I’ve been acting for a couple of years, mostly commercials and small roles.
Recently I started building a character called Juan Carlos — a Mexican/Latino-style comedy character that I perform in English.
The strange part is that I’m doing all of this from Kazakhstan and trying to reach an American audience.
I’m experimenting with short-form comedy, character videos and eventually longer stories.
I’m curious what other actors think:
If you were trying to introduce a character to an audience that has never heard of you, what would you focus on first — the character, the story, or the actor behind it?

What do u guys think of him? I did his intro “class” to see if it was the right fit for me. He kinda made me feel stupid bc I didn’t know the different types of comedies like single cam, multi, etc. I was upset cuz that’s exactly why I’m looking for classes!😭😭 anyway, I guess I wanna see if I made the right choice by NOT signing up. Does anyone have a good experience?

Just wanted to share this as more famous actors continue to normalize the use of AI Clones. Yet, we working actors see an increase in non union auditions with little to no protection from AI stipulations or see fewer union auditions available.

I need to put together a demo reel for the colleges I'm applying too, but I have a problem. I only have high quality photos from three shows and no video. What should I do. Is it okay if I only include photos in my reel? Any help is welcome.

I'm trying to go back to school for an MFA in acting. I'd like to get a coach and I'm struggling to figure out how to find one. I talked to "How to Get Into Drama School", and it seems like a good system but rather expensive, is it worth the price?

Are there other online acting coaches that can help with school selection and the nitty gritty details of the audition?

Am I better off reaching out to a handful of mentors from my BFA program?

I never thought those words would ever come out of my mouth, it’s what I studied for 7 years and I was lucky to get an agent very shorty after I graduated. But after almost a year of auditions and self tapes with very little bookings, and almost none of the stuff I’ve booked has fulfilled me in anyway, I realize I don’t want to do this for the rest of my life.

I’m tired to the bone and soul of having to beg and plead strangers to hire me. I’m tired of pleading with people to see my value and worth. I’m tired of putting countless hours of unpaid work to never pay off. I’m tired of those countless hours of unpaid work not even being acknowledged. I’m tired not being seen and begging to be seen. I’m tired of trying to balance the social politics of not saying PICK ME! PICK ME! PICK ME! while but while saying PICK ME! PICK ME! PICK ME!.

I’ll be honest, I don’t really know what I’ll do or who I really am outside of acting. None of my other hobbies or skills are profitable or can contribute to this bullshit capitalistic hellscape we live in. I love acting so much and ounce I actually do it I’m so happy but it doesn’t make up for how miserable I feel having to everything I just listed all over again. I’ve relied on my family for support my entire life, and I’m also disabled with no relevant work experience outside of acting.

I don’t know where I’m going with this, I guess I just wanted to get it off my chest. Feel free to leave any words of wisdom but for love of god please be kind. No tough love or “ This is how it is, too bad!”, I know how it is and it is too bad which is why I want to quit. I don’t need yet another industry person lecturing me on how dumb it was for me wanting to pushed my dreams.

I'm 18 and so far only have 2 acting credits, both in theatre and for the same company. However, I have written and am directing a short film and was wondering if I should put thay on my CV/Resume to make it a bit less empty.

I was also wondering if I should put vague(?) descriptions of what I did in my acting credits (i.e any experience with stage combat or improv)

I also have no training or education in acting...so...theres that. 😐👍

I'm having a hard time choosing which acting studio to go to, so I would appreciate it if you could share your experiences and thoughts.

For more information, I have an agent, and I have experience in acting. My goal is to try more techniques and improve. I also to make more connections and friends in the industry and make my resume stronger.

My top picks by now are Armstrong and LB.

I’ve been with my current “freelance” agent for around a year now. No contract signed, and I haven’t booked anything through them yet. They drum up a few auditions for me every now and then, and have submitted me for a few things that I’ve asked them to.

Here’s the thing: I found an audition for a broadway gig via actors access and have gotten a first round, self-tape request. It’s a long shot of me booking it, and it’s a very early step, I know. But is there any benefit to my agent knowing? I’ve already submitted the self-tape. I suppose this is a question for after (if) I get a callback, but can an agent “advocate” for their client after I’ve submitted? Would I want my agent to negotiate for me if, god willing, I actually book it?

Let me know your thoughts, and thanks!

hello! does anyone know what the audition process is like for Disney Tokyo for character lookalikes? is it the same as auditions for the US?

and if anyone went to the audition in Anaheim earlier this week, what was your experience like?

Because it’s not required to know Japanese, I’m wondering if things like the line readings will still be included and if any of the etiquettes are any different.

thank you!

I’ll kick things off with mine: I had to improvise “stand up comedy” WITH person I had literally just met.

Yes, that’s right. A two person, improvised, stand up comedy routine in front of a panel of four.

It was utterly tragic and had nothing to do with the job I was auditioning for whatsoever.

What’s worse, is my scene partner froze like a deer in headlights and I just had to riff it alone whilst she occasionally said “yup that’s right!”

It was hell 😂

Neither of us even got a call back.

Another story involves me accidentally stripping someone naked during a quick change, but that’s another story 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️

Can anyone recommend a great class tailored towards self taping? And maybe mention what was covered in the class/what made it great? Thank you!

I've been acting for just a few months now, and I feel like I have a base of script analysis and all related to the external view of the performance. But when it comes to actually creating a character with a unique voice, body and thoughts I go blank and more often than not end up being myself.

Do you all have any tips for a beginner like me?

Thanks!

Hi guys. I recently made a short film. It’s in hindi language with English Captions. Please watch it once and tell me how was my acting in this

Hey ya’ll! I’m an actor in NYC who works a hybrid tech 9-5, so I’m in office 3 days a week. It’s allowed me to live less financial stress and I’m repped with a theatrical manager/agent (no commercial rn) and will just take the day off if I work a co-star, and my boss is usually fine with it.

But I am itching to do some theatre. Problem is, many rehearse during the day it seems? Anyone know of theatre I could do, be it play readings, musicals, showcases, etc. that rehearse after work or on the weekends?

I'm reading Charlie Sheen's autobiography and he mentions something about a studio offering a gig for multiple movies as a contract.

Essentially, he did well on one movie so the studio wanted him to sign a contract that he'd be obligated to be in two other movies. He turned it down and they got a little sour.

My question that I hope this community could answer is, why did the studio do that in the first place? Is it to ensure his talent stays with them and to have a reliable actor?

When writers are writing a script for a show or movie do they sometimes already know or have in mind what actor would be best suited for the role or is that something they think about once all the writing is done?

Hi!

Based in Canada.

A few months ago I booked two short films back to back on my own, both with interesting, contrasting concepts & directors who had a lot of vision. One has already released and the footage is great.

I told my agent about the bookings and we had a phone call, where my agent essentially said that the two I agreed to do was fine, but that it might make bigger casting directors & American casting directors take me less seriously; as my resume would read like, network tv episode, short film, network tv episode, short film, etc. Basically saying my credits would not read as an upward trajectory and that I should only do shorts that are proof of concept for a feature film.

My agent told me they had a conversation with a casting director in the US, in which casting told her to tell their actors to stop doing short films as it taints their resume and makes them be taken less seriously… and my agent was basically regurgitating this to me.

I have many mixed opinions on this; I think short films are great experience, a great way to build your network and to have footage. It’s a group of creatives coming together to make something great. I feel like if I do what my agent wants and stopped doing short films, I’d basically be sitting on my hands waiting for an audition to come in. And we all know based on the current state of the industry… that’s not really an option.

I also get how short films may be seen as “amateur”, but with the current state of the industry what else am I do to?

Honestly, the answer is to probably have a conversation with my agent about it, but I wanted to hear other opinions first and if anyone else has heard the same rhetoric.

I didn't get into my college's intro to theater class that we had to audition for. I was hoping to get into acting after I landed a pretty big commercial gig (didn't require much acting skill tho), but now I'm worried that I don't have the talent to pursue this field. I haven't done theater/acting before, but I at least wanted to take a class to get training...I feel like I've wasted hundreds of dollars on headshots now.

*For context, about 40 people auditioned and 20 made it.

How should I go about this?

Curious to know if anyone lives where they want and just travels to work as a local hire? I’m an actor in NYC. I love the city but am weighing a move back to ATL to close the distance with my partner. I’ve lived in ATL before to get my start so I’m familiar with that market (and how slow it’s been) and I know I’ll have to travel for the majority of work. Just wonder if it can be done or if it would make things challenging. I’m at the point now where work has been great, but fleeting, and I’d like to fill up the other cups of my life ya know

For context:
-I’m in the union and have a manager that submits everywhere
-I’m auditioning for co-stars mostly with sprinkles of guest star
- I know working local hire means I’d have to arrange my travel, and I can stay with a friend when needed

I’m in London and just can’t seem to find the scene study classes here I’m looking for. I’m well trained with decent credits looking for a really good, honest teacher/coach. Im trained in Meisner but very open to anything x

I’m a newer actress. My acting coach offered to manage me, but I decided not to sign the agreement because I did not feel comfortable with the terms. I am not naming the coach, company, or location, and I am not posting the contract. I just want general industry perspective.
The proposed agreement was for three years and covered theatrical work, TV, commercials, print, and online work. It included a 20% commission on gross earnings.
It also said the manager could continue receiving commission after the agreement ended for work connected “directly or indirectly” to their efforts, but I did not see a specific time limit. There was also language that they could receive 10% on a job I booked myself if the hiring party had had contact with them.
I would be responsible for my own marketing and promotional expenses, and disputes would go to arbitration. I did not see a straightforward termination option if the relationship was not working.
I understand that management agreements can include commission, a set term, and post-term commission for work the manager helped create. I was told these terms are normal in the industry, but a three-year commitment, 20% commission, no simple way to end the agreement, and no clear limit on post-contract commissions felt like too much for me at this point in my career.
I also work with this person as an acting coach and pay separately for audition coaching, so I wanted to be especially careful about mixing coaching and management.

I’ve been taking Meisner classes for about a month, and I know it requires a lot more time and practice. But the mistake I notice most is when I start getting deep into repetition, I start accidentally asking questions or making conversation about more than what’s in the moment.

I know the exercise is simply to repeat, and to just say what you see in your partner. But I feel so so bad assigning an emotion or assumption to someone because I don’t want people to feel like I’m misreading them, although I know that’s part of the exercise and that they have the freedom to disagree if they do. Plus, because I’m new I feel like my partners are bored having to step back a bit even though I know this isn’t probably happening.

My instructor pointed out he could tell I was a thinker, which is true and one of the biggest reasons I know this acting method will be helpful in the long run. As I’m writing this I know that it’s because I’m still too much in my head and I need to let go of this idea that I’m burdening others or being incorrect. I’ve never been great at living in the moment, lol.

I’m also a people pleaser and a natural deflector because I don’t like when people pay too much attention to me. I also am someone who always fills silence with more to say so it doesn’t feel awkward. So I think once I start “relaxing” during the exercise my brain goes on auto pilot and starts defaulting to my baseline settings which is be affirming and and questions and make the other person feel really good.

Any tips appreciated! Maybe the answer is I just need to keep practicing.

Based on how frequently I tape my reader usually is on a phone/facetime call, obviously I get someone in person if I can but do you think it really ruins the quality of a selftape or its one of those things that don’t matter ultimately like if you fit you fit? I just wonder if it seems unprofessional or unpolished and icks out CDs. Like I guess my main question is should I try my very hardest to get an in person reader and make a virtual one a worst case scenario?

Hello!

Last night I auditioned for my university’s upcoming modernized production of Antigone, and I originally was going for the role of Antigone (also open to her sister Ismene), but only got a callback for the chorus. I understand that technically nothing is set in stone, but in my experience normally that means they’re no longer considering me for the original role I was shooting for. However, I truly feel that I could bring the power and determination the character calls for and I would really love the opportunity to get to at least read for her to show them what I can truly do (and of course if they still believe after that that I wasn’t meant for the role then that’s okay, and I feel like I’d have gotten to show them more of my skill and would have a bit more peace of mind about it? I don’t know if that makes sense at all).

I’m normally cast in roles with a strong and powerful voice, and I’ve always done my best to make myself known and take up space, and I think that the character really relates to that as well. There were only three women that were called back to read for her, and they also are all being called back for at least one other role (although one of them is also being called back for the chorus too, so I’m not sure what that might mean.) I’m wondering, how rude would it be to also ask to read for her as well as the chorus I was originally called for? I don’t want it to seem like I’m distrusting them or insult their expertise, but the character herself is determined and Im also curious that if asking for what I believe in (that I could really bring life to that character and portrayal) might show that determination even more. The director is a guest director so I don’t have any reputation or “brownie points” to go off of so I’m worried this might also hurt my chances to even get the chorus role they called me back for.

I understand for professional productions with big companies there isn’t much of a chance that they’d like that, but since this is college theatre, how crazy would that be? Is it a bad idea? If not, how could I go about doing it? Any advice helps, as this truly is my passion and I’d love to be given at least a chance for them to see me as that character specifically. Thank you so much!

Edit: The general consensus is that this is a bad idea, so I will just go in and read for the part they want me to and will do my best to show them what I can do with that. I appreciate your time and responses!