Based on that belief, in 1996 Solomon opened Creative WorkShops, which teaches students how to create a role through step-by-step instruction and offers classes in the elements of acting, improvisation, and on-camera technique. A host of familiar faces have placed their faith in his tutelage, including Gloria Estefan, who recently made her film debut as an East Harlem schoolteacher in the film Music of the Heart. "She's extremely astute and observant," Solomon says of La Gloria. "She has an amazing ability to analyze a scene and understand it."

Solomon moved to New York to pursue an acting career after earning a broadcasting degree from the University of Florida; 10 years later - with performances at Lincoln Center and the Chelsea Westside Theater under his belt -he returned to South Florida, where he earned a master's in education from Nova University. It was only after teaching at both the New World School of the Arts and University of Miami that he opened Creative WorkShops. Pressed for a tip outside of school, Solomon says, "Actors must live an attentive, diligent, and observant life to come out on top or risk being left with a fantasy rather than an acting career." He pauses, then adds, "Love the work of acting, not just the idea of being an actor."

Article by Jennifer Hackett