Hello!! Hope we all good and well. I’m an Australian Actor and looking to zoom call or voice chat with someone with an American accent to help me with the accent!! Would be fun and amazing.
I (f19) have been trying to break into acting for a while now, but it’s only the past year I’ve really gotten my footing. I am not part of an agency, but I do find a good bunch of casting calls every month and try to self tape. However, a lot of the time I have a self-tape due, I just can’t will myself to film it. Acting is all I want to do and I know doing so (ie. getting a role) will heavily improve my life, but I just am depressed most days to do anything. People with depression know that it is the hardest thing to find motivation or energy, and this includes doing the things you love. What are some tips to help with this? I have a self tape due soon but it’s just so hard to set everything and film, and because of my mental state I have a feeling the final result won’t even be good. I really want this role, but my brain is stopping me. I’ve been told I’m just in the wrong business and should just give up and drop out of theatre school (a literal director told me this lol), but I also feel I’m just in a particularly rough spot this time around. I know a lot of actors struggle with mental health, so let me know what you’ve found that helps, if anything. Tldr: I’m too depressed to film a self-tape, advice?
Following the release of the casting of Percy Jackson in the new Disney + show, I started thinking about ways I would be able to audition. I came too many dead ends, but this still made me start thinking about how I start to actually audition for things. Any advice or just normal help? If anyone knows anything about specifically Disney auditions, that would be great :) Edit: I think a lot of you think I’m a child actor, I just don’t know much about the TV world. I’m going into college for acting and will probably learn more about this soon, but just wanted to check if this could provide some information. Thank you for responding, good luck to all of you in future endeavors too. Sorry if that sounded passive aggressive, I should’ve put my age and some experience int his, but I just wanted it to be a short discussion.
I’m 17, 18 in July. I’m thinking about how to start my acting career and I was wondering about IMDBPro. Is it a good site to start an acting career on, or is it more for experienced actors? I’m based in the UK.
The digital age is throwing us for some new loops, but I wanted to know if there is any way I could ask a casting director for feedback on an audition and if I should approach my agent about it or send a brief note myself. Recently, I've had some bigger auditions, and didn't overly think of them until a month later when the main casting directors followed my social media. I also worry like everyone else that my self-tapes aren't getting seen on platforms like CastingWorkbook so I would love a bit of feedback if nothing else. They also 'connected' with me on LinkedIn which is like, a step up from following. Is there any way I can take initiative here or should I just let it be? Thank you !
I am an actor who never went to drama school and had to build a career from scratch. A huge thing in the UK as an actor is having a spotlight profile. It is extremely difficult to get anywhere without it in terms of Agents and CD (aside from open calls). Many industry professionals view it as a stamp of approval, certifying you as a professional actor. In fact there was a situation where I was putting on a show with a few other actors. Myself and another cast member emailed a ton of agents many of which were over lapping. I had emailed first, a few weeks before she did, at the time I didn’t have a spotlight profile but had very strong headshots and showreel. I didn’t hear anything back which I was expecting, except from a very boutique agency who was interested. I figured there was no harm in trying. What I didn’t expect was that the other cast member with a spotlight, but not much more experience as me, similar strength headshot and showreel to me, did get responses. None of them were interested in them either but a week after sending their emails, they received ‘rejection’ and ‘we are not interested’ emails from agencies that had completely blanked me. I suppose they viewed them more as a professional actor and me as more amateur. Spotlight being the only difference. So now that I have gotten one through the 4 professional credit route, I’ll share my tips on how to do so. 1) whenever you are looking for a job bare attaining a spotlight profile in mind. Student films can be helpful but they don’t count as credits. Look out for open calls from casting directors, Backstage and Mandy can be helpful (not so much for me) but when using them look for paid listings and short films that will be entered into BAFTA qualifying festivals. Also if you are under the age of 25 try joining a reputable youth theatre or young company, you could get an agent through that, who could sponsor you to get one through the young actors profile or once you have done your performance many youth company keep in touch for other castings at the theatre. 2) remember that a human being will be reviewing your profile. There are many people who didn’t necessarily meet the parameters, but had something to redeem them. For example: you have been in 3 qualifying credits: but you have been going to a well known/ reputable acting class for 3 years/ you have been in tons of short films on top / you were in an unpaid film that then went on to be a massive success. 3) if you feel like you meet their criteria but when you apply you are rejected, email back. I have noticed through my own experience and other actors I know, if you haven’t gone to an accredited drama school or been in something huge that someone can immediately recognised, you are immediately rejected, however if you email them back with more info on your credits they tend to evaluate your profile more closely which can result in you being approved after immediate rejection. 4) be patient Those are my tips, but I also like to say that Spotlight may not be what you think. Many think that once they get a Spotlight they will be able to get castings for top productions on the BBC/ITV/ Netflix, however, especially when you’re unrepped it is more of a necessary evil. You are basically paying more for people to take you seriously. Many of the top castings that go out are sent out only to profiles who have agent listed even sometimes only those with top agents listed. However, a lot of agents and CD’s only take you seriously if you have one. So if you don’t already have an agent it can be almost useless to you in terms its service and actual purpose but having one can make a significant change to your position in the industry.
I was wondering, new stars that had become famous in the last years, and talk about how hard it was, i feel like, since they really had talent, they could have also worked in videogames, before movies. Because i assume there are more actors going for movies than videogames. So i was wondering, why therre are more actors going for movies? Would you recommend aspiring actors to go to movies or videogames? Is it easier to succeed if you focus on only one industry or playing videogames also gives you hollywood contacts? Acting for videogames is different enough to not be completely attractive for movie castings? How much demanding is acting in a videogame, like in time not just acting, but time you get recognition. Why a lot of videogame actors are not as famous as movie actors? is it just the accesibility or the recognition, you recognize a movie actor faster than a videogame actor.
I’ve been in nyc for nearly 8 years. I’m Sag-e and Ive done theatre and commercials. I’ve written some pilots (that never amounted to anything other than a learning experience). I am not new to the industry. I don’t want to stay in nyc and I don’t love LA. To continue with my craft at a high level, I feel that Vancouver could offer me a higher quality of life that bodes better with my personality, while still allowing for film and tv opportunities. I am more into nature and simplicity over nightlife and the scene. Do Canadian agencies represent American actors? Obviously americans film constantly in VC, but they’re being cast out of LA and nyc. Is there legitimacy to living in Seattle and snagging Vancouver reps? I’d love to have a peaceful personal life and a career. Thanks! ❤️
Hello, first post here. I am not an actor-actor per say, I just work a few BG roles as my normal job. My brother is an actor however and when he signed with an agent my mom convinced me to sign too. She sent me an audition for a well known youtuber skit guy. I auditioned but they did not book me for that role. However, they work off a database of actors who previously auditioned and kept me in their system. I’ve been working several Bg roles for them. This morning they asked me for another non speaking role, which I said “yes” to but just noticed they also CC’d my agent. I went back and noticed they sporadically CC her when asking availability but not every time. And I’ve only worked/been asked for BG. How does commission work if she only sent me a speaking role that I didn’t book, but the content creators themselves continue to ask/book me for BG roles? I don’t want to get in trouble or jilt her, any advice is appreciated thank you.
So before I get into it, yes, I understand completely that there are so many factors that go into being successful in voice over. My question is if I started voice acting in the next 2 weeks completely from scratch, focused on it for 7-8 hours a day, and 5-6 days a week just auditioning for everything possible, and marketing myself very hard, how likely would it be for me to start getting jobs within the next 3 or 4 months? Kinda just want to know if it's possible and if I'm thinking too ambitiously lol. Thanks voice actors of Reddit!
Hello everyone, I'm casting a last minute role for my Audio Drama after the previous actor dropped out. This one is going to have a tight turnaround so I'll be looking to cast as early as possible. It's not a huge role but the rate will be $50. The character is named CLARENCE. He's a big fan of a reality TV show and writes fan fiction and podcasts about it in his spare time. As the title describes, he's a male in his 40's/50's. Here are a couple of lines. Send your auditions to [subsisterpodcast@gmail.com](mailto:subsisterpodcast@gmail.com) and I'll get back to you. Thank you everyone, have a great week! >Me? You think I-? I've never heard that clip before in my life. >To be honest, I'm not sure. I usually write full seasons out, usually Super Star seasons with lots of returning players. But, I just really had a strong sense to write this.
getting 5 scenes to do 9+ pages with a ONE DAY deadline to do it all is absolutely ridiculous. Whatever COVID led to has meant casting throwing as much material as they can against a wall knowing full well they aren't watching more than a scene or two at most I just don't get. Have none of these casting people ever been actors before?? do they realize you aren't getting people's best work with such a limited time? If you like someone, just have them tape another scene or two on a callback? Giving SO much material off the bat is just disrespectful to the auditioners time, really frustrating bc this pattern has been going on a LONG TIME.
Personally, as a voice actor myself I can’t help but feel bitter about it. It doesn’t matter if they did well, for fun, or if it’s a small role. That credit or establishing a relationship with the client/studio can mean so much to someone who actually **wants** to be a voice actor. It’s hard enough to get work especially when you’re starting out, but that single credit can be huge for a voice actor’s career. What do you guys think?
I’ve decided to leave my manager. I was about to send a termination email tomorrow and then submit to new managers, but a couple of my actor friends say it looks better to have them on IMDb while submitting. They think that I should leave once I’ve found a new manager. The thing is I will leave her no matter what. It’s not one of those cases “don’t leave before you find one so you’re not without a manager”. Without going in on our problem, I without a shadow of doubt don’t wanna work with her! So me not sending termination letter would only be to keep them on my IMDb for optics for the managers I submit to. What do you guys think?
Hello fellow actors, ​ As you can tell by the title of my post, I am feeling a mix of emotions after an audition that I just did yesterday. So pretty much our auditions started from 5-8 plus we also had to do a workshop before we got into the auditioning part for one hour and that's where my nerves got to me, there must of been about 10-15 people auditioning and I felt so low on energy for the workshop because all my mind was focusing on was the audtioning part and I feel like I let my self down for the workshop cause I didn't feel like I put too much effort in which might of hurt my chances but hey ho. Also when I was doing the workshop I saw one of the people from the panels looking really impressed and blown away by this one girl and it made me quite jealous lol. Anyway, now on to the audition. The auditions started at around 20 past 6 , although the whole process took untill 8 oclock. I however didn't have to wait that look cause when it hit about 25 past 6 I was called up to audition. I can't lie, I was nervous because it was my first EVER proper audition although I did to an audition for a school play years prior but that is irrelevent. Anyway back to my story. So yeah, I was took into an empty room by one of the people who was on the panel for my audition and before it started it felt like the storm of anxiety and nerves blew away and faded into thin air, mainly because of the panel's genoristy and friendliness towards me which cooled me down. So pretty much all I had to do was one monologue for my audition and incase you're curious the monologue is called 'Mind Trick' which is made by the playwright called Joseph Arnone, so before I started I asked like two times should I start now, and they responded with just start when you want and I feel like that also hurt my chances of getting in, so after that mess I done my monologue. Now that I am writing this I can still picture their faces and they looked impressed. When I was finished, I thought to myself "Thank god that's over" however, they told me to grab a chair and pull it closer to them, and told me to do it again. At first I thought I must of done it shit but no I couldn't have it actually improved my monologue and brought a more realistic feel to it and after I finish the panels and even I was blown away by the performance, when it was done they asked me a few personal questions and 5 minutes later, I grabbed my jacket, phone and thoughts and went back home. ​ Also, very sorry for the long read everyone.
Hello acting community. I still have not mastered the art of crying on cue. I am feeling the emotions of the scene however it seems I am never hydrated enough to cry or something. Dry eyes always but I definitely feel my body crying. I’m considering getting a tear stick until I get a hold on this. I think it might also be rooted in the shame my life and upbringing has attached to crying. I know those opinions are toxic that it’s not okay to cry because it is, however I can’t help but think that something is damaged in me keeping me from crying and I want to fix whatever that is however I feel I might need to use a tear stick until then because it will probs take a long time. Am I a terrible actor? I definitely feel I’m in it, but those tears aren’t coming. Help!
I'm an actor living in the north of the UK. I know that there's so much work down south, in and around the London area. However, so many people I know in the industry are making the move to Canada because of how much is now filmed over there. Would I be wasting my money if I moved to London, is Canada really where it's at instead?
So this is my first live directed session. Up till now I’ve had like 13 paid voice jobs (not many) but I only send auditions in as a mean to see what sticks and where my skills are and if I find my skills are lack luster I get coaching. Overall I’m a very insecure actor and voice talent and think there’s no way I could EVERRR compete with the top players in the industry. My live session was immediate. They just told me what was what and said ROLLING
I have just finished reading a great book on Acting dating from about 50 years ago. Amongst the 'tops' were several exercises that actor can do alone to maintain their sharp edge for upcoming auditions and bookings. I'm interested to see what actors, here, do to 'keep their hand in' bearing in mind the restrictions of our craft.
I'm a complete newbie, but want to be a professional voice actor. I read a Masterclass article to get my equipment recommendations. The QX1002 was a step up from the $89 model and was recommended to use with the Blue Yeti. After reading some more, I decided to go with a condenser microphone because I can't completely sound proof my place. Leaning towards the Behringer QX1002. Anything I should know about it before I buy?
Hey guys I recently was told that I was being forwarded to the network approval stage of a production but I’m not really sure what Network Approval entails, or what that means for me. It’s for a titular role in a show so I imagine more steps will have to follow, but what happens after a network approves an actor? Is there typically more auditions, how many people usually are put up for approval? And is this like a penultimate stage in casting? Also what factors go into disapproval or approval? Thanks for any and all answers and sorry for throwing all these questions at you guys I have already combed Google, Twitter, and Quora :,)
Hii!! This is my first post here ever, so please be nice. Decision day is coming up May 1st, im a senior in high school and currently i’ve been accepted to 3/6 of my top choices (i’m waiting to hear back from one more school) I will be majoring in acting in most of these schools, if not a theater major with a concentration in acting. My only issue is all three schools have me the same amount of help, financial aid, and scholarship money it’s hard for me to choose. My top three right now are Pace University in NYC, Temple University in Philadelphia, and University of Hartford in well Hartford. For context I do live in New York City, so these schools are also pretty close to home for be. Pace being VERY close to home. I’ve asked many peers where they think I should go and it’s been some mixed answers, so because of that I decided to ask reddit. I’ll list the benefits from each school. Pace University- Accepted to the Film for Acting in Television, Movie, and Commercial. Awarded a 91k scholarship and given 20k in financial aid, basically got a full ride for the school Temple University- Accepted into the theater program, given 20k in financial aid and accepted into the Fly 4 Grant Program University of Hartford- Accepted undecided, waitlisted for Actor Training. Given a 26k scholarship redeemable per semester As I mentioned I live in New York, I think I might be nervous about leaving home but I want to know what others think before a decision is made. Advice is welcomed!!!
I just finished an audition and I’m feeling really disheartened. I’m a young girl who usually sticks to comedy. Stand up, improv, you name it. Not to toot my own horn but I’m really good at those things too. I’m well known in my area. I occasionally go out of my comfort zone to do traditional acting. I’ve been a lead in a play before and have also been cast in more serious roles. I don’t have the traditional “feminine” energy. I dress like a grandpa and I have very crass humor on stage. I get uncomfortable auditioning for more female roles because I know I don’t fit the part well. I’m tall and of a medium build. Today I said fuck it and went to audition for a sexy bimbo role. I was worried going into it because I knew I wouldn’t look like the traditional sexy blonde but I thought my humor would carry since it’s a comedy. Did my audition and got the most laughs out of everyone there. Then I got sent home after my short read. I’m feeling really disheartened right now and could use support. The other women going for the role had high heels on etc and I just felt so… out of place. I struggle with my femininity a lot and usually revert to comedy because comedy is about what you say not what you look like. Any other “non traditionally feminine” female actresses experience this? I feel so out of place among the other actresses sometimes. Makes me feel like stopping traditional theatre all together.
I currently live in a place where there isn't much work for actors - I'm starting to plan out the next steps in my life, and I've become really interested in moving to Chicago (mainly because the cost of living is so much lower there than LA or NYC). What is the acting scene like there? Good opportunities? Good agents? I want to do theatre as well as Film/TV work, and I have a BFA in Acting. Anyone who knows anything about what it's like to be a working actor in Chicago would be very appreciated.
it's just been a way more depressing journey than i ever could have imagined. just so much sacrifice, for so little in return. the more time i put into this, the more unfairness I experienced and observe. people putting decades in for breadcrumbs vs lucky kids born into money plucked right away after college. i dont really know how to reconcile this anymore, because the "unjustness" of this reality hurts my brain. that, mixed with auditioning over 150 times over the past 2 years without booking anything other than short films, just self taping into the void, receiving no feedback, not feeling like i'm building any relationships with casting since I'm not actually meeting any of these people, it just all sucks. all i want to be doing is acting on set and i so rarely get to do it. to just put so much time into it and to have it all still feel so inaccessible after all these years just sucks so much. especialy due to money, and not meeting the right people to collaborate with, etc. etc. i don't know, i feel like im losing hope, im certainly not having fun, and i haven't felt the magic in a really long time. it seems like the real artists get trampled upon in this world, and the piss faces with money get their perspectives glorified and shown to the masses. do i even want to be a part of an industry that operates like this? plus covid and how fucked up the world is, i dont feel creative, i dont feel like even from a writing point of view like i have anyting to say anymore, this world is such a nightmare, poor people struggle no matter what, rich people just exploit us and gaslight us at every turn, fighting to get a short film made, like i just dont give a fuck anymore, what story is more important than the financial suffering of billions of people in poverty right now? i dont feel like hustling hard to get my "idea" out there is even important, in this world, after everything that has happened at this point. when 22 year old rich kids get handed keys to the castle and i'm waiting tables next to 55 year old co-star actors. it's just all fucked and i dont know if i have it in my soul to keep pursuing this.
Hi all. I just moved back to NYC from LA last month and I'm ready to get back into the acting game. I went to NYU and got my BFA in acting and then moved out to LA to pursue it about four years ago. Didn't have much luck in LA, and then COVID hit and I sort of took a step back from the industry. I just moved back to the East Coast and am looking to get back in the game here in NYC, but cannot find auditions. Like I mentioned, I went to NYU and lived here for two years post grad so I'm familiar with the scene. I'm on all the usual sites (Actor's Access, Casting Networks, Backstage, etc) but somedays there are literally 0 roles I fit on any of the sites. Are other actors feeling like this? What are you doing to get auditions? I've been in the acting world for the last decade, and while I did take a break the last year or so, I am very familiar with this industry. I've taken a million different types of classes and workshops (theatre, on-camera, commercial) both here and in LA and have professional headshots, a reel, and a BFA. However, I'm still non-union and my "type" is extremely saturated but I'm really not sure what else I can be doing. I'm going to be getting back into class next month and I've taken a couple CD workshops through One on One/Actor's Connection but they never seem to amount to anything even with follow ups and getting good feedback.. I know there's not much anyone can do, I'm just curious if others are feeling like there's a lack of auditions on the sites. Previously, I feel like I could at least find a few things to submit for everyday. I know the major appointments come through agents/managers but I haven't been able to find rep and feel like I need to freshen up my resume and reel with some new credits before reaching out, ideally something that is more "legit" but I don't know how to do that. Guess I'm just looking for any thoughts from any NY based actors.
Is Florence Pugh a good actor? I’ve seen many mixed opinions on this
Hi, I'm in my 30s and I kind of want to become an actor, but I feel like my appearance would hinder me. I'm kind of fat, for one thing. I know we've got body positivity and stuff going on in the media, but I'm still self-conscious about it. I've tried to lose weight, but I have trouble starving myself. Plus, when I get back to eating normally, I just put the weight back on. It wouldn't bother me so much, but I present as female, so I look pregnant. Eww, gross, right? Also, I'm not super comfortable wearing makeup. I get acne easily, I think, and I don't want to deal with the maintenance that might come with wearing and removing makeup. I guess I shouldn't be that bummed about being overweight, but it's just the way the weight settles on me. I don't look like anyone I've seen on TV, even people who weigh significantly more than me because the shape isn't right; it's almost all in my belly, face, and neck. I'm also just not very expressive. I'd probably have to take acting classes to understand how people "act" naturally .... I was thinking about hiring a disability life coach, but I'm wondering if I should also consider hiring an acting coach. What are your experiences?
I've gotten a handful of paid gigs over the years hobbying around, but I'm plunging head-first into it this summer. I'm a big believer in the "forever student" mindset, so I'd love a regular lesson schedule to keep skill sharp. Unfortunately, I'm priced out of most coaching. What are your thoughts on online VO classes from the likes of Skillshare or Masterclass? I don't mean if you've had direct experience with it. Would you (or a client) negatively judge a voice actor who's "training" listed classes from self-paced, online VO coursework?
I passed the audition for a narration gig for a YouTube channel. The client has several semi-successful channels that range from 60k - 200k subscribers. They are trying to get another one off the ground. I'd be doing scripts around 2000 - 2200 words. He's offering around $10 - $15 a script, with discussion about an increase when the channel gets monetized. He mentioned also wanting to use my face on certain videos for around 30 seconds to give the channel more personality. I'm very new to the business. I'm not sure what I should be charging or even what this kind of work is worth. I was just looking to get some experience under my belt. What do you all think?
There is a new talent agency that popped up in my town. On their website, it says they are SAG-AFTRA affiliated and the best way to reach them is by email. My question is what should I say in the opening email? For example, "Hello, my name is Bob and I am a voice actor. Here's a link to my website, and to my demos. Thank you, and I look forward to hearing from you." Or another I was thinking about was "Hey, I'm Bob, I'm new in town. I saw you have some great talent on your team. My phone # is ..... and I look forward to hearing from you." Any suggestions or recommendations are helpful. Thank you.
The second night of a show I was just in, one of the directors decided to change how my final quick-change went, making it much more complicated. The night before, she had kept telling me to make it faster, so I did. So when she changed it, I told her I didn't want to add in extra steps and that if I did, I could not make it fast, and she seemed to think I was stepping over the line. I didn't say it in a disrespectful tone or anything. Is this just something actors aren't supposed to do? Should I just listen to my director even if it doesn't make sense to me? Her Telling me one thing one night and the opposite the next really stressed me out.
I am really new, I don't know how actors watch others actors and what do they generally see or make notes of ?
Im just starting to get serious small roles in series and stuff, however now im getting a little more eyes on me im a little nervous about me being open about using ketamine once a while. I don’t think any director has checked my social media yet, otherwise I wouldve had a conversation about my social media and stuff
Hello everyone, I’m 17(f) and I am wondering if I’m too poor to ever start acting. My mom is jobless (I don’t have a father figure to help with income either) and we barely have even 10,000 dollars saved. I can’t get a car because of it. I’m going to Nassau community college when I graduate because I have no other choice. I really want to be an actor, will this ever be possible? I also don’t have any other special skills other than my teachers saying that they think I’m good at acting. One plus is that I’m already really close to NYC.
Hi there, I’m hoping to get some advice on what changes I should make in order to put as many eggs in acting as possible. I have tomorrow to tell my boss whether or not I want to quit. I’m currently 23 years old living at home with my parents in Seattle. I work three fairly flexible part-time jobs (I’m a graphic designer) that are stable and collectively good income, but it can be hard to balance them all. My co-workers are very nice/forgiving but I wish I wasn’t spread so thin so I can do my best work in one job. (Even though I want to pursue acting, I still care about my design work.) After work, I usually have acting/improv classes at night. Because of how busy work can get, I don’t always have enough time to prep and sometimes I come to class in such a distracted headspace that prevents me from performing my best on stage. I was hoping to quit two of those jobs so I can focus on one job as well as acting and comedy writing. However, I would probably have to continue living with my parents which can be frustrating. Just not a lot of privacy and the lack of quiet space to create work as an actor. Our relationship is alright but I sometimes think it would be healthier if I just left. Also, the idea of having my own space seems like it would allow me to be more creative and able to create work that could financially support me one day. However, I would need to keep all three of my jobs to pay for that lifestyle for now (Seattle is just expensive). — I don’t know what to do: 1. Quit two of my jobs and keep one. I might be able to find a dirt cheap apartment but I’ll probably have to keep living with my parents. More time to focus on my acting training and comedy writing. Flexibility to travel and do workshops in LA, since the job I want to keep is remote (unlike the other two). 2. Keep all three jobs, get my first apartment, and try to set firm boundaries with my jobs so I have time for acting/writing. I’m still worried that this won’t work out as planned and I won’t actually have the time. But this will be a new experience since I’ve never lived alone before. I could live near my workplace which would cut down on commute. Sorry this is a lot of info but I get so caught up in the different variables. Would really appreciate a little advice. Thank you so much.
Acting is my passion and my dream. With all other complications of life off the table, I would dedicate my life to the art. But I never thought pursuing acting would be an actual option for me. For context, I’m 18, and I’ve spent my entire life up until this point preparing to go to a top college; I’ve been extremely focused on academics. I’ve spent all my free time in high school pursuing artistic extracurriculars but I always assumed I wasn’t actually good enough to make it as an actor. I assumed it would end up being a hobby. The thought of this was somewhat saddening, of course, but I had come to terms with it. This fall, I early actioned to Yale and was deferred. I decided to shoot my shot at some BFA programs, expecting very little but thinking why the hell not. I did a lot better than expected, with the biggest surprise being Juilliard. A few weeks ago I also got into Cornell, Duke, and Northwestern, schools I had been preparing to go to my whole academic life. My parents will support me with either choice I make, but I know they’re quite hesitant and fear for the instability of my future should I choose Juilliard. I know Juilliard is what I want, but I’m so scared that the harshness of the industry will ruin my love for acting. I’m scared that I will end up broke and regretting not choosing these top schools where I know id at least be able to support myself in the future. I wish I could feel confident in my decision, but even with Juilliard there are no guarantees and I feel like I’d go into school feeling this incredible pressure and fear of failure and regret. Any actors out there have any advice or words of wisdom? I would truly appreciate it.
What are your thoughts? LA pretty much banned them unless you count Ace Studios. NYC is overrun with them. People claim you need to take them. I get auditions from CDs that don’t do workshops. VO actors swear by them and it seems workshops are a thing in the voiceover world. I’m just feeling conflicted on this topic.
Hey people, just wanted to hear some stories about the experiences of diverse actors finding work in the United Kingdom! Are there notable challenges/benefits to speak of? Do you get typecast, and if so, how? What could a half-latino Australian actor (ie. don't really present as "white") moving to the UK expect from the British film industry in 2022? I understand I may be biased by the number of period dramas I see produced by the BBC here on Australian television, but it seems a lot of the roles out there appear to be geared towards your standard Anglo-Saxon. Which is totally fine, especially for those genres! Just trying to get an idea of what to expect when I move there later this year.
Shoutout to /u/cryoncue for referring to this often enough to make me track it down. Some context: *this was written in 1914*. Don't forget that as you read. Some of the references and cultural things won't land as intended, but this is a full eight years before Stanislavski's troupe would tour the States and captivate a New York audience that included Lee Strasberg, among others, who sought out these actors to teach them the style they were using. Stanislavski did not invent realism, he just attempted to codify it. Laurette Taylor has an interesting history. She worked on stage to great acclaim and in silent films. Her star faded and she was an alcoholic which led to a decline in opportunities, but she absolutely electrified audiences in her final role in 1945 as Amanda Wingfield in the original production of *The Glass Menagerie*. This lady knew what she was doing. Below is her text, excerpted from *Actors on Actors*. --- I have been asked to discuss, for the benefit of those who may go on the stage, the qualities which are most important as elements of success. If merely the financial or popular success of a woman star is meant, I should say that beauty is more essential than magnetism. But if by success you mean all that is implied by the magical word Art—success in the sense that Bernhardt, Duse and Ellen Terry are successes—I should say most emphatically the reverse. And I should add that imagination is more important than either. Mere beauty is unimportant; in many cases it proves a genuine handicap. Beautiful women seldom want to act. They are afraid of emotion and they do not try to extract anything from a character that they are portraying, because in expressing emotion they may encourage crow’s feet and laughing wrinkles. They avoid anything that will disturb their placidity of countenance, for placidity of countenance insures a smooth skin. Beauty is not all-important as an asset, even when the star is not anxious to achieve true greatness. Many of our most charming comediennes are not pretty women. Rather, they are women of great charm and personality. I cannot for the moment recall a single great actress who is a beauty. At least not in the popularly accepted idea of what constitutes beauty. Personality is more important than beauty, but imagination is more important than both of them. Beauty as I understand it does not mean simple prettiness, but stands for something illusive and subde. The obvious seldom charms after one has had to live close to it for any length of time. Being all on the surface, there is nothing left to exhilarate, once the surface has been explored. On the other hand, the beauty which emanates from within becomes more enchanting upon close acquaintance. It is constantly revealing itself in some new guise and becomes a continual source of joy to the fortunate persons who have the privilege of meeting it frequently. That is beauty of the imagination, and that beauty all the really great actresses have. The case of Bernhardt is as good an example as one would wish. In her youth especially, she was the very apotheosis of ugliness; still, through the power of her rich imagination that glorified her every thought and act, she held her audiences in the hollow of her hand. It is the strength and richness of her wonderful creative mind that makes it possible for her to present the amazing illusion of youth which she does even today. It isn’t beauty or personality or magnetism that makes a really great actress. It is imagination, though these other qualities are useful. You see a queer little child sitting in the middle of a mud puddle. She attracts you and holds your interest. You even smile in sympathy. Why? Simply because that child is exercising her creative imagination. She is attributing to mud pies the delicious qualities of the pies which mother makes in the kitchen. You may not stop to realize that this is what is going on in the child’s mind, but unconsciously it is communicated to you. It is the quality of imagination that has held your attention. . . We create in the imagination the character we wish to express. If it is real and vital to us in imagination we will be able to express it with freedom and surety. But we must conceive it as a whole before we begin to express it. There will be those who will disagree with me and say that magnetism presupposes imagination. This is a mistake. Many magnetic actresses are wholly lacking in imagination, their hold upon the public resting chiefly upon personality and charm and beauty. Have you ever gone to a tea party where you met some very magnetic woman who radiated charm, who not only held your attention but exhilarated you until you became impatient to see this scintillating creature on the stage, where you might realize the fullness of her wonder? And have you not felt, when your opportunity came and you saw her on the stage at last, the disappointment of realizing a wooden lady with a beautiful mask for a face, speaking faultlessly articulated lines—an actress who rose desperately to the big moments of her part, and who never for a moment let you forget that it was she, that actress, whom you saw, not the character whom she was portraying? There may have been splendid acting but you were conscious of the fact that it was acting. There was no illusion. She was conscious at the big climax that she was acting this part and that she must reach this climax. She was acting as much to herself as to you. That is not the art of the great actress. The imaginative actress builds a picture, using all her heart and soul and brain. She builds this picture not alone for the people out in front but for herself. She believes in it and she makes the people across the footlights believe in it. Unless she has done this she has failed. She must stimulate the imagination of the audience. An actress should not only be able to play a part; she should be able to play with it. Above all, she should not allow anything to stand between her and the thing she is expressing. How often does an actress play a part so as to leave you with the feeling that you have so intimate a knowledge of the character that you could imagine its conduct in any position, aside from the situations involved in the action of the play? Unless this happens, you feel that after all you have seen a limited portrayal of the character and you realize that though the acting was practically flawless there was something missing. And, in nine cases out of ten, that is because the woman playing the part did not use any imagination. She was entirely bound by the traditions of the theatre. She did everything just as it would have been done by anyone else on the stage. This is fatal. You feel untouched by the play because it was not made real to you. The artist looks for the unusual. She watches everyone, always searching for the unusual in clothes, in manner, in gesture. The imaginative actress will even remember that the French have characteristics other than the shrug! Think of the number of times that there have been Irish plays, of the number of times that the Irish character has been used in the working out of a plot. Yet never, to my knowledge, has an Irishman been played on the stage. (This excepts, of course. Lady Gregory’s players and Guy Standing’s rendition of a current IrishAmerican role.) Real Irishmen have never been played. The Irish can be the most melancholy people on the face of the earth, yet the traditional stage Irish have been lilting colleens and joking Paddies. The most interesting thing to me in acting is the working out of the character itself, the finding of that which is uncommon and the small, seemingly insignificant trait which will unconsciously make an appeal to the audience and establish the human appeal. Too much importance is laid on clothes. In the main, I think that all clothes hamper unless they express the character. Personally, I detest “straight” parts for that reason. They necessitate the clothes that make me self-conscious—or, rather, “clothes conscious.” I want to get right inside the character and act from the heart as well as from the head. That is impossible unless one is free from outside interference. I think actresses pay too much attention to the tradition of acting. That is a great mistake. It cramps creative instinct. I received a good deal of criticism for my walk in The Bird of Paradise. Some of the critics said I should be taught how to walk across the stage. Of course I paid no attention to that. My walk was the walk of the barefoot Italians who carry loads on their heads, and I had learned it from them. It certainly was not the traditional stage walk, but we are living in a time when simplicity and truth are the watchwords of the theatre. The traditional stage walk would not have fitted the character I played. The stage has come to a period of simplicity. A few years ago the direct attitude adopted by the younger actresses of today toward their roles would have been considered ridiculous. The changes have been positive but subde, and the actress without concentration has been unable to discern them. They are the ones who are still sparring for time in their emotional scenes, using the traditional tricks to express grief, joy, surprise, chagrin; and they wonder why they are sitting at home without engagements. They cannot comprehend that the very little basket of tricks which made them the idols of a few years ago fails utterly to get results today. . . The time has come when we may as well realize that we can no longer give a filmy portrayal of emotion and pad it out with stereotyped pieces of “business.” The younger actresses of today express the elemental emotions as the elemental person would express them in real life. There is no such thing as a compromise in the logical development of a character in order to make a theatrical effect. . . Too few actresses follow their instinct. I think instinct is the direct connection with truth. It is not enough to know just what you are to do yourself in the action of a piece; you must know also the exact relation you must bear to every other character in the play. For instance, take the business of dying. You must in your imagination realize not only the fact that you are dying but the effect which your death will have on every character related to your part. You know that you are not dying and the audience knows it, but in your imagination you must really believe you are. The business of dying becomes actual to you; also, you compel the audience to believe in you by the very sincerity of your attitude. This trait is really remarkable in Maude Adams. Recall her work in Chantecler. Without her tremendous imagination to gild her impersonation, this frail little woman would have been hopeless in the part. Yet through her marvelous richness of imagination she produced the illusion of bigness that many women better fitted physically could not have done. One would never say that Maude Adams is beautiful, in the sense that she is pretty or has a beautiful physique; but she has charm, magnetism and imagination. These three make a beauty that transcends mere beauty. Beauty, personality and magnetism are not important in the equipment of a star, when compared to the creative faculty of imagination. The first three qualities are valuable adjuncts, and no one should sneeze at them. But you might get along without the slightest beauty and little or no personal magnetism if you were generously endowed with the imaginative mind.
I came across him through a cry on cue video and have looked a little bit into him. He has taught some A-list actors like Jennifer Lawrence and Ian Somerhalder. I plan on starting monthly classes with him this summer and even the prices seem reasonable. What are your thoughts on him and his studios? Have you ever taken a class at the studio? Any answer on this would help!.
First of all. I'll apologise in advance for the lengthy post, but at this point I need advice and help Since I was 5 years old I've always wanted to be an actor. At times of felt like it's futile and have tried to find other interests but I've always come back to it. I've done work as an extra and a feature extra in projects that are close to my area. The next part will probably lose you all, but here goes. I have had no acting training but I feel like I am good enough to do the work once I learn more tools to flesh out a script. Truth be told the audition process scares me and I struggle with the character I am trying out for. I guess I'm scared too as training formally for acting. I did drama all through high school and a basic acting class during those years too. I guess my question is how do you get to that next step where you can audition for bigger an better projects without having a huge background of study. Classes would probably be fine but is it not possible to find the right agent that can push you forward into auditions. Are there any reputable agents that take on new clients and provide opportunities for those bigger roles? Thanks in advance, any and all advice is appreciated and hopefully I will get there one day.
This has nothing deeply to do with becoming an actual actor but it kind of does. Anyways, I've been trying to become my best ideal self for awhile now & I come across so many videos that say "act like your ideal self to become them“, "create an alter ego, write down what they do & act like them". “Life is one big movie and the world is your stage.” Etc etc. Yet I know all of these things yet when I get around certain people I cannot act like them. It's like I break character. I write down all of the traits & characteristics I want to have but yet I seem to break character in different settings & around people. This is a crazy question but to all of my actors out there how do I fully act like this person & NEVER break character. Any tips? I’ll link two videos where they talk about this below, If you’re more curious. [the “month of acting”](https://vm.tiktok.com/ZTd95XJ9n/) [create your identity through method acting](https://youtu.be/Tb-BsdyRdqw)
I live almost an hour (max.with traffic) outside of Toronto and was thinking of moving right downtown to be within walking distance of the major casting houses. But I am now thinking otherwise because I would have to give up my car to afford the rent in toronto. from what I've heard and read, self-tapes and virtual auditions are now the new norm with in-person auditions happening only AFTER they like of your selftape/virtual audition. I think if I get an in-person audition, once as they at least give me an hour to get to the location, I should be fine living outside the city and just driving in when I'm needed... BUT I'm a newbie actor (who overthinks everything,so bare with me,lol) So my fear is that if i get called for an in-person audition, they would only give me like 20 minutes to get there. Does this happen or has this ever happened to any of you?
I've organised a fundraising event, with comedians and actors for the 16th of April. I'm getting super stressed that not enough people are going to turn up. How do I spread the word and get people to come?
What's up! ​ Feel free to DM me if you'd prefer that over commenting. I'm just trying to get some intel on some of the agencies that I've had meetings with recently since I'm shopping around. I find it's hard to know as an actor what they're like to work with ahead of actually working with them. As far as I can tell, they all have working and booking actors so that's great, this is not about if they're legit or not. I just want to know if anybody here has worked with or maybe knows somebody who worked with them and what their experience was. \- Making Stars Talent Agency (hearing mostly positive things but also some unhappy people) \- Dream Team Talent LA \- Spark Talent ​ Thanks! Again, if you don't want to share publicly, I totally understand so just DM me if that's the case.
I stumbled into having a small role in a local film (two minutes of screen time and two short lines.) I am not an actor and haven't done anything like this since school plays. Is there anything I should know about being on camera or acting in general? Any exercises or warm ups I can do to get ready? I know I'm lucky to get this opportunity without trying, and I really don't want to mess up.
A few weeks ago I got a chemistry read/callback from a self tape that I messed up (I made a [post](https://www.reddit.com/r/acting/comments/tlln4u/i_got_a_callbackchemistry_read_with_a_messed_up/) about it). When I went to the reading the casting director wanted me to read another project. She told me she hasn't started casting yet but wanted to have some actresses read it. I read it and I thought she just wanted me to read it to get a feel for it. No, she wanted me to audition! When the rest of the actors came to read for the first project, she asked me and another actress to leave and practice the second project. Long story short, we kept switching from project to project and I read with different actress. After the reading I left and thought it was pretty cool that I was being considered for 2 projects now. Today I got a message saying... SHE WANTS TO OFFER ME A ROLE FOR BOTH PROJECTS!!!!!! I'm so excited!
Regards, we are looking for male native Ukrainian-speaking actors who are comfortable with, in this climate, participating as talent in our action game voicing Ukrainian military operators. Our Ukrainian talent is unfortunately stuck under occupation and will be adjoining you once they can. Simply read the script in Ukrainian with ad lib encouraged, export the files to our needs and send. Quality equipment and clean sound. Cca 50 lines for $50. Deadline: April 15th. Demos in comments or DMs. Thank You.
Regards, Male Arabic and Vietnamese actors wanted, 50-55 \~ lines - $50, combat game. Native only, simply read the English script in Arabic or Vietnamese and export the files as per our instruction. Ad lib encouraged, usage will be across multiple factions including paramilitaries and national militaries as depicted, including insurgents so only apply if you're okay with that. If you're good, we would love to have you on retainer for when we expand. Quality mic, no popping and noise. Demos in the DMs or in the comments, I'll be checking them all out. Comms through Discord or email are fine. Anyone in possession of the skill and male is encouraged to pop in, we have actors that are first time ventures. Deadline: April 15th
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.
