Expert: Peter Messaline - 6/3/2007

Question
Hi! How can I become an actress without going to acting school?

Answer
Becoming a successful professional actor ('actress' is not a term most women actors like), always depends on luck to some extent. All you can do is to increase your chances.

I assume you are a high school student, somewhere in North America but not in a major city.

If you are in a major city, read on but look for a local theatre, university, private teaching studio or talent agency. There is a lot of information immediately available, but also a lot of scam artists ready to take your money. Be very careful about paying out money you can't afford for something that may not be the miracle route it claims to be.

Most actors nowadays take a college or university course before starting their professional career. Many take more than one, and many working actors continue to take courses throughout their career.

Acting is a collection of hundreds of specialist skills and pieces of knowledge. You can pick them up, and you certainly need to have a natural talent, but courses are a better way of learning than making a fool of yourself over and over again as you learn in the workplace.

You should read books about becoming an actor, just as you would find out about becoming a lawyer or a dental hygienist. Unless you know about the job, how can you guess you'd like it or be any good at it? Look for the bread and butter advice type of book,  not the 'You can be a Star!' type, nor the 'I am a Star and This is how I Did It' type. Michael Shurtleff's audition is an excellent book about the American Scene, and you should ask your bookstore about Canadian books (which I wrote).

Realise that very few actors get enough work to qualify as union members, very very few union members stay in for more than a few years, and very very very few of those actually make a living from acting alone. The average actor lives on being a waiter or a secretary or a labourer, and what acting income they get is eaten up by their costs.

If you are still determined to go it alone without a qualification, you will need to find producers and directors who are willing to take a chance on you. Become known locally. Join every club in your neighbourhood that has anything to do with performance. Build sets, clean the stage, do anything on the route towards being cast.

Read all you can about the business. Go to talk to college counsellors about their courses, look for a local film course -- they often need actors. Everyone you meet in this search, everyone you read about, may be a lead to work. Get in touch by mail or e-mail, and keep in touch. These people, once they feel they know a bit about you, may help your career along.

This is a lot of work, and I think you may decide that an acting course is a better use of your time. You should do the same things even if you take a course, but your whole career won't depend on them.

Treat acting as a career and give it the respect it deserves. Get your parents onside, do your research and push yourself forward whenever a chance offers itself. You'll be doing this throughout your career, so you'd better get used to it now!

Rotsa Ruck