Becoming an actor takes skill, patience and discipline.
Becoming a good actor requires practice, discipline and an acute awareness of oneself. There are many techniques that can hone an actor's craft, but actors must be passionate about improving their skills and willing to give themselves completely to the performance. Many actors take classes and workshops, and study with acting coaches; however, observing good acting in films and theater is a wonderful way to learn from the pros. Audition for as many roles as possible, as there is no substitute for experience.
Instructions
1. Watch movies to see how professional actors play a role and see how they use their bodies, voices and facial expressions to portray a character. Study films that won the best-actor or best-actress Academy Award. Observe and take notes on how these actors played each role. A good actor does everything-each body movement, pause or look-with purpose. Look for the subtleties such actors use.
2. Visit the theater. Live theater requires actors to have stage presence, a powerful voice and exaggerated gestures. It is a completely different type of performing from screen acting. Good actors know stage and screen acting well and bring elements of both styles to their performances.
3. Taking acting classes. An Internet search of your city or town will show some local ones. These classes are taught by coaches who have acting experience and know the audition process. Most great actors have taken acting classes at some point in their career. An acting class is a great resource, offering a wide range of acting experiences and critiques from students and instructors. The cost of such classes ranges from free courses taught at a community center to several thousand dollars at prestigious acting schools.
4. Book private lessons with an acting coach. The coach can be found by doing a simple online search for "acting coach" and the name of your city. Private coaching can be much more expensive, at up to $100 an hour, but it can also be extremely beneficial. Private lessons allow the coach to focus specifically on an actor and diagnose the areas that need work.
5. There is no substitute for practice. Practice in front of the mirror. You can also videotape your performances for later review.
6. Audition for as many roles as possible. This will provide real-world feedback and experience. Auditions are the only way to land roles and grow a career as an actor.
