Yahoo Answers is shutting down on May 4th, 2021 (Eastern Time) and beginning April 20th, 2021 (Eastern Time) the Yahoo Answers website will be in read-only mode. There will be no changes to other Yahoo properties or services, or your Yahoo account. You can find more information about the Yahoo Answers shutdown and how to download your data on this help page.
Trending News
I have been told I am a good actress from many, but I want to know is it possible for me to pursue a career in acting?
4 Answers
- Katrina E.Lv 711 months agoFavorite Answer
Anything is possible. If you're waiting for someone to tell you what to do or make decisions for you or to "discover" you or you need some type of guarantee that you'll eventually make it - acting probably isn't the right career choice for you. If you attempt a professional acting career then you need to be willing to step up and take responsibility for it and not expect someone to give it to you. You need to be willing to invest the time, effort and money; understanding that you may never "make it". And you need to determine if the cost is worth it for you.
Attempting a professional acting career is basically starting and running a business where you are the product being marketed and sold. YOU will need to be in charge of that career. You'll need to understand the casting process (agents, breakdowns, casting directors); legal issues (contracts, unions, taxes); marketing (head shots, resume, show reel, website, social media) and networking. You'll need a way to support yourself while you build your business and be able to make smart investments with your resources.
So research and learn the business end of the industry. In the US, industry websites like backstage have helpful articles including books to read about the industry. Understand what is really involved in attempting a professional acting career. (In addition to continuing to get quality acting training and experience.)
Then do some self reflection to consider why you want to be a professional actor. Fame, attention, money, excitement, to escape your current life - these are all immature reasons for attempting a professional acting career and will only lead to disappointment. Do you have the resilience to handle the constant rejection? It's not unusual for actors to book only 1 out of every fifty or hundred auditions. Do you have the confidence to deal with the competition? There are far more people wanting to be actors then there are roles. No one is going to give you confidence, you need to find it within you. Can you handle the instability? Getting cast in one thing doesn't mean that you'll get cast in anything else, anytime soon. An acting career is not a steady climb to the top - much more like a roller coaster with many ups and downs. How would you define success for yourself? What are the priorities in your life? Set reasonable, attainable goals to match those things and develop a plan to reach those goals.
So it's not enough that some people think you're good - it matters what YOU think and what YOU are willing to invest in a professional career.
Good luck.
- Anonymous11 months ago
Being a good actor (assuming you really are and being told you are by the right people who actually know what they're talking about - most people don't) is only one of many things you'd need in your toolbox. That's why it's not the right career choice for 99.9% of people. The vast majority don't have what it takes. If you don't have what it takes, don't pursue acting. It could lead to a major waste of time, waste of money, and depression.
If, for example, you don't deal well with rejection or criticism, acting is not for you and you should not pursue it. If you don't see yourself waking up at 4am and working on set till 12am straight, don't pursue acting. If you don't have the patience or the determination, don't pursue acting. If you can't memorize so many lines in a short period of time for whatever reason, don't pursue acting. If you don't have the work ethic or you're too lazy, or you hope to just be discovered or to get "there" with minimum work and time, if you have unrealistic expectations, don't pursue acting. If you won't travel far to go to a good acting school, a random audition or gig or whatever, don't pursue acting. If you want to be in national productions but won't say goodbye to your family and friends and make the move to LA, don't pursue acting. If you can't maintain a healthy lifestyle, exercise regularly and eat healthy, don't pursue acting. If you don't have the stemina to work another job or two alongside acting, don't pursue acting. If you're not a competitive person by nature or very insecure and easily intimidated, don't pursue acting. If you have or have had serious psychological or psychiatrical issues, don't pursue acting as it could be dangerous for your mental health and push you over the edge. If you're not passionate about the craft and the whole process enough to make big sacrifices in your life for the very slim chance of "making it" one day, don't pursue acting. If you're not willing to invest the time and money into the career, even if that means getting a 3rd job to pay for it, don't pursue acting. If you're not a business person by nature, and if you won't learn all about the business side of the craft, don't pursue acting - acting is a business. If you want to pursue a time-consuming career alongside acting (because acting alone doesn't pay the bills), like a doctor, don't pursue acting as well. If you're unwilling to sacrifice time with your family and friends or your free time, don't pursue acting. If stability is important to you, knowing when and where your next job and your next paycheck will come from and you can't handle an unpredictable lifestyle, don't pursue acting. If you're not mature enough, regardless of your chronicle age, don't pursue acting. If you're in this for the wrong reasons (needing to be rich and/or famous, having fans, seeing yourself on the screen, "because it's cool", because you're bored or looking for a thrilling or a more glamorous job, feeding your ego or looking for approval), if you don't realize that after all this is a JOB, then DEFINITELY don't pursue acting. All of that, aside from huge talent, and more. Is acting as a career right for you? That's for you to decide. I will say however that based on your many questions on the topic you have huge doubts not only in an acting career but also in yourself. To be honest I think deep down you realize it's not for you. Just based on that I have to agree with your subconscious. But again, it's your life.
- FaitheLv 611 months ago
Of course it's possible. Go for it, but be prepared ahead of time for the harsh realities: There are tens of thousands of good actresses who will want the roles you want. Your chances of making it big without having a close friend or relative in the business are small. Even the most incredibly talented people will have to be able to handle rejection after rejection after rejection - for years - before POSSIBLY landing that first role. You will have to arrange your lifestyle to fit around auditions (living in or near one of the few areas, such as New York City or Hollywood, where most auditions are, getting a job with flexible hours/shifts that will allow you to go to auditions and allow you to support yourself before you earn money acting). Also remember that acting is hard work: You have to remember pages and pages of dialogue, cry on cue, be on set for 12 hours a day.
If you're willing to endure all that, I have two further pieces of advice: One is NOT to study acting in college. Too many people waste four years studying something that they either have talent for or not, then spend six months auditioning and realize this was not for them. Try your hand at acting FIRST. (There are classes to take on the side if you like.) Then you'll either succeed and not need that college degree or you'll decide you'd rather go to college and study something different. ...The other piece of advice is that if you do go all in - moving to the right place, spending years auditioning - also fill your life with other things such as friendships, hobbies, and volunteer work - that will one day allow you to look back on this period of your life as other than a waste of time.
Finally, if it is acting you like but not necessarily fame, realize that you can enjoy yourself your whole life (with a lot less stress) simply by acting in community theater plays.
Good luck in whatever you decide!