It brings me much joy to offer the best 4 acting tips for beginners. As a working actor, I know how-to create a plan around an acting dream and turn it into a reality.

So you want to be an actor? You’ve decided to quit the rat race and go for something you’ve been dreaming about since you were a child. Where do you start?

You’ve read some articles online—maybe even taken an acting class in your local neighborhood. Guess what?

Congratulations on being the 1%. Most people don’t even get this far in their pursuit as an actor. Yet this isn’t enough.

Your gut tells you’re not getting the training you require and you still have so many questions. In this article, I’m going to provide acting tips for beginners from a working actor.

Best 4 Acting Tips For Beginners

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Only 20 years ago I was in the exact spot you are in now. As a young Puerto Rican kid from Queens, NY the chances of me making it were slim. I didn’t have any family in the industry and Hollywood seemed like another planet.

However, something about being a beginner actually gave me confidence. I had nothing to lose and neither do you.

1. Get Coaching

If the best actors, athletes, and leaders have coaches to help them operate at peak performance levels why shouldn’t you?

Yes, watching Youtube videos or reading acting books are some of the best ways to gain knowledge. However, the advancements in tech and the recent pandemic continue to change the industry overnight.

More importantly, the information you get by watching someone else achieve their goals is mostly anecdotal. In other words, the advice isn’t going to be specific to your exact situation.

There is great value in having someone take a look under your “hood” and give you real practical feedback. Someone in your corner as a mentor, cheerleader, shoulder to cry on, or friend. Someone who can show you the ropes and challenge you because they’ve been where you are before.

A coach helps you avoid mistakes and spot the right course of action for your career.

Learn More About One-on-One Coaching: Click Here

It’s no wonder that Leonardo DiCaprio said this about working with his coach Larry Moss on the film The Aviator, “I felt like I needed to brush up on my technique, so that’s when I really started doing formal training, and he was—it was an amazing experience with him. … It was more than learning how to be a better actor, he was a life coach.”

Coaching offers 3 elements to achieve success. Spoken goals, combined with actionable tasks, and accountability to help you do what you say you’ll do.

2. Get Professional Headshots

Headshots can be really simple and fun. But there are some do’s and don’t when it comes to what makes a professional headshot.

Background

A distracting background can make a headshot come off as amateurish and make the actor look unskilled. Avoid making the background the centerpiece of your headshot. A simple background is always better.

Lighting

Stay away from shadows and ring lights. Natural light is acceptable if the exposure is not too strong or too dark. Make sure the photographer lights your face well with the use of softbox lights and reflectors.

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Composition

The way a photographer positions the camera or the actor will be a dead giveaway for a professional or unprofessional headshot. Avoid harsh angles or positioning the actor dead center of the frame or too far away.

Filtering

A professional headshot should not be over-filtered. Keep away from photographers who add layers of after-effects to their photos. Some blemish removal is fine, but overdoing it can cause the photo to look completely unlike the actor in real life.

Costume and Pose

You might be inclined to wear a costume, but it’s much more effective to know your type. What essence do you give off in your daily life? Don’t be that actor whose headshots look like they raided a Party City. So no silly costumes! Likewise, don’t waste your headshots making goofy faces and doing weird poses. Keep it simple with a mix of serious and friendly expressions.

Headshots Are Worth The Investment

Steer clear of hiring your friend who does photography part-time. Those friends will come in handy for vlogging or social media posts. Professional headshots typically cost anywhere from $400-$1,200. If your shots look cheap, they probably won’t get casting directors and agents to take you seriously.

3. Create A Demo Reel

Need Help Creating Your Demo Reel: Work Together

Acting is a visual medium. Therefore, casting directors and agents need to see what you look like acting on camera.

Roughly 90% of new actors don’t have this crucial piece of material. Most beginner actors think they need to wait to have major credits to create their demo reel or don’t know how to go about making one.

The rules for a new actor are easy and straightforward.

Agents and managers understand that new actors won’t have footage from network shows and feature films, so they allow actors to use other material in the meantime.

This footage may include but isn’t limited to a scene from an acting class, a monologue, a student film, etc. The key here is to choose material that will showcase your talent and skill as an actor as well as your type.

“From a casting perspective, there are two purposes for reels,” explains on-camera acting teacher Shaan Sharma. “First and foremost, to see what professional work you have done, so we know you’ve been vetted by other professionals in our industry and have experience in speaking roles on professional sets. And if you don’t have that, which none of us do when we first start, a reel will just allow us to gauge your skill as an actor.”

4. Learn About The Business

Admittingly I was slow to get this one . Being a modern actor means immersing yourself in the business of acting and entertainment. It’s not enough to just know acting in today’s industry. The way the trends in film, tech, and media all bleed together compels the actor to also be specialists in marketing, branding, and content creation.

The actor today must read about how shows are created from top to bottom, the ever-changing laws around distribution, and become masters at social media and understanding the trends over on platforms such as TikTok and Instagram.

This doesn't mean an actor needs to become a TikTok star, produce a network show, or direct a short film. However, today’s actors must strive to be more than the bottom of the totem pole. We need to flip people’s impressions of what you are capable of and how we can impact storytelling from a business side as well.

It starts with actors wanting to take an interest in reading more about their business and its many moving parts. It begins with actors trusting that they have much more to give and aren’t simply at the mercy of a casting director or director.

You are allowed a seat at the table.

How-To Guide From A Working Actor

So now you have more tools on your toolbelt as a beginner actor. As a working actor take it from me, you learn more by doing in this job. So get out there and just start.

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