We have found 19,457 posts across 4 actor forums:
My parents tell me I can never make acting a full career, are they right? by NuttyDuckyYT • last post Oct 27th
Recently my school has wanted us to really think about our careers, and something I love more than anything is acting. I’ve played in a dozen musicals or plays, drama club member since the 7th grade, never feel anything more amazing then performing on stage. My parents have always been supportive of all my acting stuff, so I thought I would be fine to tell them I could pursue a career in acting. I was shut down immediately. Don’t get me wrong, becoming an actor is HARD and I know it’s not the easiest path. I’m practicing, learning, putting so much effort into acting, it’s something I really want to do. But my mom saying I would need a different job and acting to always be some side thing I do on weekends… it’s hard to hear. There’s always a chance another career I like will pop up, but I’ve never enjoyed anything like I do acting. If I power through, put the effort, get training keep on working and working towards this, will it actually work? Or will I just have to accept that I can never become a person who acts full time. (Sincerely a distressed teenager who’s want to make sure her goals are realistic enough that she can actually pursue them)
Do agents like persistence? by Imamuffinz • last post Oct 27th
My against is also an actor He said he will help with making a demo reel and find scripts for me to join his commercial division. Every so often I'd ask him about the scripts and I know they are busy so I tend not to spam or prod a lot. So my question is do agents like to see persistence? He said he liked my persostamce but is it the right thing? I took it upon myself to find a few short scripts to show him and he can help pick out the right one for me. Is this a good thing? I don't want to be pushy but I am so excited.
Need a little acting class advice.. by hoehoehoe96 • last post Oct 27th
So, I’ve been in a couple of different acting schools during my years in LA, one of which I did 2 year full conservatory program. But since I always wanted to learn the Meisner technique, I started taking classes at a Meisner school a while ago. The beginning classes was really fun. Learning a new technique was sooo exciting and I was looking forward to class every time. But now that I advanced to intermediate…not as fun. I don’t know what it is? I don’t feel challenged at all. This may sound stupid, but a lot of the intermediate and the advanced students (we had class together with advanced for a couple of weeks) are to be frank pretty bad actors. Basically all of them aside from maybe one or two. And not only does it worry me that they’d advance just like that even if they don’t seem they’re ready to do so, but what bothers me even more is that the teachers say to everyone that they’re great after every performance. And tbh 90% of the performances are NOT even near great or good. I can’t have teachers that I don’t trust will tell me the truth if I’m doing good or bad. But I soooo wanna learn Meisner and feel like I should continue taking the classes because this is what I want. And that maybe it’ll get better. I would really appreciate some advice!
How have directors given you notes between takes? by r_z_ • last post Oct 26th
I'm directing my first short soon. After watching a few videos, and reading a few directing books, I'm seeing that it's a good idea to pull an actor aside to give them notes, instead of in front of the other cast and crew. I’ve seen many posts, videos, essays, etc. on using the right words, and speaking the actors’ language, but I'm trying to figure out the actual mechanics of it. It feels like pulling someone aside between **every** take draws as much attention as just giving quick direction from where I am; especially if there isn't a lot of resetting for the rest of the crew to do. Can someone go into the nuts and bolts of how they’ve been given notes from directors they’ve enjoyed working with? I’m looking for things like: Are you and/or your scene partner(s) pulled aside after every take? If you're the only one getting notes for that scene, are you separated from your scene partners? Or are you given the notes together? What are the words used? Is it something like: “Cut! Good, thank you. Everyone take a minute. John/Jane can I get a second over here?” > Walks to side area to give notes. Basically, what does giving notes "look like" after saying ”Cut”? Thanks!
Is this a real offer? by Isaac706 • last post Oct 26th
https://www.famestreet.com/cgi-bin/members/pm.cgi?action=display&login=id-fantastic-ww&session= Hi, so sorry if this is a very stupid question, but I’m a teenage boy and would really like to be an actor someday. I found this listing in class to be an extra in the new fantastic beasts (sorry if that’s wrong, I’ve never seen or read any Harry Potter but I would like to try out anyway). I haven’t got any acting experience (hence why I’m looking to be an extra) but think I’m decent as I’ve done some training by myself. Just wondering if the website and listing is real!
How to deal with an ensemble mate in a bad headspace? by The-Cosmic-Ghost • last post Oct 26th
To give some backstory, I am in Uni for theatre acting, we are a few weeks away from performing our play, and it's clear that one of our ensemble mates is in a really bad headspace, obviously I'm not a therapist, and depsite majority of us in the cast being pretty close with one another, I dont know everything about their life. The issue is (despite of course someone I consider a friend clearly suffering) is that, they are now inflicting that suffering onto the rest of the cast. The negativety has gotten real toxic. The director is aware and has tried talking one on one with said actor but there's been no change. They're just...mad about every single aspect of the play, and it's probably exasperating whatever other outside factors that's going on. Idk what to do at this point, I did try to talk to them (I thought we were close enough friends to do that) but I got stonewalled. They are a rather great actor imo but a good chunk of us can't get excited about the work because we know that its just gonna be a wave of negativity once we're on break. Idk what to do, ignoring the problem seems like the only way to go, and I know that we are a cast/coworkers before we are friends, but it's just a shit situation. Any tips on how to deal with this?
Genuinely at a loss for how to move forward. by iovoko • last post Oct 26th
Yes, it is the same story as everyone else’s. I’m from a small town that’s an hour away from any cities. Even the bigger ones have little to no market outside of local commercials (which are EXTREMELY competitive- no agent, no audition). There are five reputable theatres within thirty miles of me and they rarely cast minors (I am a student, very important). In two years of looking I’ve gotten one audition. Didn’t get it btw. When I put in the appropriate filters to Backstage’s search, 0 jobs with 0 productions were found. I haven’t tried Actors Access because I couldn’t travel for any roles even if I wanted to. I’ve done classes, group and private. I’ve looked for summer programs out of state— they are all veeerrrryyy expensive. I WANT to do theatre. I want to start there and build a strong foundation in my performance style. I could try to get an agent for tv and film now, but I feel like I wouldn’t be prepared. I’m drawing a blank and it is exhausting. I have decent connections. Great ones, actually. A guy I know has been in several shows and movies with Oscar winning actors, a girl I did class with is starring in a show, my uncle is a producer. But I don’t want to milk those relationships. I feel as though I can’t go to them and ask for something they are not prepared to give to an unexperienced actor! Y’all please help me. I’ve read the FAQ and the sidebar and everything else. I am tired and a little heartbroken. I will gladly accept any advice or ideas, just please take a minute and think about my situation.
Can I voice act under a different name? by Silly-Slacker-Person • last post Oct 26th
I'm interested in getting into voice acting, but my birth name is just so plain sounding. I know that other actors have stage names and writers have pen names. Is there anything like that for voice actors? If so, how could I be paid under it instead of my birth name? Would I have to make a whole new bank account for it?
I think this actress from “Squid Games” went to the same acting school as Bill Paxton. May he RIP by Streetvan1980 • last post Oct 26th
why are you an actor? by itbeitbe • last post Oct 26th
I’m curious because my fuel for acting is something that’s changed so dramatically since starting college, graduating 2 yrs ago and then again during covid lockdown. What’s beyond “I just love it :)” like why though? Or “I love storytelling”, again why? I’ve been investigating. Right now I see acting, especially doing theatre, as taking life on. Fully! Creating a living creature and breathing life into them. Having the joy of experiencing and sharing an adventure of this human experience. Having the ability to channel and be a vessel for something larger than myself that still exists within myself. Acting allows me to expand and understand myself and this world a bit better. Am I making sense hahahaha TLDR: I would ~love to hear everyone’s relationship to their craft! (Also bonus question: do you identify as an artist? Cause I surely do though I feel lacking in comparison to my other artist friends, such as musicians and poets, since I haven’t fully started creating my own content…yet! Anyone relate?)
Please can someone offer some advice or an opinion? My acting anxiety is so bad that it's hindered my ability to act to the best of my ability. I feel so lost, confused and hopeless and don't know whether or not to move on. by Objective_Sink3874 • last post Oct 25th
So in a nutshell I have a decent boutique/mid-level agent but I'm not getting self tape requests/auditions for scripted TV/film. Each day it gets to 6pm when the offices close, I check my emails and there's nothing. It makes me feel so low and like I have no future in this job if I can't even get auditions, and makes me ashamed of the stuff I've done that's out there eg) showreel as it probably puts people off. On the rare occasion I DO get a tape-request which isn't for a commercial or more than just a 2-liner, A) the writing is pretty much always lousy so it's harder to do good work, and most importantly B) I get so anxious that I cannot focus on preparing properly, like my energy is just all over the place and I get overwhelmed and cannot delve deep into the scene prep - just skimming the surface or procrastinating, and then when it gets round to filming I completely tense up to the extent that my whole body is actually in pain and I cannot breathe and all my mouth and throat muscles clench up so I can't talk properly, or I'll over-act because I'm trying to make the most of the opportunity and myself stand out, or I'll just be emotionally numb and skim the surface of the scenes which usually happens in person. I also often film countless takes and editing takes hours so on a few occasions my tapes have been an hour or so after deadline. So the very few tapes I do get are always crap, and probably put the casting director off ever having me tape for them again. I also don't really have many friends and I live alone, quite far from the few actors I know, so for tapes I usually record the other person's lines and leave gaps for my lines.. so I'm doing these tapes just alone with myself which is never enjoyable that's crap too. I'm getting so paranoid that casting directors or casting assistants are sort of gossiping about actors and telling eachother not to see certain people because they are crap. So I'm just stuck in this horrible limbo where I can't get opportunities but when they come, they are so rare that I freak out and do a crap job. I have severe ADHD, depression and anxiety, also undiagnosed body-dysmorphia but cannot afford to have therapy. I don't really have anyone I can talk to. I just don't feel like I'm a good actor anymore... I've become so self aware, tense and wooden. Will give you some info about myself as an actor to put this into context: I'm a represented actor in London, UK. I'm female, white, straight and in my late 20s but my casting is more 20-25 (genuinely-I look unusually young for my age and have young skin). I did not go to an accredited drama school but have done a lot of classes. I started in the industry in 2015 and went on a career break in late 2018 before starting again in March/April this year. I intended to take just a year out but covid happened so the break was more like 2.5 years. Before I went on my break, I had reached a point where I was auditioning and taping well and I had confidence, felt comfortable in my skin and was emotionally available. I won't delve too deeply into why I took a break but it was due to the agent I was with being incredibly bitchy and a bully, not being able to secure new rep afterwards, having additional personal problems... I was mentally unwell and completely lost my ability to trust myself. From 2015-2018 I gained professional experience (legit, with casting director) playing small speaking roles & some larger guest roles on TV/film. None of the roles were that great though, and my performances are pretty shit... and I look awful in everything... so I kind of feel that those jobs have done me more harm than good in the long run. I have never done nudity/sex scenes and do not audition for those roles. I have never really had opportunities to work professionally in theatre or radio due to my lack of formal training. So I guess this limits the amount of auditions I can get. I'm kind of pretty but not pretty enough to play the pretty roles; kind of quirky/edgy looking but not unusual looking enough to play the weird/misfit roles. But then I also don't really look "average-looking" either... like I don't have a "corporate" vibe. I'm not sexy or don't really have sex appeal but then I'm also not like innocent-looking or sex-less. I often get seen for gay roles but I'm not actually gay or even bi, although I guess I have that vibe? I'm not athletic/like an action hero, I'm not plus size but I'm also not like underweight so that also makes me hard to place. And in terms of "class" I'm also kind of inbetween. I'm sort of lower-middle-class from suburban London and have a pretty basic accent... so I'm not really posh enough to play posh roles but I'm not working class enough to play working class. In the UK they also like to cast true to the setting so unless you're famous they don't really consider - for example - non-Scottish/Irish actors for a Scottish/Irish character etc. They sometimes scrape the bottom of the barrel and cast people who have eg) a Jewish grandparent or an Irish mum for respective projects but I have no interesting sort of family history... I'm just very standard/boring lower-middle-class-suburban/homecounties......where nothing ever seems to be made (in the UK). But maybe there aren't many roles for people with playing age in their 20s? I have spoken to my agent a few times raising my concerns but I'm always told not to worry and there's never any transparency as to why I'm not getting seen. They say they are pushing me and I guess I have to trust them, but I guess casting directors just think I'm shit or not good enough for decent roles. Or maybe my agency is pushing me but like in a half-hearted way / or they think I'm ok but not worth investing loads of time/attention on, like they don't think I'm amazing or a future star. I don't necessarily aspire to be a huge leading star actor, but sometimes I feel like your agent has to believe that you have that in you so that they can get you frequently seen for good roles. And by "good" role i don't just mean leads or even series regular etc, I just mean something that is more than 3 lines without any nudity/sex. I don't know if I'm just being spoilt or entitled about this? Maybe this is how it is for everyone after covid, or maybe I should expect less after taking so much time out of the industry. It's been seven months since i got my agent and there's only been about 5 decent opportunities...none of which were even really that great tbh.
Benefits of living in LA by MrLeakyToaster • last post Oct 25th
I already live in LA so I don’t see any reason to leave. What benefits are there to being based in LA as an actor? Most actors I know are from New York so I know a lot more about that world. Are there any specific things in LA to take advantage of that other areas can’t offer?
On adult content by Theurbanalchemist • last post Oct 25th
I saw a quote on Twitter in regards to BDSM erotica that I agree with (being in that lifestyle). Not verbatim but they said something along the lines of “that this is a form a theatre, a different style of actors, and a more layered form of sex”. I’ve come “out” as kinky this year and notice a lot of actors are in that boat (or was or what have you). Now that there is a push for normalizing kinks and legitimizing sex work, should entertainment be more lax with sex content? Would it be so bad if a guest star level actor made fetish material on OF? Would it be a tactical move for a movie to hire a famous cam girl for, say, an indie horror movie? And if not, what does shows like “*Bonding*” “*Fifty Shades of Gray*” “*Kinky*”,or Fuse’s “Sex Sells” intention, if the industry only writes them in as a joke? *”Marcy learns something new”*is about a middle aged woman who forges a new passion out of being a dominatrix. Many people have personal breakthroughs with sexual discovery. What day you thespians?
I made a controversial decisions but I think it’s the best choice: said no to great agent and signed with more simple agent by FurmidableCat • last post Oct 25th
I am used to self-represent myself and work full time as a host and actor thanks to that. However, I got no roles from confidential breakdowns (which I have access to) for the past year, even though I booked a good amount of union and paid non union work on social media (my agent allows me to do that). A great agent wanted to sign with me but I was afraid I would lose my freedom if they were dealing all my contracts. I already work full time in my industry and didn’t want to lose the jobs I already have and lose 15% on that. I often get the job because I am the first one to answer and I would have missed those opportunities with them. I was also uncomfortable telling them I was often already booked 5-6-7 days a week on other contracts and wasn’t always available for them. So I decided to go back with my ex-agent who is more simple but absolutely doesn’t mind that I get tons of contracts on my own without giving him any money, that I do « public personality » jobs as I call them (testimonies, documentaries, reality shows, etc), totally understands that I am not always available and loves the idea of sharing a google calendar updated with all my availabilities. He only deals with the confidential breakdowns that I won’t pay to have access to anymore (which is $500 a year). Some people might say « why did you go back with him when you could have signed with such a great agent » and I sincerely think that was the best decision for me. I am keeping my self-represented career that I already love, I am saving $500 a year, and it would just be the cherry on top if they could get me even more roles here and there. The best agent is not always the greatest one. It’s the one that suits your needs. Note: You can get access to all the confidential breakdowns as a self-represented actor in Quebec only. Stop asking me about that
Actors on Anti-depressants? by RiceKingWhore • last post Oct 25th
Hey guys I was just recently diagnosed with OCD (something I’ve suspected for a while) and though I just started therapy the idea of meds is already on my mind. I have a lot of friends who are on meds and it helped them a lot, but the thing is none of them are actors. I was talking to my psychologist about this and he mentioned that normal SSRIS tend to inhibit emotion which he’s seen with clients in the past who were actors as well. He told me that since I have OCD, the anti-depressant Clomipramine would be my best bet. He also told me that this drug tends to not be as emotionally inhibitive as SSRIS. To be honest, when my intrusive thoughts get bad, it’s really hard to focus and act well. With all this mind, I wanted to ask if any of you fellow actors (or if you know any successful ones) take anti-depressants. How does it affect your acting? Thanks.
A director made the most wildly unprofessional comment about my performance in front of the entire crew by tigerbiscuit • last post Oct 25th
I'm currently on set shooting a series which will remain nameless, and it's set up weirdly where multiple cameras are recording and getting multiple pieces of coverage simultaneously to save time. This makes it tricky to know which camera to play to and how big to go because they could be doing an ultra close at the same time as the medium at the same time as an OTS on the guy behind you. It's confusing and we're never told what the coverage is unless we ask, which is frustrating. Despite this, I still gave it my all and had a ton of fun. Lots of cool shots, practical FX happening all around, rad makeup, and I'm always asking questions trying to stay on top of things and experiment around. The energy all around was just great. I literally thought at one point during the day, "this is one of my favorite days on set I've ever had." Towards the end of the day, I suppose the director got frustrated with me because I kept going too big. He did the whole "you're too theatrical, stop, it doesn't read, watch me, do it like this" speech. I said copy thank you, and adjusted to go smaller because I didn't realize we were in that tight. Then, on the last shot of the day, another actor is supposed to come in and tap me on the shoulder. Then, I exit frame and he looks out a window. We cut, 1st AD says, wow that was a really nice look (referring to the other actor). And the director, in front of the entire crew, rolls his eyes and says, "yeah, maybe he should play u/tigerbiscuit's character." And then we fucking wrapped and a whole day of filming was absolutely ruined for me. It was one of the most humiliating moments of my entire career, to have a director loudly and in front of the entire crew put down a performance of mine that we had spent the entire day shooting. Like we literally hardly shot anything other than me today and to just throw in a comment like that moments before we wrap is tantamount to saying, well, that was a waste of time. I'm sorry you don't know how to give effective notes my guy, but I'm not allowed to see any of the 3 monitors you have running right now so I don't always know wtf I look like, and you're certainly not going to get a decent performance out of me for the remaining 2 shoot days now that you've completely and utterly shattered the trust I had in you as a director. The worst part was, like I said, I honestly thought I was doing great the whole day long, and any time I checked in or asked for notes, he would say yeah it's great. There was no indication this was going to be a bad day until literally 30 seconds before we wrapped. I'm not sure what else to say except it was a wildly rude, unprofessional and hurtful thing to say to someone on a film set. Directors who in 2021 are still giving stupid ass notes like "say it like this", "look more sad", "give me 10%", or (my favorite) "you're pushing" need to realize that understanding the exposure triangle maketh not a filmmaker and you need to go take some acting classes at a community college and realize how to talk to actors in a way that doesn't make them feel like a fucking idiot for trying their best. Rant over.
Unionizing at the Regional level? by SharpTuskofTruth • last post Oct 25th
Since the rules for unionizing have changed recently, I am curious… Say, for example, the entire pool of local talent in a Regional community all start to unionize (all who are able, given the changes.) Would this be a good thing long term? ~~~~~~ I’ve had some conversations with other actors in the theater I am currently working on a project with, but they seem to think it would be a bad thing. (None of the members of the cast are Union, though the theater has cast many union actors in the past.)
How to get insurance as a actor? by JollyRoger418 • last post Oct 25th
I'm a non-union actor in LA, and I'm looking to reduce my insurance costs. Unfortunately, I'll need to purchase my health insurance plan. Has anyone worked with a broker or other organization to help me out? Sorry if this is the wrong place to post this...