We have found 19,298 posts across 4 actor forums:
ADVICE: New(ish) to LA and always dreamed of acting. Obstacles galore. by courtneynarie • last post Sep 21st
All my life I've wanted to act, but I've been so afraid to admit it. I grew up in a smallish town outside of Atlanta where there weren't many acting opportunities. I started acting in plays and musicals in high school and was always placed in the chorus. I took this as a sign that I didnt have the talent and decided to shift my focus to writing in college. I'm a fair writer, but I'm too precious with my work and found it hard to get my ideas produced without self financing. And- I couldn't stay away from performance. I directed a show choir and got a degree in film. After college I moved to Atlanta. I bounced around in fringe industry day jobs and started doing improv. This is where I've felt comfortable and excited and talented. I felt so good about myself, I packed up and moved to LA last year with my boyfriend at 26 with the hope of becoming an improviser and actor out here. You guys know, LA ain't cheap. Neither is acting. Right now I work two jobs and babysit in nearly all of my off time just to make ends meet. I have no savings and I've filed for bankruptcy. LA also makes me feel really lonely. There's a cutthroat energy that kills me. And in the year I've been here I still feel like the only real friends I have are my boyfriend and my cat. My boyfriend and I have a podcast together, which I really enjoy doing but it doesnt quite scratch the performance itch. We've talked about moving out of LA within the next few years because neither of us really love it here and we dont see ourselves raising a family here. Basically, we dont love LA and we're cool to leave. But, it's not all bad. I actually like one of my day jobs managing productions of children's theatre. The shows you can see out here are inspiring and marvelous. And ofcourse, being in the city of the Industry, you meet people breifly every once in a while. The only thing missing for me is acting and performance. I cant afford acting classes or headshots or anything to get started. It's like theres a hole inside me that I cant fill because I'm too damn poor. I have no idea what direction to go in and I feel like I have to make a choice. Move to a new city again and seek financial stability while doing the podcast, improv andnsmaller scale local acting or stay broke and broken in LA to pursue acting for real? My boyfriend is supportive of whatever I want to do and thinks I have a ton of talent. I do too. But I'm scared to get started and I have no money so I feel very stuck. I want to be involved in comedy, theater and tv in LA but I cant make it happen financially or time wise. Do I try to stick it out in LA? I'm worried I will never be able to get on my feet financially. I'm also worried that if I dont give LA a "fair shot" I'll regret it my entire life. I know I'm young and theres time to come back if we need to move somewhere cheaper for now, but realistically would I, knowing what I know? TL,DR: I'm newish to LA and struggling with the vibe of the city and money. I work a lot and dont have time to act. I'm getting to a point where I need to make a choice between money and acting which would ultimately end up with a move away from LA. Do I give up on the dream? Or rather, alter my dream to fit my reality?
I'm fat and a noob, any advice to the questions wherein? by hopecountypreacher • last post Sep 21st
Hi all! I've always been a bit interested in acting, and throughout my life I've been told I'd probably be good at it. I love doing impressions, telling stories, playing out scenes in my mind, looking at behind the scenes sort of things for movies/TV to see how the actors really put themselves into the minds of their characters... I'm thinking about auditioning for a local production at some point. There's a few casual community theaters in my neck of the woods, so even if I don't get a part it'd be good experience. Do you have any advice for someone TOTALLY new to acting and advice for a first audition? Also, given that I am an overweight woman, do you think that would hurt my chance of roles? I'm not talking in Hollywood lol, I'm talking just casual community theater. I guess what I'm asking is, in your experience, are casual settings like that generally more lenient when it comes to looks, in your experience? I'm aware that it varies from place to place, just asking about your own thoughts and experience. Thanks!
ACTING FOR THE CAMERA CLASS by mfrediani • last post Sep 21st
# Survival On Set (SOS) A unique class for actors
Good Acting On Camera classes in The Bay Area by TiberiumRaider • last post Sep 20th
I am a new actor living in SF. I am looking for good recommendations for classes for Acting on Camera here in the Bay Area. What is the best bang for my buck?
Theatre and modeling by Aray__ • last post Sep 20th
As an aspiring actor, is it a good idea to do theater (to improve my craft and money) and to model (for visibility)? Or is that too much?
I’m a beginner in acting, and need some advice. by SethShore • last post Sep 20th
So I really to want to get into acting. I’ve done a little bit of acting in the past, and I both enjoy it and one of my dreams is to be a professional/celebrity actor. I was wondering what my next step should be. I’m 15, if any of you are wondering, and I do go to a school that has theater but I cannot currently join it because I already have other classes. Thank you to anyone who can provide me some advice!
Inexperienced Model/Actor Looking To Connect by appleboy247 • last post Sep 20th
Hi everyone, I just got booked my first big shoot (modeling, not acting) where I am getting paid to fly out to another city. I do not have a ton of modeling/acting experience, so I am looking to connect with people who do. I do not have an agent and I am nonunion. I don't want to be annoying and ask the producer a bunch of questions, but it would be nice to have some things clarified. For instance, under usage, what does 6 months exclusivity mean? Is there usually a per diem to take care of models' expenses or do productions just have you keep receipts of basic expenses such as travel and food? I'm getting paid for three days: 1st day is arrival/fitting, 2nd day is the shoot, 3rd day is departure How important is it to have an agent? Thanks all
Ethical question: In light of the various "Blackface" controversies around North America in the past few years, is it acceptable or unacceptable for a white actor to wear dark make up to play a character in a movie who is of a race where skin color would by Kowalczyk81038 • last post Sep 20th
There have been white actors who have played Indian characters, Asian charters, and probably characters of African origin. Is this okay in the 21st century? Now, you might ask "why not just get an actor of the same race as the character?" Well, such an actor might not be easily found who fits the role. Maybe a director likes working with a given actor. I don't know. Is it okay to do this?
Breaking into Videogames and Animation by LordJanitor • last post Sep 20th
I've seen a few posts and videos about this, but I thought I would make a post to get some other opinions as well. I'm an actor who's recently moved to Los Angeles. It's been my goal for the past couple of years to develop a living as a VA, specifically in video games, animation, and anime dubs. I find that in voice over, I get to take on a greater variety of roles that would NEVER be offered to me theatrically---thus my passion for these specific divisions of the industry. I've begun the process of submitting my materials to agencies around town that I think could be a good fit. Obviously, having been a "regular" actor for the past couple of years, I understand that the majority of these will probably go unnoticed amidst a sea of other more experienced VAs. I'm also looking into taking class. It just comes down to a scheduling and money thing for me. What else can I be doing to further my career in this market? I really want to go after it and grind it out, but I'm feeling a bit lost in what my next steps should be.
BEST ACTING CHANNELS ON YOUTUBE??? by TheActorIan • last post Sep 20th
Hey ya’ll as I’m growing as an actor, I want to find other resources to further my training. Are there any YouTubers you can suggest to help me with my acting? Thanks you!!!
When's the best time to submit to talent agencies regarding representation? by Joshnee • last post Sep 20th
So long story short, I(18M) am doing 2 more acting at my university and was told that even when you just start the class, you can put it in your resume, so since I am sort of new to acting, I will have 2-3 acting classes under \*Training\* on my resume. I will also have hopefully been in more student films/productions and maybe gone to a workshop to just make a very good resume and OBVIOUSLY, become a better actor! Also, I am currently learning gymnastics(backflips and such) which is very fun and I bet also a very good "special skill" for acting (I know that helped Tom Holland book Spiderman big time) For these reasons, I am waiting till then. But I am also well aware that pilot season starts mid January , so I was wondering if I was to submit to a ton of casting agencies around January 13-20, would it be a bad idea given all the agents will be busy?
Do you need perfectly straight teeth to be an actor? by Joshnee • last post Sep 20th
I never got braces and my teeth aren't perfectly straight. I don't have huge gaps or anything in my mouth, but like 4 of my teeth in my mouth aren't super straight. I was always told you need perfect teeth (and really white) teeth to be an actor. Is this true?
Concerns with smoking a pipe for a role by Ulinskyy • last post Sep 19th
For a role I need my actor to smoke an old timey tobacco pipe, I need a plume of smoke. I intend to use ground up herbal cigarettes (just take off the packaging) Could this still pose a health risk? They are not a smoker.
You’ll never be like fucking Will Smith! You’ll never come close to becoming that successful! by Positive_Vibes_For_U • last post Sep 19th
My brother said those words to me after I just told him that I wanted to be an actor. I was 18 years old. Those words hurt
I've been told I'm eerily similar to one of the top actors of our days and honestly it sucks by CharlieBluu • last post Sep 19th
I don't mean to be boasting about this, I wouldn't have ever noticed it if not for those multiple directors, DPs and casting agencies. And while that sounds like a cool thing, it really isn't. I'm acting and in an acting school currently myself, only on a much smaller scale - which might be because I was born in the wrong country, started to late, wasn't as lucky or I'm just not talented enough. (Mind you, this actor I'm talking about really is talented and has some serious set of skills.) And the thing occured to me: I will never be a well-known actor. There's already a guy with the same character, looks, voice is also very close, who is insane famous and brings instant success. So what am I doing here? And it just struck me like a lightning - so long I can do this I'll be happy with whatever roles/fame I have. Of course I'll keep fighting. But I won't let this whole self-crisis take me further from my goal. Yes, I was highly inspired by Positive Vibes 4 U, I will tag you mate in an edit, and I'm so glad you got over it as well. I guess so many of us has these kinds of 'oh I'll never be good enough' thoughts, and it's important to talk about getting over these, might help someone else as well. Edit: u/Positive_Vibes_For_U
Headshot-Age Range-Character Type Post - Sep 19 by AutoModerator • last post Sep 19th
Use this thread to post your headshots for feedback, get info on your age range/type, find good headshot photographers, ask any questions you may have about headshots. If you are posting a DIY headshot for feedback, and not just a snapshot in order to get feedback on your age range/type/etc, it is advised that you do at least some basic research on what actor headshots look like--composition, framing, lighting. You will find a Google Image search for "actor headshots" to be very helpful for this. Non-professional shots are fine for age/typecasting; please keep in mind that one picture is a difficult way to go about this. Video of you moving and speaking would be ideal, but understandably more difficult to post. For what it's worth, the branding workshop at SAG-AFTRA recommends a five-year age range. That's inclusive, so for example 19-23, 25-29, 34-38, etc.
Those of you who got your MFA in Acting, would you do it again? by PRT5001 • last post Sep 19th
Hi there! I'm a bit of a late bloomer when it comes to acting. It was something I had a passion for without even realizing--When I was little, I always loved to memorize movie lines and recite them in front of the mirror, or grab a video camera/camcorder (tbt to the Flip Ultra HD) and film myself, but I never expressed any of this interest to my parents. Now I'm a 22 year old thinking "Oops, I should have spoken up". Anyway, I ended up on a pre-med track, and recently graduated with my BA in Psychology almost entirely disregarding my passion for acting, until I signed myself up for Backstage and showed up to my first audition, where I got two callbacks. That's when I thought, hey, maybe this is for me! So I took some acting electives at my university and got involved with the productions in their theater department. Unfortunately, Theater/ Acting wasn't offered as a major, so my training is severely limited. I did gain some experience on stage, however, and played a lead role in three productions during my time there. I'm very much aware that acting is not only about talent, but about skill, and I still have so much to learn. Though my experiences helped to instill a confidence in my ability, in my honest opinion I am no where near a good actor, and that's okay. The only thing I am certain of is that I can work hard to improve, and no matter my skill-set, my passion for acting isn't something that's going away. (I've tried to ignore it, lol) I'm getting mixed feedback about the best way to pursue further training. I'm lucky to be in NYC, where there are a lot of options, but I'm also entirely indecisive in nature and not sure which particular path to take. At this point, I'm considering an MFA program but any insight would be highly appreciated. Thank you in advance! :)
I may be an actor, but I’m not dumb as a bag of rocks... Yeah, probably time to unsubscribe from all those backstage emails. by MickyKaMoodle • last post Sep 19th
How do you get an agent? by PervertedPsychopath1 • last post Sep 19th
I've been acting for only a few months, just some minor stuff from Backstage is all I've done thus far. I'm wondering, how do i find an agent who can find work for me? How do I contact them, how do I meet them? Would most agencies take on an actor with minimal credits to put on their resume? Do I need a video reel? Any advice is appreciated.
A Time To Work vs A Time To Act by GameSeven • last post Sep 19th
Hi Actors, I want to put out a question on the marathon aspect of acting as a career. I recently finished a four month production that was easily the highlight of my youngish career. It was paid, it was fun, it was hard work. I really loved it. However, I had a small part in it and throughout the process was hungry for opportunity to grow and learn as a performer. Now that the show is finished I feel like I'm at a crossroads. Should I immediately jump back into auditioning and another project or spend time reassessing my skillset and creative goals? Let me know if any of you have had a similar experience!