You remember the moment. The first time
sparkly stage lights captured your imagination. The movie that left
you in awe. The television show that inspired your dreams.
You're
not sure how it happened, but from that moment on, you knew.
You're
meant to be an actress.
So how does a girl take her midnight
dreams of being on stage or on set and turn them into reality?
I'm sure you've asked yourself, what are the secrets? How to become an actress?
Can
any girl really become an actress? What does it take? Connections,
determination, or luck? Maybe all of those things?
If you've
been wondering how to become an actress, you've landed in the right
place.
1) Let Your Parents In On Your Dream
2) Act, Act, Act!
3) Examine Your Motive
4) Get An Agent
5) Disney Channel
6) Be Confident
7) Know What You're Good At
8) Try New Things
9)Be Social
10) It's All About Who You Know
11) Eat Smart
12)Enjoy The Moment
If you're serious about pursuing your
dreams of being on stage or on the silver screen, it's time you let
someone in on the secret. Your parents.
It's easy to lip-sync
along with your favorite artists or read Pride and Prejudice in your
bedroom with an English accent, but it's time to bring your dreams
into the light.
If your parents are not aware of your goals,
how will you reach them?
It can feel embarrassing to talk
with others about our dreams.
Why?
Because our dreams
are who we are. When we reveal them to others, it feels so personal
and real to us. We fear that our secret dreams will be torn down by
laughter, disapproving stares, or someone telling us that it's
impossible.
Your desire to be an actress probably isn't going
to please everyone in your immediate or extended family. Some people
might laugh and tell you you're a crazy dreamer. Be prepared for
that.
Life in show business means you've gotta have a tough
shell.
But you must have a support team, a reassuring group
of people who believe in you. People who can encourage you, comfort
you when you fail an audition, and give you a pep talk!
Who
better to do that than a parent?
Let your family know you
wish to talk to them about something. Turn off the T.V. and make sure
everyone is listening.
Explain to them how important this
dream is to you, and how it would mean the world to you to have their
support.
They might be skeptical, cautious and maybe even
afraid. If you're pursuing life in the limelight, chances are they'll
recall horror stories about good girls going bad in Hollywood.
Be
patient with how they feel. Let them explain their worries, fears and
doubts.
It may take a while for them to warm up to the idea,
and that's okay.
At least they know!
Continue letting
them know how important this is to you, and that you believe in
yourself.
If you're a praying girl, ask the Lord to reveal how
important this is, to them. Pray that they would have much wisdom in
understanding how to direct and guide you.
Now that your
secret dreams are out in the open, you are free to fully pursue them!
The secret to becoming a fantastic
actress is quite simple...just start acting!
You won't become
a Grammy winning actress overnight. Acting, just like anything, takes
PRACTICE.
So get out there, and start acting!
Join
local theater productions, get together with your friends and play
drama games, start your own drama club, put on your own backyard
productions, read dramatic books out loud to yourself changing your
vocal inflections for each character, imitate your favorite actress,
imagine yourself as each character you play, keep going to auditions,
embrace every role (big or small) and keep acting!
Ask yourself, “Why do I wish to
become an actress?”
Do you desire fame, fortune and
celebrity boyfriends? Do you hope to hit it big and become the next
Disney Channel star?
Or do you wish to be an actress, simply
because you love it? Are you mesmerized by the magic of being
able to morph into another person, and transport your audience to
another place and time?
It can be fun to fantasize about
celebrity life, getting chased by poparatzi and adoring fans, but if
that four letter word- FAME- is all you're chasing after, it might be
smart to hit your breaks.
Why do you want to be famous anyway?
Is it really that important to you that everyone know your name?
Setting out on this journey to becoming an actresses with the
wrong motives can be dangerous.
If you crave attention, applause,
and desire to date heart-throbs more than anything, you might be
chasing something else...blind ambition.
A girl should act
because she loves acting...not because she's wonderstruck by
Hollywood.
I've heard many talented actresses advise young
girls in this way, “Don't go to Hollywood just because you want to
'be somebody.' You already are somebody! Act because you love acting.
Be content with local theater and grow from there. Be passionate
about what you do and it will show.”
If you truly love
acting, what difference should it make, cameras or no
cameras?
Acting is a hobby.
And if you're good at it,
persistent and courageous, you can turn your hobby into a career.
The chances of you becoming the next big “Disney Channel
Star” or even becoming half-way famous are very slim.
But
the chances of fully enjoying your hobby and your career, are much
more likely!
And besides, isn't that what really counts?
Blind ambition is exactly that...blind. Without a clear
purpose in mind, understanding your motives and goals, you can easily
wind up compromising and doing things just to “become more popular”
or “improve your image.”
A girl who is obsessed with
maintaining her image is less likely to take big risks for God,
follow her convictions and change this world.
Getting
an agent is important if you wish to pursue acting in television
and/or movies.
You can discover some auditions surfing
online, but with a homemade resume it's hard to appear like a
legitimate actress.
Being “your own agent” isn't advised.
A
professional agent will help assist you in finding auditions that
might be a good fit for you, create an impressive resume and stay in
contact with casting directors.
It is
not your place to call
casting directors to ask how you did or find out if you got the
job.
To appear professional, let your agent handle
communication between the casting directors.
Beware of
scams: you should never have to pay an agent before you land a job!
If they're collecting money upfront or charging you for their
service, look somewhere else.
Most agents collect around ten
percent of your earnings after
you land a job.
To begin browsing local talent agent
possibilities, check out online directories like the Association of
Talent Agents and the Screen Actors Guild.
Disney
Channel announces several open casting calls every year, in a few
big cities. This is a chance for all aspiring actresses (no agent or
experience required!) to come to one of these open casting calls and
show what they've got!
Both Demi Lovato and Selena Gomez got
“discovered” at a Disney casting call.
I attended my
first casting call a few years ago and had no clue what to expect.
How could I prepare?
The website simply told me to
fill out a form and come with a smile!
In the weeks
approaching my first casting call, hundreds of questions buzzed
around in my mind. Should I have a song prepared to sing? What
should I wear? If they ask questions about myself, what do I talk
about?
The morning of my first casting call dawned, and all
I could do to prepare was drink lots of water, do vocal exercises,
imitate my favorite perky Disney stars in the mirror, and say, “Hi!
My name is Livy, and you're watching Disney Channel!”
Hundreds of wannabe-stars showed up at the Opry Land Hotel
and Convention Center in Nashville, TN.
Entering the Opry
Land Hotel feels like you've accidentally slipped into a fairytale.
The ritzy hotel is built around a ginormous glass dome where a wild
outdoor forest has been built.
Bubbling brooks, fish swimming
under bridges and waterfalls, and even a fancy riverboat floats
around inside. The hotel is adorned with ball rooms, classy
chandeliers, and all sorts of sparkly things that look expensive.
Even the grandeur restrooms are ten times bigger than my
bedroom!
The casting call was held in another part of the
hotel, in the Convention Center.
When
I arrived, before being sent into a large room with hundreds of
other kids, I was given a number and a few simple lines to memorize.
The room was filled with kids who all desired to be the star
of their very own television show. Hyperactive waves of pure
excitement radiated off the walls, as every girl dreamed of becoming
the next Hannah
Montana.
With attractive young men strumming guitars, stunningly
gorgeous girls reapplying their makeup, break dancers getting funky
in the hallways, and adorable little kids looking like Shirley
Temple drilling lines with their parents, I felt strangely out of
place.
While memorizing my lines, I was surrounded by
intense soccer moms who looked like they would kill-a-body in order
for their kids to have a chance at stardom.
I
had trouble because the lines felt very bland and they were hard to
work with. Easy to memorize, yet hard to deliver in a way that would
make them sparkle and pop!
I waited for several hours
before a group of ten (including my number) was called to a back
room.
A friendly man with a grin permanently plastered to
his face led us down a long hallway, reminding us to, “Smile big,
you're at Disney!”
The man's energy was unbelievable. You
could tell he was a trained Disney vet.
He lead us to a long
string of chairs where we plopped down and waited for our turn.
“Are you nervous?” a girl beside me asked.
“Yeah,”
I replied honestly.
“I'm
not!” She grinned like an old pro. I couldn't help but wonder if I
was sitting beside the next breakout star.
After a few more
moments of waiting, we were ushered into a room with a small camera
in the back. A man greeted us, shook our hand, and explained a
little bit about life on a set at Disney Channel.
Then he
invited us each to say our lines. Five minutes later, he shook our
hands and said he would contact us if we were needed.
(I
think I jumped up every time the phone rang for weeks after that!)
Disney never called, but I learned a lot from that
experience.
It stretched my acting skills and ability to
perform under pressure and in front of a camera.
I hope my
story will help you prepare a little bit, and know what to expect at
your next Disney Channel casting call! For more information on
Disney Casting check out Film and Television Aduitions.
Being
onstage is all about shining with confidence! The secret to
confidence?
Practice, practice, practice!
Rehearse
your lines in front of the mirror. Video tape yourself. Critique it.
Watch your body language. Try again and practice until you get
comfortable with who you are as an actress. Learn to memorize lines
as quickly as possible. To practice memorization skills, memorize
scripture verses (especially the Psalms!). Learn to become your
character and relate with her. Leave your world and enter hers.
Confidence comes from experience, so get lots of it! It also
comes from making mistakes and knowing that's okay too.
The
greatest place you can draw your confidence is from the One who made
you!
Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 12:9
“But he
said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is
made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more
gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.”
Paul understood the miraculous exchange...weakness for
strength. When you feel nervous, uncomfortable, afraid, or just plain
off your game, be excited! Because God is about to work in you!
Cling to Him, rely on Him, and let His power take over.
Surrender your insufficiences because only when we are truly weak and
dependent on Him, can He work in us and shine through us!
This is
a hard truth to grasp for actresses because we have always been
taught that confidence is everything.
What greater place can
you find confidence than in knowing that even your weakness
can be used as something spectacular?
Remember who is in
control of every moment, audition and opportunity, and who is holding
it all in His hands. Trust Him, and find your confidence in Him.
In show business it can feel like a
girl has to be good at everything. They're always looking for a
triple threat. Singing, acting, dancing, modeling, playing guitar,
playing piano....they want the whole package. It can feel like a girl
has to be good at everything!
That's not true.
It's
better to be excellent at one thing than just “kind-of-okay” at
six things.
Know what you're good at, zero in on it, focus on
practicing and getting better at that skill!
Disney megastar Nick
Jonas advised doing the same. He shared how singing was his passion,
so he practiced, practiced, practiced! Then, he was ready to add to
his skills and start learning guitar. After guitar it was drums,
piano and a variety of instruments.
The point? Focus on what
you're good at, become excellent at it, then add to your skills a
little bit at a time, becoming the best you can be at each skill.
Casting directors are usually looking
for bubbly personalities who might have stories to tell, with
exciting experiences under their belt.
Meet new people.
Learn how to
talk to everyone, adults included.
Learn to be a great communicator,
have stimulating conversations, notice details, and complement
people.
Care about people.
Just love them, and it will show!
Be
thoughtful.
Go new places, travel, take pictures, journal about
your experiences, make memories, be friendly and laugh a lot
The social media is a powerful link to
connect with the world around us! Websites, like Facebook, Twitter
and YouTube, are resources that you should definitely be using. It's
easy to set up an account with any of these websites.
Be friendly
and outgoing, make connections, and you never know who just might
meet!
You can be the most talented girl on
the planet, but an uncanny key to your success lies in who you know.
Being in the right place at the right time has made things click and
unlock for megastars like Justin Bieber, Taylor Swift, and YouTube
sensation, Cimorelli.
It's actually unfair when you think
about it. It doesn't matter how talented you are, how much passion
you have, or how hard you work...it simply takes one moment, one
connection for everything to take off.
There are thousands of
girls out there just like you who all have the same desire to act.
They are all looking for the same thing as you...that magical
connection.
The main difference between you and them?
You
know the Man Upstairs!
God holds all the connections in His
hands. For Him, it's so simple to put you in the right place at the
right time. Trust Him, believe that everything will work out in His
timing, that you have His favor, and that He is in control!
You
can rest in the fact that He will make the connections needed for
your life and dreams.
No need to stress
Being
an actress will take much mental, emotional, and physical energy!
It's important to be at the top of your game, just like a
professional athlete.
No need to be dramatic and hire a
professional food consultant, but keeping your body healthy is very
vital.
Who wants to perform while she is sick?
Right
now, you don't need to change your diet completely, just remember to
make smart choices.
How?
Eat less “dead” foods and
more “living” foods.
“Dead” foods are foods that have
been processed (such as junk food, snack chips, or pretty much
anything that comes in a box or off a shelf!)
“Living”
foods are the original foods God gave us. Fruits, vegetables, nuts
and meats.
The biggest tip I can offer is to drink lots of
water. Eight, eight-ounce glasses a day is suggested.
Not
only does drinking lots of water help clear up your skin, it keeps
you from feeling sluggish and gives you energy... it also keeps you
healthy!
Savor
every learning experience, every moment on and off stage, as you
pursue your dreams. Sometimes we're in such a hurry to get where
we're going, that we forget to embrace what is happening! Learn to
conquer disappointment and move on.
As an actress, it's
guaranteed that you will be rejected many times. Ask any successful
person. They had to hear many “no”s before they finally got that
“yes!”.
Keep going! Because the only way to not lose, is
to never ever give up.