Acting: When is it Time to Quit?

By Webmaster

  • Acting: When is it Time to Quit?

    How long is too long to pursue an acting career?

    (by Carmichael Phillips)


    (Photo by Aron Visuals on Unsplash)

    How many years should an actor wait for their “big break” before changing careers? Contrary to popular opinion, there truly is no shame in throwing in the actor towel and moving on to a new career.

  • There’s nothing wrong with saying, “Look, I’ve devoted 15 years of my life to pursuing a professional acting career, I’ve had lots of ups and downs, it’s been an exciting ride. I’ve done some television work, some cool commercials, some theater. I even had a significant role in a big budget movie. But now I’d like to pursue a new career.”

    The acting business can be downright grueling, with its ups and downs, roles won and roles lost, successful auditions and audition failures, gaining a great rep only to be dropped by that very same rep. And then there are the “dead zones”: months or even years, where nothing seems to be happening in your acting career, good or bad.

    Any sane human being is bound to wear down at some point. The question is, how soon is too soon to give up on an acting career? When does it make sense for an actor to focus on other interests, like building a family, chasing a different passion, or pursuing an alternate career within the industry, such as becoming a casting director, talent agent, writer or director?

    Of course, the answer to that question depends entirely on the individual. Each person has different life goals, different career goals, different talents and different levels of patience.

    There is no right or wrong answer to this question, although, it should be said that giving up after only a few months or after one year is probably too soon for anyone.


  • One year is simply not enough time to get in the game, learn the ropes, make the right connections, find the right opportunities and understand your brand and how to market yourself.

    Recently, Acting Magazine posed a similar question to its readers on Twitter. Here were the results:

    According to our poll, most believed that an actor should hang in there for 10 or more years, if necessary. Most famous actors would probably also agree with this idea. Here are a few quotes we’ve featured on AM:

  •  

     

    So, what’s the right answer? Should an actor be prepared to devote 2 years, 5 years, 10 years, 20 years to their acting career, before finding a new passion to pursue. Again, a “right” answer does not exist. It depends on you and your life’s desires.

    But one thing’s for sure: The acting business is notoriously difficult. It takes hard work and it takes considerable time. If you want to be successful at it, you’d better give your acting career sufficient time to bloom and blossom, whatever “sufficient time” means to you.


  • You Might Also Like:
    Jeff Daniels’ Advice to Actors


     

    Recommended Posts

  • Ad

  • What to Do When You Feel Like Giving Up on Acting

    What to Do When You Feel Like Giving Up on Acting Before you throw in the towel, consider these strategies (By Carmichael Phillips) (Photo: Engin Akyurt | Pexels) Embarking on a career in…

    ACTOR STORY | 4 Auditions. Zero Callbacks!

    ACTOR STORY 4 Auditions. Zero Callbacks! But I’m not complaining! (The Anonymous Actor) (Photo: Mart Production | Pexels) I went for two weeks without a single audition. And then, wham! I get a…

    25 Inspirational Quotes by Denzel Washington

    25 Inspirational Quotes by Denzel Washington “If you don’t fail, you’re not even trying.”  ~Denzel Washington (Arranged by Carmichael Phillips) (Denzel Washington in Fences) On failure… “Fail big! Today’s the beginning of the…

    Ryan Gosling Describes the Impossible Gauntlet That Every Actor Must Survive

    Ryan Gosling Describes the Impossible Gauntlet That Every Actor Must Survive ‘The percentage of actors achieving that dream is never.’ ~Ryan Gosling (Arranged by Carmichael Phillips) (Ryan Gosling) Ryan Gosling may be a…

    What Are the Qualities of a Good Actor?

    What Are the Qualities of a Good Actor? What makes one actor better than another actor? (By Javier Guerra) (Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada) What makes one actor better than another…

  • Ad

  • 1001 Reasons Why Acting is So Damn Depressing! | Part 1: Auditions

    1001 Reasons Why Acting is So Damn Depressing! Part 1: Auditions (By AM Staff) (Photo: Gerd Altmann | Pexels) There’s 100 people competing in this job interview known as an audition. 100 FRIGGIN’ PEOPLE!…

    QUESTION: Can I get an agent without a reel?

    QUESTION: Can I get an agent without a reel? (By AM Staff) ANSWER: Yes, it’s possible. But you’d be better off pursuing a reel before pursuing an agent! If you’re a beginning actor,…

    Three Different Scenes for a Self-Tape! 

    Three Different Scenes for a Self-Tape! Is that asking for too much? (By Javier Guerra) (Photo: Andrea Piacquadio | Pexels) An actor friend of mine received a breakdown for an audition recently. The…

  • Ad

  • 8 Subtle Ways to Stand Out in an Audition

    8 Subtle Ways to Stand Out in an Audition You can’t look like you’re trying to stand out, while you’re trying to stand out (By Javier Guerra) (Photo: Shvets Production | Pexels) Standing…

    ACTOR STORY | “It’s About Nothing!” 

    ACTOR STORY “It’s About Nothing!” How Jason Alexander landed the role of George Costanza on ‘Seinfeld’ (By Tonya Tannenbaum) (Jason Alexander) Jason Alexander once had a self-tape that he thought was going to…

    EDITORIAL | Actors Have Far More Power Than They Think 

    EDITORIAL Actors Have Far More Power Than They Think See yourself as a brand, not just as an actor (By AM Staff) (Photo: Juan Mendez | Pexels) One of the reasons actors become…

    The Audition Checklist 

    The Audition Checklist Are you fully prepared for your next audition? (By Jim Webb) (Photo: Pixabay | Pexels) Are you fully prepared for your next audition? Are you sure you haven’t forgotten anything…

    5 Ways Actors Fail 

    5 Ways Actors Fail Avoid these 5 key mistakes (By Kesha Tyler) (Photo: Mike van Schoonderwalt) Do actors fail because a casting director chose a different actor for a major role? Do they…

  • Ad

  • 3 Things I Love About Self-Tapes & Virtual Auditions 

    3 Things I Love About Self-Tapes & Virtual Auditions It’s the new way of doing the old business of auditioning  (By Javier Guerra) (Photo: Anete Lusina | Pexels) So, I used to own…

    5 Great Audition Tips

    5 Great Audition Tips  These 5 are the most consistent, no matter which type of audition you do (By Jim Webb) (Photo: Cottonbro | Pexels) Here are 5 general audition tips to keep…

    ACTING TECHNIQUE | Dreamwork 

    ACTING TECHNIQUE  Dreamwork  Using your dreams to develop your characters  (By Jim Webb) (Photo: Pixabay | Pexels) You already know the importance of getting a good night’s rest. It affects your health. It…

  • Ad

  • ACTING TECHNIQUE | Build Chemistry Through Compliments 

    ACTING TECHNIQUE  Build Chemistry Through Compliments  Compliments work in the real world and in the world of make-believe  (By Carmichael Phillips) (Photo: Leah Kelley | Pexels) One simple way to build chemistry with…

    Auditions vs. Callbacks: What’s the Difference? 

    Auditions vs. Callbacks: What’s the Difference?  (By Jim Webb)  (Photo: Jon Tyson/Unsplash) What’s the difference between an audition vs. a callback? If you’re an experienced actor, you already know the answer. But let’s…

    ACTING TECHNIQUE | Remember Your ABCs

    ACTING TECHNIQUE Remember Your ABCs: Always Be in Character! (By Carmichael Phillips) (Photo: Sigmund | Unsplash) If you’ve ever seen David Mamet’s 1992 film, Glengarry Glen Ross, you’ll recall the famous acronym that…

    How to Act Realistically 

    How to Act Realistically  10 things you can do to not look like you’re acting  (By Tonya Tannenbaum) (Photo: Ron Lach | Pexels) Acting is easy. Acting realistically is also easy. The only…

    What Are the 5 W’s of Acting?

    What Are the 5 W’s of Acting?  Defining your character’s given circumstances  (By Jim Webb) (Photo: Cottonbro | Pexels) Who are you? What do you want in life and why do you want…

  • Ad