Want to take online acting classes but not sure which one is worth your money? Here is the honest answer: for most people the best start is Helen Mirren Teaches Acting on MasterClass, 28 lessons on stage and screen acting that come with every MasterClass annual plan from $10 a month, billed annually. If you would rather pay once, the Udemy courses below were on sale from $12.99 when I checked on 21 Oct 2026, and Skillshare’s 40-minute technique class fits inside its 7-day free trial.
Below you get a quick shortlist, a price table for all 10 classes, what each class teaches and who it suits, and answers to the questions people ask before they sign up.
The cheapest way into our top pick is MasterClass Standard on annual billing. One membership unlocks the Mirren, Samuel L. Jackson, Natalie Portman and Nancy Cartwright classes on this list, and MasterClass gives every annual plan a 30-day satisfaction guarantee.
MasterClass Standard: $10/month billed annually, 30-day guarantee
Unlocks Helen Mirren Teaches Acting and 200+ other classes on one device for a year, billed upfront; Plus is $15/month if you want 2 devices and offline viewing.
Best Online Acting Classes 2026 at a Glance
Short on time? These four cover the main reasons people look for an acting class online: learning from a famous actor, owning one long course for a single payment, sampling the big acting techniques for free, or starting out in voice acting.
Helen Mirren Teaches Acting
- 28 lessons, 6 hr 17 min
- Stage and screen acting
- 200+ other classes included
Professional 10 Hour Acting Masterclass
- 32 lectures, 10 hr 13 min
- Camera, stage and auditions
- Lifetime access, 30-day refund
Acting Techniques Masterclass
- 13 lessons, 40 minutes
- 9 techniques, Stanislavski to Meisner
- Class project with feedback
Nancy Cartwright Teaches Voice Acting
- 14 lessons, 2 hr 43 min
- Character voices and emotion
- From the voice of Bart Simpson
Here is how all 10 classes compare on length and price. MasterClass classes are only sold as part of a membership, Udemy courses are bought one at a time, and the Skillshare class needs a Skillshare membership.
| Class | Platform | Length | Price | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Helen Mirren Teaches Acting | MasterClass | 28 lessons, 6 hr 17 min | From $10/mo billed annually | Stage and screen craft |
| Samuel L. Jackson Teaches Acting | MasterClass | 21 lessons, 4 hr 59 min | From $10/mo billed annually | Building characters, auditions |
| Professional 10 Hour Acting Masterclass | Udemy | 32 lectures, 10 hr 13 min | $16.99 on sale (list $64.99) | Beginners who want depth |
| Natalie Portman Teaches Acting | MasterClass | 20 lessons, 2 hr 37 min | From $10/mo billed annually | Film acting technique |
| Acting Techniques Masterclass | Skillshare | 13 lessons, 40 min | 7-day free trial, then $167.88/yr | Comparing acting methods |
| Acting 101 for Adults (Aaron Jackson) | Udemy | 17 lectures, 6 hr 52 min | $14.99 on sale (list $79.99) | The business of acting |
| Acting for Everyone | Udemy | 23 lectures, 2 hr 5 min | $12.99 on sale (list $54.99) | Complete beginners, exams |
| Nancy Cartwright Teaches Voice Acting | MasterClass | 14 lessons, 2 hr 43 min | From $10/mo billed annually | Animation voice acting |
| Acting Made Easy: Bringing Text to Life (Monologues) | Udemy | 6 lectures, 38 min | $12.99 on sale (list $34.99) | Audition monologues |
| The Complete Voice Acting & Voice Overs Course | Udemy | 18 lectures, 44 min | $14.99 on sale (list $49.99) | Starting voice-over work |
MasterClass sells four annual plans: Standard at $10 a month (1 device), Plus at $15 (2 devices and offline viewing), Premium at $20 (6 devices) and Pro at $70 (6 devices plus all certificates). All four are billed annually, and every acting class here is included from Standard up. For ways to pay less, see our MasterClass coupon code guide and the MasterClass student discount page.
1. Helen Mirren Teaches Acting (MasterClass)
Platform: MasterClass | Teacher: Helen Mirren | Length: 28 lessons, 6 hours 17 minutes
Helen Mirren started in the theatre playing Shakespeare and went on to win an Oscar, Golden Globes, a Tony and Emmys. In this class she walks through her own process for acting on stage and on screen, from breaking down a script to rehearsing a scene, and it is the most complete of the celebrity acting classes.
- Break down and interpret a script
- Research a role so it fits you
- Adjust your performance for film and television
- Use naturalism and rehearse a scene properly
Best for: anyone who wants a thorough, beginner-friendly overview of the craft from a working legend. Keep in mind: there are no live workshops or personal feedback, and some advice is more philosophy than drill. See Helen Mirren Teaches Acting.
2. Samuel L. Jackson Teaches Acting (MasterClass)
Platform: MasterClass | Teacher: Samuel L. Jackson | Length: 21 lessons, 4 hours 59 minutes
Samuel L. Jackson has appeared in well over 100 films, including Pulp Fiction and Die Hard with a Vengeance. His class focuses on building memorable characters, using your voice and body to show emotion, and working well with directors, cast and crew. It includes footage of him coaching student actors through scenes.
Best for: actors heading into their first auditions who want to look and act professional on set. Keep in mind: it is light on acting theory. See Samuel L. Jackson Teaches Acting.
3. Professional 10 Hour Acting Masterclass (Udemy)
Platform: Udemy | Creator: The Academy Program | Length: 32 lectures, 10 hours 13 minutes
This is the longest class on the list and the best value if you want one course you own for life. It covers acting for the camera and the stage, how to practise every day, running through a scene, and walking into an audition room with confidence. It holds a 4.2-star rating from 1,107 reviews and 7,479 learners.
Price: $16.99 on sale (list $64.99) on 21 Oct 2026, with a 30-day money-back guarantee. It is also part of Udemy’s Personal Plan, from $13 a month. Keep in mind: it was last updated in July 2018 and can be repetitive. View the course on Udemy.
4. Natalie Portman Teaches Acting (MasterClass)
Platform: MasterClass | Teacher: Natalie Portman | Length: 20 lessons, 2 hours 37 minutes
Oscar winner Natalie Portman, who started as a child actor, shares the techniques at the heart of her process and how she tackles a new role. Expect improvisation, handling sets and props, working with a green screen, and a case study of one of her own scenes.
Best for: people who already know the basics of film acting and want to sharpen technique. Keep in mind: it says little about building a career. See Natalie Portman Teaches Acting.
5. Acting Techniques Masterclass (Skillshare)
Platform: Skillshare | Teacher: Leon Clingman (Skill Collective) | Length: 13 lessons, 40 minutes
Leon Clingman, a South African actor and coach who trained at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute, introduces nine techniques in one short class: Stanislavski, Strasberg, Adler, Meisner, Uta Hagen, Chekhov, Practical Aesthetics, Viola Spolin and the Actor’s Foundry. The class project asks you to film the Meisner repetition exercise with a partner.
Price: Skillshare starts with a 7-day free trial, then bills $167.88 a year ($13.99 a month, paid annually), so you can finish this class inside the trial. Keep in mind: it is an overview, not a deep dive into any one method. Watch the class on Skillshare.
6. Acting 101 for Adults (Udemy)
Platform: Udemy | Teacher: Aaron Jackson (Academy of Film Fashion and Design) | Length: 17 lectures, 6 hours 52 minutes
Actor Aaron Jackson covers the techniques he uses with students, then spends real time on the business side: your resume, headshot, website, manager, demo reel, auditions, monologues and scene study. It is rated 4.5 stars from 832 reviews.
Price: $14.99 on sale (list $79.99) on 21 Oct 2026, with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Keep in mind: it was last updated in April 2017. View Acting 101 for Adults.
7. Acting for Everyone (Udemy)
Platform: Udemy | Teacher: Serena Greenslade | Length: 23 lectures, 2 hours 5 minutes
Serena Greenslade has taught speech and drama since 1994. Her course uses body, face and voice to build a character, includes a Shakespeare section, and ends with lessons on acting exams and auditions. It is rated 4.7 stars from 138 reviews and suits beginners of any age.
Price: $12.99 on sale (list $54.99) on 21 Oct 2026. Keep in mind: it is practical rather than theoretical. View Acting for Everyone.
8. Nancy Cartwright Teaches Voice Acting (MasterClass)
Platform: MasterClass | Teacher: Nancy Cartwright | Length: 14 lessons, 2 hours 43 minutes
Nancy Cartwright is the voice of Bart Simpson. Her class covers creating character voices, performing a range of emotions with only your voice, and taking a voice career to the next level, drawing on more than 40 years of voicing animated characters.
Best for: beginners drawn to cartoon and animation voice work. Keep in mind: it is less useful for narration or commercial voice-over. See Nancy Cartwright Teaches Voice Acting.
9. Acting Made Easy: Bringing Text to Life (Udemy)
Platform: Udemy | Teacher: Dave Lovatt | Length: 6 lectures, 38 minutes
Formerly listed as “Perfecting Your Audition Speech”, this short course from director and acting teacher Dave Lovatt is about monologues: using a character’s want to drive the speech, using images instead of words, and learning lines so they sound natural. It is rated 4.5 stars from 128 reviews.
Price: $12.99 on sale (list $34.99) on 21 Oct 2026. Keep in mind: advanced actors may find it basic. View Acting Made Easy.
10. The Complete Voice Acting & Voice Overs Course (Udemy)
Platform: Udemy | Teacher: Richard Andersone | Length: 18 lectures, 44 minutes
A practical starter for voice-over work: choosing recording equipment, reading and writing scripts, finding your voice and genre, recording and editing in Audacity, and where to find buyers. It is rated 4.3 stars from 231 reviews.
Price: $14.99 on sale (list $49.99) on 21 Oct 2026. Keep in mind: it is short and leans toward the technical side of recording. View the voice acting course.
How to Choose the Right Online Acting Class
- For the broadest grounding: Helen Mirren’s MasterClass.
- For auditions and life on set: Samuel L. Jackson’s MasterClass or Aaron Jackson’s Acting 101 for Adults.
- For one long course you own: the Professional 10 Hour Acting Masterclass on Udemy.
- To compare methods before you commit: the Skillshare Acting Techniques Masterclass during the free trial.
- For voice work: Nancy Cartwright for animation, Richard Andersone’s Udemy course for voice-overs.
Whatever you pick, film yourself and watch it back. If stage fright is the real problem, our list of the best public speaking courses online helps with nerves and presence, and if you want more celebrity-taught options, see these MasterClass alternatives.
Online Acting Classes FAQs
It is not sold on its own. It comes with every MasterClass annual plan: Standard is $10 a month, Plus $15, Premium $20 and Pro $70, all billed annually (checked 21 Oct 2026), and each plan has a 30-day satisfaction guarantee.
Yes. Helen Mirren, Samuel L. Jackson, Natalie Portman and Nancy Cartwright are all part of the 200+ classes included in every MasterClass annual plan, starting with Standard at $10 a month billed annually.
Yes, if you are a new member. Skillshare offers a 7-day free trial, and the class is only 13 lessons and 40 minutes long. If you do not cancel, the trial turns into an annual membership billed at $167.88.
The Professional 10 Hour Acting Masterclass gives the most content per dollar: 10 hours 13 minutes for $16.99 on sale (list $64.99) on 21 Oct 2026, with lifetime access and Udemy’s 30-day money-back guarantee.
Two here. Nancy Cartwright’s MasterClass (14 lessons, 2 hours 43 minutes) teaches character voices for animation, and The Complete Voice Acting u0026amp; Voice Overs Course on Udemy (44 minutes) covers equipment, scripts, Audacity editing and finding buyers.
For audition speeches, Dave Lovatt’s Acting Made Easy on Udemy is built around monologue preparation. For the wider process, Aaron Jackson’s Acting 101 for Adults covers headshots, resumes, demo reels, agents and auditions in 6 hours 52 minutes.
My Pick Among the Online Acting Classes
Helen Mirren Teaches Acting is still my top pick. It is the longest and most complete of the MasterClass acting classes, and the same $10-a-month annual membership also unlocks Samuel L. Jackson, Natalie Portman and Nancy Cartwright. If you would rather pay once, buy the Udemy 10-hour course during a sale.
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