To ask what first steps I take if I want to get into acting

[Cloudylemon23]

I’ve saved up enough to devote all my time to this at the moment. Doing some work as a tv extra.
What else can I do? Any ideas please?
Any other related jobs that I can do that would help my CV?
Ps I’m not naive and know how competitive things are.
Any ideas and advice really appreciated, thanks

SinglePringle- I have to start somewhere. Everyone has to step onto a stage for the first time

I had an "involvement" with an actor. He had quite a good career through specialising in one type of character that crops up again and again. it did however take a great toll on his personal life, the work dried up way before retirement age, his children went off the rails because he was never at home and he tried to solve these problems by throwing money at them when he was doing well, now he is really quite poor.
Most actors spend far more time out of work than in it. i think that unless you live and breathe acting it is probably not a very satisfactory line to get into for most people.

So, you have pretty much NO experience whatsoever and have suddenly decided you want to be an actor? You don't even have a decent performing record in amateur theatre where people may say to you "hey, you've got real talent, had you thought about going professional". People don't just decide "I want to be an actor". They do so for an innate love and passion that they've had for years. I honestly don't know anyone who earns a living as an actor who didn't have some amateur stage experience either as a child or adult, and have shown the necessary talent, ability, passion, drive, commitment, sheer longing to go on stage before thinking "yes, this is what I HAVE to do for the rest of my life - or at least, I have to TRY".

Sorry, OP, but you ARE naive.

You may think I'm not being pleasant but if you are seriously contemplating being an actor you need the thickest skin imaginable because you are going to get rejected, rejected, rejected by drama schools and then if and after you do get into one, you will spend years attending auditions and calls and being rejected, rejected, rejected.

Sure OP, but stepping on to a stage is a million worlds away from becoming an actor. Millions do in AmDram every single day. But the vast majority don’t have the talent, resilience, resourcefulness or ambition required to Make It.

How do you know if you have talent? Has someone told you (lecturer at evening school for example)? I’m not being facetious but you’re going from Nothing to Drama College without knowing if you’ve got a cats chance in hell.

People are questioning you to see if you understand what’s really required. You’d be questioned similarly by a drama school audition board.

My dd is at drama school (studying MT). My dh has taught at 4 different drama schools.

Entry to drama school is very competitive though the godd news is they often like older people with life experience. But doing a 1 year course is naive.

One year Foundation courses are for those who are not yet ready/experienced enough to do a full degree or diploma. Their purpose is to prepare you to be able to audition for 3 year courses, not for jobs.

At the end of a 3 year course you will get an agent showcase and the aim will be to try and get an agent/professional work.

1 year postgrad courses are meant for those who have eperience but perhaps they chose to do their degree in a different area. It's intense and not aimed at beginners.

Look at the schools that are members of CDMT and FDS.

Constant cross post with Shatner!

I too did AmDram from 7-18. I adored it. Beyond. Wanted nothing more than to act. Bunked off school for auditions. Felt in my very bones that I could act.

I was averagely good and wouldn’t have lasted a year had I tried.

My DD wants to act. She has been doing Drama exams since she was 4, she is currently doing LAMDA Grade 8. She has had Distinctions throughout. She did GCSE Drama and Theatre. She goes to a university Drama school every Saturday, and has studied Musical Theatre, Acting, Singing and Dance. She has been to numerous plays and musicals. She is going to study History at University, and then hopefully go to a Drama school. You are up against many thousands of people just like her. The odds aren't good.

A relative tried to break into this , wealthy parents who spent everything on her.
She went to Itala Conti prior to that had singing, drama and other lessons. They also got into local theatre and then countless plays in various places.
Did a few local commercials and was a local celeb .
It a cut throat affair .
Another would be actress is still trying to make it but works a a shelf stacker in a budget store, waiting on her big break.
Another went though drama school and various courses including years of singing lessons and had some enhancment surgery and works on crusies.
The most successful went uni for 3 years then trained on voice overs. Works on radio pt covers various fashion events and opens events. She tends to get sent gifts which help her income.
As the others have said ,its hard work but good wishes with it. Try local theatre first.
Do you have any special skills, like circus, singing or dancing ? Hone in on them and get voice training.

SinglePringle- it was yourself who asked me about the theatre.
Really appreciate the posters who have given helpful advice and have taken the time to do this. Very grateful for this👍

OP why do you want to be an actor? What makes you feel that it's the life for you?

My DD and her peers can (and do) tell me in specific, passionate detail why they have to act, why they are willing to be poor if it means they can act, why they would rather spend a life which is spent acting, thinking about acting, watching acting, reading and studying acting, than any other thing.

If you don't have that, you simply will not make it.

to be fair to the OP, she is showing pretty thick skin and a dogged determination in this thread despite all the buckets of scorn.

I say go for it and good luck. Why the hell not, at least you won't regret not giving it a shot.

Forget a showreel. You need EXPERIENCE and TRAINING. Showreels are what you create FROM your paid acting jobs and you haven't had any. Which is why several of us have asked what actual spoken acting experience you have...

I'm not in the business, but my partner is an actor. This is what he did:

Aged 13 - got into AmDram
Aged 15 - 18: did O-level and A-level Drama
Aged 18- Went to a well reknowned theatre school for a Diploma in Acting whilst also getting involved in the National Youth Theatre
Aged 21 - on graduation, got an agent, joined Equity and from then onwards worked as a professional actor, entertainer, comedian, singer, magician in a number of shows, TV, films and.....get this....he is still struggling to find work, not because he isn't talented, because he is fantastic, but because the industry treats people like shit and fails to respect actors like my partner who have put in the effort to get qualifications and experience.
Oh and he does have a showreel - I did his latest one for him. We had to cut out about 20 years of his experience to get the 5 minutes that Spotlight wanted.

About 25 years ago I decided I wanted to be a sports physio. I didn't know anyone who was a physio, let alone a sports one so I did my research (not just asking on an internet forum - though to be honest there wasn't anything like MN then). I did my sports science degree, then I did my physio degree (as physio degrees were starting up then) THEN I got lots and lots of experience. No one going into a profession like mine would assume you can just jump in and get a job with no experience and training - that would be insane; and yet, every year, loads of people think that because they've been an extra in a TV show once they are an actor.....dream on.

Some years ago, on the back of seeing a really good play at the theatre, I too decided I'd like to act. Spurred on by some well-meaning friends, I joined my local am-dram group. Turned out I was fairly crap at it, so now I put it down to a bit of a menopausal rush of blood to the head, and generally pretend that none of it happened.

I don't want to be unkind op, but are you sure you're not experiencing similar?

I don’t think anyone is throwing buckets of scorn if anything everyone is trying to help and have asked key questions that would enable targeted help which the op hasn’t got back to. I like others here work in the industry and have over 20 years experience. I have helped many people in their careers and there is no right way, but when people are making valid defections from inside the industry it is then difficult to respond and help when it is looked at as scorn or expertise not listened to. Same with any industry you need training and hard work and to know the reality of what they work entails. No short cuts and no guarantees I’m afraid. I hope this thread has helped Op, if you now have specific or more targeted questions I’m sure the support would be there

It's a shame isn't it that all the drama schools seem to be in London. Especially as London is pretty much impossible to afford to live in unless you have parents that are near enough to live with. I guess that's why most young actors seem to be London-ish (or posh) these days.
Fwiw I have known a few actors and the most successful were not remotely supermodelly, but character actors who worked consistently.

It does also really help if you are male, as the majority of parts in tv, theater and film are written for men!

And there is nothing wrong with not having done it before, everyone has to start somewhere but go and know the craft before making a big life and financial commitment

However you’re talking about ‘getting theatre experience’ as if anyone can do that and before you even know if you have some talent.

Find some improv classes
Read plays
Join an AmDram group
Go to the theatre
Look for people with similar interests on Meet Up
Go to hear directors talk at The National / Old Vic / Bristol Old Vic
Do something that demonstrates some respect for the art before deciding ‘Traa diddle, dee, dee; an actors life for me’.

It's a shame isn't it that all the drama schools seem to be in London.

There are many renowned drama schools that are not in London such as Bristol Old Vic, ALRA North, LIPA, Oxford School of Drama, Arden just to name a few off the top of my head.

But the fact is that the industry hub is London and that is where the majority of contacts/work/auditions etc are.

I don't have any advice to give but I do think it was perfectly reasonable to ask people for advice. Only one FP from my year group at school is an actor, AFAIK. (Or, rather, was an actor for a few years - I think she became a SAHM after having kids.) It seems to be an unusual career choice for my peer group. Good luck with your career plans.

Ah thanks comeaway Thats good to know! I definitely agree that watching theatre, joining am dram, doing fringe- writing too maybe-are all good starts.

How old are you OP?

That’s for the helpful posts👍
I’m on my 30s
To ShatnersWig etc - it was totally reasonable for me to ask advice and even if I have ‘ no experience ‘ everyone has to start somewhere
And I DO have a passion for doing it

• in my