Acting Career Uncertainty (i need opinions!)

1958MJJmoonwalker7

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Hi everyone! i have wanted to go into an acting career since i was in middle school. i was in an acting club for elementary school and i didnt like it at first, but i warmed up to it and would look forward to it every day. now, im thinking about a more serious career path. i know that becoming a successful actor is VERY hard which is why i am so torn about it. i want to live a stable life with a job that pays well, but i want to do something i admire. i know i should start my acting career as soon as possible (ex. go to auditions), but i dont know how to tell my parents. i am very shy and i wouldnt like them watching me. they know i am shy, but they dont know this part of me that likes acting and finds it very interested because i have never told them about it. i am inspired from my favorite hollywood actors but i havent been in a big school play because 1, i dont like musicals, i am more fascinated by the more "real acting" (unexaggerated emotions). and 2, people get made fun of because i go to a pretty small school, so the plays are a bit weird haha. i also BELIEVE that i like acting, but i am so self-conscious that i am starting to second-guess how i feel; do i really like acting, or so i just think i like it? (because i am too shy to go on stage in front of my peers or audition for school plays. i want the experience but i dont want to get made fun of. i know most people will say "just audition even though you are shy," but i dont believe i would be able to do that :( ). i want to believe that i like acting because it is so interesting and i have been with it for so long. MJ is helping me with that because he was VERY shy but he still achieved super-stardom. can you guys please help me??
 
Well just try it I'd say. For your future self: you'll regret it more when you never even tried than when you did try and it didnt workout. If it doesnt workout at least you tried, theres not much to loose.

Also you'll grow more as a person when you get out of your comfort zone. Especially for more shy peoplešŸ˜‰.

Lastly, dont be afraid when things fail, you cant win in life if you dont try something new.
 
Don't over-think this. Educate your mind and make it quiet sometimes.
If this is your passion, then start from here. And as MJ said , if you don't believe in yourself, who will?". He broke the sky's limit because he put his passion and dedication in what he did.
I am socially awkard too, this shyness is more ,,intense,, now when I'm a grown a$$ adult, but harnessing my passion and dreams helped me achieve what I really wanted to do.
Yes, go! Even if only at this thought you start to sweat, and in your mind is a shit storm of ,,what if,,.
Start living for yourself and your dreams, not for others.
 
Since you're uncertain about this, you could think of it as a hobby first, give it a try and see if you like it. Keep other options ready in case you don't like it. If you like acting, but you don't like the other things that come with it (like auditions, fame, pressure, etc), then it might not be for you regardless of the things you like about it. But you're still young, so it's okay to give it a try, it won't be too late to change your mind if you don't like it.
 
the thing is, i think about this day and night. i saw the grammys and oscars and i get kind of depressed because it is my dream to entertain, i think im just shy in front of the people i know because they can be so judgemental. i'll stilll be shy in fron tof regular people, but i can probably work around it (but i dont know because i havent tried). i know the later i start, the harder it will be to achieve this. we saw michael starting at 5, mariah carey starting at 3, beyonce at 9, and they've all become MEGA stars. it will also be harder for me because i havent been in any school plays, so the casting directors might look at me like, "what is this random person doing here with no experience at all?" i have had no experience, yet i get so beat up with seeing these award shows because it looks like something i would love to do. i dont know if this is just a phase that everyone goes through, or it is real, and i dont want to waste time and emotions if it isnt something i actually like, but i think it is (thank you for your help so far though!)
 
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Since you're uncertain about this, you could think of it as a hobby first, give it a try and see if you like it. Keep other options ready in case you don't like it. If you like acting, but you don't like the other things that come with it (like auditions, fame, pressure, etc), then it might not be for you regardless of the things you like about it. But you're still young, so it's okay to give it a try, it won't be too late to change your mind if you don't like it.
I agree with this probably bc it is exactly what I did.

I fell for acting in high school and without the direction, guidance or mentorship it was virtually impossible to choose it as a career after hs, but I couldn't get it out of my head and found zero interest in any other topic or career pursuits.

I was at my community college bored to tears and someone suggested that maybe I should enroll in a theatre school, conservatory type program. That's another story but I did it.

https://www.mjjcommunity.com/members/1958mjjmoonwalker7.124847/ the thing is, i think about this day and night. i saw the grammys and oscars and i get kind of depressed because it is my dream to entertain, i think im just shy in front of the people i know because they can be so judgemental. i'll stilll be shy in fron tof regular people, but i can probably work around it (but i dont know because i havent tried). i know the later i start, the harder it will be to achieve this. we saw michael starting at 5, mariah carey starting at 3, beyonce at 9, and they've all become MEGA stars. it will also be harder for me because i havent been in any school plays, so the casting directors might look at me like, "what is this random person doing here with no experience at all?" i have had no experience, yet i get so beat up with seeing these award shows because it looks like something i would love to do. i dont know if this is just a phase that everyone goes through, or it is real, and i dont want to waste time and emotions if it isnt something i actually like, but i think it is (thank you for your help so far though!)

This sounds just like me when I was 20 which is why I did it. Keep in mind the Beyonce, MJ, Mariah's stories are completely different as their families were uniquely supportive of their success giving them the stability they needed to pursue it, so using them as examples might have you operate from a flawed premise, and they were all phenomenally undeniably gifted with talent and desire for it.

At this point, the question isn't do you want it as a career, so much as, do you like it at all. If you're too shy to show up and show out in a random audition, the only place you'll get that answer is in acting class which is where actors congregate and grow together.

I loved acting as a process, but just as @Etoile' 37 mentioned, to my suprise, there were some things I couldn't stand that went with it, just random things that I, as the brat that I was, who always expected everything to go as I'd expected, did not want to get used to.

You must be prepared at all times to expect the unexpected and have a system, a personal 'policy' of sorts worked out in advance for how you would deal with certain things. . . for example ...

(things they don't tell you in drama club or at drama school)

such as,

(and keep in mind that EVERYONE'S experience is DIFFERENT in terms of details)

some random producer claiming to show you around the set and is suddenly shoving you up against a wall and shoving his tongue in your mouth,

some random person walking up to you just to strip completely naked and walk away like nothing happened, (some actors do that bc of what's called 'the naked exercise' where you choose a person you trust and strip naked in front of them and it frees you to be 'naked' on stage in character)

or people at a cast party randomly bustin' slob, ie., dramatically tongue kissing and making out on top of bars (you think wait, is this an orgy or a cast party?)

OR, if you're sensitive to emotions within yourself, you have to get used to the emotional turmult of the poor lil ole' ego, going through constant ups and downs like a roller coaster,

ie, one performance you're swarmed with people afterwards telling you how great you were, then another performance of the same show, you find yourself counting the people, not as many as the night before etc. etc.,

the different personalities of different directors, ones that have been actors have some compassion for you as they direct you, then there are ones who you watch aghast as they yell ferociously at a young child on set as if they are an army sargeant cussin' at the child and all, ie., (dammit didn't I tell you ...blah! blah! blah!..)

If you have someone who you trust who is experienced, who's probably not going to be competing with you, you're better off, and you can find that kind of person in an acting coach, teacher, tutor ...

You have to have an internal constitution that can be very okay with expecting the completely (sometimes shockingly) unexpected.

Now, with all that said, and now that you've been properly warned, and you want to do something about the yearning to explore this internal passion, the first thing you must do is get into a good acting class.

Its not so much for the purpose of teaching you acting bc we all have the skill innately I believe, but

its to teach you a technique that will work for you and teach you the necessary jargon etc. and not to mention put you in a community of people who all 'get it', vs. your parents who probably never will, until they come to one of your plays.

And keep in mind, as an adult, you are free. As quiet as its kept, most parents don't really care so much about the choices you make as they care that you are able to support yourself in a way that works for YOUR life.

I also say, accept yourself as someone who needs to create stability for yourself and pay no attention to people who say you must be a starving artist. There is really no such thing. If you know someone who is that, they found a place within themselves where they do not need a certain external stability, but YOU do. Do whatever gives you that, along with don't let it be something you despise because it will effect your work on stage, which comes from YOUR life off stage. It doesn't have to be creative work (if so very great) but it can't get in the way of your creative freedom.

If you find that studying acting brings you out of your shyness, you may get enough very quickly bc the process itself, takes you out of yourself, and allows you to 'use' your Self, to give life to some character somebody made up and put on a sheet of paper, so there is not a 'right' or 'wrong' of it at all, just do everything within the context of what the director (or acting teacher) wants to convey, as their job is to decide how they want the story to look, etc., your job is to give them that.

If its a director who is creative, you will have a blast, if its a tyrant, its not so much fun in the moment, but the beauty of that is, learning how to deal with every type of person, even the 'difficult' people of the world (ie., some grumpy directors) is actually also part of your job, and if you can master that, you can enjoy whatever acting you can do, and be VERY glad you did it.

As for me, I got my satiation with it, although I do still have a yearning to play the witch in Little Red Riding Hood, so, we'll see.
This song is for you, may it bless you as it did me when I was going through this: (listen carefully, this is the truth)

 
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Meet Wendy Alane Wright, Hollywood talent manager, LOVES to help young (new) actors get started

 
Hi again! My mom found this ad for an acting agency and we werenā€™t sure whether it was a scam or not, but we still tried. It was a scam, but I found it as a great opportunity to start working on my passion of entertainment. (Huge coincidence!) Now, she thinks I am interested in background and extra roles since she found the ad (because now I keep asking her about it). She wonā€™t let me try again and she seems reluctant to sign me up because acting (or even extra roles) takes a lot of time. My parents are people who value studying and school more (jobs like doctors, dentists, etc). I donā€™t know how to convince her because this is ā€œnewā€ for me (I never talked about it before). How should I tell my parents? I always feel good entertaining people, whether itā€™s making people laugh or reading in front of my class. I used to hate reading something when the teacher called on me, but now, even though, Iā€™m still a little nervous, itā€™s fun for me. Pls help me!!
 
  • Wow
Reactions: SoS
You should watch La La Land and find a guy like Sebastian
(Iā€™m just kidding šŸ˜­šŸ˜­ you should go for your dreams. And watch La La Land))
 
Hi everyone! i have wanted to go into an acting career since i was in middle school. i was in an acting club for elementary school and i didnt like it at first, but i warmed up to it and would look forward to it every day. now, im thinking about a more serious career path. i know that becoming a successful actor is VERY hard which is why i am so torn about it. i want to live a stable life with a job that pays well, but i want to do something i admire. i know i should start my acting career as soon as possible (ex. go to auditions), but i dont know how to tell my parents. i am very shy and i wouldnt like them watching me. they know i am shy, but they dont know this part of me that likes acting and finds it very interested because i have never told them about it. i am inspired from my favorite hollywood actors but i havent been in a big school play because 1, i dont like musicals, i am more fascinated by the more "real acting" (unexaggerated emotions). and 2, people get made fun of because i go to a pretty small school, so the plays are a bit weird haha. i also BELIEVE that i like acting, but i am so self-conscious that i am starting to second-guess how i feel; do i really like acting, or so i just think i like it? (because i am too shy to go on stage in front of my peers or audition for school plays. i want the experience but i dont want to get made fun of. i know most people will say "just audition even though you are shy," but i dont believe i would be able to do that :( ). i want to believe that i like acting because it is so interesting and i have been with it for so long. MJ is helping me with that because he was VERY shy but he still achieved super-stardom. can you guys please help me??
Your story should be a movie and you can be the star. Maybe you make a movie and you star in it? Also I think itā€™s best you tell your parents that you want to act. Also if you start second guessing your self a lot maybe you donā€™t want to do acting anymore and pursue another field. And thatā€™s totally fine. But if you really want to do acting then tell your parents and go audition for a movie so you get the feel of it before you jump right in. :) hope this helps (Also so sorry for my first comment I hope I didnā€™t upset you šŸ˜­šŸ˜­)
 
Hi again! My mom found this ad for an acting agency and we werenā€™t sure whether it was a scam or not, but we still tried. It was a scam, but I found it as a great opportunity to start working on my passion of entertainment. (Huge coincidence!) Now, she thinks I am interested in background and extra roles since she found the ad (because now I keep asking her about it). She wonā€™t let me try again and she seems reluctant to sign me up because acting (or even extra roles) takes a lot of time. My parents are people who value studying and school more (jobs like doctors, dentists, etc). I donā€™t know how to convince her because this is ā€œnewā€ for me (I never talked about it before). How should I tell my parents? I always feel good entertaining people, whether itā€™s making people laugh or reading in front of my class. I used to hate reading something when the teacher called on me, but now, even though, Iā€™m still a little nervous, itā€™s fun for me. Pls help me!!
I'm sorry to hear you were scammed. I should've thought to warn you about that but I comepletely forgot those snakes are out there.

I guess you found out that anyone offerring you any kind of 'package' to 'get started' or anyone offerring you anything from a public 'ad' is a scam MOST likely because everything is like any other industry, its 'industry-specific' like how you don't see anyone advertising training packages for doctors, lawyers or anyone. Check for your local AFTRA office (American Federation of TV and Radio Artists) and get a list of franchised agents and call them and get recommendations for acting classes and just take them casually with no expectation other than discovery if you want to do acting..

Being an extra is a different path from being an actor but if you want to be an extra you can get information of extras casting through AFTRA as well or if you're near a Central Casting office (I'm pretty sure its centralcasting .com, and you can specify the closest city to you or check with your local Department of Commerce and see if movies are being cast in your city because a lot of states participate in offerring movie locations for tax purposes.

Meanwhile take it from the elderly, you can relax really and forget aaaall about choosing between studying something else and choosing to do any form of acting as it is too early in your exploration for you to have to make such a choice and for right now your choice is to stay on track of those whom you know have your best interest (unless you despise it!) and you will learn that the older you get that life is less about this or that, than it is actually more about this and that and that and that and that and that and that and that ... if you feel me.

There are definitely doctors in this world who are also extras on tv and movie sets best believe that!

Some of them also serve as professional consults for script writers for tv and film.

Study something stable that you'll be glad you completed by the time you look back on a decade or two and even as you do that you could take acting classes for dessert and then put yourself in a position to have a happy accident where "the twain shall meet!" Its happened to me many many times.

I wonder how your parents would feel about you studying for the "meat" parts of your time and taking acting classes for dessert? :chinrub:

There are really no limits unless we decide there are.
 
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