We have found 19,320 posts across 4 actor forums:
Just remember, you may be Gary Oldman going full method. He is that good by Jockcop • last post Apr 20th
Demo Reel and Voice sample by lordfluffycus • last post Apr 20th
Hey guys. I'm coming to you with a story you have all heard before. I have 0 experience and I want to be an actor. Now I've done my research and I think I can make it in that world, but there is something I am really not sure about and would like your help with. I don't have a demo reel or a professional voice recording, but I do have the means to get it. Now my question is, are there certain things that cant pass for this? My idea for the demo reel, or multiple ones, in fact, is to stage fake interviews where I would be the interviewee and this would include things along the lines of an army veteran, a prostitute, treasure hunter (a really insane person, already have the script). And for the voice reel I have made some fake commercials but with a comedic twist because I can't force myself to read something boring. My question is, does this work? Is this unprofessional? Do they expect something else? Any advice here would be appreciated. Thank you
SAG name debacle by hithirteen • last post Apr 20th
When I first started my career, I assumed I could just use my real name but then I saw there were several others who shared it already on imdb. I came up with a stage name. Now, 2 projects I was on got confused and added my real name to imdb while I already have one with my stage name. I called SAG & they said there are several eligible actors with my real name, but none of them are registered. Ultimately, I want to use my real name but now I’m not sure what to do because I don’t want to join sag yet as I would like to book more non-union roles and don’t currently have representation. Should I wait and hope no one registers as my real name or just say f it and join? TIA
PLEASE read the sidebar. by iovoko • last post Apr 20th
It’s annoying. I have a ton of questions as a beginner, but so many of them are easily answered if you take the time to read the faq, not to mention the rules. Posts asking “how do I start?” “How do I become an actor?” are clogging new and wasting everyone’s time. Sorry for the mini rant, but it’s been bothering me forever.
Help me get in contact with a professional voice actor? by BraxHecker • last post Apr 20th
Hello everyone. I’m a 17 year old guy who’s currently taking English 3. For our final project, we have to interview someone who has a career that we’re interested in. It is my current dream to become a voice actor and I would love to interview someone with said career. I’d like to interview someone who has experience in the industry and has done a few jobs and has experience. I’d ask a few questions like, “What made you interested in voice acting.” Or, “How much do you get paid.” And, “How does one get involved in voice acting.” Any and all help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
Why do you want to be an actor? by Bourbon_Lake524 • last post Apr 20th
Sorry in advance if this has been asked one too many times. I just love reading about people being passionate because it heats up the fire in me as well :D.. Why did you decide that you want to be an actor? Ever since I was a child, I’ve always dreamt of being an actress and seeing myself in big screens. I would memorize movie scenes and act them out in front of a mirror and when I grew older and got my own cellphone, I would record myself and delete it afterwards so no one would see it. Looking back, that was a funny thing to do. Whenever I would watch a movie back then, I always put myself in the character’s shoes. After every movie, I feel like I’m now living their life, as a little part inside of me. Then, I started to take interest in writing. I started novels I couldn’t finish then I turned them into screenplays. My screenwriting knowledge coming only from online lessons and free courses. I realized that a character is much more than what we see on screen for 12 seasons or 2 hours. I realized that I wanted to bring characters to life. I stopped writing. This brought me back to my old dream. Becoming an actor. I wanted to help writers and directors to understand their characters and give life to it. I am more passionate in the art of acting compared to writing because I am more involved when I’m acting. I love the way everything flows cohesively even though everything is scripted. There’s so many reasons and I can’t list them all down because this is a pretty long post already. What about you? What made you decide that you wanted to be an actor?
How did you LEVEL UP and get great legit rep? (Agents) by CuspChaser111 • last post Apr 20th
This is for folks that are hustling and have at least 2 guest stars/series regular credits so you are bringing something to the table. Also for people that hustle and make their own movies and get into film festivals - not people sitting on their butts expecting handouts. This isn't for commercial rep only legit rep - what was your process in leveling up? 1. Did you drop your rep and THEN look? 2. Did you look and then drop your rep (some people have warned me against this.) 3. Was it referral? It's way easier to get commercial referral but legit ref. is so hard to get from other actors I've noticed - even if they are in a totally different category than you. Did you find a ref in an unexpected place? How did you come to realizing it was time to leave? Were you sending in solid tapes, getting callbacks, holds, sent to a top pick to producers, requests from same cds and still not booking? (this is the boat I am in) Your story is probably more interesting than mine. Do tell! Were there any drawbacks to leveling up?
An Actor’s Mindset by Bourbon_Lake524 • last post Apr 20th
This thought has been bothering me for several months now– almost a year. Lately, I’ve been training my mind to always think proper, be a team player, be kind, do good, hold the emotions, and avoid conflict. I’ve always told myself, be subservient. Be humble. You’re still nowhere near your dreams. (Which I admit is true.) A few months later, I joined reddit and looked for this community. I saw how helpful the community is. I wanted to ask for advices and I was never disappointed because the people who replied to me are people who have experienced how this industry works which is why I’m here again to ask for an advice: 1.) What is the right mindset when getting into this kind of business? 2.) How do I avoid losing myself in the process? (During gaining experiencing and stuff) Everyone has the same goal here, at least that’s what I think. We’re all dreaming here, trying to achieve our goals. To fulfill our life’s passion. The thing that I am most afraid of is failure. I hate failing. Failing and rejection takes a huge toll on me. It eats me up and I want to change that. I think I’ve improved compared to when I was 14 years old. I was a prideful little gal. This business has no certainty. You’re not assured stardom nor failure which gives me hope but at the same time terrifies me. I hope someone’s able to help me because I’ve been struggling to hold the right mindset for a while now. I don’t want to give too much of myself because that will be the fall that I will never come back from but I think what makes acting is the fact that the actor puts a part of themselves in their character. Please help me fix my mindset so I can enter this business headstrong. ❤️
Kate Winslet's daughter by gigafunk • last post Apr 20th
In several news outlets they are covering how Kate Winslet said her daughter got into acting "all on her own". Yet, she is repped by her mom's agency. Does that count as getting in "on your own"? Kate saying that is totally tone deaf and a kick in the guts to struggling talented actors out there, further entrenching this false narrative that if your just good enough at the craft alone, you can make it. This idea is poison as it holds talented actors back from learning the business and marketing required to make it as a nobody. Even then, you have to be ready to strike when luck find you. Many actors I have encountered in classes are dejected and trying to get "better" at the craft to make it, when they are great. They wrongly equate their lack of results with lack of skill and they keep pursuing acting skills when their problem is marketing and professionalism. Nepotism is unavoidable and fine or whatever, just keep your mouth shut and don't lie to us Kate. Unless you want to intro me to your rep so I can get into this field "all on my own" too.
Deciding which city to relocate to - advice/opinions needed! by happierlavender • last post Apr 20th
Prefacing this post by saying that I have read the FAQs and posts about moving to LA/NYC/Atlanta, but I would appreciate some specific feedback if that’s okay! I (23F) graduated from college last year and am looking to relocate for my acting career. I trained for a professional career in classical ballet through high school and had offers for contracts with professional companies before chronic hip injuries made it clear that a long-term dance career wasn’t in the cards for me. So I grew up with plenty of stage experience, but obviously very different to traditional theater or film acting. I went to regular college and found that I really missed being on stage, so I started exploring theater through my extracurriculars. I “discovered” film/tv acting my junior year and started taking as many on-camera, scene study, and improv classes as I could through my college and at reputable schools nearby. I now have two years’ worth of class experience and a few short films/stage productions under my belt. My reel isn’t stellar, but I have footage and I’m actively working on improving it. I’m still non-union. My full-time survival job is fully remote and has flexible hours, so as long as I meet my deadlines I can work whenever and wherever I want. I’m currently living in Boston, which has some student films and commercial work, but it’s expensive and because of the pandemic student films have really dried up. I also get a terrible case of SAD every year, so moving somewhere warmer is very appealing. I know LA is the most competitive city and not recommended for beginners, but it’s where I have all of my connections. I know several working actors, a couple of respected acting teachers/coaches that are encouraging of my work, and a few people on the production/business side. I’m also a writer, and my creative partner is based near LA, which means that moving there would allow us to start creating our own films. I don’t know anyone in Atlanta, Chicago, or NYC, which makes me a bit more hesitant to move there. I have family in San Francisco and south Florida near Miami, but neither of those seems to have too many opportunities (and SF rent is just as bad as LA/NYC). I’m planning on having in-depth conversations with my teachers to see what they think, but I’d love to hear your advice on whether it’s too early to move to LA, or whether connections outweigh the drawbacks of a more competitive market. I’m under no illusions about the fact that I need to continue training and getting credits/footage before I can really compete at a professional level, but I’m wondering whether that’s possible in LA given my situation. Thanks so much!
What is the typical timeline and experience for receiving headshots & retouched images? is my experience typical? by MegaBeholder • last post Apr 20th
I got headshots done in early March by a renowned nyc headshot photographer. I’m incredibly green and it was my first time getting professional headshots done and I informed them about that. The experience was mostly good. But afterwards, there was a collection of minor not-great things that made me feel... just not great. For the money I paid, this came as a bit of a surprise. First minor thing - I did not know that tips aren’t customary, so after the shoot when we were wrapping up I sent a tip via a payment app, which the photog accepted without any indication that it’s unusual to do. A respected agent shared later that it is unusual and I shouldn’t have done it. I don’t think it was their responsibility to turn down a tip, but the ultra polite person in me feels like it’s rude to at least not make the gesture to let an inexperienced actor know that it isn’t customary (especially because the shoot itself was obscenely expensive already)- I’d obviously not take the tip back! But fine. Now I know. Not a huge deal. Early on in the booking process, I was assigned a student discount. But I realized a few days after the shoot that I never received the discount. When I followed up, they told me that they no longer offered the discount! This would’ve really bothered me but they then said they’d honor the discount anyway. Okay. 5 weeks later they sent me the batch of proofs. They said initially it would be 3-4 weeks. An extra week isn’t a big deal. I did have to email them to check in about when I could expect the shots because no one had gotten in touch with me to explain the delay. But fine. Not a big deal. But with everything else, I’m starting to feel like I’m low on the priority list. After I reached out, they told me that they had gotten COVID in early March and this was the cause of the delay. Totally understandable! When I selected the shots I wanted to be retouched (of course they got back to me immediately after I did to make sure I sent in payment for the retouched images!) I was told that it would take 7-10 days to get the images back to me. 10 days later I still haven’t received the images, which, like the other stuff doesn’t feel like a huge deal on its own. This photog has glowing reviews everywhere, and with my less than stellar experience overall I’m feeling like I don’t really know what’s reasonable to expect from the headshot process. Is this all typical? Should I just chalk it all up to COVID-times mixups? I’m totally new to acting and I’d just really like to hear from other actors whether this experience tracks as normal.
Seeking Advice. How should writers communicate with actors? by JimesTooper29 • last post Apr 20th
Hope you're all well. I would love to hear your experiences and preferences when speaking with the writer of a project. Mainly on a set/pre-prod. \- What kind of questions would you ask a writer? \- What do you want/not want to know about your character? Is too much info a hindrance? \- What do you want to see in a writer? \- Would you even care to talk to the writer as you've already established the character in your head? Likes and dislikes and everything in between are greatly appreciated. Thank you!
location advice for aspiring actor in Toronto by john-daubous • last post Apr 20th
I know this all could be worded better,please bare with me. I live 40-minutes outside of Toronto, and I'm trying hard to convince myself that Toronto is a great place to be an actor and that it has everything I would need to succeed. I am in my 30's (I know, I know...acting is something you start in your teens or 20's) but, my mind is still stuck in the 90's where Toronto's film industry was not comparable to LA or NY, and I dont know if its still truly like that ( I know Toronto's film has progressed, but I dont know if we still far behind LA or NY) Is it better not to waste time in Toronto and just pack my bags and "struggle" in LA or NY until I get cast for a sitcom or film. Or, since I am already in Toronto, just stay here and "struggle" and if someone in LA or NY wants me, they'll call my agent? (I know I would still struggle here in Toronto also, but not nearly as much. I have relatives, friends,side-jobs,I would never be homeless) If film/tv credits from Toronto don't hold much weight to producers/directors in LA or NY and they see Toronto credits as no better than saying you were in a "school play"...then,I would rather not waste time in Toronto. Again,I'm in my 30's, I should be trying to start a family, but i can't get this "acting dream" out of my head...and deciding which country to start in is not making it any easier. SO,what are your thoughts...whatever you got to say to me, whether it be good,bad,rude,wake-up-call, let me hear it.
My experience so far at an independent acting school based in the UK (Unseen) by lawknad • last post Apr 19th
Hello everyone! A couple of months ago, I had replied to a post about an acting school called The Unseen (which I have now forgotten where the post is)which is based in London and at that time, I hadn’t gone to any classes. It’s now been a a couple months since then and currently, I have technically been in student since last year, but didn’t actually start until February of this year. This post could be a long read, but it will be here to give you all a look at what’s been happening so far. And also, I’m still a bit new in all of this acting stuff so sorry if I make any mistakes!
"Steps of a Mastermind" Film by JEM-trlyoutrageous • last post Apr 19th
My daughter has been cast in a movie, [\#stepsofamastermind](https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/stepsofamastermind?__eep__=6&__cft__[0]=AZW-qWNdskBipaxZUn8E0y2TZxaVdtslbHSQhqWDQbwmiY-TOEfp6TUW8T-8PWMKIsk8RC2Pb7bMuY_IJ8d_gQqupVf5pkWW5aNn0K4oQnS4fdV8OK12hx_-xnZv6mceML0rxkFgKoQgbh2is0wdwnZBgaePGCKtmRLVtT5riyOEWwUKZuPXOM5bP1rG6ejNM54&__tn__=*NK-R), one thing that's required for her to remain on board is to encourage people to subscribe to the Creator/Executive Producer's Youtube Channel, Please help me out by clicking to view the Promo and Subscribe! [\#aspiringactors](https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/aspiringactors?__eep__=6&__cft__[0]=AZW-qWNdskBipaxZUn8E0y2TZxaVdtslbHSQhqWDQbwmiY-TOEfp6TUW8T-8PWMKIsk8RC2Pb7bMuY_IJ8d_gQqupVf5pkWW5aNn0K4oQnS4fdV8OK12hx_-xnZv6mceML0rxkFgKoQgbh2is0wdwnZBgaePGCKtmRLVtT5riyOEWwUKZuPXOM5bP1rG6ejNM54&__tn__=*NK-R), [\#filmmakers](https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/filmmakers?__eep__=6&__cft__[0]=AZW-qWNdskBipaxZUn8E0y2TZxaVdtslbHSQhqWDQbwmiY-TOEfp6TUW8T-8PWMKIsk8RC2Pb7bMuY_IJ8d_gQqupVf5pkWW5aNn0K4oQnS4fdV8OK12hx_-xnZv6mceML0rxkFgKoQgbh2is0wdwnZBgaePGCKtmRLVtT5riyOEWwUKZuPXOM5bP1rG6ejNM54&__tn__=*NK-R), [\#producers](https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/producers?__eep__=6&__cft__[0]=AZW-qWNdskBipaxZUn8E0y2TZxaVdtslbHSQhqWDQbwmiY-TOEfp6TUW8T-8PWMKIsk8RC2Pb7bMuY_IJ8d_gQqupVf5pkWW5aNn0K4oQnS4fdV8OK12hx_-xnZv6mceML0rxkFgKoQgbh2is0wdwnZBgaePGCKtmRLVtT5riyOEWwUKZuPXOM5bP1rG6ejNM54&__tn__=*NK-R) "Casting Call" Television Show (Actors compete) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9atosUQNAUA](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9atosUQNAUA)
I really need help by NevTheLad • last post Apr 19th
Hi, so I'm currently in my second year of University in England doing a BA in acting, and I'm truly hating it. I don't believe this course will benefit me in any meaningful way and I'm beginning to lose a my love of acting, I really don't see any point in it anymore because at the end of the day there isn't really; I could fail my single acting module, pass my theory modules and pass the semester. Similarly, I could put on the greatest performance anyone's ever seen but fail because I'm not very good at building a scale model of a set or give you the characteristics of postmodern theatre. I'm also suffering quite badly with anxiety but that's another story. This is really only the tip of the iceberg but I can't put into words right now how much more there is. Right now, I'm in the process of talking to my tutors about dropping out but obviously while on the one hand they say whatever is best for me and whatever makes me happy, on the other they have an obligation to persuade me into staying. I'm 95% sure I want to leave but I just wondered what other actors outside of the education system believe. Thanks a lot.
Future in acting for 27 y/o ? Desperately need this. by paladin_omega78 • last post Apr 19th
Hello everyone! I have been toying with myself whether to post this, but better late than never I suppose. I'm an aspiring actor from the UK. I have a graduate degree in Computer Science from an Ivy League school in the US but my passion's always been to act in theatre, and hopefully, in movies and shows. Had to come back home for the pandemic, but really want to get away and work on my passion. How do I start? Are there places where I can submit auditions online? I just...need help.
VERY Surprised regarding "Backstage" from this crowd by Principal_Tala_7 • last post Apr 19th
I am new here (as you can tell) and I've loved contributing and learning from this community. I wasn't sure wether to post this or not but I figured I will because it is one of the things that have surprised me since I joined. I am and have always been L.A. based, grew up here, met my husband here, kids are born here. My husband is in the industry (but he has nothing to do with casting or acting, he's in the logistics side of the business). My kids and I ARE in the acting side of it (but they're ready to move on and pursue their own interests). So here's what blew my mind coming here, in the (other) communities (online and IRL) I'm from where I've established relationships.....Backstage is not that used at all. We all use Actors Access, Casting Frontier, and LA Casting. Backstage is hardly ever mentioned. But here, I don't hear about Casting Frontier and LA Casting. There are also about a dozen background casting companies out there if you want to do Background, but only Central Casting is popular here. Just thought I'd share my observation as a new member chiming in from outer acting communities.
I feel so jealous of actors my age who are successful... by shugarshlong • last post Apr 19th
I'm 16, and i hate that i become so jealous seeing actors my age be successful. even older than me, i feel jealous. i absolutely loved watching the show, 'It's a sin'. but one of the actors told his story on how he got cast and it made me kinda sad. he was in acting university in his second year, but somehow the team for the show found him, and took him out of the uni to film this show. im jealous because i just feel so scared that success is gonna take soooo long for me, even after putting in thousands of pounds and hours. i know none of this is easy, of course not, but im constantly worrying that im never gonna be successful in it, idk why. id honestly appreciate prayers if you guys can do that. i just want to stop feeling jealousy, and want to be confident in who i am and what i want. but id also love advice on how to stop comparing myself to these actors who are so successful.
Can actors make a living in 2021? by shugarshlong • last post Apr 19th
I was watching an amazing show called, 'It's a sin'. It's based in 1981 I think, or at least it starts around that time. And one of the characters trains to be an actor and becomes one. He does fairly simple roles, sometimes TV, sometimes theatre, and he said he earned enough to make a living in that time. He was by no means famous, just a humble working actor. And it made me wonder. These days most of the actors you see on TV are doing acting as a side hustle, at least from what I've seen. I just wondered is it possible to be a humble working actor (not famous at all, just small/medium roles) and not have to work other jobs on top of that. Thank you!