7 Early Steps in Order to Become an Actress

Daydreaming about being a star in Hollywood the whole day long?

Without getting too political about it, is it legit to ask yourself if there is a difference between a boy who wishes to become an actor and a girl aspiring to be an actress? Sure it is.

 

You might have read about it in the tabloids: an agent discovered a hidden talent in the case of a waitress, dancer, stripper or model. These stories of girls with no experience taken to acting classes and later on becoming famous are more frequent than those of boys. Of course there is no set of rules or recommendations for the short road to fame, nor does that guarantee obtaining a durable skill or mastering your craft. Careful, a job doesn’t mean a career nor does it reflect talent, although it is known that being in the right place at the right time sometimes compensates for years of schooling. If a child is remarkably talented and shows off good acting skills with a young age, then maybe some workshops and acting classes are an excellent first move.

Let us take a look into the first steps any young lady needs to make in order to practice the lovely gift of acting, straight from her teenage years.

1. Experiment the possibilities. You cannot know right from the start what is the best professional match for your evolution. If you’re 11 or 15 you barely even know what kind of character you could embody in the future. You could be the upcoming Disney voice star, you can be the next Selena Gomez, or you can start modeling and then try a minor acting role. There’s no unique path to how to become an actress. It takes hard work and a good self-control, but try to develop your talent as multi-dimensionally as it can get. Go for basic acting classes in the beginning, then move on to discovering the difference between theater and film acting, attend workshops and evaluate how much you are available for committing in ways that will rob you of your time and a lot of energy.
2. Do your homework. You cannot be caught off guard, so it’s high time you know about the Stanislavski method, the Meisner Technique or Method Acting. You need to be familiar and dig for some tips about step-by-step methods to building characters and analyze scripts, filter actor response or immerse yourself into your character by adopting his or her mindset and behavioral pattern. Marilyn Monroe, Natalie Portman, Kate Winslet and nearly all highly appreciated actresses use an acting technique. Only after experimenting with these can you get closer to your destined tactic.
3. “I need professional help!” – If you got to this point, that means you need to pick up the phone and get a supervisor. We all need professors, mentors, advisers, someone who can encourage us and support us. Want to admit it or not, this takes hard work and from a certain point on, you simply can’t do it by yourself anymore! Some take acting classes early, with 12, 13 or 14, and actually get cast.
4. Get a glimpse at the industry. Keep yourself informed with everything from a new television channel to new upcoming talents and celebrity news. Did you read the latest gossip? Have you made of list of acting schools near you? Don’t be afraid to ask around for beginners’ acting courses, they might be the perfect start and kick off!
5. Nurture your individuality. You never know where it may take you, but standing out from the crowd never hurt nobody. You’d better take dancing lessons, singing lessons, karate or whatever keeps you in shape, gets those endorphins up and basically empowers your difference.
6. Get used to the thought of attending auditions. If you’re not yet trained to speak in front of an audience, you shouldn’t get coy about it if you plan on becoming an actress. If you were always a sociable and courageous child, you shouldn’t have a problem facing your emotions before reciting your monologue on stage. Auditioning is a phase every actor goes through, and you will too, regardless if you’re planning to focus on theater or not. Starring in a movie is something you will have to wait patiently for.
7. Imagine what kind of a role you think you could play at your best. If you’re a bit disoriented, try to evaluate your role models, research female icons in cinematography, look for similarities, and find your fitting inspiration on how to become an actress.

 

Don’t Neglect Other Acting Instances

If you have zero experience with acting or the perspectives of its applications, which is normal if you just finished being a kid, you might not realize now what your skills are and how you should develop your craft in in order to become an actress.

Some actors realize only at a late point in their careers that they can be talented voice artists, who design the individuality of iconic animated or science fiction characters. Voice acting requires some particular training at it is definitely not as easy as it might sound. Or maybe your path will be in musicals on Broadway or romantic Bollywood dramas (well, hopefully not) and you are currently focusing on horror characters and wasting your time. Maybe comedy will be your destiny, as there is a remarkably smaller number of female comedians in the industry anyway. Maybe improvisation is your powerful skill, maybe you’re more spontaneous than you thought. Only with experimenting and continuously evolving will there be a chance for you to know yourself better. That will consequently impact your acting craft in a positive manner.

Best as can be, keep an open mind and explore as much as you can. The most successful people in this industry were themselves surprised to discover opportunities when and where they least expected, which they never imagined when they were 16 or 18. Over time, situational changes will impact your evolution as well. Just think about what relocating to NYC can do for your future career, or going to workshops and meeting agents, actors, teachers, directors. Keep your motivation high and a determined mindset. Courage is the primary element which will drive you around your acting career!