Dacre Montgomery (Billy from Stranger Things) is from Australia (even though according to his IMDB he has a double citizenship - Australian and Canadian) and is a very talented actor nonetheless, but there's something about him that confuses me a lot. Here are a few of his IG post' captions: >**1.** After ten years of pursuing a career in this industry - here’s a story about how it all started... I got a call, on a Friday (the last week before graduating drama school). Directions were to get on a plane the following morning (Saturday) for a test deal in Los Angeles for a film I hadn’t taped for. Casting had seen 1 of the 98 other tapes I had done that year, at home each night after finishing class. > >I split the business ticket for two economies and took my mother, who’d helped me the whole way. We set off from our (relatively) small city in Australia, which seemed like a billion light years away.I tested the next morning (Sunday) in front of the whole studio of executives, casting and the director. > >I’d never been to LA. I’d never done a test. > >I was scared. Fuelled by passion, but blinded by nerves. Scared about loosing my anonymity if I got the role, scared it’d been so long pursuing it, what if I couldn’t pull it off?The next morning (Monday), I got the call. A few minutes (and a mini heart attack) later - I was told I HAD THE ROLE. > >My mother had spent the better half of a decade telling me - “you never know what’s around the corner”. My mantra had been - “be ready for where preparation meets opportunity”. It was at this moment, I was ready.Every moment, every trial, every tribulation had happened for a reason and made me who I was. So that I could step in the shoes and the role and have the work ethic and maturity required, to make the most out of it.I had turned the “corner”. I had prepared. I was ready.The IMDB photo is just a number. But [\#1](https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/1/) \- 3 weeks in a row - this means something to me. It holds value, it gives me hope. I will not squander the opportunities I have been given.I would urge each and every one of you to go out there, AND GET IT. > >**2.** When I was a kid, I was lost. > >I had a really tough time in school.I was a big kid who loved drama. > >I never got passing grades, I wasn’t popular or a gifted sports player.Girls were never interested in me.I suffered from anxiety from a young age.I was distracted and I wasn’t focused.But I had a dream, I was lucky - I knew what I wanted to do. And every night I went home and I focused on THAT. > >I visualised a future where my dreams became a reality.When I was 15 I failed my high school drama exams.When I was 16 I was told I needed to loose weight.When I was 17 I was told I should go to drama school and train.When I was 18 I was fired from my job.When I was in drama school I was told to leave.When I had a DREAM - I was told it wasn’t achievable.Well, you know what....I lost weight, I went to drama school and I never stopped wanting it, I never stopped being curious. I never let the failures get me down.Because I believed in myself and I never let anyone tell me otherwise.You can do anything you set your mind to.So, go out there and get it! > >**3.** Here's a self tape - for something I didn't get.Do not be afraid to take risks in your work. I spent 10 years pursuing a career before I booked anything.You need to have an unwavering belief in your abilities and yourself. Light that fire in your belly and visualize your goals. > >But most of all DO NOT BE AFRAID TO FAIL. Go out there and get it! So.. you can tell that he isn't a Maya Hawke type of nepotism kid that just happened to sign with a CAA agent because of mommy and daddy (he's signed with CAA too). Yes, he's (according to him) worked hard for a really long time indeed, but so do hundreds and thousands working actors in LA for years in a row too, yet most of them never get to sign with a big agent/get recognition. He's very talented and handsome, but so are a lot of other actors without connections. So HOW on earth did he get a good agent? He lived in Perth. As amazing as you may be (as an actor), how does a huge US agent happen to recognize you out of nowhere when you literally live in the other end of the world? He mentions self-taping/doing auditions in LA. I get that because a lot of foreign actors didn't have visas/green cards before getting parts in the US but after securing a role big enough the studio they're working for provided it for them because they liked them a lot, but he wasn't a known Australian actor and had little to nothing in his resume. Given the circumstances, how did he even get an LA agent at all (if we're actually even assuming that he was signed with a smaller agency first)? I doubt that someone would want to sign a contract with him given the fact that he wasn't recognizable even in his own country, had little to no professional experience (some amateur theater, a few short films and only one "real movie" that was filmed in Australia) and had no work papers for the US. I really don't get it. From [this](https://web.archive.org/web/20151117031556/https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/wa/a/29877708/waapa-student-named-new-power-ranger/) article you can tell that he got the POWER RANGERS role a year prior to graduating from his drama school. Not only did he get a role in the US (even before graduating from said drama school), it was a major one. He must've had a pretty good US agent back then too. The only explainable reason would be help from the drama school he was attending. In WAAPA's site it is said that [3-year graduates are accompanied to showcase LA.](https://www.waapa.ecu.edu.au/news/latest-news/waapa/2018/07/waapa-acting-graduates-to-showcase-in-la) This part of the article was interesting too: ***"In recent years the WAAPA Acting graduates have been attracting great interest from US management, agents and casting directors. Many of our alumni are currently working there on feature films and TV series."*** So.. is it possible that it was simply his drama school that helped him get said US representation? I don't see any other explainable reason. Don't get me wrong, i think he DOES deserve the exposure and all given the fact that he's probably one of the best modern-day actors I've ever seen (you should definitely watch S3 of Stranger Things, he did an AMAZING job) but his "road to success" is a little bit strange and even unexplainable in some ways.
I see a lot of posts asking how to get agents, how did this certain actor or actress land this role, what do I need to do to make it, etc. The simple answer is: luck. Every single actor who has made it big has had some luck. They were in the right place at the right time. However, this does not discredit the fact that all of these actors have worked extremely hard to get where they are currently. Luck+preparation=success. You have to be ready if that time comes. Any actor who doesn't credit luck to their success is lying to themselves. I know it makes people feel warm and fuzzy inside to believe anyone can make it if they work hard enough, but luck is always a factor.
How do you all deal with rejection when everything went well: you prepared as much as possible, you took risks, you made bold choices, you got a callback and smashed that, and you still didn’t get the role? I’ve been dealing with this over and over again lately, for the better part of two years, and I don’t know what to do with it. I’m getting callbacks and positive feedback, so I know it’s not just because I suck. I’m taking classes, I’m putting myself out there, I’m preparing, I’m kind at auditions, etc. So then I start thinking, well it must be because I’m not pretty enough, or not fit enough, or just somehow uninteresting and undeserving of telling these stories. It’s a rough place to be in mentally, but I don’t know what else to think. I just want to act. I just want to tell stories and create art. I’m tired of this heartache, of being told I’m not the right fit for these roles that feel perfect to me. But there’s this drive within me that I cannot ignore, so I keep going and keep getting hurt. I’m not ready to give up, but I don’t want to lose my sanity getting zero gain out of all of this work and effort and passion. I guess I’m just feeling lost and want some comfort or some kind of kick in the pants. Thanks for reading. ETA: I know I’m not a perfect actor, and not all of my auditions are perfect. I guess what I’m saying is, it’s easy to shrug off not booking something when you can point out obvious mistakes you made, or just that you had a bad audition. The struggle here is moving on from the good (and if I may be so bold, great) ones that still result in rejections.
I made an animated short, for which I need three minutes of voice over. Somebody online offered to do it for me for $125, and asked if we could do it through SAGAFTRA. I contacted a sagaftra coordinator who told me it would be much more than $125. Is this true? Is there anyway to stick to this price?
im new from NYC, i dont know a ton of people out here, and the people I do know all have their living situations figured out, and most of them pay ridiculous rent. different strokes for different folks I guess. right now I'm paying $400 and i'm able to pay for my expensive acting bullshit, but i live with assholes and the bathroom is disgusting. I'm trying to either find a cheap studio and split with 1 person, or find a 2 bedroom and split with 3 other people so we can all have dirt cheap rent, have our own place and be able to cook, and do all our expensive acting stuff. a perk would be the fact that we are all actors and can help each other self tapes for stuff, i know i get a significant amount of tapes and finding a reader is always a pain in the ass. anyway, i'm 31, wait tables, play drums, pretty chill guy, just trying to save money and do this acting thing. PM me if you're interested
Is there a community on reddit for helping actors find monologues? Searched this forum for a bit but I'm unsure how appropriate that would be.
I’m a Winnipeg based actor and our city has been getting busy but I still want more. I’m curious if anyone knows of agents willing to represent actors out of town. I would like to do more self tapes and I believe an agent in a bigger city can find those opportunities for me. Thanks guys!
Is this bad? Shouldn't I have more actor friends who understand me? I never can make any. What am I doing wrong? Thanks
I recently watched a film until the end because the actor playing the protagonist was really good in a TV show (the casting department did a good job matching her)...and though the film isn't the right fit for me as a viewer...it made me wonder about the match of actors and parts. There are times that parts are rewritten at the actor's request ([Keanu Reeves and Speed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_(1994_film) --- if you have another reference other than the one cited in Wikipedia...[DM me](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=WonderNotEnvy)) or once the casting is complete (Nicole Holofcener [amending the script for 'Enough Said'](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmE05pYjFDY) as soon as Julia Louis-Dreyfus was cast)...but sometimes it seems like it just is a casting issue. Is it just me that thinks: Aww....too bad they weren't able to get 'blank' to do the role.' ? Or could it be that it comes down to being able to work together to develop the part (no matter who it was initially intended for)....and keep at it until it works (which is [how Pixar deals with it's films...rewrites...test...rewrites....](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18077903-creativity-inc))? Keen to hear about instances on how you were able to successfully work with a writer to find the best version of your character!
When I was younger all I ever wanted to do was act, in elementary school and in middle school I got involved in any play I could, my parents would even buy me tickets to see plays at the local theater. I remember the joy and happiness it brought me and I remember how cool it was connecting with other people who loved to act cause I didn’t have many friends back then who was interested in it. Anyways, when I got to high school I spent more time hanging out with my friends and doing teenage things, I didn’t even think about acting around this time, the love and passion I had for it faded away. I was going through old photos and in the big box of photos I came across a few video tapes, the video tapes were old plays that I was in, I managed to dig through all the old stuff my grandma likes to hoard and found a VHS player and watched the tapes, I couldn’t watch the whole thing cause I instantly broke down crying. All the memories hit me, I remember how happy I used to be, I remember how much being able to act in simple little plays made me, and those dreams of becoming an actress hit me. I’m 22 now I’ll be 23 in October, Apart of me regrets all the years that I pushed something I loved so much aside, and another part of me wants to get into an acting class and start my journey all over again. I don’t know what to do, I feel like I’m too old now to even bother. I’m really upset about it. I’m not sure if this belongs here, but I’m gonna post it on here anyways.. Also sorry if I was all over the place, I’m just really upset.
The last clip has some voices of other actors who are in the scene, and I am hoping that's not too confusing. I am concerned that audio quality might not be the best. [https://soundcloud.com/thefeedmag/jay-israel-voice-samples/s-E9YvR](https://soundcloud.com/thefeedmag/jay-israel-voice-samples/s-E9YvR)
I have always wanted to be an actress (in my head)- but the issue is that I have an inability to express myself in real life, as in I am very monotone, and dull. I have stage freight too (got panic attack on my graduation walking up the stage). I would like to peruse acting as I feel like playing someone else that isn't me and being in their shoe would be good for me. To express feelings I have bottled up. I tried acting with myself, reading scripts, but I am very monotone. I am scared of acting classes as I may be too shy and monotone. Do you think a class like this would be good for me, or should I find another hobby? [https://www.barrowgroup.org/acting-school/classes/specialty-classes/acting-for-beginners](https://www.barrowgroup.org/acting-school/classes/specialty-classes/acting-for-beginners)
realistically speaking, becoming a successful actor is tough for the best of the best and is highly competitive. I noticed that looks are high in demand, and only those drop dead gorgeous people get casted in hollywood movies, unless the role is intended for an “ugly” character. My question is, what are the probabilities for people who are very ugly but with excellent acting skills making it in hollywood? i personally have a non-symmetrical face with droopy eyes, big nose with uneven nostrils (very noticeable). Is there even hope?
I know this is a dumb question but I live in a very small European country (with barely any projects available) so bare with me. I’ve had one series regular role (and a lot of theatre parts). I got cast with a black hair and had black hair throughout the whole TV show. Unfortunately the market in my country is super small and I’ve been thinking about moving to Madrid/Berlin to continue my career (since I’m completely fluent and accent-free in both German and European Spanish) but I’m afraid that the black hair will prevent me from getting a lot of roles (since in here I got one mainly because there are barely any actors...). I am blue eyed and olive skinned. Overall the combo with the black hair gives me a very “Megan Fox”-y vibe but I’m still not sure whether it’ll be frowned upon (the black hair itself because it’s a very unnatural color for someone so “white”-looking) I won’t look too “foreign” (compared to the other actors in Madrid/Berlin) because I absolutely look European but not really a specific ethnicity. You can’t tell where I’m from but you know it’s from Europe (or maybe a white American but given the fact that I’m not going to the US it doesn’t matter LOL). I don’t think it’ll be a problem in Spain either because in Netflix’s Elite for example there was a pale, blonde, green eyed girl who didn’t look stereotypically Spanish. Also Aron Piper (who’s playing in Elite too) is German and doesn’t look Hispanic at all. The hair just screams “fake” though. It’s very comic book/Kriysten Ritter-y. Even though there are plenty of projects in Germany/Spain I’m afraid that my look won’t fit any role because the standard female roles don’t require anything crazy-looking in terms of appearance (like bright red or black hair). Would it be better for me to dye it a dark brown color? Or should I keep it (since in a way, it’s a part of my image as an actor)? My look definitely fits my type. Comic book/“hottie” roles are the only thing I could imagine myself playing.
Hi fellow actors, I want to find auditions but atm there arent any around my area. Did you have any successful stories from auditioning online?
Hey there, I'm a UK actor and got a callback for a feature film. I was asked to deliver the original excerpt and a callback excerpt in an American accent. Should I maintain the accent for the entire callback, or just stick to using it for the script? Any advice appreciated. Cheers :)
I have been acting in a camera class for about a year and done a few plays, but I like acting for camera more. I have been looking through the casting websites like backstage and backstage looks like the best, but they are mostly 18+ roles. Are there any legit casting websites that are specifically for minors? Do you absolutely need to start acting in camera stuff to become an actor? Because my mom has been saying you should be involved in high school plays and stuff, but I really think I should start auditioning for camera roles but she says we won’t have enough time, and it doesn’t matter if you get any camera roles because I will going to an acting school anyways? Is she right? Suggestions/help?
I am a NYC actor who recently moved to LA 3 days ago to enjoy the finer things and life and expand my horizon. Any advice and/or tips you can give me? Im very open minded and love connecting with people who are very passionate about this business