“AN ACTOR’S LIFE”

Being an actor is a series of ups and downs and highs and lows.   For example:   First you get the audition, then the call back, and finally… you almost booked the acting job.   Or you’re cast in a hit play, but the shows closes and you’re back to searching for work.   Or you get cast in a featured role in a feature film and then your part gets cut in editing.  You finally get cast in a lead role and become a type for all other roles.  

It’s tough on adult actors, let alone child actors and teen actors.   So, what do you do to remedy it?  Here are some tips that can prepare you for a good acting career and life.

First, it’s not personal.   Our acting work is personal, but the business is not.   Think of acting as shopping for something. It’s all in perspective of the observer and (quite frankly) what they think about you doesn’t matter in the grand scheme. You are an artist,  your job is to keep putting out the work.  Act from your heart and from your experience.  Let your own special quality shine in the role you play.  No one else has that but you.  Don’t ask for feedback.  Everyone has completely different tastes, likes, and dislikes.  The only person you should turn to for help with your work should be an acting coach who supports and believes in you and understands acting and actors.   

Second, gain confidence by loving what you are doing.   The more fun you have acting at auditions and on set, the better! Remember when you act think about what you’re doing––not how you’re doing it.  Learn the lines,  prepare the moment before, plan the action,  have some place work available and plant that around the camera and then let it go and give into the magic of what may happen in the moment, every time you act whether it’s in a class, at an audition, in a film or on (or off) Broadway. Allow yourself to have a great experience.  When you do that, the audience is also great.

Third,  surround yourself with fun and love.   This may sound silly, but you need support when things shift, especially when you are between jobs or auditions.   The best remedy is living a full, fun life.   Do things other than acting.  Do something that makes you feel happy.   Hang out with friends.  Take yourself out for ice cream, for a vacation, go for a hike or a walk and see some nature.   This may sound silly, but you’d be amazed at how many actors obsess with work and working only.    This can make you lose your joy of acting and turn it into a chore rather than a job that you love to do.  

Fourth,  create always.   If you’re not currently acting, then get together with friends and read through a play that you always wanted to do.   Practice new monologues at home.  Find challenging roles to work on in acting class that will strengthen your technique for your next big audition.  

Fifth,  observe the world.   We live on an amazing planet and all the different types personalities swarm around us daily. Observant actors very often bring this to their auditions and stand out.

In closing,  acting is about everything.   It’s balancing your life with good things, and simply acting for the joy of it.   It’s about living and creating.    Never judge your talent but nurture it and let it grow.  Keep putting out the work, act from your heart and someone will buy it, I promise.   

Wishing you every success.

Jeff