As an aspiring actor you need to spend some time learning the rules of the game, especially if you’re in Hollywood.
One of the obvious challenges is to get your act(ing) together.
People usually talk about ‘acting skills’, but I believe there is really just one skill, that probably shouldn’t even be referred to as a skill.
If you have a background in theatre, you may need to unlearn some of the things you learned.
When I entered the game, one thing that seemed to give me an an edge, was my complete lack of formal acting training.
I knew next to nothing about acting techniques, and I found myself being described as an ’intuitive actor’, which is obviously a compliment, but can also be seen as a comment, that is given to an inexperienced actor, that’s on to something.
That’s all you need to know.
Simple, but a major challenge to most people.
Here’s why it’s so hard:
Not acting is something we do, when we are alone or in the company of a few people, that we are extremely comfortable around.
Not acting is counterintuitive when we are around others: especially people we want to impress.
It’s an inherent psychological mechanism to act, when we are surrounded by strangers.
Acting increases the odds of building alliances and thus survival and procreation.
The challenge therefore is to be as authentic as you possibly can, when you act and - equally important - when you go to auditions.
There is no greater way to master this than to simply work towards ALWAYS being authentic; in your everyday life and in front of the camera. Every time you interact with anyone.
A couple of tangible advice:
Never give false compliments.
Never lie.
Don’t ever have a facade. Ever.
If you catch yourself promoting a skewed self-image (a facade), confess to the people you’re talking to.
In conversation, focus on others.
When analyzing, focus on yourself.
This is the key to acting - and to a successful career in acting.
