Ever wondered what you would need to DO to get into acting? Whether youve confessed an undying passion for the art, and MUST PURSUE IT as a job NO MATTER WHAT, or if you just figure it would be fun to try some community theater acting, youve come to the right place. This article represents the first in a series of newsletters that discuss what it takes to become a professional actor, and even if you just want to , youll still get all the info you need to have fun.

This article is a wake up call if you have been considering getting into an acting career. Let's get started.

We have all seen marvelous movies, TV shows and plays that make us want to laugh or to cry, movies that fill us with love, beauty, adventure, or drama, or fantasy. Many of us have also dreamed of being an actor, playing the perfect role, getting an Oscar, becoming rich and famous, or just being part of the telling of a story that moves people the same way we love to be moved. Havent you ever watched a lame TV commercial and thought to yourself, That actor is terrible! I could do a better job than that! Well, its one thing to criticize somebody's acting, and quite another thing to really DO a better job. Isn't there a difference between those of us that dream about becoming actors and those who actually do it? Yes, there is a big difference, and that difference is centered in every persons BELIEF AND ACTION.

My job here is to teach you and encourage you to follow your dreams, whatever they are. In subsequent articles, well talk about beliefs and actions that will either keep you from, or move you toward your professed dream.

Newsflash: Actors are strange. If being normal is important to you, forget about a career in acting. Most actors are about a half a bubble off plumb, and why wouldnt we be? Being an actor is all about expressing your emotions in public the thing most normal people avoid like the plague. If you are not normal, welcome to the club.

Acting is filled with rejection most actors, even the good ones, only get 1 job out of 20 or more auditions. Thats a lot of rejection in anyones book. And even if youre a great actor, many times youll be rejected because youre too tall, or too short, too old, too young, too light, too dark, too heavy or too thin. Often, for whatever reason, the best actor does NOT get the job. There are lots of reasons why you may struggle to get acting jobs, many of which are out of your control. So if you are going to pursue acting as a career, you better get a really good reason to keep at it despite rejection. Better yet, get several reasons. Youre gonna need em.

Most professional actors are unemployed right now. There is no guarantee that youll ever get work, and if you do ever land a job, the only guarantee is that THE JOB WILL END, and you will be unemployed again. The average union actor in the USA earns under $5,000 a year. The actors you know and love earn much more, but their incomes are included in the average mentioned, which makes your chances of a big payday look even more dismal. Even when you DO get a job, the pay can be lousy some acting jobs actually cost the actors especially jobs in small theater productions. Getting paid $7 per performance likely doesnt even cover your travel costs, much less your time or wardrobe requirements (yes, actors are often required to provide their own wardrobe).

Unless you have a rich uncle who dotes on you, youll need a day job to cover your bills between acting gigs. Better get a marketable skill, or several, and choose work thats flexible, so you can leave at a moments notice for an audition. If you do actually get an acting gig, youll need your day job to be flexible enough to so you can leave it for a day, a week, or even a couple of months till your acting stint is over. More about this in future articles.

Geography can be another roadblock for your career. If you live in a small town, far from film, television and theater centers, chances are even less that you can succeed as a professional actor. If something deep inside you says YOU MUST ACT, and the resources are not available where you live, consider relocating. Hey, its a numbers game, and the more things you can line up in your favor, the better your numbers look.

Do you have a spouse? Do you have children? If not, do you ever want them? If you do have them, do you want to risk losing them? The actors life is difficult, filled with uncertainty and change. And remember, the retirement plan for most actors is non-existent. If security and a good retirement is high on your priority list, better look for another line of work.

Why do I want to be an actor? What does a successful acting experience look like? Write down your answers to these questions and review them often. Stay tuned for the next article, and well see you in the movies.