How to Become an Actor Without Experience

Every actor must have started their career at some point – and you can start now! Regardless of whether you are passionate about film, theater or television, breaking into the acting profession will be both fun and challenging. If you are eager to learn, diligent and determined to follow your passion, your acting career will start soon.

Table of Contents

Get to work

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Find auditions. What new actors need most is experience. You’ll probably have to start off by working for free, but you’ll gain experience and add roles to fill out your resume. For example, if a local car dealership needs a trailer, volunteer to do it. Go to your local university to audition for plays or participate in student films. Participating in these unpaid projects will enrich your resume, and help you get used to rehearsals and performances. There is no better way to learn to act than to actually act. ^{[1] X Research Source}

Actors often go through hundreds of auditions, and only a few of them are successful. When you’re new to acting, auditions can be a better experience than actually playing a part. Appreciate the experience learned from each rehearsal, and ask for feedback from the director. ^{[2] X Research Source}
When auditioning, you should prepare two monologues with opposite content and rarely performed. This means that you should avoid the kind of monologues that often appear every time you google the keyword “best monologues”.
Look for casting announcements online. There are some reputable websites that specialize in casting actors for TV series, movies, commercials etc., for example in the US there are backstage.com and projectcasting.com Information about stage auditions also available on backstage.com.
Look for casting announcements on your local theater website, and check it out on Craigslist.

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Accepts almost any role. As a new actor, it’s important to gain experience, play a variety of roles, and build a rich resume. If there is a role that is different from the ones you usually play, accept the role to enrich your resume. This shows that you are flexible, easy to cooperate with and interested in participating in a variety of projects.

You can refuse if you are offered a role that is completely different from your moral qualities and values. Turning down roles that are not suitable for you is completely normal.
After pursuing a career for a while, your resume looks better and you can be more picky about roles and jobs. Before that time, you need to work hard! ^{[3] X Research Sources}

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Learn some special skills. If you’re an inexperienced actor, auditioning against seasoned opponents can be challenging and daunting. This is when you need special skills. Developing skills like riding a horse, speaking multiple languages, playing tennis, or singing well can help you land the role ahead of other actors. You never know when a role will come up that requires the particular skill you already possess, so work hard to develop new skills. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

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Rehearsal for commercials. Whether you dream of acting in commercials or not, auditioning or acting in commercials will give you a great experience working with cameras and sets. It’s a good rehearsal opportunity for big roles in the future.

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Be a public actor. Being a back-up actor is a great way to immerse yourself in the world of acting and make some money. Striving to become a promising actor is not easy, especially financially, so you should keep an eye out for mass casting announcements. You will have the opportunity to meet people in this industry, and gain more experience filling out your resume. ^{[5] X Research Sources}

Many backing roles are posted on online casting notices, but you can also contact agencies that specialize in casting backing actors. You need to provide them with close-up photos of your face and resume. You can contact these companies by phone, email or in person. Look up casting companies in your city.

Acting lessons

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Sign up for acting lessons. Before you start pursuing this career, you should ask yourself one simple question. Is acting a hobby or profession for you? Getting started is easier when you know where you want to go. (You don’t need a comprehensive plan, just a general idea!) Determine what kind of acting you want to learn first – theater, musicals, improvisation, television, film, etc. . – and find out about the teachers or classes in your area.

Determined to pursue that class for a minimum of six months to have a chance to get acquainted with acting. If you love this job then you can continue. After completing your first class, it’s a good idea to enroll in other areas to see if you’re interested in a different type of acting. ^{[6] X Research Sources}

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Go to the theater to see plays and movies. While it’s a good idea to take a class for the real-world experience, you can also learn a lot about acting just by lying on the couch every night watching a movie! Study your favorite movies to learn important acting techniques from your favorite actors – such as character development techniques, verbal and physical expression techniques, and reaction techniques . Going to the theater is also a great way to study actors on stage. Absorb everything you see! ^{[7] X Research Sources}

If you want to participate in movies or commercials, these are the acting methods you should learn. Choose your favorite trailer or movie scene and try to follow them.
If you want to get into theater or musicals, you should study plays and musicals. Observe to see where they perform well and where they need to improve. Apply what you learn to your own acting.

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Make friends with other actors. Acting is more of a community sport than a personal hobby, so you should practice a natural style of working with others. Many actors love to read lines, talk about their creative process, and share stories. Make friends with a few actors and learn from them. They can even show you the way, or tell you which rehearsals to attend. ^{[8] X Research Sources}

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Wait, let’s go to the big sea right now. Even actors with decades of experience have difficulty in big cities like Los Angeles or New York. If you’re an inexperienced actor, it’s best to start in the town you live in. Almost every town has a local theater company, and that’s the perfect place to start. You can also find student filmmakers or local filmmakers if you’re interested in film and television. ^{[9] X Research Source}

If the town you live in is a big city, it doesn’t matter! Focus on auditioning at community theater or collaborating with independent filmmakers. There are still some small community stages in big cities that allow you to try out to gain experience.
If you decide to take acting seriously, then moving to a big city would be a smart move to get you well-trained. Put off taking this step until you are sure you want to take your acting career to the next level.
Ask yourself why you want to be a professional actor, and how long you are willing to sacrifice to get there.

Marketing yourself

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Take a close-up photo of the face. Every actor should have a close-up shot of his face in a professional manner. This photo will be sent with your application and resume. Take a few close-up shots so you have a variety of options for different rehearsals. Be professional, but don’t be afraid to show some personality. ^{[11] X Research Source}

Close-ups of faces are essential for any type of acting: cinema, commercials, plays, musicals, etc.
Maybe you want to ask a friend to take a photo of you, but to make it look more appealing you need something professional. A close-up of your face is an important component of your resume, and can function as self-marketing early in your career.

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Create a resume. A curriculum vitae is a document that lists acting experience, education, and work history. Your resume should look professional as you will be sending it to directors, producers, studios, managers etc. when applying for a role. Applying for a job as a new actor can be difficult, which is why you have to go through a lot of auditions, work as a back-up actor or volunteer at your local community theater. All of these factors will contribute to making your resume look better. ^{[12] X Research Source}

Creating an online profile/resumé is also important. As technology advances, some directors prefer to view online profiles rather than paper ones. It’s a good idea to create a profile on many casting sites, as you never know who will accidentally read through your profile.

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Synthesize your acting experience into one video. This video should be about 2-3 minutes long to highlight the best roles you have taken in your career. You have to put together the movie of each role and put it in that movie. This is a great way to showcase your acting skills, versatility and experience.

You can upload the footage online or burn it to disc.
Hire a professional to create the footage for you. This is a very important marketing tool so you have to make it look perfect.
Update the footage every time you have a new role. You have to make your video the best representation of your image, so keep it up to date. ^{[13] X Research Source}

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Get to know your type. A good actor can take on many different roles, but you still need to know your “type”. We are all born with a certain appearance, and there is no denying that fact. Each actor will have a way of seeing their appearance, you should exploit and use it to your advantage. For example, do you look like a smart, smart lawyer guy, or a lazy guy in his 30s? Are you a pretty girl or an art lover? Knowing your type will guide you when choosing to audition, and help you develop the strengths of your personality. ^{[14] X Research Source}

You can still play roles that aren’t your type, but getting to know and understand your type is the best way to break into the industry.

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Network with people in the acting profession. People often say “It’s not what you know that matters, but who you know”. The same is true in the acting world. Make friends with other actors and industry experts – and let others know about you. Network with directors, managers, agents, makeup artists etc. You never know who you will meet, or if they can help you develop your career.

As a new actor, you don’t need an agent or a manager. Representatives and managers are very helpful when you have a substantial amount of experience and a relatively well-rounded resume. Network with multiple representatives and stay in touch while you gain experience – if they’re impressed with you, they’ll likely look forward to working with you in the future. ^{[15] X Research Source}

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Find an agent. When you’ve determined it’s time to get an agent, research companies and agents online. Find a few people you feel like, and send them close-ups, resumes, and letters of recommendation, explaining that you’re looking for an agent. Finding an agent can be difficult, but if you know how to network and build the perfect resume, it will be easier.

Ask your actor friends, teachers, or anyone you know in the industry to recommend a good agent. If they have a personal relationship with good agents, ask them to refer you to them.
Agents receive a lot of personal photos and profiles every day, so don’t be disappointed if you don’t get back in touch. It is recommended that you apply to many different companies or representatives, this will increase your chances of getting a response.
If no one responds, you should edit your resume and take a close-up photo of the face. ^{[16] X Research Source}

Steps

Get to work

Acting lessons

Marketing yourself

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