Expert: Phil Nemy - 8/1/2008

Question
Similar to many of the other individuals interested in advise i too am drawn to an acting career.I have been trying to decide my major for years now and the only thing that would seem to make me happy is a career as an actress in film ,television,motion picture. I aspire to be the next quick to rise actress..but before i begin my path i had a few questions i hoped you could assist me with:
1. in about 1 -2 years my dad is giving me the choice to continue school in either LA or NY....where do you believe i would have more success if i wanted to pursue being a successful actress while attending school?
2. do you believe it's possible for one to continue with school.. in this case college while trying to be a successful actress?
3. what is the first thing i should do once i get to the city which you find more successful for the type of acting him interested in?

Answer
Kristine,

Thanks for writing. If you want to be a serious actress, enroll in a college or university noted to have a strong professional actor's training program, one that offers a BFA degree in theater. Schools like Carnegie Mellon, Juliiard, NYU, Brandeis, Boston U, SMU, U of Wash at Seattle, and UCLA to name a few. You don't necessarily need to be in LA or NYU to study and develop your skills as an actor.

Once you have the training, THEN move to Los Angeles as 95% of all film and TV is cast in LA.

Once you get to LA, enroll in local acting classes (it tells people that you're serious about being in LA and pursuing a career), find an agent, and audition for as many roles as you can.

Hope this helps. Good luck!

Phil