Expert: Taylor Sheppard - 2/4/2008

Question
Hi my name is Rachel and I want to become a proffesional actress and I would like to know a couple of things about acting for a project?
1. What is a good way to start your career?
2. What in your opinion is better t.v. or stage?
3. Any advice for future actors?
4. What do you think is a good education to have for acting?
5. What are some good agency's to contact?

Answer
Hi Rachel,

Sorry for the delay in answering, I'll do my best to make the wait worth it!

1. To start a career in acting you need training. You also need to expose your mind to ideas and start to look at movies and TV from the perspective of acting. Once you realize that what your seeing is not just someone living their life on screen, but someone, possibly VERY different from their character, who is creating the illusion of being that character, it starts to look different.

Many actors get into acting to "be someone else". Meaning that they may have been very shy, but instead of AVOIDING being in the limelight, they sought it out to change their life. When you are being someone different on screen or on a stage, you get to (allow yourself) to be what you have trouble being in real life.

Myself, I tend to be the nice guy who doesn't like hurting people's feelings. I don't like conflict. On screen, I have gotten to be evil, mean and say and do things I wouldn't in real life. Why? Because I am not hurting anyone and bad guys tend to be more complex characters, therefore more challenging/interesting to be. Sometimes people have seen actors in real life and give them a hard time because they really believe they are the same as the guy they played!

Absorbing what you see in people is a very good thing to do as an acting student. Being well rounded, reading books, seeing films...living life and being open minded gives you imagination to draw on to create what people see on screen. So, yes, educated people make better actors. People who won't be seen around poor people or people that "aren't their class" will have a hard time portraying those people when they need to.

Take classes anywhere and everywhere you can that have to do with acting. Drama club, college, high school and private teachers are all important. You may not decide to be a drama major in college, but taking some of the courses doesn't hurt. Many actors major in another subject to pay the bills and minor in Drama to follow their passion.

TV or Theater?
My passion is movies, but I have done theater and commercials and TV movie work.
Theater is slightly different than film for acting. The gestures you might use would be "bigger" or broader so the audience in the back can see what's up. You also need to speak louder in theater than film as they use sensitive microphones for film and stage requires you to project your voice unnaturally. Many theater people have had trouble doing TV and film because they want to do what they are used to and have trouble adapting.
I like film because you can rework a scene until it's right, on stage it's one shot. Film reaches broader audiences and they can create things that can't be done in a theater. I also wouldn't want to do a show several times a week and on weekends. They audience energy is fun and can be very rewarding, but I just prefer film.

Future actors need to be ready for change. Who knows what technology will throw at you? Digital rendering can do things that weren't possible before. The business and how your career goes will surely change. It has before! You may have a short career or a long one. There may be completely digital actors in the future. Be able to adapt to what comes along.

As far as agents, they are listed under Talent Agents in your local directory....in major cities.
Don't try to get an agent before you have been taking classes for a while. You don't want to go in without a clue, because 1st impressions last and you could ruin a chance with a great agent by being unprepared. Why set yourself up for embarrassment when you can "wow" them a few months later instead?

For more on agents and getting them, please read my past answers!

Best,

Taylor