How To Become An Actor

Learning how to become an actor sometimes means learning when NOT to do something. If you’ve spent any time around actors, you know they can have a "different" view of how things are done.

I was reading a recent interview with Joaquin Phoenix discussing his new movie "We Own The Night." In the interview the actor discusses how he approaches acting and the feature film business all together.

Phoenix said that he doesn’t believe in rehearsing. He said sitting in a hotel room with a script without wardrobe and props make it impossible to get into the character. He also doesn’t like second and third takes because they basically kill inspiration.

Phoenix really highlights how actors and actresses cannot simply rehearse scripted lines and say they are acting. There is an internal transformation that takes place when you cease becoming an actor and start becoming the character. Perhaps this quote by Phoenix sums it up best:

"But for me the idea is to not be self-aware, but to try and be in the moment and experience something and the director hopefully knows how to capture it. Not to make a face but to have a feeling, and that feeling is what makes your face look a particular way. … It’s like doing (an) angry face as opposed to being angry."

Whether you’re going to a casting call, audition or are on set (or stage for that matter), completely transforming into the character is what will take your acting to the next level. As Phoenix said, "I hate acting. I try to BE."

 

Here’s a link to the whole interview.

I’d love to hear what you think.

Taylor

P.S. If you really want to break into showbiz, ace acting auditions,  and make it as an actor or actress, I highly recommend Calvin Jung’s "Instant Acting Tips." It’s the best course on becoming an actor I’ve ever used. And it’s very inexpensive. Check it out.

Technorati Tags: actor, actress, casting, audition, feature film, stage

Recently, while surfing at Actingbiz.com, I came across an interesting article on how to become an actor.

The article covered several useful tips such as how to approach local acting opportunities through theater and ways to easily beef up your resume. One of the more interesting tips was to increase your resume clout by taking on behind-the-scenes stagehand roles.

At first my reaction was to turn my nose up at such "menial labor." But the more I thought about it, the more sense it made. I mean, the more well-rounded my experience as an actor, the more employable I am.

Here’s how Actingbiz.com put it:

"Volunteer to help behind the scenes in roles like costume, set design or lighting as this may look good on your resume as creditable experience. It is interesting to note that many great actors started by working behind the scenes, so keep trying."

This tip opened my eyes. Being an actor or actress is sometimes more than just acting. Understanding how the show is put on from different levels, as well as hanging out with actors, can be a huge benefit. From now on, I’ll be casting my net a little wider, and look to build my resume with "creditable experience."

 

Here’s a link to the article.

Let me know what you think.

Taylor

Technorati Tags: acting lessons, actors, actresses