We have found 19,242 posts across 4 actor forums:
Middle eastern actors... by baryll • last post May 1st
Do you have any tips for getting SAG roles or moreso the opportunity to read for SAG roles. I have an agent, read for LA agent - she will sign me once I book a SAG role even if it is a one liner. Literally no idea what to do besides just wait but I have been training since the 3rd grade. 21 now. Made a backstage the other day additionally, literally no clue wtf to do.
My ideal type of acting would be to have roles on TV shows, but I really don't want to be famous. Are there any options for me? by A_Hopeful_Actor • last post May 1st
It sounds like a silly question I know, but is there a way to try out exclusively for small roles which may for example be a reccurring character who only says a few lines every few episodes? I'm thinking of times I'll google who an actor is, and they'll have a couple thousand instagram followers or less, and not really have a "fan base" who interact with them, yet they get to actually have some form of career in TV acting. Thanks in advance for any responses!
Idk whether or not to leave college (want to be a voice actor) by GeeOKeem • last post May 1st
I've been wanting to voice act since my junior year of highschool but my mom kept telling me to go to college and get my degree which makes sense. I went into communications and was extremely unhappy so recently i changed my major to theatre to work toward my goal. The only thing is i'm still unhappy. I have no motivation for school at all even though i feel this obligation that i should be doing. Now luckily because of the pel grant, and my adoption etc im going pretty much for free, in fact the school gives me money at the end of each semester around 1,800$. I feel like i should be going because i have the opportunity to go but im not happy. The biggest obstacle however is if i leave i lose my adoption health insurance and my mom loses the money she gets from my adoption which she needs and these are the two big things she keeps bringing up (plus she doesnt want me to move to LA or Dallas to work and would much rather me stay close). If i were to go on her health inssurance theres no way shed be able to afford it because her current jobs health inssurance is complete garbage. Her at age 57 and a software engineer doesnt think she can find a job at her age, which i dont find to be true but im inexperienced in the working world and have no idea. I just dont know what to do at this point. I want to work full time and begin saving up to take acting classes, (my school only has acting 1 and i already took it.....) and i can already begin to audition for projects online because i have all the equipment. I guess my question is do i drop out, and risk the health insurrance dissapearance or stay in school untill im 24 to get a degree that wont gaurantee me a well paying job at all. My thought was also i could save up so just in case i struggle int he future i could get myself certified in something but thats worst case scenario.
Becoming a voice actor by AndyFieldVO • last post May 1st
The number one thing you have to do to be a successful voice actor is get acting training. It's voice ACTING, after all. Assuming you're doing that, THEN what do you do? There's so much more to it, just like there's so much more to on-camera acting. I teach a beginner class - there's some acting training, and a lot of "how to make it happen" training. The assignments will take you out of your comfort zone in baby steps and get you going. More details here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBqenrx5exM
Technique to stop ghosting by SnortWhoresFuckCoke • last post May 1st
Basically it's a combination of the ol' "pretend they killed your dog" trick (at least what my drama teacher called it) and something army cadets taught me. In the army, (Prince of Wales Royal Regiment at least) making direct eye contact isn't allowed. So we were always told to look at the rim of the beret, which is roughly where your eyebrows sit unless you have some crazy stupid eyebrow setup like some do these days. When it comes to direct eye contact, a little smirk from one actor can sometimes send another into full-blown laughter. Which, happened to me at least 8 or 9 times this past week working with another actor. Anyway, the tip that really helped him was to stare at the eyebrows. This stops you from picking up on micro expressions around the mouth (leading to ghosting) and it also stops you from doing that awkward "where do I actually look?" thought process. It really helped him, who kept laughing during the fight scene whenever I took a back bump. It's how I used to win staring competitions as a kid, also with a combination of making dumb faces to make them laugh.
How can you realistically tell that you are talented as an actor? by Bradifi3d • last post Apr 30th
When is it appropriate to use a coach for assistance on a role? by AllOpposed • last post Apr 30th
I hear of many actors using an acting coach for roles in feature films and television. Have you ever employed the services of a coach? If so, why? Was it a large role? Personally, I usually only work with a coach for self tapes, but I was wondering if it’s seen as industry standard to use a coach for guest star roles and alike. Or is it standard to only use a coach’s services for larger bookings? Thanks.
How can I age a character by 20+ years? by RhysWarren • last post Apr 30th
Really sorry if this is the wrong place to post such a question, but I would love all the feedback possible! Im currently casting for a short film which takes place across 20\-25 years. My problems comes down to casting. I have both a male and female character. The male being the father ages from 35\-60 and the female, the daughter, 9\-34. Am I better off casting similar looking actors, if so how similar are we talking and how can I find actors that resemble each other? Or is makeup the better option? Thanks!
How do i react to a partner who isn't trying? by GeeOKeem • last post Apr 30th
I go to a small state school. Recently switched my major to theatre beacause i really want to be a voice actor (might drop out but thats for another post). My school has a very small theatre department and 90% of the people in it arent serious about it. For my final i had to do a pretty intense scene from daredevil in which two characters are arguing. My scene partner never showed up to class like ever not even for the workshops except the last one. Becasue of this i, during my scene in the workshop really went for it and yelled when i thought i should etc. Which of course is not good but i just ended up making him look bad and it seemed pretty pre rehearsed on my part because we never got together, he didnt know his lines, etc. Which my professor told me and that i needed to react to him. When it came to actually performing the scene for my final he knew his lines but was very monotone so i tried my best to react to him but it seemed very much to me like i ended up performing worse than during the workshop. Is there any way to wotk around this?
I have no idea what to do! I want to be an actor, but I didn't acknowledge it until now. by SrSwizzle • last post Apr 30th
I just finished my freshman year of college. I did some acting way back in elementary school, but haven't followed up in a decade. I've been reflecting and realized that I wish I had continued to keep with it. I realized that I always wanted to keep acting, but put it off thinking that it was impractical or a futile dream. I decided that I want to give it another go anyway. I don't know what school I'm going to be at next year, as I'm transferring. I also want to get involved with school theater, but am worried that I would be way to behind on experience. My local area has no acting classes this summer and the community theater closes down from June until September. I forgot how much I love acting and I don't want to give up on it, but I don't know what to do to keep following it. Any tips or advice?
Have you ever turned down a role? by IcemanLA • last post Apr 30th
Have you ever turned down a role. And I don't mean an audition, because I'm sure we're all done that, but actually booked something and then said no? I have only twice \(I think\). The first was a long time ago and a student film. I was cast as a 16 year old.... I was about 30. The other 16\-year\-old characters were actually 16. I might have looked young, but not that young. Also strange was that I didn't make it to the audition, but was cast anyway. I told the director I wasn't going to do it after the table read. The second time was a play. They wanted to bring me in at the last minute to replace an actor, and it was a big role. For this one I just didn't feel I could get up to speed in less then a week and not look like a terrible actor next to those that had been working on it for months.
Is there anything that I am missing? by ImaginedKing • last post Apr 30th
I am almost done with my freshman year of college, and in this year, I have been getting very involved in acting. In fact, I've recently declared a theatre minor because of this sudden interest in acting. I am just curious if there is any important information that I am missing about the field that I need to be made aware of, and I also want to voice some concerns of mine to see if they are legitimate. Finding this passion started with me taking a mandatory theatre appreciation class my first semester. This class happened to be my most enjoyable class, not just because of the students and professor but also because the class was just sincerely enjoyable. The professor taught the class in a more active way and let us get on the stage a few times to do some acting games. On one of the first assignments we submitted online after one of these acting games, he mentioned that I acted well and thought I had previous acting experience. I told him that I didn't, and he recommended that I try out acting as something to go into. Now in my second semester I'm in an acting for non majors class and this professor thinks of me as a good actor as well. He wants me to go even further with acting and take an acting for the camera summer class because he thinks I have a great potential and a sort of "face" for acting. Now for my concerns: I would love to just go an audition for plays, but I am extremely limited because I do not have a car and therefore do not have reliable transportation. I also do not think there is much in terms of acting opportunities where I live, though I may be mistaken. There's also this doubt that I have that might even be irrational. I fear that my abilities are being highly exaggerated. My current acting professor said that for one of my monologues, I did better than a professional actor he saw do the character once. Along with this, everyone in my class constantly "praises" my acting, and I just don't know how much of the praise is from them knowing me and liking me as a person. Are these concerns legitimate, mainly the one about transportation, or am I just overthinking? Also, is there anything I should be made aware of? Thanks for taking the time to at least read this.
Actors, how hard is it to hold a full time job while trying to get auditions and parts? by whaleforce9 • last post Apr 30th
Also, how do you work around your schedule to balance both acting and working? For some background, I'm aspiring to be an actor. I have about a year and a half left to finish my accounting degree and plan on moving to LA after I graduate (I live in South Carolina). My plan is to use my degree to generate income while training as an actor/auditioning. My primary concern is balancing work/acting until I'm generating enough income in acting to where I can survive on it. Are there any working actors on here working a full time job? Are most audition times during normal working hours? I'm pretty inexperienced, but I'm trying to be as prepared as possible for when I make the big leap across the country. Any advice/information is greatly appreciated.
Bit of an odd question... by AJHickling • last post Apr 30th
Hey all, New to the sub and fairly new to acting as a profession. I've always been passionate AF about acting but in the last year things are blowing up in crazy ways in regards to me acting on stage. Recently, I have been working with a singular director, helping bring his original pieces to the stage in Manchester, UK. He's cast me as the lead twice and both plays have been huge successes and are going to London next year (fingers crossed). First however, his other acclaimed play "Porno Chic" is definitely going though. He has offered me a smaller role in this play - Dolly Sharp (yes, the play is about the famous porno film "DeepThroat") - I am not too bothered about what the role entails because I've already seen the production and it's incredible (the play, not the film). What I am worried about however, is how to keep my body hair away for the duration of the run. I have really bad eczema and can't shave every day. My legs I can wax ofc but it's under my arms I'm worried about. So, I wanna know, fellow actors; how do you keep your pits so silky smooth for two/three weeks? Do you wax? Shave everyday? It's an odd question, I know but I thought someone on here must have some tips! TL;DR - How do actors keep their pits silky smooth for the duration of a play without shaving everyday?
Photography by Clatworthy • last post Apr 29th
Can anyone recommend a good photographer? I am currently signing up with casting agencies, but I need some really good photos for my portfolio. Thanks in advance.
How do you feel about self-taping? by WordAndCopySayer • last post Apr 29th
You love it? Hate it? Think it's fair that actors are expected to audition themselves? Not fair? You feel technically competent to produce a good looking and sounding audition? One that is as good as what you'd get in a casting office? Curious how people feel about the whole thing.
I’m starting to freak out a little. by ThrowawayFreakOut97 • last post Apr 29th
I started pursuing this back when I was 17; I did a couple student films, popped up in a TV show for a few minutes, then a handful of commercials, and suddenly I’ve got myself an agent. Now all my auditions feel really official, I’m having meetings in casting offices and things are looking up. I soon realise that I’m totally winging it, most of the time I’m bombing these auditions because I have no clue what I’m doing; I mean, up until that point my only experience had been high school plays and watching movies. So, at 18, and with my agents support, I spent a year in a conservatoire studying the craft — I’d still audition every now and then, but from aged 18 to 19 my focus was solely on soaking up everything I could and improving myself as an actor. A few weeks after I’d graduated, I landed a small TV gig and got the opportunity to tour in a play but then after that... nothing. I kept myself busy by writing my own stuff, putting together shorts for festival runs, and keeping fresh with acting teachers but almost 7 months went by and I hadn’t heard a peep from my agent. And then she phones me, she tells me that she has cancer and is leaving the agency to spend time with her family — I’ll spare you the details, but it was heartbreaking to hear and we shared a lot of tears that day. The agency took on most of her clients but, as I hadn’t booked anything in 7 months, they more or less dropped me; an assistant at the agency took me on and I was basically pushed into leaving myself. So, at 20, I’m agentless, and if I’m being honest with you guys, in my whole “life plan” this was not supposed to happen. Like, not at all, and I kind of flew off the handle. Long story short, a good portion of the last year, I spent eating Cheetos on my couch and getting high on a cocktail of drugs; I lost my job, got kicked out my apartment - it’s safe to say that that was a really shitty time in my life. But, I guess, you can only smoke away your troubles for so long - I realised that in the summer of last year when, on a rare outing, I saw a friend of mine that I hadn’t spoken to since things had went awall gracing his very own billboard and I kind of had a real existential crisis. And I know this’ll probably sound stupid, self-obsessed, and just really gross but my imediate thought in that moment was “shit, that’s supposed to be me”. It’s from then that I pack in the procrastination and start really working —day and night putting together a showreel; new footage and old, contacting old acting teachers, getting headshots, emailing every agent in the city; honestly, all in all, I worked from August to October almost none stop. I swear, I must’ve emailed at least 150 agencies; and none of this copy and paste bullshit, nah! I’m talking about notebooks filled with research on these guys, I bought a fucking whiteboard for this! At the time, my room looked like the lair of a serial killer. Eventually, after troves of meetings that went nowhere and automated email rejections, this dude takes me on. Now, honestly, for where I was at, he was way out of my league, man. I don’t know why he took a chance but he did, and for that, I’m grateful. A couple of months after he took me on, I’m already working. At the end of last year I was in an off-westend show and a couple of months back I recorded my first radio drama! But now, I’m deep into a three month dry-spell; not just role-wise but auditions, too. And I can’t lie, I’m really starting to freak out. The things I’ve been writing for myself have all fallen apart and, right now, I’m just like, fuuck! I’m at a point now where everywhere I look someone I know is either starring in a tv show or has a movie coming out and I’m just here feeling stuck. Nothing is happening. Everytime I try and make something happen it falls apart, it’s like I’m banging my head against a brick hall here; screaming into my pillow. I’m 21 now, and it’s starting to feel like I’ve wasted four years of my life. I know I’m still young, I don’t have any delusions about being “too old”, I just... it’s hard to put into words how I feel. It feels like I should be further in this than I am, if that makes sense? I don’t know, it’s weird (sorry if this feels anticlimactic). Sorry for the rant, guys. Just needed to get this off my chest because I woke up today feeling like shit. Hope you’re all well. ____________ tl;dr: Basically, I feel like I should be further in this industry than I currently am. I’m currently in a 3 month audition dry spell and I’m starting to freak out a little.
nyc actor new to LA, any other actors wanna grab a beer sometime? by saladfingers0971 • last post Apr 29th
29 year old dude, reasonably chill. living in the koreatown / westlake area. just moved out here, figured I'd see if anybody wants to get a little actor meet up thing going or go hiking or something.
Becoming noticed out of the blue... by nathanla24 • last post Apr 29th
Hello. I was reading something about the actor Chris Pratt. It says that at 19 years old when he was waiting tables at a restaurant, an actor and director decided that he was perfect to fit in their movie. This was basically the start that kicked off his career. Has this ever happened to anyone you know or yourself. Thanks
Everyone Was Right About Those Audition "Do nots"... by alamana • last post Apr 29th
I had an audition this weekend for a Renaissance Festival cast that does several plays (this year Henry VIII and La Dama Boba) as well as improv type stuff with the festival attendees and I have some thoughts as a result. We auditioned in small groups (12 or so actors), performing our (Shakespeare) monologues in front of one another as well as in front of the auditors. That experience really kind of solidified much of the common audition wisdom in my mind. Big time. Having sat through that audition, and seen pretty much everything we are warned against, here are my thoughts: Yep -- don’t do a monologue from the play you are auditioning for. When one of the actresses announced that she’d be doing Katherine from Henry VIII, I saw one of the auditors look up with a look of shock that dissolved into annoyance. (This was especially egregious here given that they’ve done Henry VIII for several years now and Katherine of Aragon is already cast and wonderful). The actress did a pretty good job with the piece, but at least for the auditor that I noticed, that didn’t seem to matter. Yep – don’t do something that conflicts with your “type.” A guy who looked about 50 years old did Hamlet’s speech to the players. Even though he did a nice job of looking like an older experienced actor/director given amusing advice to actors, that isn’t the character of Hamlet. And that was distracting as hell, even though the acting itself was pretty good. He would have been much better off with a different piece. Yep – try not to do something that’s overdone. Two young men did the same monologue. It was impossible not to compare them. One’s mind automatically does a “who did it better” thing, whether you want it to or not. Yep – time yourself and don’t go over time. They told us that the timekeeper would stop us if we went more than a little bit over 90 seconds, and one actress was stopped because she went over time. Watching the look on her face as time was called and watching her look all defeated while walking back to her seat was painful and all but cancelled out the great job she’d just done. Yep – be prepared. They had sent sides by email about a week before the audition (because they basically do callbacks on the spot rather than at a later date) and told us that if we were interested in a particular role, that we’d be given the chance to read for it. Out of twelve of us, only two of us took that opportunity (and the auditors were clearly pleased with us). I think I’m being seriously considered for the role I asked to read for. Most of the actors in the room clearly hadn’t even looked at the sides. It was a big opportunity missed for all but two of us. I know we’ve all heard this stuff a million times if we’ve heard it once, but seeing virtually all of the faux pas we are warned against happen in one audition room with twelve actors was very interesting so I thought I’d post. The good news is – pretty much everyone is messing up, so the odds are in my favor, ha ha. Flip side of that coin was that it was kinda painful to watch people shoot themselves in the foot.