Expert: Wanda Reinholdt - 4/12/2008

Question
Hey Wanda,  Well i want to become an Actor ( Who dosent) and im not really sure if ill be "acting material".   Im 16 years old, heading on 17 in july and im willing to do practically anything to Act.  

Here are my Queries:

im almost 6 Ft tall , average looking ( i know looks mean quite alot in this buisness but im not sure if "Average" will cut it)

I have no real acting experience - Although im very willing to learn im not sure what would be the best way for me to get into acting, what college cources are best etc.

Im not overly shy,  but i dont show off and i dont usually become the guy in class who is gagging for attention all the time (im not used to having people look at me all the time in such a big envirnoment),  is this a bad thing? Although i usually am the person who has to start or end a conversation when im talking in a group. should i change my attitude to be the "entertainer" of the class and try to boost my confidence when talking to large groups of people?

Any help would be appreciated

Thanks

Answer
Hey Mike...Thanks for writing and asking your questions.

Regarding looks...Yes, your looks are important in acting.  However, when a director goes to cast a show, they are not always looking for people who are gorgeous.  They are looking for a combination of things such as the ability to communicate well with a script and attitude as well as the right look.  So I would not be concerned about your looks too much, ok?  If you go out there and audition for parts doing the best you know how and you learn from those experiences and get better and better each time, eventually a part will find you :).

As you have no experience, I would suggest that you begin to take some classes.  Find workshops and classes that you can take that work around your school.  If you can find some Meisner workshops and courses, those would be the best.  But really anything you can find for film or theatre would help you.  Check at local theatres or colleges for some options for you.  And if you can join your drama class at your school and start getting some experience there, that would help a lot as well.  

Besides this, I would recommend that you not settle into a college degree in acting until you know for sure that you like it and that you can see yourself doing this regularly.  Having a desire is one thing but do you have the passion and the love of it to continue to go for it even when times get tough?  I'm not sure from what you tell me.  You would have to figure that out by getting some experience in high school and community theatres first.  And the workshops you take would also help you decide this.  

Regarding your personality, I am glad to hear that you are not always needing attention.  Having a good attitude and not demanding people to listen to you or cater to you is important.  In other words, it's important that you not change into something that you are not to do this.  Just learn the skills that are needed and find the tools that are used through study and reading.  And then go out there and use them well.  Be yourself and discover what it means to be an actor.  From there, you can determine whether or not this is the career for you.  

Does that help?

Wanda