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How to Start Acting

How to start acting… how do you get into the acting business? Many children growing up want to be doctors, lawyers, or actors – these are the professions that children know about and dream about. Most people know that to become a doctor, you go to medical school, and to become an lawyer you go to law school. How do you start acting, though? To become an actor, do you go to act school? To become an actor, you move to Hollywood… in a sense.

So, here is a short guide to how to start acting:

· First of all, you need to decide whether you want to be a professional actor or an amateur. If you want to be an amateur actor, check with local theaters and see what they have to offer. If you want to become a professional actor… well, there is a bit more that you have to do.
· You need to move to a major city. You do not necessarily need to move out to Hollywood. Although you will probably end up in New York or Los Angeles if you want to be truly successful, you can start to build up your resume in a different, large city. There are many metropolitan areas that have good theater and film communities.
· You may not need to go to “act school,” but you certainly ought to take some acting classes. An actor should never stop studying acting.
· Get a good headshot. You are going to need a good headshot, not a glamour shot, to send with your resume to get a good agent and to get good auditioning opportunities.
· You need to read the trade papers on a regular basis and also online publications to hear about casting calls. When you hear about a casting call that you are interested in, send in your headshot and resume to request an audition.
· To do well in the acting industry, you need to start networking. You need to know people in the industry. Therefore, you need to accept any and all invitations to industry parties and events.
· Do not give up. It can be hard to start acting. You most likely will not land the first role that you really want. It does not mean that you will not land a good role down the line

Before you even get started in acting, make sure that you realize it is a difficult business to succeed in. Chances are you will not be the next Brad Pitt, but you can still find your niche. If you simply love to act but do not care about all of the fame and wealth that comes with professional acting, you can always try out an amateur theater. It may be the perfect way to practice the acting that you love. Now you know how to start acting.

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