You love acting, but how do you turn your passion into a viable career? Becoming a professional actor seems like a daunting process at first, but that’s no reason not to go for it.
There are many steps you can take to increase your chances of working as an actor, and we’ll take you through them, with the advice of Brian Cox, in this article.
How to get into acting
Actors become successful through a mixture of talent, hard work and knowing how to pursue their career. In his online acting course, Brian Cox is optimistic about the first part:
“I believe everyone can act. In fact, I believe everyone is an actor, but the difficulty is turning it into a career.”
If you’re prepared to work hard, study hard, and push yourself in all that you do, you have the right attitude to succeed. You’ll also need some industry know-how and wise advice along the way, so settle in – you’re in the right place.
While dreaming big is important when starting out, it’s important to be realistic too. In his acting course, Brian Cox recalls the relentless ambition he had to be a star in the early days as a fledgling actor. It wasn’t until an older actor friend (the late Fulton Mackay) told him not to worry about being a star and “just be a good actor.” Ambition duly tempered, Brian applied himself to learning to become a good actor, and the rest is screen and theatrical history.
When you’re starting out as an actor, focus on the steps that will land you your first professional roles, and after that, you can see where your exciting new acting career could take you.
Here are some essential top tips for becoming an actor that every would-be performer needs to know.
1. Act whenever you can
Any acting experience is good when you’re starting out, plus it’s helpful to have material for your first acting résumé. This could be from school, community drama groups, summer camp, college societies – if you see any opportunity to join in with a performance, take it.
If you’re coming into acting from another job rather than from school or college, volunteer for as many acts of performance as possible. Some ideas could be hosting presentations at work or giving a speech at a wedding, birthday or a leaving party. Any public speaking experience will help you gain confidence and develop some performance techniques.
2. Sign up to an acting class
Take a look for any workshops, courses or acting groups in your local area. Joining an acting class is a great way to get started because you’ll begin to learn acting techniques and also how to relate with fellow performers. Start with a group class rather than coaching, because learning how to work with others is super-important at this early stage. An acting class is also your first step towards building a professional and peer network.
3. Research the industry
Learn what you’re getting into by studying the industry you want to work in – whether this is film, theatre or television. Read the trade publications and set up news alerts for anything related to the industry. While working as an extra is not the foot in the door that some people hope for, it is a good way of getting insights into life on a film set, so think about signing up for an extras agency.
4. Watch others act
Being an aspiring actor is an excellent excuse for watching lots of great movies and TV dramas, as well as a few nights out at the theatre. How many other jobs allow you to study your chosen profession this easily? Brian Cox advises any would-be performer to “learn from the greats”.
“The most important thing about acting is watching actors at work, as often as possible, particularly the extraordinary ones who have broken barriers,” he says in his BBC Maestro course.
Watch every performance critically. “Even as an amateur actor, you can judge”, encourages Brian Cox. “Are they realising the role to its full potential?”
5. Study for professional qualifications
If you’re able to attend university or college, a higher qualification in drama or a related study is a big benefit. You’ll learn from experts in their fields, meet peers and have the opportunity to explore different aspects of the profession. At the end of this, as well as a wealth of knowledge, you’ll have a qualification that proves to casting directors that you’ve studied the craft. It’s an acting career path that Brian Cox advocates:
“People have different attitudes about the whole business of going to drama school, but it was a huge liberation for me because I was working in a hothouse environment. I was learning to move, I was learning to dance, I was learning to speak: I was learning all the things that I needed to learn.”
If you can’t attend education full-time, look into other options such as evening classes or summer workshops. There are often workarounds if you can’t study full-time, and your drama group teacher or local college should be able to give you some specific advice.
6. Join a local drama group
Actual acting experience is essential, and your local amateur dramatics group will certainly furnish you with this. You’ll also get insight into everything that’s involved with a production, as am-dram groups usually have an all-hands-on-deck approach to putting on a show. Keep an eye on local social media pages to find out what’s going on in your area.
7. Write your acting résumé
This is why amateur productions are so important – as well as gaining experience, you also get to put this down on your résumé (also known as an acting curriculum vitae or CV). Your acting résumé differs from your general jobs-and-education CV in that it’s solely focused on acting and performance-related skills and qualifications. Acting agents and casting directors won’t be interested in your maths certificates but they will sit up when they read that you played Cinderella or Aladdin in the local pantomime.
8. Have headshots taken
Alongside your acting résumé, you’ll need to provide agents and directors with a professional headshot. During an audition, the panel sees a lot of people and photographs help them remember who is who. So make sure that your headshot does actually look like you so that you’re recognisable.
Don’t cut corners by printing out a selfie. Instead, invest in photos from a professional who specialises in headshots. Change your headshot every two or three years, or if you change your appearance significantly.
9. Produce a demo reel
A demo reel is like your visual CV. It’s a short series of clips that showcases your acting skills and is only one or two minutes long. An experienced actor will have several reels demonstrating different skills; however, when you’re starting out, aim to showcase your full emotional range on just one reel.
What can the amateur actor actually use for their showreel? Any good clips from previous performances or drama classes, along with self-tape monologues should give you a good starting point. Always put your strongest examples first, because a busy casting director may just watch the first 30 seconds.
10. Start self-promoting
Once you have some experience and your marketing collateral – it’s time to get your name and face out there. This is much easier said than done. Join an online casting network and upload (and always update) your details. If you can, set up your own website. Attend any event that gives you the chance to network and be active on social media. Self-promotion doesn’t come naturally to many of us, but it can really help you at this stage.
11. Practise, all the time
Like any skill, practise drives progress. Keep honing your craft. Keep going over those audition monologues so they’re fresh in your mind. If you can, record them so that you can critically evaluate your performance. Audition for every local production you can, and never miss an opportunity to perform. Read plays, actors’ biographies and theatre studies books. Watch movies, go to the theatre or work as an extra where you can– these are all ways to develop yourself and your acting career.
12. Search for acting auditions and casting calls
When your résumé is looking good, and you feel ready to make the move from amateur to professional, it’s time to seek out opportunities. Look for upcoming auditions on casting websites, social media and if you’re studying at college or taking acting lessons, the noticeboard. Your teachers should be able to advise you on what’s coming up locally, and hopefully support you while you practise your audition pieces.
It’s a myth that you need an agent to attend an audition, and you don’t need to be part of an acting union. Both will help in the future, but before you get to that stage, you’ll still need more experience on your résumé.
13. Attend auditions
Go to auditions. The more you attend, the less scary they’ll seem. Don’t be discouraged if you’re not invited to audition every time you apply – no one is. Keep applying, and you’ll soon be accepted to audition, either in person or online.
If it’s an in-person audition, take your résumé and headshots with you, along with the audition sides they may have sent you in advance (a “side” is a short excerpt from the script that the director is using for the audition). Read the joining instructions carefully for time, venue and any other essential pieces of information, such as the dress code.
Treat each audition as gaining valuable experience and taking you closer to your goal.
14. Get an agent
When you have a few roles under your belt, it’s a good time to hire an acting agent. Research agents by locale, industry area and reputation. Ask your teachers, peers and colleagues whom they recommend. Draw up a shortlist then submit your résumé, headshot and reel. You’re interviewing each other here, and while you want your agent to challenge you, you don’t want to work with someone that you don’t feel comfortable with.
Your agent is there to open doors for you. They’ll have access to an incredible network in the industry and can get you into auditions that you would never otherwise have heard about. Some actors manage without agents, and you can decide to follow this path. However, at this early stage, a good agent will make all the difference.
15. Fine-tune your skills
Now that you’re gaining in experience, you may start to want to head in a certain direction, such as voice acting or comedy. You might have noticed that your skills in some areas lag behind others. In this case, it could be time to look at coaching as well as broader acting lessons.
If time and budget allow, you can fine-tune specific skills such as voice acting, singing, dancing and movement. A specialist coach will help you grow your talents in a specific area, or you could join another class to improve. You never stop learning – and that’s one of the real pleasures about acting.
16. Keep updating your reel and résumé
Your original CV will start to look a bit outdated with each role you take on. Keep on updating your résumé and promo reel as your portfolio grows.
No two acting careers are the same. It takes a lot of hard work and perseverance to become an actor and your route may be different to the pathway we’ve outlined above. However, these steps will help you build both your portfolio, your confidence and your career.
What will your starting salary be?
The typical starting salary for an actor in the US is around $21 per hour, depending on what type of work you take on. TV commercials pay better than musical theatre, for example. In the UK, expect to start out on around £14 per hour (about $17). Actors in the US generally earn more than their British counterparts.
These are just ballpark figures, and even a beginner can make a decent living if they get a break (or a lot of commercial work). As with most work, the more experienced you become, the greater the remuneration.
Some final words of wisdom from Brian Cox? For young, trainee and recent actors, he says:
“Trust yourself. Trust the sum of who you are, because you are your own musical instrument and your own palette. All these techniques, all these qualities that you can inhabit are gifts that you can give yourself, and gifts that you can give to the world. I think it’s important to honour those gifts that you’ve been given, and the talent you’ve got.”
Would you like to tread the stage or see your face on the screen? Find out how to start acting from actor Brian Cox, whose career spans seven decades. Explore his BBC Maestro course on Acting, which looks in-depth at many aspects of acting, from how to audition to looking after your voice and more.
