As a freelance actor, I’m always looking for advice and guidance. Because of this, I decided to start a blog where I could share what I find with others who might be in the same position. My blog is called “Tips for Freelance Actors,” and my goal is to share advice and stories from freelance actors.

I’ll post tips on things like:

-how to audition

-how to stay motivated

-how to negotiate contracts

-how to find gigs that pay well

I’ll also post interviews with working actors to hear their take on success and failure in the business. Most important, I’ll try to be as honest as possible. I’m sure there are a lot of people out there who have opinions about what it takes to make it as a freelance actor, but I believe that if enough of us share our experiences, we can all benefit from the conversation.

Hopkins Actor is a blog dedicated to sharing advice and stories from freelance actors.

My name is Rachael, and I’m an actor based in sunny Los Angeles, CA. I have been acting professionally for over a decade and have had the privilege of learning from some amazing teachers, writers and actors. Now, it is my time to give back to the community that has given me so much.

I love what I do. This blog will help you love what you do too.

I started this blog to share advice and stories from freelance actors. I’m a working actor myself, and I’ve learned a lot through my experiences. I’m hoping that by sharing what I’ve learned, I can help other people who are just starting out.

I want to emphasize that the advice I’m sharing is based on my personal experience, and not meant to be definitive in any way. There are many paths an actor can take, and what worked for me might not work for you. But hopefully it will give you some idea of what to expect as you embark on your own path!

I’ll be writing about things like how to prepare for auditions, how to stay sane while waiting to hear back, how to deal with rejection, how to cope with self-doubt, and most importantly: how to keep going!

If there’s something you’re curious about that isn’t covered here, please let me know!

Freelance actors, I know the struggle is real.

I have been a freelance actor for about three years now. I have had my fair share of both amazing experiences and disheartening experiences. As a freelance actor, you are constantly learning what works for you and what doesn’t.

One thing I have learned throughout my journey thus far is that there are certain things that all actors need to be doing in order to succeed in this industry. I am sharing these things with you so that you can make the most out of your time as a freelance actor.

Just like any other business, finding work as an actor can be a struggle and requires a lot of persistence. You have to put yourself out there and be proactive in the search for jobs. Here are some tips from my personal experience:

1. Apply for everything and anything that you meet the requirements for.

2. Don’t let a lack of experience discourage you from applying for jobs–just try your best.

3. If you don’t get the job, don’t get discouraged! There are plenty more opportunities out there.

4. Take classes to improve your skills, whether they’re directly related to your major or not! I took an improv class at Hopkins that taught me how to think on my feet and come up with creative solutions to problems (useful in any job).

5. Keep track of all the jobs you’ve applied for and make note of when it’s time to follow up with the companies you applied to (if they don’t get back to you). This will help keep you organized so nothing falls through the cracks!

You can do this by creating a spreadsheet or using an app like Trello or Evernote (free).

Today we’re going to talk about the most important thing an actor can do for their career. This is the thing I wish I had known about when I started out, and the thing that would have saved me from a lot of wasted time, money and heartache. It’s not always obvious, and there may be some trial and error to get it right, but once you do it’ll help all areas of your life, not just your acting.

The single most important thing you can do for your acting career is…

Know yourself.

I don’t mean know what parts you play best (although that will help), or which characters come most naturally (although that too), or even who you are as a person – although hopefully all these things will help you towards knowing yourself better too. The most important thing is to know the real you. Your true self. Your soul.

What I mean by this is to be completely honest with yourself about who you are as a person, what it is you want from life, and how you want to get there. Most importantly: What makes YOU happy?

Knowing who YOU really are will allow you to shape your career in the way that YOU want it, rather than working

A few weeks ago I attended a networking event, and my dear friend and colleague, Katie Longmyer, began talking about how important it is to go see shows. More specifically, to see other people’s shows. And the more she talked about the importance of going to see others’ shows, the more I thought about how little I actually do this.

I had a moment of shame. How could I not go out and support my fellow actors? After all, it is one of the most helpful things you can do for another actor (besides telling them how awesome they were in their performance). Yet I wasn’t doing it enough. And I doubted that I was alone in this.

So what are some reasons actors should get out of their houses and go see some theatre? Here are a few: