The last thing that a PWS might expect to become is an actor, reading and quoting line-after-line of text, in front of cameras, crew and onlookers, but that is precisely what this PWS (now PWSS) has done. His name is Steve.
When he came to us originally, in 2021, he had been stuttering as long as he could remember, mostly to groups, strangers, authorities, etc. As a job, he was a stand-up comic, but he didn’t stutter on the stage, or, if so, not enough to matter and/or he made a joke of any “boo-boos”. Almost a year later, he couldn’t remember his last bad incident; so, he posted his Stopped Stuttering Story and went his merry way. Since then, he has given three SAM Talks. He also took WSSA’s Coach Training Course and became a Certified Stuttering Therapist, but his story doesn’t end there. He made a quantum leap in his speech that needs to be shared.
He was offered a part in a film. He accepted and received the script and was asked to record his lines. He then ran through the script a couple of times and hit the record button and read the script more or less using crutch 7, 9, and 11 but with a southern accent. He recorded the reading in one take and sent it and didn’t think anything of it.
A few days later they said they loved his reading and officially offered him the role. He had two days to learn the script. In order to prepare for the role, he had two back to back practice sessions with other PWS’s and had them read various roles that were in the script, and he read his part of course.
The film was shot shortly thereafter, and he NAILED IT!!! Home run! Out the park!
He then wrote us: “I just want to acknowledge the Neuroscience-Lovett Method and the countless hours, days, weeks, and months of practicing reading out loud, affirmations, practice sessions with helpful PWSS and PWS from WSSA’s community of ex-stutterers, and for all the SAM meetings, and last, but certainly not the least — the mind training. I know that this would never have happened if it weren’t for Lee, WSSA and my fellow PWS’s and PWSS’s and the great methods that you-guys have created. While I stopped my stuttering over three years ago now, I didn’t put to the ultimate test of acting until now. Clearly, I have a new life now, and I’m so grateful for it. So I want to wrap this up with these words: Thank you, Lee, WSSA and all my PWS-S mates!!!”
Steve , December 2024