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Careers: Acting, Performing, Directing/wanting to know how to get into the business

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Expert: - 3/21/2011


Question
Hey Taylor, i am a male, 25 years old, my question is, do i really have to go to school for training and if so how long? with me having a family it will be hard to go to school for this, i have no film experience but i do have an interest in it, just to see what its all about and if im into it then thats where i want to see myself in the future

Answer
Hi Don,

I will have to keep this short, but here goes:

I believe that I have wasted about 70% of my life looking for shortcuts.
Having taken a bunch, how often did I get what I wanted? Not once! Even if I had successfully carried out a plan, no doubt it would have worked only because the end goal wasn't worth anything.

Anything worthwhile takes dedication and education.

Dedication also helps you dust your ego and yourself off after you experience a string of rejections. The people that can't, you will never see.

Yes, take classes! Beginning acting, intermediate, improv, cold-reading, an audition workshop and character development. At least. Don't blow it off and try to go in cold. Even stars take classes and workout their craft. The good ones anyway. If you make a bad showing, you will have years before the casting people forget how bad you were.
Find a way, but be a good dad.

Best, Taylor

Careers: Acting, Performing, Directing

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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).

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