QUESTION:
When i was litte i wanted to be an actor and be a great role model but the problem is i live in a small town and i don’t know what to do. Please help.
ANSWER:
A lot of successful working actors and even stars come from small towns. There’s no place that’s too small to start studying acting and building an actor resume. Check out the answer to this question for ideas on how to get started and sign up for our newsletter to receive monthly acting tips and updates.
Good luck!
Can I Really Be an Actress?
by McKenna
(Utah)
QUESTION:
I’m in High School and am involved in the Drama program. I auditioned for Region Drama and eventually went onto State Drama and received all Superiors on my chosen Shakespeare monologue. I also got the lead in the play, The Sound of a Voice. I have also taken Theater 1.
Even with this, I feel so far behind. I’ve wanted to act since I was little, but I feel like it will never happen. I don’t have the money to go to professional acting schools, and I live on a farm in the midwest so traveling to Los Angeles and New York for an audition is kind of out of the question (especially with all the work during the summer). I just really don’t know how to get my name out there, and become an actress.
ANSWER:
You’re only in high school and you’re already shining at auditions and getting leads in plays! Why on earth would you ever think you’re behind? You obviously already have talent, so the only thing that stands in your way is your attitude. After years working in the industry and watching other aspiring and working actors around me, I have to say that one of the single most important roadblocks in becoming an actor or actress are things like doubt, fear and negative thinking… all of which are in your head!
There is no need for you to travel to New York or Los Angeles to become an actress right now. You’re doing exactly what you need to. Studying drama in school and auditioning locally. If there are any theater company in your area, see if they have outreach education programs for high-schoolers. A lot of them do and it’s a great way to start getting involved with the professional acting world. If you still want to do more, see if there’s a possibility of making a short film with the help of your school. If it works out, you can submit it to festivals and get a little more exposure.
What will you do after high school? Make plans. If you want to go to college, maybe you can choose one that offers drama programs. If you want to go to a professional acting school, browse through our listings. Each school that offers financial aid will have that listed. A lot of schools have talent-based scholarships on top of need-based grants, so your good auditioning skills will come in handy.
If you find the acting school of your dreams and it doesn’t offer scholarships, don’t let that stop you. Print out a picture of the school and pin it on your wall, then figure out how much you need to go there and pin that number on your wall too. Now make a plan to reach your goal. It can be something as small as putting 25 cents away every day. What matters is you start the ball rolling, because once you have a clear vision of what you want right there on your wall, you will stop worrying about being behind. When you act in spite of fear, wonderful things start happening.
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I wish you all the success you deserve!