Actors on Actors is a series in which actors sit down with their peers for one-on-one conversations about the craft and business of acting.
How to get a good part. A blog around getting a good part and how plays into the big picture of it all.
There are a lot of actors who can do a good job, but there are few actors who really know how to get a good part.
Getting a good part is more than just choosing the right agent and tailoring your resume. It’s about knowing how to balance your time and energy so that you are always available for auditions.
Most actors will get to the point in their career where they start auditioning for smaller parts in shows that they’ve probably never seen before or heard of. These are the parts that will help you build your reputation as an actor, and also help you make some money along the way.
Getting a good part requires you to work hard, be dedicated, and have the discipline to stay organized. You have to have a plan and stick to it, no matter what it takes. The most important thing is to know what you want, and then go out and do whatever it takes to get it.
How actors get good parts.
We all have different ways of doing this and I thought it would be fun to go through a list of questions with various actors and find out how they approach getting good parts and how they got their first big break.
How do actors get good parts?
One would think that the performance is the only thing that matters, but that’s not really the case. Getting good parts is a very complicated process and one’s performance is just one of many variables that play into it.
What are some of these other variables?
1. Agent/Manager – The agent and manager are “selling” their actor to casting directors and producers. They have to make sure everyone knows what an actor can do, what they are right for, and more importantly, who they are. They represent you in a way that you can’t represent yourself. They are like a great suit: they don’t make you look better; they allow others to see you at your best.
2. Audition – You go into an audition and give the best performance possible with the sides provided in the allotted time. You do your absolute best under pressure as you vie for a part among a sea of other actors. The audition is just one small piece of a much larger puzzle where there are many other factors at play besides your performance (i.e., chemistry with director/other actors/writer, off-camera activities, availability for rehearsal/shoots).
Where do actors get their parts?
This is a question that’s been asked many times, but never answered. “I want to be an actor. How do I get good parts?”
Actors take risks. They risk their careers on projects they believe in. They risk getting rejected. They risk their lives to make it all happen.
Why do they do it? Because they love acting. Because they want to make the world a better place through art and entertainment. Because they know that if you’re not risking anything, it’s not worth doing.
And yet, when actors look for work, we often see them taking safe, easy jobs—playing the same type of characters over and over again; playing roles with no real interest in them; doing plays for little or no pay. We see them thinking about their careers as a business and not as an art form. And we see them getting discouraged when their careers don’t go the way they hoped.
You know, there’s a great deal of work in the theater. They’re always looking for actors and there are many ways to get parts. But it’s not just about acting, it’s about knowing how to play your part with the other actors, and making sure that everyone is doing their part for the best of the company.
If you look at the history of acting, you’ll find that most actors started out as stage hands or apprentices. And then they became stars. So if you’re going to be an actor, you have to do your job every day with a smile on your face because that’s what will make people want to see you again.
And if you can teach yourself how to do this, then you’ll be ahead of most people who go into acting today. You see, the thing that makes a good actor is his willingness to learn. And the only way he can learn is by doing.
So maybe I should ask myself: “Why am I acting?” Because it’s fun? Well, maybe it is fun but it’s also work! I mean, I’ve spent so many years doing something that I love and that I’m good at but now I have no idea how to go about getting paid for this! So why am
Dreams become reality only when you focus on the journey, not the destination. Know yourself.
Actors face a lot of rejection. It comes with the territory. So you must learn to love yourself and know your worth.
You must understand that every role has its own set of requirements, and this is not a reflection of who you are as an actor or person.
You just have to tap into different sides of your personality and what makes you unique as an actor.
The industry is looking for actors who have something specific that they can bring to a character.
This means something physical, such as height or facial features, or it may be something intangible, such as a certain energy or attitude that the character needs to convey.
If you aren’t right for one role, it doesn’t mean that you won’t ever be right for another one!
So keep working on yourself and keep improving your skills.”
