You are here:
Careers: Acting, Performing, Directing/i want this bad
Advertisement
Question
I'm 13 years old and I want to be an actor so bad right now but I don't know what to do i want to move to California but i cant get the money and no place to stay
Hi Rushon,
Nothing I am about to say will make you happy.
When I signed on to do this I said I would be kind but I would not lie to do that.
To be an actor in California or anywhere takes time, training, at least SOME money, and above all, patience.
a long, long, time ago, people started showing up to California (Hollywood) because they saw stars on a screen and heard stories about people who were just sitting at a drugstore soda fountain (snack bar) and were signed up to be movie stars. Usually they believed it happened a few days after they got to Hollywood. That hasn't really changed over the decades. People still think they will drive to Hollywood and get to be an actor just because they want to. MILLIONS of people have done so,and still do.
To be an actor you have to start out small. Take classes, learn how to memorize lines, learn how to make it all look real. You work your way up in time and MAYBE you will have some success and VERY LIKELY you won't become a star.
Not many do. However, quite a few get to act here and there in shows as supporting actors.
Many young people get the "Hollywood Dream" in their head and run away from home. If they even get to Hollywood, they find they can't get work of any kind...or maybe they will find someone who offers them a place to stay and a job because they are hungry and alone, but it turns out that the "job" offer is something very bad. Something you wouldn't want to do. Maybe painful, definitely something you wouldn't want anyone to know about.
If you are thinking of running away and going there, please DON'T DO IT! It won't be a storybook ending.
Even if there were some way that you managed to become a star, the money and the fame doesn't make you happy. You would have to be happy before you became a star, because it only makes the problems you already have worse. Being a star isn't what you think it is. That's why you see stars in trouble all the time in the magazines and papers. They got rich and famous and their lives are still unhappy. They drink and do drugs and get pulled over by the police if they are lucky or worse if they aren't. Being a star doesn't solve problems or make you happy or better than anyone who isn't a star.
Best to you,
Taylor
Related Articles
- Hollywood, California - Should You Visit Hollywood, California
- Visiting the Shop and Crew of Hollywood Stars Tattoo in Los Angeles California
- Hollywood California in One Day - How to Spend a Day in Hollywood - Los Angeles
- Hollywood Celebrity Culture in LA - Los Angeles Entertainment and Celebrity Culture in Hollywood
- Hollywood Walk of Fame - Guide to the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Answers by Expert:
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).
©2012 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved.