How to become a better Actor

Ice 🍧 queen 👸

So today I will be talking on the most important point for this section which is👇👇

Acting

Finally we come to the acting. The most intangible of all the acting skills (supposedly). There’s no other way to refine your acting technique than by doing. Working on scenes and monologues, doing Plays, Film and TV. But we don’t always have the opportunities to do these things the level we would like. However, there are some basics you can work on regularly which help to build connection, presence, storytelling and listening.

#1 How to become a better actor…(Work!)

Work. Working on your craft is how you get better. That could be in a class or on a production. The key is to always be learning. Aiming for perfection doesn’t work. You will never be complete! (Terrifying I know). Like any artistic pursuit becoming a better actor is about becoming more open, honest and vulnerable. So get out there and get some work. That doesn’t have to be paid, professional work. 

IDEA: find 2-5 acting mates who you know are passionate. Make a plan to get together once a week and put down new scenes or monologues. If you can do this regularly and help keep each other accountable your work is going to skyrocket!

#2 How to Act (A Process)

Having a process is vital. Sometimes you will look at a script and it’s completely overwhelming. You have no clue where to begin, how to delve into the character and so you can’t make any progress. That’s where having your own process will help. This will be refined over the years, and you can keep updating it as you go. It might change and evolve on each production you work on, but it’s a structure and it’s a starting point you can keep coming back to. 

#3 Work on you!

There are a number of acting teachers from Stella Adler to Anthony Meindl, who talk about improving your acting skills, by improving YOU. One of the best ways to improve as an actor is to work on you. Start living life people! We are actors who have to express the most profound stories and embody the most heightened characters. How can you do that if you life is working 9-5 in a mundane job and, watching TV and going to pub once a week. Explore yourself, travel, take risks and be bold in life, to be bold on stage.

Where to practice your acting skills

Throughout this class, I have outlined some techniques and ideas for developing your acting skills in all major areas of the craft. But it’s important to get out into the world and put them into practice. So here are some tangible ways to develop your acting skills:

Weekly Class

Taking yourself to an acting class every week is about maintaining consistency, learning new things and giving you a chance to clock up some hours of acting ‘practice’. (10,000 hours is the key to mastering anything, so you’d better get started!)

Read: How to find an acting class. 

Learning on the Job

Every gig you get is a chance to work on your acting skills. It’s great to have a goal on every project you work on. For example: during this short film, I’m going to really focus on listening to my fellow actors. All great actors have said they often learn more on the job, than they did in Drama School. Real world experience is invaluable, and I wouldn’t pass it up.

Working with Friends

I mentioned this earlier, but it’s worth reiterating here. If classes are too expensive, and you haven’t got any work, get together with some friends and work on scripts. That might be film scripts, or theatre scripts. Encourage and be kind to each other, but also offer some critical feedback. Your friends know you best, and will actually have some wonderful insights to improve on your work. You will learn from watching your mates work too. Rally the troops, and have some fun.