What to Know to Become an Actor

A career in acting is perceived as one of the quickest ladders to success, fame and big bucks. Very few people realize that behind all the glamour and glitz of actors who make it big in the film industry is sheer hard work, perseverance, discipline and continuous training. The path to glory is a tough one and a performer has to put in a great deal of hard work.

The career in show business is not without competition, an actor needs to compete with almost all his co-performers to win accolades. It is also important to note that an actor with a plethora of exposure and experience in various performing arts like stage performance, plays, television series, commercials and feature films possesses the dexterity to handle any kind of role, however challenging.


It is imperative for a person aspiring to become an actor to be aware of factors that go into the making of his/her own successful acting career.

Acting - A Career
Contemplate the acting career as your future and not as a glamorous and fanciful idea. It is a fact that most of the successful actors entered the industry wanting to be a success and not due to a choice made out of impulse.

Acting - A Dedication
As an actor you need to be wholly dedicated to the profession. You may also have to sacrifice many of your personal needs, likings and lifestyle to exhibit the required dedication to make it big. When you approach acting with this dedication and hard work there is a great deal of certainty in you succeeding sooner than you can ever imagine.

Read on to learn what is required to become an actor.

• Break down the scene. When you do so, you would get to analyze the scene part-by-part to get the finer details which may be helpful in performing better.
• Dig deeper into your role to understand the character better. You should be clear on what role your character represents, the protagonist, the antagonist, etc. On learning and fully understanding the character you can develop the character. In addition also understand how the character would interact with the other characters.
• Know more about human psychology, good actors are jugglers of various emotions.
• Rehearse the different techniques of acting like Stanislovsky, Meisner, etc. after learning them.
• Get an insight into the various ways of physical movement. The way actors move on stage would widely vary from the way they do so, on the camera.
• It is pivotal to talk the language that the film industry speaks. Ask around about terms you do not understand and get to know deeper about the subjects. An actor who understands technical terms spoken by the crew is preferred to one who is a novice to the subject.
• While communicating effectively is important, it pays to talk when you need to, and listen when you must. This is more so during rehearsals.
• It is good to have a little fun while at work but it important that you don't goof off on the sets.
• During rehearsals on a set or on stage, know when to talk and when to listen. You may sound obnoxious talking at the wrong time and may affect your personality negatively.
• Make it a point not to talk to crew members who are busy working. It is ok to socialize when they are relatively free. Most crew members would oblige to clear your doubts on the equipment used and their purpose.
• It is important to do as you are told to. While on the sets, stand where you are asked to stand and wait when you are told to.
• As an actor, it is crucial that you show up on time. The production looses huge amounts of money if the team is made to wait for an actor.
• Another important thing is to know your lines. It is expensive to do repeated takes when the actor messes up with the dialogue.
• Know about film making from a business perspective and it would help in the long run. It is very important to learn and keep learning. You can probably learn all your lifetime by reading, attending classes, seminars and listening to tapes.
• Keep acting. Put to practice all the knowledge you harness and act for the passion and not for the pay.

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"Expert Acting Advice" is copyright © Mary Pratt and Actingland, Inc. All rights reserved. Not to be reproduced or distributed. For more career advice, acting jobs, casting calls, and movie audition notices visit www.actingland.com.

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