All your actor related feeds in one place  •  Actor's Forum

Log in to Actor's Forum to favorite the posts you're interested in and discard the ones you don't want to see again.
Access filtering functionality, search and more... It's FREE!

We have found 20,220 posts across 4 actor forums:

How do you trust you're having an impact ........even when there is no immediate evidence? by Alexandra Stevens  •  last post Oct 6th

I have just finished reading this week's Coffee & Content in which RB talks about the film War Games and how it got President Reagan to sit up and  get his national security team to improve defence against cyber attacks. I agree with RB that the researchers, writers and film-makers were lucky that their topic was so culturally aligned and therefore had such a massive impact. 

It made me think, how do I/we hold the faith that our work is having an impact, even if there is no immediate evidence to suggest that? Whilst I"m not acting at the moment, i think of other writing projects that I'm preparing. Sometimes it feels like  I might as well be throwing stones into an abyss as I type each word. But then someone will contact me about something I wrote 2 months ago. So there was an impact. This helps me to keep the faith that if I write something that holds energy for me it will serve someone else at some point. Obviously writing articles is not the same as acting but it's still a creative process.
So how do you hold the faith that your creative work has impact......even when it feels you are creating in the dark? 
Here is RB's blog, let him know your views by commenting on his blog too https://www.stage32.com/blog/coffee-content-what-hollywood-hackers-the-market-have-in-common-4244

Looking for a female dancer for a short video recreation (non-commercial / personal project) by Rit Manio  •  last post Oct 5th

Hello everyone! I’m working on a personal creative project and I’m looking for a female dancer or performer who would like to recreate a short dance video I originally made.


The video is light, expressive, and purely for personal use — not for commercial distribution.

No payment is involved, but this could be a fun artistic collaboration or practice piece.

I can share the reference privately.

Thank you!

Posting trouble by Jed Power  •  last post Oct 4th

i've tried to put a post up in "Trending Lounge Discussions twice now  but it keeps coming up in "acting". Am I doing somrthing wrong or is it site? This one I also posted to "Trending". but here it is in "actinga

Seenplay Contest Stage 32 + Color Farm Media Diversity Talent Accelerator Screenwriting Contest. by Jed Power  •  last post Oct 4th


As a disabled, destitute senior writer I would love to enter my completed half-hour dramedy pilot:, "A Stroke of Luck," but 60 bucks is out of my reach. jedpower@verizon.net Do other diversity writers find this a problem too?

eenplay Contest Stage 32 + Color Farm Media Diversity Talent Accelerator Screenwriting Contestr. by Jed Power  •  last post Oct 4th


As a disabled, destitute senior writer I would love to enter my completed half-hour dramedy pilot:, "A Stroke of Luck," but 60 bucks is out of my reach. jedpower@verizon.net Do other diversity writers find this a problem too?

Screenplay Contest Stage 32 + Color Farm Media Diversity Talent Accelerator Screenwriting Contest by Jed Power  •  last post Oct 4th

As a disabled, destitute senior writer I would love to enter my completed half-hour dramedy pilot:, "A Stroke of Luck,"  but 60 bucks is out of my reach.  jedpower@verizon.net Do other diversity writers find this a problem too?

A brief disclaimer by Ponce Deleon  •  last post Oct 3rd

In an industry full of superficial connections and transactional relationships, authenticity is everything; especially in spaces is like this. If you’re not serious about genuinely connecting, please don’t send a request. Spectators are not needed here. Appreciate you.

Margot Robbie and Colin Farrell on Reliving the Past and Favorite Rom-Coms by Pat Alexander  •  last post Oct 3rd

Margot Robbie and Colin Farrell sit down to talk about their new movie 'A Big Bold Beautiful Journey'. The cast shared which career moments they would love to relive, what their favorite rom-coms are, debated if Colin should be in a musical, and so much more.

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXbLOzkj4H8)

Don't wait for permission! by Matthew Cornwell  •  last post Oct 2nd

In today's culture, the barrier to make your voice heard is at zero. Literally. Anyone with internet access can make their voice heard.


But as actors, it's so easy to get caught in the mindset that I must wait for permission to act. That is, I have to wait for an agent to sign me... or I have to wait for the Casting Director to request me... then I have to wait for producers to "like" me... and ultimately I wait for that deal memo that will tell me I have permission to be on set.

Yes, there is a system in place. But if your creative soul is burning because you aren't being given opportunities to act or perform, then CREATE THEM!

Here are some ways:
• Submit for the 48Hr film festival if you live near a city that hosts this challenge
• Gather some actor friends and download some scripts to practice (and film!)
• Become a busker (street performer)!
• Take a stand-up class that has a graduation show
• Take an improv class that has a grad show
• WRITE YOUR OWN MATERIAL!

To that last idea, I want to share what my wife and I have been doing this year. We made a promise to ourselves that we would stop waiting for permission, and instead create an entire sketch comedy show and put it on YouTube!

We're now writing, shooting, and editing 20min of clean, clever comedy every month. We just premiered our 4th episode last night. It's a TON of work, but the process is so rewarding.

If you like to laugh, give it a look. And I hope that it also inspires you to take the wheel in your own career!

https://youtu.be/oAlTLhZseuw?si=jQIjrcfFRlGJ0s6H

Happy problems! by Brandon Keeton  •  last post Oct 1st

Hey everyone!  Have you ever had the happy problem of getting work to the point that you forget what the project is that you're doing next or got them mixed up?  Like one project bleeds into another?


I'm in that situation now.  I shot a commercial yesterday here locally in PA and I'm shooting two next week.  One in Atlanta and one in New York.  I went to the one yesterday and thought it was the one in Atlanta.  I had my lines memorized and everything.  I was going to do GREAT!

Then I get to set and realized "Hey, this doesn't look like a CVS!"  Luckily, there was no dialog for this one and I already have my lines memorized for the next one!  Lol!

Has this ever happened to anyone?  Any nightmare stories you can share?  I'd love to hear them!

Improv or scripted by Suzanne Bronson  •  last post Oct 1st

I am interested to know your acting style. Have you ever done improv or are you more into scripted work? 

What are your favorite things to watch for acting inspiration by Brittany Christine  •  last post Oct 1st

I’m talking Movies, TV Shows, YouTube’s, and for which part of what ep (if it happens to be a series) 

In Praise of Character Acting — Let’s Talk About “That Guy” (and “That Gal”) Roles by Ashley Renee Smith  •  last post Sep 30th

Sharing a fantastic video essay that spotlights the unsung heroes of film & TV: character actors. 

Watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9L57Hy1yk9g 

The piece digs into why small-but-sharp performances can make a story feel bigger and more alive. 

A few takeaways I loved:
 • Character actors = world builders: Think John Carroll Lynch’s chilling ambiguity in Zodiac or his warm, grounding turn in Fargo. Tiny roles, huge impact.
 • Memorability under constraints: With limited screen time, actors like David Dastmalchian (The Dark Knight) or Martha Kelly (Marriage Story) craft instantly legible, specific characters.
 • It’s not “lesser” acting: Many legends toggled between character parts and leads: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jeffrey Wright, Jennifer Coolidge, proving “supporting” can be a launchpad and an art form on its own.
 • Writers/directors matter: Great minor roles come from scripts and sets that make room for them; smart casting plus a few precise beats can turn a day-player into the moment you remember.

For the actors here:
 • How do you approach small roles so they read instantly without going broad? Any audition tips for making a “one-scene wonder” pop?
 • Who’s your favorite character actor and what do you steal (ahem, learn) from their work?
 • If you’ve moved between leads and supporting, how does your process shift?

For the filmmakers/casters:
 • What’s one thing you do in writing or blocking to give character roles oxygen?
 • Have you ever re-shaped a scene after a character actor brought unexpected texture?

Drop your fav examples, techniques, and war stories below, let’s celebrate the craft that makes our ensembles sing.

Spencer Artist Development: Acting, Voice Acting and Dialect Coaching US Residents 18 and Older by James Spencer  •  last post Sep 30th

Spencer Artist Development is currently accepting new students 18 and older for acting, voiceover and dialect coaching and artist development.  Lessons online or at Long Beach Acting Studio.  UWL accredited grades avail.  Certification course for fall Dialects.  For audition information visit jamesrspencer.com or call the studio at 562 394 2694 to set up a phone consult.  Besides our coaching and website portfolio packages we also teach the business of acting/vo and entrepreneurial strategies.  

Acting authentically - how do you do that? by Alexandra Stevens  •  last post Sep 29th

I just read RB's latest Coffee & Content. I loved The Hollywood Reporter’s Comedy Actress Roundtable. One of the actresses talked about the need to stay in your lane as an actress and stay true to yourself rather than trying to emulate others. That makes total sense to me. I think we are at our most magnetic when we dare to be true to ourselves. So easy to say though yet I still struggle at times to be true to myself. 

My question to you is 'what does it take to stay true to yourself when acting or creating in general? What helps you get there?
Here is the link to Coffee & Content https://www.stage32.com/blog/coffee-content-from-feedback-to-authenticity-the-details-that-matter-4237

How to Stand Out In Acting Auditions by Aaron Marcus  •  last post Sep 29th

How to Stand Out In Acting Auditions

https://youtu.be/gkDHHiwzLTw

Do you have any audition tips that will help fellow actors’ performances while auditioning? If so, please share them here so we can learn from you.

It’s Billy Bob Thornton! by Erik David  •  last post Sep 27th

How did a music-and-baseball obsessed daydreamer with dyslexia escape generational poverty in Arkansas to become an Oscar-winning screenwriter and iconic actor? Listen in as Stacey chats with Billy Bob Thornton! 


https://youtu.be/G7bm7wepwzc?si=g4Rj1lF-cHj9Sle9 


Big Acting disappointment in Italy by Brittany Christine  •  last post Sep 27th

I attended my friends film festival with a film knowing I would be shooting a day on a feature while there after, (only to find out the DP bailed last minute and they were unable to find a replacement under such short notice while still managing the last day of the fest) so my scene had to be postponed for now… they did say they would fly me over for it once they figure things out, but me being a realist, and knowing how small the role was in comparison to the script and other characters, (so why not hire a local whom they wouldn’t have to house and feed, arrange transportation & pay international plane tix for etc) I think it’s time to let go and chalk it up to, “woulda been great, but it didn’t work out” 


Have you ever had a role, then lost it last minute for something that was completely out of your control? What are the tricks or tips you would give other actors on how to move on from a bummer situation  

The 'Weapons' Cast Share Their True Reaction to Watching the Film for the First Time by Pat Alexander  •  last post Sep 26th

Josh Brolin, Julia Garner, Alden Ehrenreich, and director Zach Cregger sit down to talk about their new movie ‘Weapons’


(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIj5iwvEZsM)

Throwing out the old, embracing the new by Suzanne Bronson  •  last post Sep 26th

This creative life we have chosen is unpredictable, challenging, fun, rewarding, and at times, heartbreaking. Yet when our passion meets opportunity, there is a high like no other. It takes a lot of courage to feel the fear and do it anyway. Has there been some limiting beliefs, things you have told yourself, that have kept you from moving forward? If so, how did you overcome them? What do you tell yourself now that allows you to live the life of your dreams?


For me, as an actor, and as a human being, I doubted my self worth. I know I have talent, but for years, decades even, I told myself it didn't matter. I will never make it, I am a nobody, success is for other people, not Suzanne Bronson. Suzanne Bronson isn't worthy of love and happiness. Suzanne Bronson doesn't get to live the life of her dreams. 

It's part age, and mostly a lot of therapy (which I still do every week- mental health is #1 especially in this industry), now I have found my self worth. I, Suzanne Bronson, am not only worthy of love and happiness, I deserve it. I deserve to live the life I have always dreamed of. Acting is being. Acting is living truthfully in imaginary circumstances. Acting is being vulnerable. Which is why I am being so vulnerable with you now. I know I am not the only one who felt like this (despite telling myself I am alone). If you are struggling with self worth, know that you are not alone. 

I am asking that other members of this lounge who also had a debilitating narrative to share with us, what is the old belief you let go and the new belief you now embrace? Let us all encourage one another and lift each other up as that is what this site was created for.