acting?

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I'd like to become an actor on TV. Is anyone else interested in acting? Anyone here a casting director?

That would be cool. Have you tried being an extra on shows? My cousin was on a few, that might be one way to get your foot in the door. I always thought it would be cool to get on a show like Nip/Tuck and be one of the characters getting surgery, but sadly they took that show off.

Would you be more so interested in a drama type show or comedy? Or, dramedy perhaps?

I used to be very into acting when aged 7 - 16. It helped me a lot with the "fitting in" thing.
But uh, if you want to become an actor on TV, REALLY, you need to fully and honestly submit your life to acting.

I auditioned at a drama uni once, and I did not like it.
The people were extremely fake. As if they were acting all the time.
And they really thought they were the most special and deep human beings in the world. Annoying.

Another problem was, you have other people judging you all the time.
And I generally do not agree with them. Which made it all very frustrating.

I used to think it'd be cool to do, but I don't think I'd be able to handle it.

I don't think being an extra would be a good way to get my foot in the door. I think I need to be discovered.

I used to be very much into acting, but now it's not much of a big deal for me anymore. I might act in a play just for fun, but I wouldn't want to make a career out of it.

I also want to be an actress because I am a really good singer, ok at acting (Im sure I can work on it though!) and the only time I have EVER felt good was on a stage. I'm doing a drama course this year... hopefully... so that's how I am going to pursue it because I am still not sure whether it is for me or not.

I personally don't really want to be discovered as such. I would be extremely happy just going on stage at Milton Keynes theatre (New Doctor Who actor Matt Smith did a show there!). I'm not interested in stardom or glamour... heck I am 4'10"... I'll be lucky to get any major roles!

Anyone looking for a 21 year old who looks more like 12?

_________________
I have HFA, ADHD, OCD & Tourette syndrome. I love animals, especially my bunnies and hamster. I skate in a roller derby team (but I'll try not to bite )

I have a lot of respect for actors, have been friends with people in theater over the years (although not recently) and have often been attracted to men in theater and tend to get crushes of TV/film actors a lot as well, because I'm quite in awe of the craft of acting itself. So if it's a guy acting and I think he's hot too, I think it's love or something. LOL..

Anyhow, I couldn't act to save my life. I have terrible stage-fright, I am painfully camera shy, I'm short and not very photogenic and I can't deliver lines worth a crap. So I am kind of envious of anyone who can.

I wanted to be an actress since age 12 but I don't think that is going to happen. I once auditioned to be an extra and I am with a company here called Extra Extra and I got an email from them about being an extra in an ad but it wasn't guaranteed I get the position. I was in a play when I was 17.

Besides being an actress is lot of work and I know they do lot of out takes and shootings and when you watch a scene in a movie, that scene might have taken them three days to shoot. Even as an extra you are just standing around for hours waiting for the scene to be shot. Sometimes you get paid sometimes you don't. You can leave anytime too I hear. I watch commentaries so I know these things. Plus watching behind the scenes. And wearing make up and wearing clothes that might feel scratchy on you and standing out in the cold or 100 degree weather.

I still think being in a movie would be fun.

I'd like to be an extra on a TV show.

In fact, the show Leverage films in Portland.

Just Google "Leverage" and "casting for extras." {Or any variation...}

Try taking a theater class first, then work your way up...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIa6kHuwSSQ

You're introduced as an actor, is that a joke or is it serious?

My random thoughts on the subject:

I'm not an actor and the only stuff I know on the subject comes from whatever dealings I have had with working actors.

An approach that can help you get work is to typecast yourself. If you have a look and a type of character you can play well, while you might not get a broad range of roles, you are more likely to get cast because you fit what a casting director is looking for. Character roles tend to get you more work than trying to get leading roles.

The key job of an actor is to be able to communicate emotional states and intents. On one hand you might think that this would be the worst job for an Aspie, but I think in some ways an Aspie might be well suited to this job if they were particularly observant. In some ways an Aspie might do better because their own emotions may not confuse how they perform a role.

Most successful working actors also hold other jobs. I am currently trying to buy a house and my real estate agent is an successful actor who you've probably seen on a number of TV shows. Some of the researchers or producers I work with in my job are actors who I see from time to time on various shows. If you go into the job knowing it won't pay all your bills, you stand a better chance of surviving the difficulties of that kind of work.

Do not try to become an actor by starting out as an extra. Extra work is fine, but it won't get you acting work except in odd rare instances. One of the odd union rules in some situations is that directors are not allowed to talk to extras. If they do, the extra is paid more. So extras are often treated more like warm fleshy props rather than people. (It's the assistant director who directs the extras)

If you want to get work and keep getting work, make it easy and pleasurable for people to hire you. (This applies to any field) Get a well done head shot and make sure all your contact information is clear and obvious. If you do get a job, show up early, do the job well and don't get in the way. Make sure you are available for reshoots etc. If you create a problem for a casting director even once, there is a strong chance they will not hire you again. But if you made them look good they will want to keep working with you.

Find a way to stand out. Some actors achieve a particular look that gets attention or a specific kind of character. Harry Dean Stanton usually plays haggard but likable people. Laura Linney tends to play highly competent women. (Although she played very much against her type in "Savages" which worked well for the character.) Look at some of the performances in the earlier Coen Brother's films or early Spike Lee films. A number of actors seemed to get their careers launched from these films. I think a lot of the reason why was that not only were they very good performances, but the characters stood out and were memorable. When casting directors saw these films, they remembered the character and the actor who did it.

Being weird is a good way to stand out but it can also limit you. Crispen Glover seems to have come and gone. It can be useful to have a head shot where you look your best in a conventional way, but you might also consider a head shot where you push it toward a more extreme character look. In putting together an actor's reel, look for scenes where you can show clear attitude and character's intent. Scenes like the "Hertz Donut" monologue from "The American Astronaut" might be a good example. I had never heard of Tom Aldredge before but I won't forget him after that scene.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLZ9rTzLURw[/youtube]

or Joe Pesci's "Funny, How?" scene from "Goodfellas" (I'm certain it was this scene for which he won his Oscar)
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_ff46b58Hk[/youtube]

I guess my point here is that a key to getting work is getting remembered. Some people get remembered because they climb up a tower and start shooting at people, but their value to society is somewhat limited. But creating a character that is interesting and memorable can help you get acting jobs.

Hope this helps,

Lars

I am an actor. I loathe film and television work, so almost all of my work has been on stage. Given the scarcity of stage careers, it is not my primary source of income, but it is most assuredly my avocation.

Stage one is being honest with yourself about your skills. Do you have the mastery of your craft to actually do the work? If not, then training is essential. You need, at a minimum, voice and movement training--and film and television acting takes particular skills that are different from stage skills.

I agree with you, extra work is not a foot in the door. Extra work is the way to get more extra work. The only way to get feature work is to come to the attention of casting directors. Your chances of doing that by being "discovered" are infinitesimal.

To get casting directors to see you, you need to get out there. You need to start to build your repertoire--that means having a demo reel and a really good headshot. That means investing the money in getting those distributed. That means going to hundreds of auditions, to get a handful of jobs.

But if you are really passionate about it, then throw yourself into it with all that you have.