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Susan Aston
Susan Aston
Director of MFA Acting; Acting and Audition Techniques
Email: saston@pace.edu
Susan Aston is a coach, teacher, actress, and director in New York City. She is most noted for her work with James Gandolfini on The Sopranos, having coached his Emmy-, Golden Globe-, SAG- and Tony- award winning performances.
She coached Mr. Gandolfini’s performances in The Drop, Criminal Justice, Enough Said, Violet and Daisy, Not Fade Away, The Incredible Burt Wonderstone, Cinema Verite, Down the Shore, Welcome to the Rileys, Where the Wild Things Are, The Taking of Pelham 123, All the King’s Men, Lonely Hearts, Romance and Cigarettes, The Last Castle, The Mexican, and in the Broadway play, The God of Carnage. Aston coached Jason Clarke, in Public Enemies, U.S. Attorney, The Human Contract, and in all seasons of Showtime’s Brotherhood, Jada Pinkett Smith in all seasons of HawthoRNe, and Jaden Smith in and The Get Down and Brothers in Atlanta. She coached Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Bobby Funaro, and Sully Boyle in episodes of The Sopranos. Aston has also coached performances in Bull (CBS), Billions (Showtime), The Deuce (HBO),Chicago Fire (NBC) The Family (ABC), Person of Interest (CBS), Shades of Blue (NBC), Law and Order (NBC), Monsterland, Episode Palacios, TX (Hulu) and the films Abnormal Attraction, Fever Pitch and The Punisher. Aston is a charter member of the core acting faculty at the Actors Studio Drama School, Pace University, teaching Scene Study 1-IV, Basic Technique 1-II, and Audition Techniques. At New York’s School of Visual Arts, Aston taught Acting for Directors. Aston was honored by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences 2002–2003 Primetime Emmy Awards for Contributions to the Emmy Award-Winning Achievement, James Gandolfini, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series. As an actress, she has appeared on Broadway and in film and television. She is a Lifetime Member of the Actors Studio.