So you want a career in acting? 5 top tips
During our travels at conventions and the likes we hear a lot of career journeys and success stories and we know how tough the acting industry can be – so here at SetBeyond.TV we have compiled a list of our top 5 tips to help you find your success!
1 – Find out what inspires you
Whether it’s stand up comedy or science fiction, make sure you go into something you enjoy – or so our friend Ross Mullan from Game of Thrones told us in a recent interview. He also told us that good training helps but is not essential, so don’t be afraid if you haven’t had a hugely dramatic background – go for it.
2 – Accept there will be highs and lows
Everyones acting journey will be different but you will struggle to find any actor who hasn’t had peaks and trows in their success. According to Kate Dickie, from the hit movie Prometheus and the Game of Thrones series “it is really difficult and full of highs and lows. You might go 8 months with nothing then find great things, but keep your passion and drive and hang in there”.
3 – Don’t be afraid to fail
“Don’t be afraid to fail. Don’t be afraid to be bad. Take critisism, change it up and come back. A lot of the time we think failure is a bad thing when failure is the very thing that teaches us our next step. I look back on the times I failed and those are the times I learned the most.” – Well said Ross Mullan!
4 – Attend auditions
Look for auditions in your local area, get involved in any and everything you can – its all experience, even if you don’t get the part. Kate Dickie told us that a lot of her success was down to the people she knew, so if you know any connections to the industry make good use of them. According to Tom Burke from The Musketeers when it comes to your first auditions it is easy to feel “ready enough to go in but almost rather you had another day” to prepare – just make sure you do all your practicing and preparation before hand and go ‘break a leg’.
5 – Do it!
Fairly obvious, but you won’t get there if you just think about it. Go and catch those dreams of yours – do everything you can for practice and experience, get involved in local drama groups and make a name for yourself. Start small and aim big, that’s what I say. Good luck!
For even more advice on acting as a career why not take a look at the job profile on the national careers service website? They offer great advice for other career options too!
