A coaching client of mine, Leslie-Anne Huff, recently told me that she was going to be leading a workshop for aspiring actors about acting careers and the “business” – focused on the Filipino community, which is part of her heritage. She was reaching out to her friends, and (in my case) mentors for thoughts and advice. Leslie-Anne is a successful film and television actress, and is also an extraordinary young woman: talented, smart, funny, compassionate, inventive, entrepreneurial. In short….the complete package.
She specifically asked what I thought was the number one piece of advice to aspiring actors. The number one piece of advice? That’s a very tough question because there are so many elements to success. And of course it depends how you define success. Leslie-Anne wanted my thoughts about acting and the business; the intersection of art and commerce. This required a more expansive answer.
As I was going through my to-do list this morning, Leslie-Anne’s request was initially just another item to check off that list. But as i got into it, it quickly consumed me. It became a way to clarify my thoughts on this issue – in a bullet-pointed kind of way. The reality is, so many people aspire to so few actual jobs – hence the dream remains only that for those with no roadmap, no strategy for personal and artistic success.
Leslie-Anne and I have a mentor/mentee relationship. What she probably doesn’t know is that I often learn as much from her as she does from me, and I consider her a true success story on all levels. Thus, I took her request to heart, and this is the list I sent her; it became a nice round dozen.
- Lead an examined life. Know who you are. Develop your own “world-view”.
- Develop your talent fully, in tandem with developing your “personal fingerprint” – your point of view. And in doing this, dig deep – don’t be satisfied with shooting for the middle. Shoot for the top. Take classes, get into plays, read – and not just about film or the theatre. Read history, read biographies, and read great fiction.
- Formulate an idea about what kind of actor you want to be. Create “actor-heroes” for yourself, those whose work you admire and would like to emulate. As your “actor-heroes” do – stand for something, have a point of view, create a path toward indelibility.
- Be (or become) entrepreneurial. Talent alone is simply the “price of admission”. At the professional level everyone is talented to some extent or they wouldn’t have gotten where they are. If talent alone were the predictor of success, the stars of TV and film would be (in many cases) a very different group. Luck is a major factor to any success as well, and being entrepreneurial helps create that very luck which (otherwise) may prove elusive.
- Understand (and accept) this: It IS who you know. So, develop your network of people. Who you know gets you in the room, what you know (your fully developed talent) may get you the job. It is who you know, AND what you know.
- Be determined, be optimistic. An acting career is a faith-based endeavor – you have to have a deep belief that you will succeed.
- Stay positive. A healthy mental outlook is as important as a healthy body.
- Think of yourself as a “personal brand”. And ask this key question: what does that brand stand for? All great brands have core qualities. Actor/brands are no exception: Tom Cruise = absolute certitude. Tom Hanks = heartfelt, reliable, honest. Owen Wilson = casual, well-meaning goofball. Harrison Ford = wry, reluctant hero, a man in jeopardy
- A wide range for an actor is wonderful, and is a rewardable virtue in the theatre. But in most cases in the world of film and TV, they want you to play some version of yourself. So, knowing yourself and having a deep sense of what your core qualities are (that “blink-of-an-eye” perception of you) is key. By the way, playing a version of yourself does not in any way make you less of an actor.
- Acting can be an intangible pursuit. Find tangible things you can do: plant a garden, build a piece of furniture, volunteer at a food pantry. These create a connective tissue between the real world and the imagined world of an actor. In other words, don’t get lost in the “backstage” nature of the actor’s life. Get lost in life. It’s so much more interesting.
- Create a strong support system around you of friends, family, classmates, etc. The dream (and the disappointments) cannot exist in a vacuum.
- Enjoy yourself…..it is play, after all.
This is too good Michael. I’m going to pass along to my students. Thanks for your clarity!
Your “road map with 12 turns” is eloquent, deeply thoughtful and inspiring. It is about how we are all supposed to live our lives. How wonderful to receive it on the morning after Labor Day Weekend when everyone who grew up in the Midwest knows the summer is truly over and now it’s —- “Back to School.”
Well defined! Great advice for all. Forwarding it along… Thanks.
Thank you from Brooklyn! I greatly appreciate the well articulated list! I thought to add something that I bring to all my projects as a stage director, artistic director, acting and directing coach and teacher/founder of One-Thought-One-Action(TM),and that is the question: What is your measure of success?
The more specific we can be about that measure of success the better able we are to attain that vision and also define and recognize what our value system actually is. Otherwise finding satisfaction in the work itself, much less all the work it takes to get the job, as well as knowing what you are willing to compromise in order to maintain a quality of life inside the quality of your network, runs the risk of leaving us spent of energy, resources and good humor.
Thank YOU Gia, for reading, and for bringing your very sound perspective to the conversation. Please stay in touch – Michael
So clear and concise, espcicially valuable for artititic types. And the additional note of understanding what success is for you is a welcomed addition.
As I ran through your list I thought about how I had worked each tenet in my 39 year career. I’m pleased with what I have done and inspired to do more. Your road map has reenergized me.
I will be sending it along to several young people I mentor.
Thank you for so generously sharing your wisdom.
Michael, Actors are a rare breed. They stand in front of an audience and relate a story that was written by another to both move and inspire that audience to Feel something. Only the best of Professionals understand the entire process that it takes to make that magic happen. It is very hard work! We get paid to make everyone’s dreams come true. Not an easy task to undertake. As a child, I knew that everything was possible. I ended-up with a Degree in Theatre Arts. 27 years later, I am now Producing Films with 5 different Union cards as a Professional. I believed. I’ve read the books, I’ve studied the Classic Films, I’ve studied Shakespeare and performed it. Also Tennessee Williams and Neil Simon. You have to have a foundation to write your ticket to whatever you want in your career.
Michael: what a terrific piece. Great advice and perfectly articulated.