Don’t Sabotage Yourself It’s difficult enough for an actor to find and secure a paying gig. Why make it even more difficult by sabotaging your own chances? (By Jim Webb) It’s ok if…

“I jumped over fears, went through emotional glass doors, did everything I could. There wasn’t one thing I was afraid to do. And I think you have to come to that point as…

Narrow Your Focus One mistake many actors make is having an unfocused strategy. (Jim Webb) If it seems your acting career is all over the place, narrow your focus and concentrate your strategy….

All Acting and No Play Makes You a Dull Actor Ironically, spending too much time on all things “acting” can actually make an actor worse at acting. (By Carmichael Phillips) You know what…

  “The only advice I have for any actor is, keep acting. Just keep working. And keep your mind on what you want. It’s bound to happen if you keep working.” (Morgan Freeman)…

Why Acting Must Be a Need, Not a Want If you want to become an actor, then don’t become an actor. It must be a NEED, not a WANT! (by Jim Webb) It’s…

“If you’re hired to do a job, the director doesn’t hire you to act like that character, the director hires you to become that character. And that’s something that most people don’t understand…

What is a “Cold Read”? (By Tonya Tannenbaum) A “cold read” refers to a type of audition where the actor is expected to perform with little-to-no preparation. Usually, the actor is given the…

Don’t Just Tell a Talent Agent About Your Dreams. Show Them Your Work! Your dreams are not much different from any other actor’s dreams. It’s your work that sets you apart. (By Carmichael…

  Acting: When is it Time to Quit? How long is too long to pursue an acting career? (By Carmichael Phillips) How many years should an actor wait for their “big break” before…

“I was auditioning a lot and waiting for other people to give me a chance. And now, with the internet and all these other outlets, you can write your own things and act…

The Callback is Not the Time for Experimenting Why tinker with a winning formula? (By Jim Webb) The callback is not the time to start taking chances. Unless otherwise instructed, try to do…

How to Audition When You Know the Role Has Already Been Cast You still have an opportunity to introduce people to you and your art (By Carmichael Phillips) One of the hardest things…

What is a “Background Actor”? (By Tonya Tannenbaum) A “background actor” is an actor who performs in view of, but usually away from, the foreground, in a non-speaking or non-singing capacity. Commonly referred…

“Auditioning sucks hippo d@#k. Everybody knows it and no one will say it. It’s the worst part of the business. If there were a way to do it better, we would have figured…

Don’t just pursue an agent. Study the craft. Do good work. Then, invite them to pursue you. (by Jim Webb) Pursuing a talent agent is one of the more unsavory, yet necessary, aspects…

Don’t focus on HOW you say your lines. Focus on WHY you say your lines. Once you understand your character’s “why”, you will naturally emphasize words based on that “why” (by Tonya Tannenbaum)…

What are “Sides? (by AM Staff)   The term “sides” usually refers to a small section of a larger script, used by casting directors to audition actors for a role that must be…

“If you want to work on anything, just work on being a better actor. Stardom? You don’t have any control over that. You may think you do, but you don’t. If you can…

Actor Stories: How Luke Perry Almost Gave Up on Acting. “Literally within a week, he was getting ready to go back to Ohio and join the fire department.” (Arranged by AM Staff) ______________________________________________________________________________________________________…

Find Your Paragon Actor Don’t Be A Boat Without a Sail (By Jim Webb) It is difficult to achieve any big dream. It is especially difficult to be a successful actor. Consider this:…

  What is an “Obstacle”? (By Tonya Tannenbaum) In acting, an obstacle is a person or object that stands in the way of the character achieving his or her objective. Obstacles can also…

“Don’t give up. Whatever you do. Just don’t give up, okay? It took me ten years to get on SNL. I walked around and no one knew who I was. Then I got…

Being-in-the-moment “Being-in-the-moment”, usually refers to the abstract event when an actor feels genuinely connected to their character. (by Tonya Tannenbaum) ____________________________________________________________________________ “Being-in-the-moment”, usually refers to the abstract event when an actor feels genuinely…

Booking Ratio (by Darryl Green) A “Booking Ratio” is a two-number combination that represents the number of bookings an actor receives, relative to the number of auditions the actor went on in the…

  Check your ego at the door, but always bring your confidence into the audition room. And bring lots of it! The audition process, in many ways, is like the job interview process….

“Do not run for the sake of running or suffer for the sake of suffering. You must not act in a generalized way, for the sake of action. You must act with a…

Why Natural Actors Still Need Training While an actor might be a natural performer, he or she is also a human being. (Jim Webb) ____________________________________________________________________________ Training is vital to the actor’s life. Being…

Actor Stories: Jenna Fischer’s First Day in LA, as an Aspiring Actress It was my first day in Los Angeles and everything felt perfect. Then, nothing happened for six years. (Arranged by AM…

The Super-Objective Unlike short-term or moment-to-moment objectives, the super-objective influences and guides the character’s actions throughout the entire course of the story. (By Tonya Tannenbaum) ____________________________________________________________________________ The “Super-Objective” is the primary goal that…

    “There’s a wide, wide, wide river of actors and actresses. But there’s only a tiny pond of real talent.” (Charles S. Dutton)   ____________________________________________________________________________ Dutton went on to explain: What I…

Don’t Be Afraid to Politely Ask for an Audition Do-Over The goal is not to be nice, the goal is to leave the audition room feeling good about the performance you put on…