Expert: Phil Nemy - 2/14/2010

Question
Hello. I am an 18 yr old girl who wants to be a singer & actress. I've done school plays & I'm currently enrolled in university taking an acting class. I've been told I'm very good & will go very far if I stick to it (singing & acting) I take my crafts seriously & I do work very hard to improve because I believe there's always room for improvement. I'm torn right now because I know what I want to do, but I don't know what to study in school because they always say you need a back-up plan if you want to get into entertainment & you don't need a college degree to be a singer or an actress. So please, advise me in what my first steps should be to becoming a professional, working actress/singer. I'd love to be signed to CAA or WMA and Hollywood Records or Jive Records (basically any big, dependable agencies) but I don't know how to get there. Should I do ProScout? Should I just send a headshot & resume to casting directors? Besides continueing to work on my crafts throught community theatre what should I do? I know age is a big factor in the entertainment industry, and I love to act/sing/dance and the sooner I can get into the industry, the better. I really need guidance, especially since I am now 18 & I cannot depend on my parents for my career choice. Thank you so much for your time & your feedback would truly be appreciated to the max. Have a wonderful day.

Answer
Chanel,

Thanks for writing. You essentially have two choices. The first choice is to enroll in a university that offers a BFA degree in Acting/Theater. This will give you the best training you could ask for. Schools like Julliard, Carnegie Mellon, NYU, Brandeis, SMU, Boston, etc. are all top-flight schools where you KNOW you'll get great training.

Your other choice is to skip school, and if you believe you have raw talent and amazing look, then move to Los Angeles now, enroll in some local acting classes, and audition for anything and everything you can to get your face known and your talent seen.  Then hope that an agent sees your work, picks you up for representation, and pray that luck falls your way and you get cast in some film and TV roles.

Either one you choose, eventually you need to be living full-time in Los Angeles if you want a career in film or TV.

Hope this helps. Good luck!

Phil