There are myriad books and articles written about becoming a better actor, but few of them provide beneficial information. Rather, they regurgitate the same lies and mistruths that are spread about improving one’s acting career, such as that you need to be in a union or that you should move to Hollywood.
It’s entirely possible to become a successful actor wherever you are, provided that you have the talent, determination, and take time to practise daily. Geographical location’s irrelevant when everything is done online nowadays, including interviews.
This article will further delve into this subject, exploring six effective things that you can do to become a better actor:
Learn An Instrument
When talent scouts look for actors, they look for ones that have talents beyond acting. This increases the scope of their performances, allowing them to play roles that require musical talent. The guitar is by far the most desirable musical talent for actors. But what guitar should you buy? Professional musician and journalist Andrew Dodson says that the Fender Jazzmaster is very popular with rockstars, including Elvis Costello and John Frusciante. It’s very important to give off the rockstar image if you want to use it to your advantage as an actor. Talent scouts love to see actors that have a bohemian edge to them.
Pushing for Emotion
One of the biggest mistakes that you can make as an actor is to push for emotion. If you can’t conjure up feelings, don’t push yourself to. It is painfully obvious when actors try to do this and rarely looks good. In fact, it looks ridiculous. When you are playing a character that’s emotional, you want it to be subtle, unless the director has specifically asked you to scream and shout. With all of that said, as an actor, you do need to be able to convey rage and intense grief also, as well as happiness. You must also be able to convey madness. All of the world’s best actors were able to do this. A fine example of an actor conveying madness is Marlon Brando, in his portrayal of Colonel Kurtz in Francis Ford-Coppola’s Apocalypse Now.
Control Yourself
A very unfortunate part of becoming a successful actor is dealing with the rages and emotional meltdowns of directors and editors. When you are in front of them, control yourself. If you meltdown every time that they do, there will be problems. It’s also very important that you control yourself in auditions. If you are seen to be overly sad, angry, or happy at the feedback you are given, you won’t impress the panel. You need to be calm, collected and calculated. You also need to make sure that you extensively rehearse your lines! Actors that come unprepared leave unemployed.
Rehearse, Rehearse, Rehearse!
Rehearsing is so important that it deserves its own paragraph. You need to take practise and rehearsals very seriously, especially if you are being given an opportunity to perform in somebody else’s show or film. Many actors find the easiest way of honing their skills, practising, and rehearsing is to ask one of their friends to help them. You can read lines to them and they can read lines to you. Not only will this help you to learn your lines, but also to nail down your character and really learn about them.
Film Acting Class
Many experts recommend attending a film acting class. This is a very good idea. Film acting classes will teach you the basics of becoming a successful actor, as well as give you an opportunity to perform with other actors and hone your skills. If you are going to attend an acting class, then it’s definitely important to do your research so that you can find the class that’s best for you. Unfortunately, not all acting classes are on the same level. Some are far better than others. If you sign up for a poorly run film acting class, you won’t benefit in the slightest.
Watch Films
Watching some of cinema’s greatest performances can motivate you and help you to become a better actor. Some of the world’s finest actors include Daniel Day-Lewis, Helena Bonham-Carter, and Sir Anthony Hopkins. It’s definitely worth watching films that these actors have been in so that you can pick up on their own personal skills and incorporate them into your own performances. It’s also worth practising method acting when you are on stage. Many actors find method acting to be a very effective way of improving one’s performance.
Becoming a better actor isn’t impossible, but it does take time. If you want to improve your performance, then follow this article’s advice, work on your skills, and get yourself out there. You should sign up for hiring sites, where you can find acting jobs going.
