My Dream of Being an actress..?

Question

So it all boils down to this.. My parents are trying to push the whole College thing, which I totally agree with. But they keep giving me these stupid suggestions of things I'm not even interested in! I've already taken two years off after Graduating high school, because I was so confused on what I want to do.. But the thing is I know what I want to do, my dream is to be an actress.. I know its like every persons dream, but I've said ever since I was little that this is what I wanted to do.. I guess my parents just thought it was a stage I was in, cause now they tell me its totally unpractical to want to be a actress. and that it would be a waste of time and money, but I really want to.. I don't know do you think its a unpractical unrealistic dream? Or do you think following your dreams is more important?? I don't know what to do!! Any advice or help is much appreciated!

Answer 1

well i do believe when u go into a career it should be into something u enjoy doing!! But also it boils down to the handful who have talent(I should know i'm one of them......)so really u should try out for something before deciding on that career so ur not stuck waitressing tables.....u know have a back up for ur dream and a back up for ur backup?

Answer 2

Well first you could try acting in some sort of community theater program since it doesn't sound like you have had (much) experience in acting. And if you really enjoy it, eventually you should go talk to your acting teacher about it and maybe he or she will have suggestions that will help you move further in that direction if you wanted to go into serious acting. Then yes, you could go major in acting at some college and then just good luck from there :)

There are always open castings so maybe you can look those up or find ways to hear about them and just go walk in and audition but don't give up if it's really what you want to do but no one has offered you the opportunity yet. But be careful of those agencies that get you no where and just take your money (I don't know of any and I'm not absolutely sure if I've ever heard of a case but you know...it's possible).

Answer 3

I have lived in California all my life and known many MANY people who act. None became famous. A few got bit parts and did extra work. One friend of mine was in a B-horror movie, she was gorgeous and had talent but never made it big. There were just too many girls competing for parts. I am not trying to discourage you but unless you are gorgeous with serious acting training and talent, it's probably totally ridiculous. Even the girls who play 'ugly' girls are usually really pretty and made to look ugly for a part. You will be competing for parts against girls your age who have expirience, are better known, probably better looking, have more time to devote to the jobs and are willing to do anything to get a part.

If you are already twenty and still have no idea how the acting business works, maybe you should listen to your parents! If you are dead set on acting, you'd better start soon! I will warn you though, it's a lot of time, a lot of money you have to invest (portfolios, teeth whitening, hair, makeup, gas to drive to set locations, etc) and the payoff is not that great. Parts are hard to come by, competition is feirce and the percentage of actors that make it big is miniscule. If this was what you always wanted to do, why haven't you done any plays? Talent shows? Pageants? Guess what? Most women your age who are acting right now have been at it a while in some form or another. Have you? Acting is a JOB...it requires SKILL. You don't just step up in front of a camera and know how to act. Casting agents are BRUTAL...like worse than American Idol judges!

Be realistic here and stop seeing stars! If you want to act as a hobby as you work and go to school, that's one thing. Coming to California and getting some c**p job so you can act on the side is exactly why many people come here! And it's why a lot of people go home broke too! It's not a great way to make a living and it's REALLY tough to get started. You probably won't like my answer but at least it's honest. Us Californians laugh at people like this...seriously Hollywood is a bunch of phony, sleazy, overrated BS! There are SO many other worthwhile things to pursue in your life! If your parents are going to pay for school consider yourself lucky and go for a drama major or something in that area. If you truly love acting, perhaps you'll learn how!

Answer 4

if you have the talent, go for it. get head shots taken and go to agencies asking them to represent you. about college, you should double major. get a degree in drama and another one in a practical subject you love and could use as a profession.

Answer 5

Then don't listen. They should support you but they might not. One pair of my grandparent pushed and pushed to help me be a business woman But it wasn't what I loved, what I wanted (emphases on "I") Now I'm acting and exceeding limitations, to be what my dreams fortold.  You can do it. You can follow it no matter how far away people make it feel. It's always there. You can be something "profitable' or you can fun working. I chose the best choice of them all! (another emphases on the "I")

Answer 6

it's good to follow your dream, but it's always good to have a back-up plan in case things don't work out.

Answer 7

i think you should follow your dream because i mean some of the most famous actors and actresses came from doing hardly anything and some work normally and some workk a lot harder than others. look at  Emma Watson from the Harry Potter movies.She was a 9 year old girl when she auditioned for Harry Potter. she was in like two plays and one poetry class all her life and look at her now. she is one of the most known actresses in the world. she auditioned with another 12 million girls who wanted the part. this might be a bit off topic but what i am trying to say is that anyone can try out for acting. some are really good others are really bad but there is no sense in trying to make your dream work. im trying to be an actress. im taking a class right now and at the end of this week which is the end of the classes we are having a festival. my mother said if i do good then she might get me an agent. if you are over the age of 18 then youcan get your own agent. hope this helped

Answer 8

you shoudl do some classes!participate in plays! build up your resume! get an agent! do auditions! get headshots!

actinginfo.blogspot.com

acting411.blogspot.com

hannahmontanacasting.blogspot.com

and for an agent go to talentagents.blogspot.com and scroll down till you find city nearest you

read everythign you see! and click on words in blue but not double udnerlined ones and i suggest that you sign up with alan baltes go to first site and look at right column it explains everything! he wont be an agent just help you out and its a one time fee of 30 dollars and totally worth it

Answer 9

Then go to a college and major in acting. If your parents are really pressuring you not to, you could minor in acting or theater and major in something else you like, or even tv or film producing.

Answer 10

I made a big change in my life and I am much older than you. I became interested in acting and hosting, while I was in a very successful business career. I decided to leave it to pursue my dreams and I am well on my way, as I am acting, hosting, making dvds, doing voice over work along side other things I always wanted to do.

The reason I'm having success on my way to achieving my ultimate goal, is because of something I learned in business. It's important to have absolute clarity about what it is you want. AND it is of fundamental importance to have a strategy. Now I realize that for many people here on this forum, being as young as they are, strategy can be a word that sounds very foreign or even scary, but it is to be learned. You need a strategy young lady. I'll come back to that in a moment.

I can imagine that your parents only want the best for you and with the thousands upon thousands of young people who say they want to get into acting, most of which never ever make it, they are concerned that you will have the same fate, so they want you to have a back up. Now back to the strategy.

My strategy calls for creating a business (I know it sounds complicated, but it can be easier than you think. Really), that allows me to act, host and make videos and dvds and get paid for them and at the same time make money. That's what I have done. In the end, I have a back up that not only helps me to make money, but it helps me make money doing exactly what I want to do: acting, hosting and making videos/dvds!

The best advice in short, that I could give you right now is to have a look at this page on my website for new and aspiring actors. It has 23 links to pages that have to do with different aspects of starting an acting career including 7 steps to getting started BEFORE you think about a head shot and resume, how to go about looking for an acting school and 17 things you could do to start getting some acting work. Also you might find interesting the links about convincing your parents to support you, the basic concept as well as how to actually hold the conversation.

http://www.actingcareerstartup.com/teen_...

Maybe the reason why your parents keep suggesting things you don't find interesting is because they are just trying to stimulate you into thinking about what it is you could really end up doing. I did the same thing with my son when he was small. I introduced him to every sport I could think of and as best I could tried to teach him how to play them. I did this because, having played sports all my life, I believe they are important for one's personal growth. Now he has been playing soccer for six years and he really likes it. Maybe your parents are thinking the same thing hoping that something they suggest will catch on.

Figure out EXACTLY what it is you want out of your acting career. Find out what it is really like to be an actress. Find out how the industry works. Talk to actors, both successful and unsuccessful. You can learn from both. Find out what actors do when they are trying to build their careers. Find out what a typical day for actors can look like while they are looking for work. Find out what agents do, what casting directors do, the issues that the industry is currently dealing with. Do your homework and then VISUALIZE exactly what being a successful actress looks like for you.

So, what's your strategy to become an actress? In other words how are you going to make it happen? And whatever you do, don't go getting head shots and trying to get an agent before you are ready or trying to go after one agent at a time. Those are not winning strategies. Believe it.

I hope this helps. Good luck to you!

Tony