Acting Tips

Take a class! While it is said that some people are "born actors" no one really is. Classes can teach you a lot of things that you many not have ever thought about. Take the time to listen to what those who have been in the business have to say.

Acting is not easy. It is not just memorizing your lines and showing up when you're needed. Its being at the stage or on set no matter what, going over the piece over and over until the director thinks it's right.

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Make sure that your headshot and resume is up to date - unless you are a mega-star and everyone knows who you are. Having a headshot that is more then a couple years old or a resume that misrepresents you is not going to help you get a job.

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Take advantage of every contact you make in the industry. Keep in touch with everyone you meet. You never know when it will help you in achieving a job. Also, avoid bad-mouthing anyone you don't get along with, as you never know who knows who, and what you say will get back to them.

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Take any job you can get - especially when you're first starting out. Some of today's biggest named actors and actresses started their careers in commercials and bit parts before making it "big".

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Be fully prepared for rejection. It's going to happen, and happen a lot when you are first starting out. Leave any audition with your head held high knowing you did the best that you can do.

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Read the script and then read it again. Showing up to an audition or job unprepared is a sure fire way not to get the job, or to get fired from the job. It's also very helpful if you have memorized the lines of the other characters in the scene. Not only will this make you look good to the higher ups, but it will help your performance if you know what you are reacting to and can do it at the "right" moment.

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A great way to gain experience is to join your cities' local theater, street performing, or improv group. Even if you don't get an acting part, offer to do anything that is needed for a performance - such as working backstage, as an usher, etc.

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Show respect not only to your fellow actors, but to all the people who work tirelessly to make a show work. These people make not get all the acclaim and glory that actors do, but without them actors would not have a job.

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Lean how to listen properly. If you are listening, then you will be able to act as your character would in a specific situation. You need to act as though you are hearing the words for the very first time - as those who are watching your performance believe your character is.

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Spend the money to get a decent headshot. Don’t use a snapshot from a family get together – you will never get an acting job. Have a professional portrait photographer take the picture for you.

Go ahead and buy the URL of your name for a website or two. For example, if your name is "John Smith", then you will want to get johnsmith.com, johnsmith.net and so forth. This way, should you start to make a name for yourself, you have access to your name for your official website – and some crazy fan will not be able to get the URL to make a fan site out of it.

Have a couple monologues memorized so that when you go on an audition you will not be stressing before hand about trying to remember something new. Plus if you have a couple, then should you see the same casting director again you will not be repeating yourself.

Be aware of how you speak. Often, most people are caught ending statements like a question, called the "valley girl question". This is a bad habit that should be taking care of quickly so your speaking improves.

Be prepared for the type of role you are auditioning for. Keep in mind that a role in a play or musical may require a more "broad" style of acting than in a short film or commercial, and tailor your acting method to fit the role.

Act out dialog with your voice and your face. Use them to show emotion. Don't overuse the ability to use arm and hand gestures. Although it's easy to talk and express using your hands your acting will be much stronger if you use subtle emotions in your eyes and voice instead.

Whenever you have big lines to memorize, break them down into sections so it is easier to remember.

When you are not on stage, you still need to be attentive to what is going on as the play is made up of all the parts and if you do not understand how your part fits in the entirety of the story then you will not be able to give the best performance that you can.