We have found 19,301 posts across 4 actor forums:
Looking for acting friends and tips (Australia based) by SolarianWarrior • last post Apr 13th
Hi all. I'm looking for acting friends to just overall hype each other up and help each other out. I'm a 23 year old female. I'm also incredibly shy and insecure and constantly question myself because I think how can I be an actor when I can't even go to workshops because of my anxiety? RUNDOWN OF WHAT I'VE DONE SO FAR: I started properly trying to get into it last year and signed up with an agent and have been put forward for some extra roles, and got a casting call to be an extra in something two months ago (but obviously filming has halted on most things due to the virus so that's not going to be moving for a while) I did a workshop a few months ago and it was amazing! But the fear leading up to it almost made me not go and I feel like is there something wrong with me? I know there's a lot of introverted and shy and anxiety filled actors out there and I wonder how you do it? I did drama in high school and it was easier and I felt comfortable because it was around people I knew. I'm trying to push through it but I spent the past few years accustomed to being isolated and trying to do this is much harder than it used to be. I wanted to do a performing arts course during high school but my mum refused because it was too far away and I missed an opportunity to do it after graduation because I had to work full time, and haven't done anything acting related since because of life getting in the way. So now five years later I'm trying to get into it all and I've gotten started, but now I don't know where to go from here. I read articles a lot, I visit websites for sources. I frequently use StageMilk to find resources. I've got a start, I just need pointers on where to continue. I'm planning on doing another workshop as soon as this virus is under control but that will be awhile probably. I also wanted to do an online one that they are offering. I also feel embarrassed putting myself out there. Are there any actors out there like me that can share how they manage to push forward despite the anxiety/fear? I just don't have anyone there for me that cares about this and I only admitted to people two years ago for the first time that I wanted to be an actor because I was scared I wouldn't make it because of how I am. But I feel like I can actually do it now, just struggling to really push through it sometimes. Also doesn't help that my family doesn't care and have an idgaf attitude when I talk about my struggles with anxiety. It was easier going to tafe for something unrelated (fashion design), but the thought of going to workshops with less people is more daunting because I know I'm going to suck and it feels like I'm gonna be made fun of lmao When I practice a scene by myself it's really good imo, but then having to do it in front of others I forget how I intend to do it and I do it really differently because I'm just going off instinct. I got told yeah that's good but because it comes out differently than planned it feels bad, and kinda lowkey feels like I'm just told it's good to be polite. ​ So feels like that was kinda long, but I'm just looking for friends that I can look at for role models and inspiration, and also being friends with someone who's into acting makes me feel more like it's more possible. Does that all make sense? I also want someone to tell me candidly everything right and wrong with my acting. ​ SO if you've read all this thanks lol it's probably a lot. Give me some tips and pointers. If you suffer with anxiety and manage to do acting/workshops/courses through that then tell me your secrets. If you're Australians based then personal reviews of workshops you've done would be great (I'm QLD based). Have you done private one on one acting lessons? How were they? Do you prefer those or group workshops? I'd love to hear your personal stories of how you started and got to where you are, and how to plan to keep improving and learning, I also love following actors on instagram and youtube so link those I'm here to support you! :)
Hello! An acting related question. What is the name of this effect/phenomenon where an audience reads into the emotions of an actor even though the actor has a very neutral expression on his face. by spiritofmen • last post Apr 13th
I remember reading some interview where some actor said that in a closeup shot (that was really famous) he really wasn't thinking of anything. But rather the circumstances of the scene caused the audience to automatically 'understand' the emotions of the actor. But I think there is a name for this psychological effect. Help. Please!
Feeling jealous/bitter regarding other actors who are more successful? by Yaars23 • last post Apr 12th
I know you should aim not to feel this way but I do! I feel jealous of more succesful actors, of better actors, of famous folk. How do you deal with this?
Once this quarantine is over, I want to get serious about finding a LEGIT agent. What resources are available for that? by balboafire • last post Apr 12th
I know that’s everyone’s goal here, so I don’t mean to come across as self-entitled. But as I’m sitting here binge-watching gifted and talented actors here in the quarantine, I’ve never felt more inspired to “go for it” when this is over. So that’s what I’m gonna do, come hell or high water. And if I make an ass of myself in the process, then who cares. I’ve become pretty nihilistic about that after repeatedly making an ass of myself over the years anyway. So what’s one more time of making an ass of myself gonna hurt, right? What advice, recommendations, or resources are there available to get hooked up with the right agent? Do I sign up for one of those scammy classes in Hollywood in hopes that they call there scammy producer friend and recommend me? Do I cold call agents? Do I do extra work? I’ve done quite a bit of student films over the past year from USC, UCLA, LA Film School, etc. Is there any value in continuing that beyond for demo reels and resume building? Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. And if it doesn’t work for me, hopefully someone else can get something out of this thread! Thanks!
Need advice - I'm inexperienced but trying to seriously pursue theatre / film by imnahc • last post Apr 12th
Hi! I am currently a 19 year old sophomore in college majoring in business administration and I am on track to graduate a year early in May 2021. (This thread is a bit long I'm sorry :-( ) I know I'm a business student but for as long as I can remember, I've always wanted to become an actress - unfortunately, because of prior circumstances, I've never had to opportunity to be a part of any type of theatre production / film. In other words, I have no experience I can put down on my resume. The only exposure I've gotten to acting and training are the classes I've been able to take in college. I've taken an Intro to Acting Class my freshman year and I'm currently in an Intermediate Adler-Method Class. I'm not interested in applying for MFA programs because as of now, I have no intention to teach in the future and I would prefer not to be in a crazy amount of debt after I graduate. So, currently my goal after graduation is to join a conservatory so I can further my training and develop my skills in acting. Because I'm already based in New York, I've been eyeing Stella Adler, Circle in the Square, William Esper, Terry Knickerbocker, Maggie Flanigan, etc. I'm just very concerned with whether or not I have an actual chance to attend any of these programs with my lack of experience - I've heard that these conservatories are competitive but then again I'm not sure exactly how competitive. I would want to participate in a theatre production this summer to at least have something on my resume but with this crazy coronavirus still going around, that doesn't look like it's gonna happen anytime soon. Should I apply for these conservatories this coming spring or should I take a gap year to try to develop my resume then apply to these programs after? I'm not even sure if I can really build an impressive resume in one year to be honest. Also, I know that there is the issue of non-union versus union jobs (I'm obviously not a part of any type of union). These programs are 2-3 years long and I'd just want to kickstart my (currently nonexistent) theatre career as soon as possible. Also, I know that mastering the art of acting takes years and years of practice and exposure - that's also a big reason why I want to start as early as possible. Any advice?
where should i go to college (if at all)? by scarlettdevries • last post Apr 12th
hi! i’m looking for advice on where i should go for college if i want to be an actress? i’ve heard yale and nyu are great, but i feel like i should go somewhere near LA. i also don’t know what i should major in, or if i should even go to college when i could just focus on acting with a full time job, such as waitressing. i am not intending to brag in any way, but i am going to be valedictorian so i feel as though i am capable of receiving acceptance into the prestigious schools aforementioned; however, like i said, i think LA is the place to be.
What's the BEST "Pay to Win" Voice Over/Acting Website? by BlueBooth • last post Apr 12th
Hi everyone! Long time aspiring voice actor, first time poster here. I've been dabbling into the realm of online voice acting services such as UpWork, forums, and other "free" websites. Despite these services being "free" I always run into an issue down the line where I end up reaching a threshold, or needing to pay to continue to use the site "freely", plus you're not guaranteed to get any result or business going the free route. I know services like voices123, voices.com, voicebunny (even though I tend to hear bad things about it) and other "voice" work and related websites pretty much NEED to be a paid, subscription service, in order to get ANY kind of auditions or work! SO! What ARE the best website(s) you or I should give money to? What's the success rate, turn over rate, community, services, ease of use, communication, etc. I'd love to hear everyone's opinions, stories, and general education on the matter. Thanks everyone for listening. Hva e a good one!
As a voice actor, what form of direction do you prefer? by Tristan_Dean_Foss • last post Apr 12th
I've been thinking about this for a bit and I'm curious. What form of direction do voice actors prefer? Live direction where you get feedback as you're recording lines, doing lines a few times to ensure they sound alright, or perhaps writing how a line should sound on the script? Or something else?
Does anyone know Steven Silver or Hina Abdullah? by WinonaPortman • last post Apr 12th
I'm getting close to concluding my [3-year pilot season study](https://www.reddit.com/r/acting/comments/fmdaj4/young_adult_pilot_bookings_2020/) and these are the only two actors for whom I still haven't been able to find sufficient information about their educational and training backgrounds to classify. This is the Steven Silver who was on *13 Reasons Why.* Hina Abdullah has a lot of guest stars and recurrings along with independent film credits going back to 2008. Please feel feel free to DM me if you know anything.
ActorsTrade app. by Charming-Internal • last post Apr 12th
I just wanted to share this app because it is super helpful for me to rehearse my scenes during the lockdown. In this app, you can rehearse and read for other people. It is the only free live-rehearsal app for actors. Use the referral code if you want to sign up and try it out for free minutes. Use this referral code: -M2XOfC1ZO9wJF0\_AqBn To sign up click the links below: [https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/actor-trade/id1260291254?ls=1&mt=8](https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/actor-trade/id1260291254?ls=1&mt=8&fbclid=IwAR3MWCTRWQO66OiW3vFHHLZMiOEd_vCnKwWsUXWhBudsaX5ibYyenRZmAXI) [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.app.actortrade&hl=en\_US](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.app.actortrade&hl=en_US&fbclid=IwAR3rP_r4uzPTzkjPleq_trkpTw-Mc2TSKwAR702a_fuXwFru2FCN1p4jn14)——-
Beginning of a career by Michael_The_DC_Fan • last post Apr 12th
Hey guys. I just joined this subreddit and I'd like to ask a few questions. I am a 15 year old boy from a small European country of Slovakia. Ever since I was a small kid I wanted to become an actor. I attended an acting class for a year and acted in a few small theatre plays for schools in my town. But nothing special. So how can I start acting on a higher level? Where can I find auditions? How can I get a role in Theatre/Film? Is it really necessary to have an agent at my age? If yes how can I find an agent? Your help would be greatly appreciated. I will be glad if anyone could help me. Thanks
Actors/ brand ambassadors wanted for IGNITE! by Scartissue30 • last post Apr 12th
Ignite Social is looking for Brand Ambassador's, Actors, Models, Photographers, Djs, Promoters etc...No exp. necessary! Great pay. Follow this link for more info! --> https://smo.ai/pba7if
I just don't have the confidence. I feel so disheartened. by devilskilljoy • last post Apr 12th
To preface: I don't want to get into acting for stardom. I don't want to become a commercial actor, or anything to that degree. I merely want to hone skills pertaining to acting to benefit myself emotionally. I'll refrain from going in-depth but as a child I wasn't permitted to feel, and so I feel acting could help not only in regards to emotional regulation, but just generally acquaint me to healthier outlets and coping mechanisms and so forth. The thing is, I'm too scared. I know that's something you guys don't really want to hear here — and that's understandable, as acting is either all or nothing. I appreciate it's an art, and like any other skill requires time and practise. But I feel I could benefit so greatly from this, and although I've been reading these past few weeks material and content from Reddit (I can neither afford books, DVDs, classes; in addition to this I live in such a remote city — I'm broke and don't have a job to rely on as of yet), I just can't psyche myself up and it's frustrating me. It's like I have this damn bloody relentless voice, but it's stuck in my throat and it won't come out. I'm so terrified of being heard because all I've known is ridicule if I try something and truth be told, I don't know how to break down this barrier. Perhaps this is more in need of professional help, but funnily enough I can't afford that either; and so either way, I just feel so incredibly stuck. It's weird because I used to love acting as a child, even though I was by no means talented, or pretty, or whatever. I just feel heartsick right now. To me acting has always seemed as a means to escape the person I am — the person whom I absolutely dread and want to escape from the most. I've always gazed starry-eyed at actors though not because of the money and the luxuries (though I'm sure that's certainly a nice perk for them), but because they have this ability to connect with and feel and God, I've always wanted to be able to do that. I'm sorry if this is all irrelevant. I was just wondering if anyone had any words of advice.
Soundproofing suggestions by so_guys_ • last post Apr 12th
I want to practice both my voice acting and singing but cant without disturbing anyone else in the house or my neighbours. Any ideas for low budget, non-professional voice actor soundproofing?
A Voice Acting Stream (Amateur Actors) by kingsolomon76 • last post Apr 11th
We're reading the accursed script for practice. Come join and enjoy! [https://youtu.be/fdiYhgxlI30](https://youtu.be/fdiYhgxlI30)
Does anyone else lie about their age? by hoodiebeanie • last post Apr 11th
I’m 21. Yet I could pass for 16. This has messed up my opportunities for years. I can’t get cast as 21 because I look “too young” I can’t get cast as a teen because I’m “technically too old” So I said f*ck it, my age is 18. Bad idea? Good idea? Has it worked out for you? I know other actors that made it lied about it for similar reasons. I feel a little guilty, but how else can I make it work? Ya know? :(
I have got a lead role in a Netflix series coming out in February by youngboymindset • last post Apr 11th
This is going to be quite long. Probably about a 5-10 minute read. But I promise you what I write on here is 100% true. No one will know me from my username I have nothing to gain with lying, it is all 100% true. On my mothers life. This explains how my acting career went from playing Aladdin in my primary school play to being cast as the lead role in a netflix series due to be released in February. And an honest experience and insight into life on set and what that is truly like. I am seventeen years old, and I live in London, UK. I am keeping anonymous. Growing up I always loved acting a lot, and I was one heck of a liar too. It was so bad I would be lying three, four times a day. And most of the time it wasn’t even to benefit me, it was just so I could sound cool. Anyway, fast forward a few years and I got cast as the lead role in my school play, and boy did I love it! Not even the role or the performance exactly but just the rehearsing and I loved how a whole community ( my local neighbourhood) came together to watch a bunch of 11 year olds do Aladdin. It wasn’t even about whether the play was good or not, that didn’t matter. It was all about seeing your son and daughter up on stage, and seeing the pride on their face as they nervously muttered a line or two. I loved that. And I loved acting. I took acting classes every week for about two years when I went to secondary ( high school ) school. Probably between the ages of 12-14. In the UK we have these things called LAMDA grades which are national exams in acting. I was pretty good, not amazing, but I passed all my exams and I did two or three of those. I maybe got to Grade 3 and then I quite. I honestly can not remember why, but I did not have such a good time at my old school because people didn’t like me there as such. Sure I auditioned in a few secondary school plays early on and I even got a part in one, a small one but it was still something. However I was not doing well at school and overall was going through a low motivation period and at around 14 I stopped most things to do with acting, like completely. Also exams were coming along and I never really considered acting as a career and I thought I was no where near good looking enough as all those famous hot actors as I was a little bit chubby. Then in the summer of last year almost everything changed completely. My life got thrown completely off the course I was planning on and within a few weeks EVERYTHING changed. I really do not remember what it was but something made me want to try acting again. And I remember one day I went downstairs to my mother and told her. And she was like, ‘that’s great! I’m sure your new school will have something!’. At the time I was between schools and I was 16. So I emailed the head of drama at my new school ( it was a small local school ) and he/she responded with an attachment. A small extract of script from the musical ‘ we will rock you’ and he explained to me about how they were auditioning for that back in September when school started again. I was excited. My mother is a huge optimist and sometimes I love it, sometimes it’s annoying. She was always the type to tell me ‘ you can do anything in life’ which I found great but sometimes a bit too much. My dad was quite the realist on the other hand. Of course he was supportive and loving but was a realist, and to be honest I found that provided a healthy balance in the household. Anyway, I packed the script with me and I went on holiday, over the vacation I learned it and once I learned it off by heart I was very happy and started playing with the emotions a bit more. Then one day back in London maybe a week after we got back from holiday I performed it to my mother and younger sister as they sat on my bed smiling. And my mum was surprised at how good she thought it was and she told me, ‘that was great!’, but it wasn’t the usual supportive ‘ that was great! ‘ . It was honest and true, I could tell in her eyes. Now I by all means am not an AMAZING actor at all but I had received this script, dedicated some time learning and working on it, performed, and it was great! That moment really clicked something inside me. And that’s when the idea of potentially doing this as a career planted itself in my mind and started to grow. Now, we are about halfway through this story, and nows a good time to be honest. If I were to tell you that the fact that A-List actors make millions per performance didn’t at all influence my decision to try this as a career, I would be lying. I had a pretty big obsession with hopefully making millions of dollars too one day, and buying certain material things and having all this attention. I want that so bad, but beneath all that, the foundations of all the acting that I am doing is based around the fact that I love it. It is an art that I love. And being able to make a living of this art was the dream, regardless of how much I made. After my mother had told me this I ( still being on my summer break ), spent all my free time signing up to online agencies, looking at all the opportunity’s there were out there. And then, one day, I can’t remember where I saw this. Maybe it was even a Facebook post. I saw a casting call for someone that fit my description. I emailed the casting director and really made that Aladdin play sound like it had won Tony awards. He sent me an extract of a scene, and at the bottom he explained that he needed this role urgently. Filming was starting that same weekend. ( at this point it wasn’t confirmed that this project was going to be involved with Netflix. Which is probably why they also made a public casting call as opposed to only contacting the too agents) ( also important to mention is that I had also grown up slot since my thirteen year old self and I had lost a lot of weight also ( maybe even too much) but at this time I think it’s safe to say that I was relatively good looking. I had a good strong face and blonde hair and I had had a few girlfriends at this point but was just then walking away from a pretty long relationship and it felt great ) I didn’t tell my mother much but I just asked her to get out the old dslr and I was about to do my first self tape. Except the extract was seven pages long. I tried to learn it as much as I could but there was no way I would get it all in my mind. So I auditioned anyway just holding it in my hand but I still managed to get the emotion down. I told my mother to keep to tape rolling and that I would just read through the script as long as it took until I felt like I performed the best I could. I edited my mother’s favourite one of all the ones we had filmed and sent it over. I spent the next twenty four hours refreshing my emails every few minutes. And then I got an email back, the casting director explained to me that he had received over two hundred submissions but he kept coming back to my video. My acting wasn’t perfect, but he explained that there was just something about me, maybe in my look or I don’t know what, but there was something. He decided to get me to film it again because just having ‘ something’ isn’t enough, bottom line is you have to perform the script well. He gave me direction this time, and really told me what emotions I should try and hit, as opposed to me having to guess. So once more my mother filmed me. And then I sent it over. A day went by and I didn’t hear anything. But then one evening that week my mother got a phone call. I just heard from my room her say ‘ yes, this is his mother’ and my heart rate went up. I came out to the corridor where she was standing in the phone. As it turns out she was talking to the director directly ( who I will keep anonymous) and I remember her just asking ‘does that mean he got the part?’ and her then her saying she would call back and hanging up. At that point we both knew that my life would be changed forever. I walked into my room, I can’t even begin to explain how it felt. Two months ago I was spending my days smoking weed at the park with my friends eating snacks, and now I was just cast as a lead role in a new series and that I was needed on set this very weekend. It’s been six months now, and it’s recently been confirmed that it is a Netflix project. The coronavirus outbreak has delayed everything but we aim to wrap filming in July/ August on the first season. Around winter the trailer will be released on the Netflix YouTube channel and a few months later out it comes. My life has been changed completely. And all of this happening to me has brought me a lot of happiness, but no doubt some new issues and worries that I never thought I’d have to face in my life. The TV show is a history drama. I really don’t want to go into too much detail about the show because I want to keep everything anonymous but I will answer every question ( I don’t expect to get too many ). I might write a second article on what’s happened since if enough people read this one, because I enjoy writing these. Thank you if you’ve read this far :) And stay safe.
My unique relationship with acting by chrisredfieldu • last post Apr 11th
I come from a family where acting is a revered form of art. In my family acting is like...this sacred valued way of being. My grandfather was a professional actor. He won a tony award. He became famous from his acting. Growing up i was the absolute black sheep of my family in part because my parent had schizophrenia. Because of that, i hated some family members because i was an outcast within the family. That also meant hating acting even though my grandfather was a great guy (my grandma hated me). My older sibling also pursued acting & was decent at it (imo) and my family heavily supported her, so it was another reason i felt i couldnt have a career in the arts. I feared “well if my sister fails at acting who will financially afford taking care of my parents one of which is permanently disabled? I have to pursue a career that i am able to do which also pays the bills. A career in the field of science.” Unfortunately for me i was too horrible at math to pursue a career in science, & learned i have actual math disabilities, so i instead studied psychology which i had very little career interest in. Well i avoided acting for years. In school i wanted to do voice acting but couldnt because i was so afraid of failure. My teachers knew who my grandfather was and also knew my older sibling’s great acting skills, so if i failed it would be failure for me, & disgrace to the family which i couldnt shake. It would be pathetic. The worst part was failing at something i love & want a career in so badly id rather die than settle for another career. Now i am an unemployed college graduate who lives outside of new york city. I have no money, ive only worked as a cashier at grocery stores. I want to pursue voice acting. I want to be like roger craig smith, tara strong, laura bailey. I suck at acting but in a weird way i have many inherent skills that are good for acting. I feel the field of entertainment is the only place i can have a career without wanting to end my life and feel its the only field i have any chance at thriving at. I worry at the same time that i dont have the “voice” for voice acting. I dont have the acting skills of roger craig smith. I dont have the range of tara strong. I have zero acting experience at 26. Did anyone else start their journey acting at a late stage, at 26? Like i said, zero acting experience. I remember jim carrey saying this quote “you can fail at what you love but you can also fail at what you dont love” and i feel like i failed at the latter already. I want to put my entire life into a career in the entertainment industry specifically in either voice acting or video games. I know desperation means nothing i guess i just wanted to vent a bit & also hear feedback.
How important is studying theatre to working in film? by gigilone • last post Apr 11th
Hi everyone! I am currently a student in the Cinema Studies at the University of Toronto. Here, it is strictly an academic program, and looks into the theories of film, the art of film, and the history of film etc. I’m currently debating whether I should also enrol in the Drama program here at UofT. It’s mainly a program for theatre arts, and there a a multitude of acting and performance classes, as well as courses for academic study of the theatre arts. I was wondering, as someone who wishes to eventually work in film as a director/actor, how helpful is learning performance from a theatre perspective? Is it better to study acting for film rather than theatre if film is my goal? How much does studying acting at university affect my opportunities after graduating? Any insight or wisdom would be greatly appreciated ! <3