minute session is way over priced. The direction was nice but if you have an actor friend you can pretty much get similar guidance. Unless you’re already booking regularly and getting paid well, I wouldn’t recommend for repeat use. It’s just too expensive, in my opinion, for a starving artist when you can get similar quality with a friend, an iPhone, and a blue screen. Also they boast a guaranteed 3 hour turn around, but I didn’t get my tape until the next day.

Soraya Kelley

My home away from home. I love everything about this place. Highly recommend LK Studios to any actor that truly wants to be better in their craft and feel confidant in their work. I have grown so much as an actor and really owe it to what I have learned here. The hard work you put in from attending on-going classes, to rehearsing etc...will pay off! Lesly and all the teachers are truly dedicated, care so deeply about what they do and are very supportive. An incredibly wonderful community, family of actors, that I am deeply grateful for.

Katy Colloton

Lesly Kahn & Company is a game changer. I took the Comedy Intensive and everything she said was something I needed to hear. Whether it was rehearsing every day to getting your mind and body healthy; everything opened up so many doors in my mind. During the intensive I had a few personal problems pop up but instead of letting it get me down, I went and rehearsed or did couch time. It felt awesome! Focusing on becoming a better actor every day has really helped me. Having a specific technique to rehearse and apply feels like a weight lifted off my shoulders. I can not recommend Lesly Kahn enough.

Ayman Samman

Hi Lesly,

Hope you are well and that you are continuing to inspire actors. You may not remember me but I took your Comedy Intensive along with a couple of other classes a while back. Since then, I've been out in the world, doing plays, writing, producing and of course acting. Generally staying actively positive. I have studied with other teachers as well as learned by doing but I must acknowledge that I have been applying what I learned from you the most. For every single audition regardless of the genre. Using thoughts before and after lines.

While most award winning actors seem to forget to thank their teachers and mentors as they achieve new wins. I am making it a practice to express my gratitude to all who contributed to my success. So, this will happen in public on the day I win my first award but for the time being, I wanted to acknowledge your influence on my recent career high.

I have recently booked a guest star role on a pilot episode and I can't help but think that I owe a huge portion of that achievement to what you taught me.

So, thank you so much my Jewish Fairy Godmother (if you recall being dubbed that during our Intensive). I am very grateful to have stopped at your corner of the world and hope I will again soon.

Halley Kim

Fact: I did not book work until I had my triage with LK. Aside from what is taught here, there is a success environment I haven't seen anywhere else that drives the actors here to book, which is one of the points in being in LA, right? 🙂

Anyways, I wanted to write a quick review about one of the audition coaches here (feel free to message me if you want to know his name!):
He makes you feel more excited about acting and about yourself, which is a great state to be in before you walk in an audition room. I can literally feel my BATs (bad actor thoughts) melt away when I coach with him!