Why do you want to be an actor? My heart stopped when I realized I had no idea how to answer this question. My first thought was… I’m good at it. People have always told me I’m a good performer. It’s ridiculous to think that I’ve dedicated so much (unpaid!) time and effort just for external validation. This is the trap that so many aspiring artists fall into. Eventually the compliments run out. When you’re a professional actor it’s your JOB. When you’re in 8 shows a week and a toothpaste commercial nobody’s coming to give you a daily ego boost. This question made me realize that I had to figure out why I love acting or find a different profession.
Now if you ask me why I want to be an actor my answer is so much more. I want to be an actor because I want to represent women with belly fat and stretch marks. I want to portray queer characters. I want to tell stories that have never been told before.
If you want to be an actor you must treat your craft like a business. Why you want to act is your mission statement. You are your own product and you need to take care of yourself. To prevent burn out you need to create a healthy work schedule and routine. You need to market yourself. And, you need to DO THE WORK.
I find that many actors, including my past self, avoid performing because they are afraid of failure. Although that is completely understandable it will get you nowhere. If you want to be a baker sitting on your couch watching Food Network and hoping you’ll be like Betty Crocker one day is useless. Doing something is always better than nothing.
Acting requires you to be vulnerable and emotional which can be challenging when life gives you lemons. Establishing a ritual or routine to get yourself in the head space that will allow you to access emotions in a healthy way is paramount. I like to stretch or do yoga and focus on breathing before I start working on a monologue. I mentally “tap in” with myself which is my way of saying I’m “on the clock”. Whatever works for you, treat your ritual like a morning routine because you are getting ready for work.
Now that you’ve established a daily routine it’s time to get to work! This can be setting up your phone and filming a self tape, or it can be cursing the computer gods as you try to make your own website. Marketing yourself is sooooo important because it’s the only way agents and managers will see you. Luckily the internet has made marketing incredibly accessible. Make a tic tok, instagram, twitter, and just start being yourself. Showing off your personality and interests makes you REAL. Authenticity and charm is what agents are looking for because it’s what humans relate to. In addition to posting small windows into your life post dramatic material!
Doing the work and actually acting is the most important advice I can give. I had a teacher who always told us: If you can’t dazzle me with brilliance, baffle me with bullshit. As a performer there is no right answer. You will never be perfect. In fact imperfections are what make performers memorable and unique. So even if you were like me in college, hungover and running on coffee and gummy worms, just give it a shot. Pick a piece of text and film yourself alone in your room. Then go back and watch it. Don’t cringe at the way your voice sounds on camera, or that pimple on your forehead. Watch as if you are an audience member and ask yourself: Do you believe that person? Do you like that person? Do you want to find out what happens next?
I am by no means an expert on the entertainment industry and this article, unfortunately, will not make you a star. I have not included much about how to act in this article or how to create a resume and reel etc. Fortunately there are thousands of online resources that will help you figure that out. Love yourself and be proud of the work you put out into the world. Also because I’m a good actor, here’s a shameless plug ig:alisonradkey952 website: alisonradkey.com