The answer is very simple. You are what you APPEAR to be! I have been training and coaching actors for many years, and this question is one of the most troubling ones to those who have not come to terms with the concept that ‘THEY are only concerned with what you appear to be’. If the 40 year old actor appears to be 18 to 23 years old, why would that actor say anything to the casting director, their agent, even their peers about ‘really’ being 40?
Your job is to know what you sell best and sell it (that goes for upscale-vs-downscale and selfless-vs-selfish characters as well as age of character). It is not your job to let everyone know that you are really NOT what they think you are. They will feel like they can’t trust you to deliver the goods if you are not what you appear to be.
Consider the casting director who sees your head shot or composite, likes what they see (meaning they identify your type, your age, your socioeconomic status, your degree of education etc. and you fit the part perfectly). They call you in, and you (or your agent or another actor ‘friend’ of yours) make it a point to tell them you are NOT what they assumed you are. No one likes to be proven wrong, so the CD will simply hire the actor who is in line right behind you or in front of you because they really ARE (at least as far as the CD knows) what the CD assumed they were when the CD viewed their pictures.
The bottom line, is simply: You are what you appear to be in this business. Save all your truthful secrets for that special someone who will love and accept you for who and what you are, no matter what….

For specific help or additional comments, you can contact me personally at:
Ken@SensibleActing.com

“Lucky Actors” are the ones who know their stuff when an opportunity comes along.

It seems that today, everyone is looking for Instant Gratification.  Many actors want to believe that a lucrative performing career is simply a matter of ‘being discovered’.  They think that it is simply a matter of ‘being in the right place at the right time’ or meeting the ‘right people’.

In their haste to attain fame and wealth without bothering to acquire skills and techniques, they usually waste a lot of time and money trying to find an ‘agent’ or ‘manager’ who can “make them a star” BEFORE they learn how to act.   Of course, there are plenty of so-called agents and managers who are happy to praise and feed false hopes to these misguided actors and their parents so they will buy-in to the concept of – ‘It’s Who You Know, Not What You Know’.  They are very good at convincing the starry-eyed novice that they can introduce you to the ‘right people’ for a fee or services that you pay for up front.

The Sensible Actor knows that this is a profession like any other.  They realize that there are skills to be mastered. The Sensible Actor will invest in training as any  doctor, accountant or any other professional does. In other words, THEY PREPARE!!

It is a business that must be promoted. The Sensible Actor will network with those who are already established in the business.  They will join networking groups, volunteer for student films, community theater, join speech clubs, and anything else where they will mingling with others in the profession. In other words, THEY PROMOTE!!!

Sensible Actors know that performing for free in community theater, student films, school and church presentations, and doing extra work is the most effective means of promoting one’s skills.  No one will hire an actor because they SAY they can act.  You have to SHOW them!  Performing is the ONLY way to get more  performing work, so THEY PERFORM!!

Sensible, trained actors learn how to establish contact with legitimate professionals in the industry.  They learn how to maintain those relationships and how to avoid being ripped off.

Sensible, trained actors know that ‘Who You Know’ can only open a door.  Once you open that door and step in, it’s ‘What You Know’ that transforms an ‘opportunity’ into ‘success’.

Sensible Actors know that:

Preparation + Opportunity = A Very ‘Lucky’ Actor

‘Being Yourself’ is never enough

How often do actors read a script and say, “I know what I’d do in this situation”, or “This part is exactly like me”.  We have learned in classes to ‘pull from our personal experiences’ and to ‘act natural’, but I believe too many actors are misinterpreting or misunderstanding what is meant by these statements.

When actors begin the study of acting, there may be an emphasis on ‘getting them in touch with their feelings’.  We hear things like ‘how do you feel’ or ‘what did it feel like when…’  But that is before they start to develop characters.  Unfortunately, many actors stop studying before they develop the ability to become someone else who has a completely different view of life and, therefore, a completely different set of beliefs, values and feelings associated with any particular situation.

It’s true that we should ‘be ourselves’ at times (like when meeting an agent or entering an audition), but to assume that the character would behave like we do in a particular situation is a gross misunderstanding.

Here are some thoughts on the subject that may help.

Premise #1:  Effective Storytelling relies on establishing Drama

Premise #2:  Drama is a direct result of Characters in Conflict

Premise #3:  It is our (the actor’s) nature in Everyday Life to try to avoid Conflict

THEREFORE:  If Storytelling relies on Drama, Drama is a result of characters being in Conflict and real people (other than sociopaths) try to avoid conflict in their lives, BEING YOURSELF will NEVER create the conflict and drama necessary to tell stories!

Granted, characters are not ALWAYS at a fever-pitched emotional level in every scene, but they ARE always at a higher level than you or I would be if we were in the same situation.  The key to playing a scene is NOT to ‘be yourself’, but rather to ‘do what you WISH you could do’ if you were in that situation with that character’s history and beliefs.

How often do we see the guy in a scene stand up to the bully or bad guy?  And don’t we always say to ourselves, “Boy, I wish I could do that!”?  Of course, our hero then gets the snot beaten out of him for having such a ‘smart mouth’, and we (the audience) learn that keeping a civil tongue and mild temper is much better for our survival.

In life, we may WANT to take a swing at the person flirting with our spouse, but we don’t dare do it because we consider the consequences before acting.  Characters DON’T THINK about consequences.   Or if they do, they do not have the self-control that we do in real life.  Even when characters know they are doing something they will regret later, they do not have the control to keep from doing it.  In real life, our self control and the ability to avoid conflict is the key to our survival…  as much as they may try, CHARACTERS LACK our self control, and that keeps them in conflict… and keeps us interested in their fate throughout the story.

So, when you get that initial gut feeling that you know ‘exactly what the character would think, feel and do’, take another look.  Imagine how someone who is not NEARLY as stable as you are would react in that situation… then think of another character that would be even LESS able to handle it.  Now, THAT’S the character we want to see.  THAT character will have conflict.  THAT character will be INTERESTING!

And finding THAT character takes training, time and talent.  See you on the set!

Ken Grant

A Sensible Approach to Acting

www.SensibleActing.com

We welcome your comments.