I want to start by saying that becoming an actor is more like running a marathon than a sprint! There are many actors out there, but a small percentage of them may call themselves active actors (an actor who only acts to support himself). Hypothetically, a vast majority of them may present themselves more as “I’m an actor who pays the bills for (fill in the blank).”
There are many factors that determine your success as an actor. It takes a lot more than talent to become a successful actor. You have to be ready to do some work. I’ve seen some great actors who have great potential but don’t get any jobs. Not because of the industry, but because they don’t go out of their way to find an agent or even headshots. There is a business aspect of acting that is important to learn. Your acting coach and / or agent can help you with that. You must also learn to promote yourself as an actor.
There are a couple of great books like “An Agent Says It All” by Tony Martinez. ‘One Agent Says It All’ is an uncensored look at the acting business from the perspective of a working Hollywood agent. There is no other book on the market written by someone currently working as an agent. Another great read is “Audition: Everything An Actor Needs To Know To Get The Part” by Michael Shurtleff.
Take care of all the basics you need to start acting, which is just a good headshot with your resume attached to the back and an agent. If you get these two things, then you have everything you need to get your break. Know that talent, resources, and time need to be aligned when you land a large or small role.
There was an actor who was just starting out and had no training. All he had was an agent and a shot to the head. For his first role, he landed a strong supporting role in a filming of Pilot in Nashville TN. It had all aspects covered. He had natural talent, he had the necessary resources (headshot, resume and an agent) and the timing was perfect, where it was exactly what the production was looking for in an actor.
Your rise to fame could start so fast, or it could take a little or a lot longer. Just take all the necessary steps and stay prepared because your big break could be tomorrow, but you don’t know it yet!
