I am a bit depressed...?

Question

I am a 17 year old middle eastern male who has dreams of becoming a Disney Channel actor.

I am researching the whole acting thing, I will be taking theater class once school starts and possibly choir to help me voice, and will be joining a local theater to do some plays and gain acting experience.

I am a bit depressed because I want to become a Disney actor "NOW!". I don't want to wait till I take college courses on it and everything ebcause by then I will be to old to audition for Disney.

Also, everywhere I read I see people saying the chances of becoming an actor is really slim. If the chances of becoming an actor are slim than the chances of becoming an actor on Disney must be even worse...

Do you think that if someone works really hard and doesn't waste a day that their dream will come true by the time they want it to come?

Should I give up on this because it seems so unrealistic or should I try harder than the rest of the competition to achieve it?

Please help me. Thanks.

Answer 1

No one gets anything "now." Unless you are Warren Buffet and get 2.1 million dollars to eat lunch with a client. the "now" syndrome is the fastest way to get frustrated and quit. In the arts nothing happens that quickly. It takes time, effort, patience, rehearsal, diligence, professionalism, talent, and the list goes on. The disney channel isnt the be all end all for actors and the kids that get through with disney and launch their own careers are more or less laughed at by all but the teeny boppers that watch the channel. Its a big business and they sell actors, turn them into stars, its a ludicrous dream.  out of the some odd 330million people in the usa, how many of them even make TV? Radio? Major musical festivals? you will find that about 97% of the performing artists switch careers by 30 years old. There is a flood of training programs and a trickle of jobs. Unsteady jobs that can have you employed one month and unemployed the next.

Yes i thnk your dream can come true. Try harder becase the experience you get will outweigh the rejection. As you life evolves so will your dreams. In ten years (if you stick in the arts) you will be surprised at what you value and find importance with.

I worked across all disciplines in the performing arts, music, theater and dance. The dreams i have now are so very different from when i was 18. Somehow they all relate to eachother but they also expand and contract. At 18 i wanted to do Shakespeare and learn stage combat. Now im opening up a school for the arts. Then i wanted to be a lead actor, now i want to employ a lead actor. Then i wanted to join a tour, now i want to create the tour.

As you evolve as an artist there is a moment when you have the chance to be a leader. That is the chance you need to take! Think less of what you want and think more about supporting. Disney does great because they sell the dream. An egotistical, stardom dream. As you evolve think of ways to give back to your society and your plan will start to emerge. Be willing to fail and make drastic mistakes. I still dream, now i think of how to achieve that dream.

It is no convenient store, impossible to goto the counter with a mountain dew and just buy it. Performing Arts is a wicked culture full of traps and joy. Best parties, little money, lots of struggle.

the dream can come true, never in the time you want. Be glad you found something you are passionate about, that is your real success. You have the right attitude and i wish you a huge heap of luck!

Answer 2

My guess is that you probably should have decided this a while back. See, I've been acting since age 5, actually performed on a commercial at 4. Rejection is the biggest thing in hollywood. If you think you only have a niche for DISNEY...then its not a true actor;I'm not tryin to give u a sense of hopeless, but keep working at it,and ONE DAY you'll get somewhere!

PS- never give up!

Answer 3

Experience is a h**l of a double edged sword.

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I decided to delete my 3 minutes worth of dialog because I didn't want to cloud YOUR judgment.

My opinion: Go to the audition and push as hard as you can. If you miss, oh well; at least there won't be any regret.

Answer 4

If the only reason you want to be an actor is because you want to be on Disney, then yeah, prepare to be disappointed. The kids who have found success with Disney didn't just wake up last week and decide they wanted to be superstars; they've been working at this for years, getting work experience and networking in LA. Someone who's just starting out now without extensive training and experience can't compete. If it were that easy EVERYONE would be a Disney star.

However, Disney is far from the be-all and end-all of the acting world. Entertainment is an industry just like any other, and there will always be jobs for people who have the ability, training, and experience to handle them.

Being a Disney star likely isn't going to be your thing, but don't think that means you should throw in the towel entirely. Go to college, get some legit performance experience, and see what's right for YOU.

Answer 5

check history of other disney actors, it will tell u how to go about and reach to your goal.

Answer 6

It good to have a dream but you have to work for it. being an actor for a major network takes more then just wanting it, taking acting and theater class is a plus, also find other mode like acting and modeling, go to casting call and work your way up and one day soon your land your dream job.

Answer 7

I'm a bit like yourself, only younger, a girl and I am not hang up on totally being a "disney actress" (not meaning that in a rude way btw) and my mum always says to me "Why not give it a go, SOMEONE has got to get it"  I agree, yes it is very hard to become an actor, but someone has to get it, who says that you couldn't be the next big star? You just have to go for it, enrol in acting classes (as you are doing at school) and that's great getting involved in the local theatre. So your on the right path.

Although one thing, you can't expect it to happen "now" because it takes time, if you want to become an actor expect for it too take a little while, and if you still haven't "made it" when you finesh school, by all means go to Collage and become an actor, if your not willing to do that, then I do think you should reconsider being an actor because being an actor isn't all about being on Disney.