Casting call! I'm looking for actors for an upcoming YouTube video series about paranormal activity caught on camera. It's not a paid gig but it's super fun, quick and easy. The videos will be along the lines of the videos you can find on "Slapped Ham" YouTube channel, basically people encountering and filming ghosts, aliens, creatures, and other scary things. You simply record it yourself and send me the footage to edit and do some movie magic. DM me for more information.
Just wondering if it’s possible or am I just holding onto a bad dream.
Hi all — I’m a filmmaker currently in talks with people at CAA and UTA to cast a few actors for my short. I’ve written to specific agents sharing the person I want to cast and a few have replied back saying they need it to be “an offer”. What’s the difference between saying you want to cast an actor and “an offer”? Aren’t they the same? Do I literally have to say “offer” or does that include a list of what the package would be for them involved in the film (pay, dates, etc)? Also, this will be a SAG Signatory film for anyone that’s wondering.
I turned 18 a few months ago, I've always wanted to become an actor and experience what I've seen others do on the shows and movies I've watched. Ever since I was little I've wanted to become an actor but I was shy and couldn't even imagine opening up about that sort of thing to my grandma or mom, they haven't even done anything remotely close to acting so I would have to start the journey from the bottom which is super fine I told my grandma about my career and she was excited for me because I never had a direction for my career in my life I was 15 going on 16 and really looking forward but then Covid hit and I had to do online school and sit in the house all day this let me to really look at my insecurities, I have insecurities about my face, mainly my nose which is somewhat deviated and my smile and teeth as well as my jaw which are a little bit shifted to the right side of my face, I can live with my teeth and mouth but my nose really bothers me and I feel like the only comfortable way is to speak to a professional about it. It took a lot for me to post this on here but It also feels like I'm lifting a weight off my back I'm not really open with my mom or grandma about said insecurities but it did feel good to post this :). I have no acting experience other than watching a ton of movies and tv shows I really want to get a start but I have no idea how too will anyone help me with any of my questions I live in Florida but may be moving back to New Jersey depends how I feel I do plan on making a youtube channel to express my passions in my life and become an entertainer as well because I've had a passion for gaming as well in my life and I now want to make acting a new passion. Can someone give me some Direction for my start <3? Anything is Appreciated If we can talk in the comments that would be great :).
Just a random thought I’d like to discuss.. When I was in freshman year of high school I became obsessed with the idea of being an actress. I would study different roles and immerse myself in quotes by famous actors. I felt a pull to this idea, not for the fame or money, but just an urge to act, and to do so in a way that people are genuinely captivated and want to watch. After a while I decided I was being silly to think that someone from the middle of no where would become a famous and well recognized actress. I let it go. But to this day, when I’m asked about passions and what I might like to do with my life, acting almost always comes up in my mind. Whenever I see good acting in a movie; I don’t merely enjoy it, I feel an urge to be the one in that position, making others believe in a made up situation, with joy, sadness, or terror. The main thing is, whenever I think of this, I genuinely feel that I would make a great actress.. it’s just a feeling inside of me that says, “hey, I could do that! And I could do it well” maybe it’s silly or delusional, but despite not having any formal training, I think there’s maybe some gold buried deep within me, wanting to shine through
yeah, i know they say 'no stupid questions' but we all know they don't mean it, so heres mine. i've seen plenty of people do self-auditions and post them for roles they either did or didn't cast in, although they're always for big productions like euphoria or shameless. question is, how are people finding out about these auditions? i don't expect to get the roles but it would be nice to know how to access these auditions before these shows blow up after their pilot. my guess is that agents find these roles or theres a gigantic memo that all these sneaky actors are intentionally hiding from me because they don't want me to steal their roles. thoughts?
G’day guys! As you can see from the title, would love to get in touch / work with someone from the states on standard US accent. I’m an Australian film actor and in definite need of practice haha. Looking forward to some responses :)
So recently I wanted to peruse a career in acting since my family has been super supportive of me doing so. Anyway, I search up some places, and started doing my thing. I had gotten a call from an “agency” John Casablancas, and they had asked if I was interested in acting and modeling and if so then I would have a zoom interview and have to preform a short commercial. Got to the Interview, was told we would be put into groups A (experienced), B (a little experience), C (no experience). I was in A and there were only two other people who were there. You would assume that for an interview it would be one on one? Yeah no, we had to preform in front of anyone who was in the group. Once I did my commercial, we were told we would get a call if they liked us or whatever. I ended up getting a call back and was told I was getting a second interview? At this point I was so happy but the next day (today) I had a weird feeling once I checked an email they sent me saying that for the second interview, we would be put in groups again of A (professional actor or model, ready to be thrown into the industry), B (need practice and will be charged a one time fee of $295), C (not interested). After reading this I was a little suspicious about the fee? So I decided to do a little research which yes, I should have done first, and found out that the $295 is to hold your spot if you are chosen and then you pay $2000 to take classes. Tomorrow is my second interview and I’m really debating just not showing up because of this. I don’t want to be in a situation where I’m told I’m an A, if I do get it and then be told, “but we do think you need some training,” apparently that happened to a lot of people where they would push them to get training anyways. I’ve seen some good reviews about how it’s not a scam and how people have actually gotten roles and went through the schooling. But I’m really skeptical, I don’t want to not show up and be embarrassed but at the same time I don’t want to sit there and have them possibly throw me a sales pitch. Obviously acting is very hard to get into and takes work and classes. (I do have 4 years of experience) I’m not sure what to do, I need the community’s opinion. Should I flake or show up and possibly have to deal with that? What would you do? Help please
Hello Reddit, I’m a black female turning 21 in August. I have no car and still live with my parents. I have 0 experience with acting. I’ve only read a few film acting books and I haven’t went to college yet(I live in the middle of Arkansas, so barley any colleges have "performing arts" majors and it’s hard to find acting classes and programs, but even if I did, I don’t have a car to get to and from them). If you were me, what would be your first step? And ANY ADVICE HELPS! (And again, I live in the smallest town in the middle of my state, which makes me want to move to California or New York, to get more of a better chance). (Also: I’ve wanted to act since I was 14, I took a drama class in 8th grade and we acted out scenarios in front of the class and it was fun, although I highly doubt my folks would want me pursuing an acting career, so I’d rather wait until I’m on my own). (And I do plan on getting a car this year so I know this would be my pre-first step, I’ve had my driver’s license for some time now, just not a vehicle).
Hello! Recently I was sent a contract by a management company in a major market, but they told me they also operate sort of like an agency. I was referred to them by a fellow actor, and they definitely aren't some hole-in-the-wall business--they have a pretty good rating on IMDB pro and don't seem to be easy to get repped by. They sent me an exclusive contract, and this would be my first time signing with reps exclusively, so I'm not sure how to tell if the contract is fair. Some things seem a little strange to me, like: 1. The contract would be exclusive commercial representation for three years, and it also excludes getting a commercial agent, since they consider themselves to be management and an agency. It auto-renews for another year unless you notify them a few months before the contract ends. 2. They take 20% for non-union work. I am scared to sign something if I don't know what I am getting into first Any suggestions? Is this standard? Thanks!
Any actors not from usa know of a service for actors in Europe, or just worldwide. I was about to buy a subscription for backstage bit they clearly only look for talent in the states
I’m 19, i’ve lived in Los Angeles my whole life and recently decided I want to start acting. For those here in LA, who are some reliable classes that are quality and not just some dude taking my money? edit: what are some things that you are able to work on as an actor on your own time without needing a person with you?
Ill be live tonight at https://www.twitch.tv/pantheonpyro talking with other voice actors on our networking discord, about what gear you need for Voice acting! Come check it out and Join the discord at https://discord.gg/Qm3KEjecuZ
Hey whats up fellow thespians? I'm a NYC actor relocating to Bali within a year or so. Would love to keep working - are there any Americans working in Australia that have insight or a second to chat ? ​ Much love
I know I know… I know that you have to have thick skin in this industry and I know sometimes things don’t work out… what I’m sick of is being let down. Directors, producers, etc please stop making promises of things. It hurts us because we get so excited and on fire, lit passions for a project that… sadly doesn’t happen. It’s happened to me so much that when I get offered something I’m not as passionate or excited about it because in the back of my mind I’m just like “ok yeah sure we’ll see if it happens”. Like I said I know some things don’t work out but it’s pretty messed up when you PROMISE someone it will. To put this into perspective—I’m pretty broke… right now I’m just dependent on booking things, I’m having a hard time doing so as most things require you to be fully vaccinated— I only had the first dose of Moderna and had a crazy bad reaction, dr advised me not to get second dose and even if they said it was ok I would refuse, sorry, not getting shingles and Bell’s palsy again. Anyways, I have kids to take care of and my fiancé is working full time at a factory. We are barely getting by. I was presented with two opportunities. The one was a film that I’d be lead in— the director/producer promised it would be big—- we’d film on an ARRI—- got stuff lined up with investors from Netflix, Hulu, tubi, etc interested and that it would be a decent budget. I was so excited and now… it’s been months and crickets. No communication. Second opportunity I had was with a YouTuber who has a substantial amount of followers. He liked my voice and invited me on to do voice work. Great thing is I could work from home and he stated he would pay me very well. I have my professional mic stuff all hooked up and been waiting for weeks to start— every time I ask about it he just says he’s waiting on scripts yet he’s daily uploading to his channel. So that had me quite confused. I was thinking of just starting my own thing but I don’t know how to edit stuff like that so honestly I don’t know. I’m just to the point where I’m losing passion and I don’t know where to go from here. Wondering if I should continue on or focus on other things— if I don’t start booking soon I’m going to have to get a job so I can help with the bill’s because things are getting crazy expensive. I am a patient person but I don’t have time to wait around. Like I said I know things don’t work out sometimes but… stop making promises if you don’t know for sure it’ll work out. It really does hurt our soul. Just the same reason I won’t do a lot of indie stuff anymore—- I’ve done so much indie film that I didn’t get paid for— never been finished. It was a great learning experience but if I am not getting paid and can’t get copies of footage for demo reel it’s a waste of my time. Sorry
I wasn't sure how to phrase this, or if it should just go into the stupid questions thread. I've been taking classes online, but they're once per week. Sometimes I have a month or so between classes. I feel like I'm not getting enough instruction/practice to really advance. I also feel a bit too green to actually act in something, plus I'm traveling right now. I was hoping someone could share strategies to really maximize a weekly class? I've reviewed the stickies on practicing from home, and have been working on those, but I'm not sure how to link that up with classes. Edit, Summary: - Go to more classes 1. Lesly Kahn is recommended 2. Become a key student in exchange for classes 3. Meet up with other students to rehearse or generally review things. - Online Learning 1. Youtube - Sam Stiglitz - Mikayla lysiak - John D'aquino - Actors Round Table - Actors on Actors 2. Podcasts - Wendy Alane wright's secrets of a Hollywood talent manager - In The Envelope - Action: the pursuit of acting excellence - Back To One - Audrey Helps Actors
I really dislike taking acting classes bc so many other actors are "type a" and just need to be center of attention or just extremely narcissistic. I can handle it on a set in terms of peoples egos when a lot more is riding on things (most people are just really tired) but classes are unbearable and I just wonder if other people see this too?
can i reach a good level of acting by practicing at home? i cant afford classes rn, and the theatre at uni is not currently working , so idk. i wanna practice and try to go audition and start with modeling for ads on tv or something. many actors start that way so i figured maybe i can try that out but i need to practice first because atp i just like the idea of acting and i dont have much experience at all. ive had some in the school theatre however i was ASS when i was a kid and now its different because back then i didnt understand theatre as an art but now i kinda do
I want to pursue being a successful actress like most who might be on here! What is some advice you would give to stay humble?
Is there any source where i can find videos without actor voices? Only with background noises, effects etc. Maybe packs where video has separate audio tracks included. Or maybe software to mute only voices. Any other advise to help practice dubbing would be highly appreciated! Thank You.
I'm having trouble deciding which book to read first: At The Actors Studio or The Lee Strasberg Notes. Does reading one make another redundant? Or should I be reading something else?
Hello I have a question! I'm a trans girl, is it possible to become an actress without attracting attention either negative or positive over the fact that I'm trans? Since little kid, I knew I wanted to follow the stage life way before I realise I am trans, and growing up this became more intense, but I always wanted to be judge and be seen for my talent, my skills, my expression and not my trans identity, and Im not interested in becoming known for playing trans role either, I mostly care about theatre and stage and not TV, and I'm a very private person with my life, could I make it there seeking privacy?
I’ve been taking this acting class for over a year and yesterday was my last class with them. And it didn’t really have a great ending. So we’ve been doing this Meisner exercise where we do the repetition and then work in a 30 second speech to the repetition, basically make the text flexible. I had one on the ready. So I do the exercise but throughout the exercise, the teacher said that my short speech didn’t feel honest. But I disagreed. Both times I worked the speech into the exercise, it felt genuine to me. I didn’t think I was doing it in a fixated way, but my teacher told me it felt rigid. I didn’t say anything to him because I try to be open to feedback but then he told me to use my voice to express my feelings and I was left genuinely confused and I think that got me in my head because then I did end up too focused on the text and I was left kinda let down. So I wanted to ask when do you disagree with your acting teacher. Because I really wanted to end on a better note especially since I’ve been in his class for so long. I don’t think he suddenly sees me as a bad actor all of a sudden but I just feel like I kinda disappointed him. TLDR: took a class for over a year and had an underwhelming and disappointing ending.
This is a fantastic book that helps explain habits and how to break bad ones by forming new ones. I'm only a few hours in and already I'm gonna buy the book version. A few things that could be used for acting. Setting goals are not as beneficial as creating a process or system that helps you achieve those goals. Setting goals means you are putting off celebrating the moment until you hit that goal. Example: **Goal: I will feel much better about my acting abilities once I land a role.** **Problem: If I don't land the role I will feel my abilities are lacking.** Falling in love with the system/process, i.e. learning lines, studying anything that improves your acting, being comfortable in your vulnerabilities can be a much more effective approach to the craft of acting than setting goals. Enjoying the system/process allows you to enjoy your efforts in the present moment and when you finally hit your goal you would have already been reaping the benefits of your hard work due to the "system" you've put in place. You can enjoy it right now, today/tomorrow without ever booking a role. Another thing I really love about this book is that James explains how we can't transform ourselves overnight. It takes small 1% efforts in any particular thing to see significant growth. For instance, if we improve 35 things in acting by 1%, we would have improved our abilities by 35%. It's then up to each individual to spot areas to improve. What I loved about Viola Davis' book "Finding Me" is that she had it hard as child. She was killing big ass rats with toy bats. She didn't have a quality education as a child. She barely had food to eat. The only thing she did have was her passion. That was the spark she needed. She improved from there and eventually the areas that were considered her weakest points, became her strengths. She trained and improved likely by 1% or more until the world couldn't help but notice her! Lastly, the ice cube analogy. I absolutely love this analogy. For instance, a lot of us right now are in the ice cube phase of our careers. The ice cube represents our career, actually more like what's inside the cube is what represents our hidden/unlocked potential. Our efforts and training and experience aims to melt the ice away.. So lets say when first starting out we were in the ice cube stage and in a cool temp room set to 27 degrees Fahrenheit (or -2 in Celsius). As we train and get experience we increase the temp a couple notches. Now it's 31F/-1C and there's been no change. We become frustrated. A lot of us quit at this phase but, if you heat it to one more degree the ice begins to melt. That one degree change caused a significant physical reaction. It was just one degree more. Now the ice is melting and will continue to melt. How many times have we attributed someone's success as an "over night success"? I bet if you "made it" you wouldn't claim that you were an overnight success. It took small incremental changes to see a transformative change. Ok I've rambled on too long. I wanted to share this because I found it useful and I'm sure y'all will too.
My buddy worked on Top Gun in San Diego back in 2019. I was fortunate be able to come hangout on set one day. It was the day they were shooting a really intense, emotional scene for him. I’ve never seen an actor able to switch “on” like him. When the cameras were off, he would joke with his cast mates and act completely normal, but I kid you not, as soon as the cameras started rolling he completely transformed. He was able to instantly tap into the scene and kill it every take. Never missed a beat, would give a slight variation with every take to give the director options, etc. It was insane to watch. I’ve been on a ton of movie sets and I’ve never seen anything like it. Has anyone else here worked with him in any capacity? I really wish he’d do an interview about his process because it’s truly inspiring to watch.
Hello! I am a university student who is looking for an acting class in the Vancouver area for the summer. I've been looking at VADA and VanArts, but I've seen some reviews where people weren't very happy with their experience. VAS doesn't have classes until September. I'm also looking at Railtown Actors Studio and Deb Powdowski, but I can't seem to find as many reviews about these schools. Taking an acting class has been on my bucket list for a while and it's just for fun, but I would still like some quality instruction! If anybody has any experience or recommendations, it would be greatly appreciated! :)
The classic chicken/egg case for new actors! Agents don’t want us without credits, but we can’t get those credits without an agent, so I’m curious if any of y’all who’ve accomplished this can share your experience. Even if it was just dumb luck, I’d love to hear your story!
Hey there, I am currently thinking about pursuing a career in acting and I am clueless. I have never acted in anything before and only started thinking about it here recently, but the thought of it has become something that I cannot get over no matter what, unless I were to pursue this path. Where can I start? What do I do? Some things that might help to see where I'm coming from: - I do not live anywhere near big acting cities. I'm from and still live in rural Alabama. The local community college (that I am a current student of) has a theatre department that is great for the area and does productions, but I am currently not a part of this program, but have considered it. - I am 19 and I guess I could say I have a few skills, if singing and a natural thick southern accent count. - I have never thought about acting as a career until recently, but now that I've thought about it, it's like a burning desire. What my end goal would be: - This may sound extremely cliched and very stupid, but if I we're to pursue this I would not stop until I got this point, and even then I'd still keep going. I want to be the next Hollywood megastar. I know this doesn't come overnight, and that building up to this point can take years, or not. With this end goal in mind, what school would be best?: - Would it be best to go to university and get a good theatre background? Or go to an acting training studio in LA? From my research, it seems there are heavy pros and cons to both routes. But, since I want to focus specifically on Film, which would be best? I want to train to be the best actor I can be. Where can I find auditions?: -Ive looked through Backstage and Actors Access, but can't seem to find anything. Am I just not looking good enough? Please comment any thoughts you have that might help me. I'm trying to find the starting place. Your help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
Use this thread to post your headshots for feedback, get info on your age range/type, find good headshot photographers, ask any questions you may have about headshots. If you are posting a DIY headshot for feedback, and not just a snapshot in order to get feedback on your age range/type/etc, it is advised that you do at least some basic research on what actor headshots look like--composition, framing, lighting. You will find a Google Image search for "actor headshots" to be very helpful for this. Non-professional shots are fine for age/typecasting; please keep in mind that one picture is a difficult way to go about this. Video of you moving and speaking would be ideal, but understandably more difficult to post. For what it's worth, the branding workshop at SAG-AFTRA recommends a five-year age range. That's inclusive, so for example 19-23, 25-29, 34-38, etc.
I messed up my online casting by forgetting to put “actress” as a category and so i only put in “musical theatre actress” and “extra”. Shortly after I got an automated response with thank you for your submission but you did not fit the age and/or role profile for the feature film. Now I’m not entirely sure if the rejection was because the formal error or not. Should I reach out to the agency and ask them if they saw my submitted material or would it be a good idea to submit again? Thank you for your help!
idk why i feel like the acting and modeling industries are harsh… like rly harsh… and unhealthy… maybe its just an assumption but i feel like movie directors are mostly rude and angry, might make rude comments to the actors if theyre doing things wrong, aren’t gentle, are completely impatient, make actors and models conscious about themselves and their image, theres alot of sexual assault and rape there sometimes idk but i feel like these industries are toxic and harsh for someone fragile… what do u guys think? is my assumption true?
Hi! I'm an aspiring actor who's been looking for an agent for months, and I live in the Atlanta area. However, almost every time I've actually looked at an agency's website, it says they're either only accepting "industry referrals" or not accepting submissions at all. I feel like there must be something I'm missing. Can anyone here help? Thanks.
What Qualities or skills do you think are crucial to becoming a great actor? For example: My top 3 are... Imagination Emotional range Empathy What do you think?
Hi there! I am an actor who has a commercial running right now on YouTube Ads. It's a commercial for a company called Truebill. The commercial starts with me on the couch saying "Alright! I'm going to use Truebill to find and cancel subscriptions!" And my friend and I do a competition to see who can cancel subscriptions faster. Please let me know if you find it! As I need to see it! If you have a way of saving it too that'd be even better. I will gladly pay anyone who sees it then saves it somehow or screen records. Thanks everyone
I'm really digging listening to actors narrate their own biographies. You get a strong sense of who they are in their personal and professional life and what it took for them to find their successes. I especially love listening to how they were when they were kids. Viola is such beautiful and brave person and to tell her story the way she did... I'm so blown away. She came up from nothing with everything stacked against her and still found a way to break into Hollywood. Of course she attributes luck to her success as well, but damn, I couldn't imagine going through half the things she went through. I'm sorry I can't paraphrase much of it, I wouldn't do it any service by doing so, but if you have an Audible account then I highly recommend it. She's a beautiful story teller with an amazing voice. Also Bryan Cranston's A Life in Parts is also a great one.
I have so many questions, first of all is it ok to start whilst in school, I’m in year 9. Also where do I start. How do I get An agent, and headshots. There’s just a lot And it’s making me a bit stressed
I feel that this would help me but is there any actors who write things down as tips to help them improve their acting skills at all?
I'm not planning on moving anywhere but noticed many Canadian actors I love and admire moved to California early in their careers, sometimes due to 'lack of opportunity' in Canada. Though it's my understanding that American studios can sponsor foreign actors with specific visas, at such an early stage how are actors able to do this? Even assuming they've found representation in America while being Canadian. How would they be able to work any other part-time job? Doesn't seem like the 'fantasy' of packing one's bags and waiting tables in Hollywood is all that realistic yet it sounds like it's what many actors I like did. Very curious about the logistics! Thanks
From the moment our director suggested that the end of the year piece might be mulan, I got a bit uncomfortable with the idea of using such a culturally focused story without any actors to play the parts properly. We live in a town where there isn't much of an theatre scene, and my school has about 29 students, none of which are asian. He mentioned it would be nice to do it because we would get to learn scene combat, but I'm still conflicted if it is sensible to do it. I don't know how the characterization will go, and I'm not doing yellow face (or want to be associated with a play that does it). I also feel weird about playing a character just to such an extent (I could potentially be Mulan herself, and I'm latina) What should I do? Should I try and talk about those problems with the director, and point towards choosing another play? Is it less of a big deal than I am feeling?
hey guys… i want to vent a little and hopefully get some advice from people that might understand eversince i finished HS ive been depressed because i take my future seriously and derive my identity from academics or a professional field : T ive never felt passionate about anything, i was that person who is curious about and interested in everything ranging from science to social science to art… i paint and sculpt and write and like to read abt alot of topics ive been doing these online career tests and i took a values test and realized i value achievement, recognition, etc highly more than other values ( ofc i mean in a career field, not in general ) so… this made me think about the performance arts like acting, music and dancing however out of all of these acting was a combination of a lot of performance arts, and ofc u know how the people who make it big have a really fancy life, its like they “made it” in life i think to me .. success equates to fame and recognition im aware i might be thinking about acting for the wrong reasons. however im so imaginative and i thought i might be a very good filmmaker specifically one that does music videos. i just like to imagine myself as the actor ( or mime) in the video basically im lost. im an introverted neurodivergent that goes through sensory overload frequently when just going out to shop or eat at a restaurant. my social battery runs out fast too, and i have performance anxiety and when i tried acting in the school theatre once, i did so horribly i was just speaking with no emotion or character depth at all. it was a small role but i felt nothing idk guys. i also like the “idea” itself maybe of acting or being a mime or a performer of some type. it makes me feel special. i also like it when i get my identity from being an artist. however it doesnt feel so right. i feel unfit for it and that its something i should just keep to my fantasies but idk what i should pursue though
Hi, little background, I’m fairly new to acting and just starting out by submitting auditions via actors access. I was wondering, does anyone know what to do if they don’t have someone to read a scene with them but the scene audition requires a second person? Unfortunately I don’t know anyone personally who would do the scene with me so I’m just curious what other alternatives could be used in this situation? Thank you in advance for anyone that would be able to help! (:
Hi friends, Any anglophone actors living in Montreal? How is the scene for an english speaker? I'm aware of the two english theatres, the community created by National Theatre School and, obviously, the french sector of the arts. I'm wondering if there is any film/tv work or if a person moving with minimal connections will be able to get auditions and work with a talent agency.
I really want to connect my life with acting. I like to play different roles and perform in front of people. Acting is the only area that interests me and that brings me joy. But I feel very bad when I think that, regardless of the degree of popularity, every public person succumbs to criticism for every step or word, because people discuss absolutely everything and as a result, public people do not have personal space and freedom. Celebrities can't even walk down the street normally. And based on everything I've written, I don't know what to do. I'm scared to face this kind of unhealthy attention, but I just can't imagine what I will do without acting. And all this thoughts is killing me. It would be very interesting to hear other people's opinions.
Hello, I’m a actor and I take a Meisner intensive class. I have always had confrontations with my teacher about creative differences. We sometimes film scenes outside of class by ourselves and watch them back in class. I have sometimes gone over the time limit he adds because my scene would not make any sense without a extra minute or so. I always get chewed out for it and my other classmate did it as well and he called it perfect. I sometimes naturally improv a few words in a scene when I’m acting as well and he chewed me out again saying I won’t be able to do that on set and that acting has lots of rules you have to follow. I always stay on the path of the scene when I do improv though. Every time I have cried or have a emotional outburst in a scene he always gets mad at me and says stop trying to be like other actors that came before me(James Dean, Brando). It pisses me off every time because I’m just being myself. I often bring my struggles from my personal life to my characters when I’m acting. I usually play emotional and rebellious roles. I’m just a young guy from a small southern town and I don’t adhere to every little thing that’s spoken to me in the arts.
I mean we do have a link they could check out even if they didn’t
Writing from the UK. Just wanted to put some thoughts out there to see if anyone else has anything to say on the matter. Acting is a job that anyone of any age, gender, background or appearance is capable of doing excellently if they are talented and work hard. It's not like being a professional athlete, dancer, footballer, etc where your body needs to be young and fit to operate at a competitive level. The casting and talent-management system does not NEED to be ageist, but it is. Severely so. One's professional ability as an actor does not decrease with age (usually it actually improves) so it's very possible that a 70 year old and 20 year old are equally capable of doing an excellent job. However, I have found that women are expected to establish their acting careers by the age of 27, maybe more realistically like 25. If women over this age have not managed to gain momentum and substantial employment in mainstream TV, film or theatre, chances are that they never will. Not because they aren't capable, but because the casting system does not invest in them - good agents generally won't take them on and casting directors will prefer to audition actresses with more experience, of whom there are plenty. To clarify, I'm not talking about becoming a Hollywood mega-star. I mean making enough appearances for casting directors, producers, directors etc to think of you for good roles. And getting legit work that is artistically rewarding or substantial enough to justify staying in the game while making little money and keeping your unfulfilling day job (eg - not just doing one-liners/non-speaking/commercials or doing a guest-lead in a soap once every few years). People always say "Olivia Colman didn't 'make it' until she was older" - but they don't understand that she was regularly and consistently working in television and theatre since her mid-20s (and probably started auditioning even earlier). She always had enough momentum and industry support to keep going. She was always busy, always had a career and would have always been quite well known and respected by casting directors, producers, directors etc even if she had not yet become a huge Hollywood star. Unless you start acting professionally as a child/teenager or are able to benefit from nepotism, the expectation to establish a promising long-term career by the age of 25, in a competitive market, is just ridiculous. Many kids under 18 don't know what they want to do yet, and many have parents who do not allow them to miss school etc. Children under 18 do not start working professionally as bankers or lawyers or other competitive careers. Children may start professionally training or competing in dance or sport before the age of 18, but that makes sense given the physical requirements of those jobs. Most people figure out what they seriously want to do with their lives in their 20s, so this is the age where most people start pursuing an acting career. If you didn't begin your career during childhood and aren't a nepotism kid, drama school is the obvious choice (in the UK there are loans and scholarships so these courses are generally accessible to anyone regardless of background). Drama schools in the UK are notoriously competitive to get into. For example RADA has 4000-5000 applicants for 28 places (14 boys and 14 girls). There are also more girls applying. So it's extremely rare for someone, especially a girl, to start drama school at 18 (and graduate at 21 or 20-going-on-21). Most people get into drama school on their 2nd or 3rd attempt at about 20, so would be graduating at about 23. Many will be even older, and some decide to train after completing an academic degree which would mean they would generally be graduating at 24/25. So, the youngest graduate would have only 4 years to establish themselves in the industry and get 'picked up'. Most would only get about 2 years or less. Either way this is a very short amount of time, and if you don't manage to get a good agent who can get you lots of auditions, or if you don't have a marketable look etc, it's even more unlikely that you will be able to establish yourself in such a short window of time. If you are a woman graduating in your mid-20s it's highly unlikely you will even be able to secure a good agent. If you are 25 and working in, let's say advertising, you may well have a successful career ahead of you even if you have an entry level assistant job and no wider industry recognition. Why does acting have to be so different? So much talent is ignored, not even getting a look-in, because of the ageism in this industry. It is ridiculous. Top agents need to open their books to more 25+ year old women who are starting out and they need to fight hard for these clients so that casting directors and producers can understand that talent and ability does not necessarily equate to how many years of previous professional experience someone has. Casting directors, when selecting actors for auditions, need to positively discriminate against candidates who are nepotised or had the advantage of working professionally as children, the same way that private school applicants are positively discriminated against when applying to university. There should be a nepotism quota on every production, like how they have diversity quotas for ethnicity and disability etc. And a quota for unestablished actors in substantial roles. There should basically be zero closed doors to anyone who is starting pursuing an acting career from 25+. I am cis-gender female and will be turning 30 in 2 months. For nearly 4 years I have been on the fence about quitting acting and committing to a different career and I have finally decided to take the leap and hope to work in casting so I can fight against ageism from inside. Ageism against female actors has been a huge factor in my decision. If I was a man, I would probably think it was worth staying in the game for a bit longer. I want to have a child before I'm 33 and I've accepted that with the tiny number of opportunities I get for substantial & rewarding acting work, there's just no way I'm going to earn enough money to raise a child. Men, of course, have a little longer to have children. There are more women in the industry, less female roles and less time to try. It needs to change. To share some of my personal experiences: I decided I wanted to be an actor when I was 19 going on 20 while I was already at university on an academic degree course. I spent the holidays doing lots of unpaid fringe plays and short films etc. About 6 months after graduating, at the age of 22, I signed with a pretty well respected agent despite having no formal training or professional experience. When that (male) agent took me on, he told me to lie about my age, and to say I was 19. I therefore had to hide the fact I had spent 4 years studying at a prestigious university which was a huge part of my life story and personal identity. At 22 I was quite immature and was not particularly political or aware of sexism/feminism. So at the time, I saw no issue with a (male) agent telling me to lie about my age when I was only 22 years old. I was eager to please and agreed to what was asked of me, believing that it would help my career. I wonder if that agent would have taken me on with no training or professional experience at the age of 25, or if I had looked my age (I have always looked much younger). That agent probably got countless of submissions from women 25+ who were far better qualified, skilled, emotionally mature and experienced than myself at that time. Those submissions were probably ignored. I have taken breaks from the industry in the last 7-8 years but have always managed to book small roles in mainstream film/tv. However, I didn't find any of those jobs artistically rewarding as they were not substantial or interesting enough. From the age of 22 up until I turned 26, I got decent auditions fairly frequently (on average I would be auditioning for a good role in a mainstream production about once every 3 weeks), and when I was seeking new representation I would generally get quite a lot of interest/meetings, even from very powerful agents. From the age of 26, despite having quite a good CV, I felt a huge shift in how i was being received by the industry. Auditions became more and more infrequent and the characters/scripts I was being seen for did not seem to be as exciting, interesting or well-written as before. I would have very little interest/success when approaching agents as well. The irony is that I am now a much better actor than I was when I was 22 and have professional experience. I think agents and casting directors see that I've worked in small roles / bit-parts for 7-8 years without ever progressing to a lead or series-reg. So they do not think I'm worth investing in - they probably see me as someone who can get work here and there but will never become established. I wonder how they would feel about this if I was 19 years old? Something tells me that a 19 year old who has been working professionally for 7 years in mainstream TV/film, even if the parts were small, would be worth investing in. Why does it have to be this way?
I’m a director and I’m going to make an indie film in two years, but I require excellent undiscovered actors for the films. Do I just keep auditions going for a long time?
i’m a teenager, and have applied myself to previous acting before, but i was uneducated and signed up for one of those acting places where you had to pay big money (like $200) and i was never given a role. (kind of a waste of time). but recently i was on the app backstage and had seen multiple different audition roles which seemed good fits for me, but (i guess because she had a sour taste in her mouth) my mom said no even if i were to pay with my own money. what should i do? i really want to be an actor and i feel as though i’m just wasting time :/
Hi all. New actor here stuck on making choices for a particular scene. Any advice or tips welcome and appreciated! Please feel free to DM if available, and I can send over short scene. Thx!
Looking to get into on camera acting What type of class would I take to become the best actor I can be. I see mainly improve or script classes. Thank you so much!
Weeee, you found me!
I'm your buddy Bottie, I was hiding behind the scenes, but now that you've found me I'd be happy to tell you what I'm doing.
I just wrote a few fun facts about Web For Actors
Would you like to take a look?
Click here to check them out. I hope it will cause involuntary audible response.
