Welcome back to the roadmap series, “10 Steps- How to become an actor“. You’ve reached step 1, part 2 of “RESEARCH”, how to start an acting career. If you missed part one, we covered topics such as lifestyle, income, location, and what options are available for actors.
Get up to speed and read part one, HERE.
Great, you’re all caught up on the beginning steps. Now, let’s talk a little bit more about WHAT you should research before you start an acting career. I personally don’t always agree with the common saying of “just do it“. I believe you need to do a little bit of research FIRST before you spend time and money. Use these guidelines to help you in developing a solid plan for your new journey.
This blog article will focus on the importance of determining what YOU like and where you fit in.
Read on…
Page Contents
The Roadmap Series– Research Part 2
What do YOU like?
Acting. Ok, I get it. You want to be an actor, but that doesn’t quite narrow down where you would like to invest your focus. In part 1, I asked, “which medium” of acting do you want to do, commercials, theater, TV, improv, etc? Now I’m asking you, which GENRE do you gravitate towards? Are you a drama queen or do you really nail those comedic beats?
If you can be known and great at one thing, then that’s where I recommend you aim your focus.
Think of it this way, when a rom-com is being cast, who are the “go-to” actors? It’s usually someone like Amy Poehler, Melissa McCarthy, Tiffany Haddish, and so on. Actors like Saoirse Ronan or Angelina Jolie aren’t really names that come to mind. Yes, they CAN do comedy, but they’re usually not on the shortlist of consideration first.
How to start an acting career for a specific genre?
It’s important to decide what YOU like because that is where you’ll best spend your efforts. It will be much easier to build a reputation up in a genre where the motivation is peaking.
For example, let’s say you want to focus on comedy and sitcoms. Your resume should be filled with a higher concentration of improv and comedy classes. This also helps your team easily identify how to market you and which casting directors you’ll want to eventually “target“.
This is also a great opportunity to practice some of your comedic skit ideas. Throw them up on YouTube or Tiktok for some feedback and practice. Maybe you can even build a following. Hey, it’s 2022…people are getting huge opportunities from social media nowadays.
Your headshots should be geared more toward whichever avenue you’d like to pursue. Brighter, smiling “commercial” photos are more suitable for comedy, and darker dramatic theatrical headshots are usually for TV/Film. See what I mean? Pick an actor who you admire and study what THEY did, for career success.
How to start an acting career? Well, determine where you fit in!
I’m going to be honest here, this is a love-hate topic for me. However, I also understand the importance of recognizing how I am seen and what my “character” types are.
*NOTE* there is a place for EVERYONE. Watch a few hours of TV to find out where YOU fit in.
I’ll go ahead and use myself as an example. I’m an average size, caucasian female with a strong posture, softer features, and long brown hair. When you look at me, then at people who look like me on TV, you’ll see it. I am usually a mom character, significant other, a nurturer aka teacher/nurse/counselor, a regular at the country club, and so on.
As fun as I think it would be, I’m not looked at as the cool or edgy character or even someone who is great with technology, even though I am in real life!
Finding your type in commercials
Finding out where you “fit in” from the get-go, can help guide you in the direction that will help you get work quicker.
Commercials are the easiest medium to pinpoint the “types”. It’s pretty easy to research once you start paying attention. For example-
- More often than not, you’re going to see a commercial with a dorky, softer body type, Caucasian male who plays somewhat of the comedic punch line. Always.
- Coca-Cola commercials usually have a hipster look with cool and fun haircuts, tattoos, or piercings.
- Family commercials will cast someone who has a more traditional, conservative look like me.
Now that you can recognize where you may fit in, you can use this
Conclusion- How to start an acting career, Part 2
Taking time to research what you like and where you could potentially fit in BEFORE you begin an acting career, can save you time, energy, and money. These steps should be used as guidelines on your journey of “how to start an acting career”.
It’s good to have a general idea of what to expect so you can navigate towards step 2 of starting an acting career, getting into class! Stay tuned!
Let me know in the comments and if you liked this blog, make sure to subscribe to my newsletter to stay up to date on the latest and greatest tips to look, feel, and perform better in front of the camera AND in life!
Plus, by subscribing, you’ll get my free cheat sheet on how to prep for the BEST photo shoot ever!