When Should I Give Up on Acting?
Four signs that will let you know it’s time to quit
(By Javier Guerra)
(Photo: Mike Greer | Pexels)
Be a patient actor. Be a determined actor! Believe in yourself and follow your dream!
But there’s truly no shame in reevaluating your life choices, at some point, and deciding you’d rather do something else for a change. That’s the natural evolution of things.
Heck, it’s possible that every talent agent and every casting director you’ve ever met was once an aspiring actor or actress. At a certain point, they pivoted to a new career.
You can, too, if that’s where your heart is. Here are 4 signs it may be time to quit.
#1: You hate auditioning
(Photo: Liza Summer | Pexels)
One of the easiest ways to know it’s time to hang up your acting boots is when you lose your love for auditioning. Auditioning is a high-effort, low-reward endeavor that can wear you down faster than anything!
Do you hate when your agent sends you an audition breakdown? Do you lament the fact that you must give up a portion of your day to do an audition that you “probably won’t even get.”
If that sounds like you, then perhaps you have outgrown your original dream. That doesn’t necessarily mean that you don’t enjoy acting anymore. It may just mean that you are tired of the audition-rejection paradigm.
#2: Your other passions have become more appealing to you
A young actress thinks about acting all the time. She eats it, sleeps it and breathes it.
But when she begins to think about motherhood more than acting, that’s a clear indication that it may be time for a break.
The same is true for men. When you begin dreaming about pursuing a different profession and going down a new career path, it may be time to rethink your career and life goals.
#3: You get lazy
(Photo: Ketut Subiyanto | Pexels)
You began your acting career with the intensity of a fighter jet turning on its afterburners. You were Top Gun, full speed ahead.
But now, you’re lazy! You don’t hustle to your acting class the way you used to. You don’t market yourself with the same vigor. You don’t send out your headshot as often as you did in the past.
Maybe you’ve simply gotten a little lax and lazy. Or maybe, your heart’s just not into it anymore.
#4: You’re asking if you should quit
Lastly, if you’re asking if you should quit, maybe it’s time to consider quitting. Pure and simple.
If you’re even asking the question in the first place, you should evaluate why you’re asking the question. Maybe it’s the temporary feeling of dejection that all actors get from time-to-time. Or, maybe it’s your soul telling you to move in a new direction.
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