Expert: Taylor Sheppard - 7/31/2007

Question
QUESTION: Hello Taylor,
I am Arthur Palm. I want to start acting. I have asked a lot of questions on the internet about acting, but many were not answered. But finally I got someone who answered me. She give me alot of advices. she said that I could join the Acting camp of L.A., that could be perfect for me. At the camp, you got to perform in front of a lot of hollywood proffessionals directors and agents. The fact is that I am realy, really nervous about it. But I wanted to start acting to get a proffessional career. But I don't have so much money. My mom said  we should save money so the next year we could join the team. But I am not sure about it. My mom always should say something like that, 'we should save money to go on vacancion or something next year' and it doesn't happen. Ok, I understand, we are actually far away from L.A. (I live in the Netherlands Antilles).But it doesn't have to be so long. I had many dreams, like going on the international champion games with swimming. I threw all them away,because I never could make those true. The problem again, Money!!! I am sure I wouldn't quit with acting , but I am so enough with this. I really want to do this but I can't. I am also sooooo shy and soooo nervous about everything that it freaks me out everywhere. I would wait till next year, saving money and do the best, but I am so scared if I failed. And I  am also having a problem with school. I can't concentrate at school because of this. That's why it didn't go well at school this year. And I am sooooo scared if I failed (Again!!!) this year at school. I really need your support and your help. I really need some avices. If I have to wait till next year,I would wait, But I don't know if I get it.only if you could answer my mail would be enough for me.How I could deal with it of being nervous, shy. If there isn't a better way to get the acting classes and the acting career.          I also have been looking every where ,in magazines a lot, Tiger beat magazines, for infomations,like advices, about acting.I know a lot of them. The teen stars.But I have to do it my self...


Thanks for reading....
Arthur Palm

ANSWER: Hello Arthur,

Like you, I was born shy. Up until a few years ago, I would leave an audition angry with myself for not doing better, because I was so freaked out that I couldn't control myself.
I would stiffen up and my mind would be so clouded with many thoughts that I could not focus. You are not unusual.

There is a quote by someone famous: "Oh the great things we would attempt, if we knew we would not fail". While pressure may cause some people to shine brighter, it makes other people fall apart. The difference is how you learn to deal with it. You need to talk to yourself when you are afraid and scared. Think back to the past -when you were scared about something. What happened? Was it as bad as you feared? Most often, you will find it was not as bad as you imagined. As you get older, you gain enough experience to see that is true, and you will worry less.
Many actors have to be careful not to think too much, because it will cause them to be troubled. Too much thought can make you "freeze up" and not allow you to make any choices of what to do.
If you worry about failing, you will either NOT attempt anything...or you will make yourself fail. The truth is, there are no guarantees in life that you will not fail, and you MUST fail at times to learn.

From your letter, I am wondering if you have a parent who worries a lot. As human beings, we learn a lot of our behaviors by watching our family and believing that what we see is normal. As we do not live with another family, we accept what we see, and believe everyone lives that way.
My own family is full of people who worry. Their faces show it. I had to realize that this is not a good way to live and change my own behavior.

I would work around your schooling problem by finding acting classes close to where you live. While it would be a great experience to attend the classes in California, there is no reason that you can't get a good start in acting where you are. I got the impression from your letter that you haven't begun learning acting yet. You may find that you don't like acting once you have studied it.

Another impression I get from your letter is that you may believe that becoming an actor will guarantee you fame and change your life. The odds are really high against this. I would only recommend acting to someone for the joy of acting, not for fame or fortune, because only a few out a million get to be stars.

Check out acting closer to your home, build your confidence, then spend the money to go farther from home!

Break a leg!

Taylor

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hey Taylor,


It's me again, Arthur Palm. So, next year I gotta go to the acting camp like I said in the preview message. I am nervous about it. I am really following your advice. But I want to ask something. I want to be ready for it so I can make a great jump. I want to ask you what all about acting. How is a day in a actor life, like yours. How did you get an agent. How will acting be. It's kind of fun. I want to know how it's like to be an actor. Not about.fame and such, but about working as an actor. I like a very crazy schedule. I mean, so I can do a lot of things and don't have to worry about being shy and nervous. Just have fun. Is it hard at the first moment. And also about audtioning. How do you deal with it. How it works. I really like to know about everything so I can make a good jump. They are helping me so much to get to my dream. I mean at the TVI acting studios. They are really good. They care about you and your career and want you to do it right and make a good jump.


Thanks for reading.
Arthur Palm


Answer
Hi Arthur,

If you read through my other answers, you can pick up a lot of tips I've given on what to expect from acting. One of the greatest talents you will acquire is learning how to cope on your own. That is one thing I can't teach, and will come with time and experience to you. I would advise to be very careful about showing too much emotion outside of the work. When you are young and sometimes even older, you act on impulse, which, while useful at times, can be hurtful to your career if not kept under control. While you don't want to feel like you are helpless to other's control, in this business, "throwing a fit" can get you a bad reputation. I once, as a young actor, got upset (justifiably, I thought) because I was given a featured extra part as the husband of a wedding party member, who was a principal character. Due to some flaw, I kept getting incorrect call times on my sheet. I would be scheduled to show up at 6:00 a.m. only to find the first crews just arriving to set up rigging. After two days of that, I was told to arrive at 9:00 a.m., only to find I had been replaced because I hadn't shown up earlier. I was very angry at whoever got my times wrong, and they hadn't even started filming, but wouldn't let me have my spot back. I was so angry that when one of the crew asked me to move my car for the second time because they were so disorganized, I announced: "How about I just move it to my house?" and left. The extras casting lady was not pleased that I left without permission. She is now no longer an extras casting person, but casts major parts. She has never hired me again. You must be careful what you do, because things like that can happen. PLEASE REVIEW MY PREVIOUS ANSWERS FOR MORE TIPS!
Good luck in finding your way, my friend.

Taylor