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Question
Hi first off I am leah I am 16 years old and I have alwase had an interest in
acting and comidic stuph ... Like I said I am 16 but I look about 13 I alwase
get cast alot younger than I really am I don't know if thats a good thing or not
but I don't care ... Reacently I have been in a improve class which is all good
and fun yet I haven't goten anywhere I enjoy all things singing, acting , stunts
, I am verry athletic so I can do alot of flips and things , I also like voice
overs cause u get to create who the characters are buy I have hit a wall I
don't know where to go or what to do so any advice
Hi Leah,
The dreaded wall!
No matter what a person does in this world: acting, music, writing, athletics, bodybuilding...whatever, at times this will happen. A lot of times it's like quicksand: the harder you struggle to escape, the deeper you get. Sometimes it is time that has to pass, sometimes its exposing yourself to something in life that provides the "a hah!" moment that breaks you free. At your age, the hardest thing to hear is that you may have to be patient a while for things to work themselves out. The normal reaction is to try to do something to change things, which is fine, but as us older people(who were young and impatient once ourselves) have learned over the years, despite the shorter time we have left to get there, we can't hurry things we have little control over. Basically, all you can do sometimes is to make sure you are prepared for when things start moving again, and wait.
In that vein, although you may have taken classes before, repeating them, maybe with a different teacher, could be good to do to keep improving. Things tend to work themselves out faster when you keep busy doing something to sharpen your skills.
Don't worry, stick it out and suddenly something will pop up out of nowhere! You will have to get used to the dead times followed by hectic spurts in this field of acting.
Best,
Taylor
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Answers by Expert:
Taylor Sheppard
Expertise
I can answer questions: on starting a career in acting, mistakes in acting, etiquette when dealing with industry contacts, finer points on how to act, and things to avoid in the field.
Experience
I have been a professional actor 21 years, with appearances in TV, Film and commercials. I have made good decisions and potentially damaging mistakes. I believe anyone who has a dream deserves to explore it, and I take their aspirations seriously. That being said, I do not pull punches. I try to be tactful, but I will not lie to someone, honesty is more effective. My last film role was in "Teeth" which was picked for Sundance in January 2007. It was sold to Lionsgate and Weinstein Co. for somewhere over 2.5 million. The role was "Mr. Griffith", a sex-ed teacher.
Organizations
Ciao Agency-Austin/Georgetown, Texas. (Formerly known as Donna Adams Agency. Matthew McConaughey was a good friend and fellow member. I also have belonged to agencies in three other Texas cities, but they have since closed.) TXMPA -Texas Motion Picture Alliance. Various other internet networking web rings as well as Actors Access. I was instrumental in advising actress Krista Allen on getting her career in acting started in Austin,Texas (we worked at the same Health Club in the early '90's).
Publications
Previously wrote on a now defunct website such as this one. I enjoyed helping new actors.
Education/Credentials
I have acted for 21 years. I studied under James Nelson Harrell as well as other talented actors at Southwest Texas State University. After college, I have taken classes with Julliard graduate Mona Lee, Bill Johnson, Van Brookes, Marco Perella and others in Austin Texas. I am constantly attending classes to maintain my edge and explore new directions. In addition to attending strictly acting classes, I have also taken business workshops with respected casting directors, such as Shari Rhodes ("Jaws","Close Encounters", "Raggedy Man".) Barbara Brinkley, Jo Edna Bolden and Donise Hardy, (Castingworks LA).
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