Expert: John T. Aney - 1/17/2009

Question
Hello John,

My name is Michael and I've always had an interest in pursuing an acting
career. I got the acting bug at age 7 after watching films and Broadway shows
with the hope of becoming a star. However, my dad didn't think I had what it
took to be an actor because he found me to be shy. As I understand it, a lot
of actors are shy, but that was not the case for me. The truth is, it's taken me
years to finally realize that it was my dad who was shy and he was convinced
that I was just like him, but I was the complete opposite. On the other hand,
my mom was more supportive of me because she is an artist herself.
Nonetheless, I went to college and majored in something else that was
completely unrelated, but in the meantime, I attended a youth center where I
took acting lessons for two semesters and fell in love with it. Then, I pursued
a career working as a temp because I was trying to make a difference in the
world, forcing me to stop taking acting lessons, my plate was too full.

Now, at age 36 I still have the desire to pursue an acting career. But my 7
year old dream of becoming a star has now changed to wanting to become a
serious and good character actor. I would imagine that when someone is 7
years old, it's quite common (and normal) for any child wishing to be a star
because they are at that age where they want all the attention to focus on
them, but since that time, I've matured, I have found myself, my place, I know
who I am and what I want to do. And that is to learn the true art of acting. My
family and friends have told me to go for it but that I should pursue
becoming a star because they said I was very handsome, but I never saw
myself that way, I just consider myself to be average looking. Besides, I think
my chances of becoming a professional actor will be significantly increased if
I become a character actor because I will have more options to play a diverse
set of intriguing and fascinating characters as opposed to a star. You're
probably wondering why I want to become an actor? Well, that's a good
question! One that deserves a good answer.

My reason for becoming an actor is because acting is my life. I enjoy being
with people, I'm fascinated by how they think, tick and behave. I don't see
actors as "stars" or people who flew from the sky or people who pass from a
membrane into another reality, they are people just like us with flaws, warts
and all. They are more like amateur psychologists who study people and the
human condition. It's about playing characters, especially villains to see how
and why they do the things that you and I would never do in real life, ever. It's
eventually deciding what kind of person you want to be and what kind of
person you don't want to be. My goal is to become a professional character
actor, to understand people and in the long run, to better understand myself
as well in the process, thus, evolving into a better human being. Also, I
understand that the acting profession is a very difficult industry to break into
but I have my own successful internet business so I won't have to worry about
going hungry when there is no work.

Anyway, my question is, am I too old to start? I understand that actor Danny
Aiello started at age 43 and Morgan Freeman didn't get his big break until
age 52. Is this true that you can start at any age?


Best regards,

Michael  

Answer
Michael,

I get a lot of simple, somewhat silly questions on Allexperts, and its refreshing to get one that is serious, well-composed, and one that requires some real attention on my part.  Thank you!

First of all, to answer your main question, no, its never too late to start acting.  In fact, your age can actually be used to your benefit.

I'm not 100% sure, but I gather from your message that you are interested in film and tv work.  I can't give you too much advice on how to develop a career in those areas, as I am primarily trained in stagework.

My advice to you is that you get experience.  As much as you can as soon as you can.  But I don't necessarily think you should start out auditioning for every film that you can find out about.  Instead, I would encourage you to seek out a local professional or semi-professional theatre company in your area, and start auditioning.  The theatre is the best place to develop your skills as a character actor.  As someone who is older than most actors out there, you automatically have an advantage - most theatre companies are desperate for good, older men.  And there are a LOT of great roles out there for older character actors.

Once you have a few years of consistent, rewarding stage work under your belt, then I recommend you find an agent in your area that you can take advice from and that can help you get auditions for commercials, industry videos and film.  Since you mention that you have a successful business, you are at a huge advantage if your schedule is free enough that you can go to auditions during the day or be available for long film shoots.

You should also look for opportunities to take more acting classes.  I know you did this many years ago, but it never hurts to refresh.  Also, acting classes are a great way to find out about whats happening in theatre, film and TV work in your area.

It's hard for me to offer much more concrete advice unless I have an idea of where you are living, but this should at least give you a good start.  If you want to talk more, feel free to email me at johnaney@gmail.com

Regards, and good luck!

jta