10 Pro Tips to Help You Become a Great Actor
A great actor is not made overnight. There are a lot of people out there trying to get noticed, and you are only one of the many. That’s why it pays to do a few simple things that will help to distinguish you from the rest. With that in mind, here are ten simple tips that will help you on your quest to become one of the world’s best actors.
1. Lots Of Rehearsing
Like any other skill, acting requires regular practice. You can do this by printing out some movie scripts and acting out the parts yourself. Don’t just mindlessly read them, of course; get into the role and try to become that character as much as possible mentally. The more you do it, the easier it will be.
2. Get Some Good Photos Of Yourself
You are basically marketing yourself when trying to become an actor, so you want to let them get a good look at you. That’s where professional-quality photos can make a big difference. Not only does it give them a good idea of who they are working with, but it also shows that you are serious and that you took the time and effort to get high-quality photos done. There are many good places to obtain these services.
3. Consider An Acting Class
For all the times you’ve been wondering how to become an actor, you don’t necessarily want to learn the self-taught route. While this is certainly possible, an acting class can help you to get an excellent start on your future career. At the very least, they will teach you the fundamentals that all actors are expected to know. You might be able to enroll in such a class at your local university, but many private institutions offer acting classes.
4. Consider Your Character’s Motives
When playing a particular character, you need to think about what drives them. Understanding the motivation of a particular character helps you to express the emotions of that character in a more realistic way. So, even if you are playing a detestable villain character, you should still try to put yourself in their shoes and understand what makes them tick.
5. Don’t Give Up Easily
Once again, there are a lot of potential actors and actresses out there, all of whom are clamoring to be noticed. Only those who seem to offer something special will be easily noticed, and even then there is no guarantee. You have to market yourself, and you have to do it relentlessly. It can take years to break into the acting business, so don’t give up too soon.
6. Cultivate Good Research Skills
There are many cases in which good research can help you to be a better actor. You want to represent your character accurately, both in terms of the fictional world in which they live, and in terms of reality. For instance, if you are playing a character that is supposed to be a medieval wizard, you might research the medieval period, as well as the forms of mysticism that were common at the time. The whole point of this is to create an accurate and believable portrayal.
7. Start Small
You don’t necessarily need to go for a major movie role right away. In fact, that can be very discouraging since you aren’t likely to get said role. Instead, you should start small. Look for things like commercials, voice-over work, etc. You need to build a resume, even if it’s not going to be that impressive at first.
8. Always Listen To Good Advice
While trying to become an actor, you will probably meet people with much more experience than you. Even if they weren’t particularly successful actors, it still pays to listen to their advice. If nothing else, it gives you the benefit of learning from their experiences and (hopefully) avoiding the common pitfalls.
9. Focus On Your Audition Material
In many cases, auditions will require you to bring your own material. This is good because you can choose a particular scene that you especially like and which you feel you can replicate well. Thus, it makes sense to focus your early rehearsals on a few selected pieces of script material.
10. Develop Your Own Style
An actor is supposed to have style, and it’s always a plus if that style happens to be very unique. How you choose to go about this is entirely up to you, so we can only offer this advice: Get creative, and don’t be afraid to think outside the box a little bit.
Conclusion
While many of these are general tips, all of them are frequently-given pieces of advice that often come from successful actors and actresses. We hope that you will find this article to be a good starting point, but don’t be afraid to follow these lessons to the utmost and realize your dreams as soon as possible.