Expert: Wanda Reinholdt - 12/10/2007

Question
Hi their,
my names Jessica and I am 17 years old and I am wanting to know what you could tell me on what the first few steps are for getting into acting? I currently am a grade 12 student, and I live in British Columbia, Canada. I have been taking singing lessons for number of years now, and have up to my grade 4 in RCM. I also have a little bit of dance background and acting for I have been in a couple of school plays when I was younger. But to sum this all up I am basically saying I am willing to do whatever it takes, I'll move to LA, get an agent, spend whatever money etc. So could you please help me and direct me into the right path and tell me what the first few steps are for getting into acting? Thank you and hope to hear back from you soon.

Answer
Hi Jessica.  Thanks for writing, fellow Canadian :).

It's so neat to hear that you are interested in acting.  I want you to know that acting is a wonderful career and can be filled with so many rewards.  

There are a few things that you might want to think about before going for it.  

First of all - It's great to hear that you will do whatever it takes.  Because that is what is going to take.  It is going to take commitment, persistence, and a belief in something bigger than just acting to pursue a career in acting.  The reason is that the arts are competitive.  The journey of an artist includes lots of no's before the yes's come.  Are you ready for that?  Will you continue to move forward no matter what is said?  Are you committed to growing and learning and persisting no matter what?

The other thing to remember is that acting is not something that you should pursue if you want to get rich or become famous.  Becoming rich and famous is a bonus.  It takes hard work and dedication to get there.  And it does not happen for everyone.  

So that's why it is best for you to really take some time to think about why you want to go into acting.  What are some other reasons that you could have to do this?  What are some other goals or passions that you could want to attain?  Is there anything close to your heart that could be your reason?  Once you have something you are not willing to let go of (a reason), it will keep you strong even in the hardest of times.

I don't want to discourage you to go into acting.  I just want you to be realistic about what it is that you are looking into doing.  

Once you answer the above questions and you are still convinced that this is what you want to do, then you need to decide if you want to do theatre or if you want to do film or both.  Theatre is a thrill.  It is one take in front of a live audience.  It is 1 chance to live in the moment and be real.  Film is an opportunity to be a part of something that is archived.  Film acting is without a live audience and requires many takes before 1 is chosen.  By choosing which you are going to do, you also choose what education you will take.

Then look into university and college programs for acting.  Some will have both film and theatre.  Some will have one or the other.  In BC (I'm Canadian too :)), going to Vancouver for film and theatre is a great idea.  I'm a theatre major so I'm not sure about film as much.  But here's some theatre ideas for you:

Victoria has a really good stage acting program.  Probably the best one though in Western Canada is in Edmonton at the University of Alberta.  If you want to major in acting, I would suggest starting with a college or university 2 year.  Then you can decide on what to do next.

If college or university is not possible for you, then I would say that you would do well to do some community theatre acting in your local area and work for a while.  Once you get some experience, then begin to audition for local theatres.  Or if you can find some film opportunities in your local area, sign up for them and get that experience.

The whole idea is to keep doing the art.  Keep finding ways to get some more experience.  College or university will connect you with people who know people more quickly.  

Does that help you?

Wanda