Shadowing Practice: Bridgerton’s Claudia Jessie talks getting into acting & her big career turning point 🎬 | Audible UK - Learn English Speaking with Video

Creating lesson...
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Snap!
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Oh I get ever so nervous.
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Disco lights.
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What's the first sound you hear in the morning?
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Well, if it's not my horrible alarm ruining my day,
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it will be the sound of my coffee machine.
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Me and my fella got a really posh coffee machine and I think it's my boyfriend's favourite thing in the house.
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me and the dog.
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Actually not the dog.
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It was definitely over me though.
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What's the first sound that comes to mind when you think of home?
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Probably childhood wise it would be the sound of the music genre UK garage music
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because my brother and mum both used to like blast it in the in the flat
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and in the car so it was a lot of like bassline sort of sounds and things like that.
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Honestly, and then when my brother's mates would all come over to the flat, it was like an episode of people just do nothing.
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If I was being truthful, it would have to be when my mum and my uncle Greg,
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in particular, used to make me do impressions of Bruce Forsyth in the living room
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and don't even think about asking me to do it now, because I end.
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It's not happening.
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I can't do it.
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I must respect the dead.
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Oh no. What was the first actor you really admired?
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I was obsessed with Whose Line Is It Anyway when I was growing up.
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Obsessed with it.
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The idea that people would just get up, stand up, step forward and be funny.
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It sort of took my breath away
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and I remember the first time I ever made a group of people laugh
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and I I remember it feeling like the most delicious thing in the world.
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So I think everyone from Whose Line is it anyway, and thank you because I've been pinching your gear for about 13 years now in my career. So cheers.
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First time you knew you wanted to be an actor?
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Thanks to a very lovely woman named Hannah Phillips from Birmingham who was a playwright and director.
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She works with people that come from disadvantaged backgrounds and stuff like that, working class kids.
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She gave me the opportunity to be in a play when I was 21 years old.
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And I remember thinking, oh, this must be what happiness feels like.
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Because I'd never known anything like that before.
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It was on my 21st birthday, actually, because that's when we did that play.
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So thank you, Hannah.
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It's down to her and my mum, really.
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First job you ever had?
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I worked in a hairdresser's sweeping up hair.
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and honestly I worked like eight hours on a Saturday, got about a fiver.
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Absolute pin take.
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Sadly, I almost always think, oh, this probably isn't right for me.
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I probably won't, they probably won't like me.
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I'm not gonna get this.
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I don't think I've ever gone into a room and been like, this part is meant for me.
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You know when people are like, I'm unapologetically myself.
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I'm incredibly sorry to be me.
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I'm very sorry.
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So I don't think I've ever been able to be like, this role is mine, ever.
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I'm mostly going, I'm absolutely getting away with murder over here.
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Do you have a first audiobook you remember listening to or loved?
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I don't know, I can't remember the first one, but the one I love and the one I think of the most is Bob Mortimer's biography.
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Yeah, is that And Away?
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And Away, that's what he says on Gone Fishing.
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Yeah, so it would be Bob Mortimer and he read it himself, thank goodness, because that would have been devastating if he hadn't,
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because it was beautiful and funny and who doesn't love Bob Mortimer?
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First time you were asked to record an audiobook.
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So let's just say it was audible and I did a rom-com and I had to say sex scenes.
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My God, there's something that happens in your brain when you have to do that.
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Wow, there was a point where I could see the words coming up and I'm like gearing myself up, getting ready to be like talking about sex.
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And you do sort of really let go.
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And then there's this moment where you've said some thing has been in something
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and it's been very hot and steamy and you look up and you're like, you got that?
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And everyone's like, okay, everything's normal.
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It's mental.
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What's the first reaction when you read the script for The Waitress?
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Oh God, I'm glad I don't go to fancy parties.
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My God, terrifying.
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Parties have never been my thing anyway.
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Fancy parties, too nervous, too nervous.
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And the fancy parties at this place, that's where the drama starts.
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So that's why I thought, thank goodness I don't attend parties.
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And what was the first five words you think of that describe the waitress?
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Intents.
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Sisters.
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Stress.
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City views.
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City views, is that five?
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No, don't, don't.
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Give me another.
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Fast-paced.
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I've done so many words.
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None of them, I didn't say within the five-word limit.
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I'm sorry.
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What am I supposed to do?
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It's a great book.
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Yeah, it's terrifying.
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Hello, my name is Claudia Jesse, the narrator of The Waitress by KL Slater.
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And you can listen now on Audible.
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You're going to love it.

Context & Background

In this engaging interview, Claudia Jessie, an actress known for her role in "Bridgerton," shares her journey into acting, highlights her early aspirations, and reflects on her career's turning points. She discusses her childhood influences, particularly her family's love of music, and reveals how pivotal moments, such as a supportive mentor, shaped her path in the performing arts. Claudia offers a candid look at the challenges of self-doubt that accompany the pursuit of a creative career, making her story relatable to aspiring actors and English learners alike.

Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication

  • “I get ever so nervous.” - This phrase expresses anxiety and can be useful in various contexts.
  • “Honestly, that was a lot of fun!” - A great way to convey enjoyment or satisfaction after an experience.
  • “I remember thinking...” - This phrase is excellent for storytelling and sharing personal reflections.
  • “It must be what happiness feels like.” - Use this to describe profound moments of joy or fulfillment.
  • “I never knew anything like that before.” - A useful expression for conveying new experiences or realizations.

Step-by-step Shadowing Guide

To maximize your learning from Claudia Jessie's interview, consider employing the shadowing technique. This method involves listening to a speaker and attempting to mimic their speech patterns, intonation, and rhythm. Here’s how to effectively use the shadowing technique with this video:

  1. Choose a Segment: Start with a short segment of the transcript, ideally no longer than 30 seconds. This allows for focused practice without overwhelming yourself.
  2. Listen Actively: Play the video or audio clip, listening carefully to Claudia's pronunciation and emotion. Pay attention to her use of phrases like "I get ever so nervous" and "Honestly, that was a lot of fun!"
  3. Mimic the Speech: Pause the video and repeat what Claudia said. Try to imitate her accent and intonation as closely as possible. This process is referred to as shadow speech and helps improve your speaking skills.
  4. Record Yourself: Use your phone or recording device to capture your own voice as you mimic the phrases. Listen to it afterward for self-assessment.
  5. Repeat and Refine: Go through the segment multiple times, gradually increasing the length as you become more comfortable with the content. This repetition is crucial for improving fluency, especially for IELTS speaking practice.

By consistently applying these steps on a shadowing site, you will enhance your speaking proficiency and confidence in English, effectively integrating new vocabulary and expressions into your own speech.

What is the Shadowing Technique?

Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.