Careers: Acting, Performing, Directing/how do i get started?

Advertisement

Expert: - 6/7/2009


Question
HI! I want to start my acting career now while im in college but have no experience what-so-ever, and no training except a few drama classes. I have sent in headshots to a few agencies in Dallas TX butI have no resume.my question is how do i get started? everyone wants actors with experience so there is no way to get it? what do i do?

Answer
Hi Kathrine,

You can make up a resume from classes you have taken, plays you did in school and workshops you have attended. Just sending a headshot doesn't tell your whole story, but can make you appear to be a "wannabe" who doesn't want to bother with traing, which isn't really the case here.

On your resume, just put your name, training you have had and any special abilities and plays from school. (in separate catagories).
Special abilities are anything you can do: dance, sing, pogo stick, speak languages, dive...whatever.

Just look on the web for examples. DO NOT put height, weight, age etc.

Best,

Taylor

Careers: Acting, Performing, Directing

All Answers

Answers by Expert:

Ask Experts

Volunteer

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).

©2012 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved.