5 answers
Isaiah
Student
Ontario
8
Questions
Asked
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What should I do to start a part-time acting career that will hopefully grow into a full-time acting career?
I want to pursue a career in acting, but I'm not sure how to start. I'm 16 and in high school, so I'm quite limited in independence given that I have many responsibilities. (I feel that that load may lighten once I turn 18) I want to pursue acting as a bit of a side career just because I know it is a bit risky putting all your time and money into a career that isn't exactly stable. By that I mean it's a come and go situation where you're not always guaranteed to get casted. However, I think it would make an excellent side hustle especially for right now in my adolescence when I'm trying to get something easily accessible. With all that being said, my overall question is just what to do as of right now. Should I start acting school now, so that by the time I turn 18, I can have the experience and time leniency? What is my plan looking like?
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5 answers
Curtis Wilson
Director for Student Success
6
Answers
Concord, North Carolina
Updated
Curtis’s Answer
I'll preface this by stating that I have NO experience with acting, but I have some thoughts. Maybe you can use the summers during high school to attend acting camps or workshops. If your high school or school district has a theater program, that may be a good opportunity. If you want to attend college after high school, perhaps consider attending a school in or near a city that is known to have acting opportunities. That way, during the summers, you may be able to focus on acting more frequently. Community theater is another option.
As you mentioned in your post, acting may not be the most stable career path. With that said, as long as you make a plan to gain stable employment (i.e. college, trade school, certification programs, etc.) there will always be time to hone your acting skills and perhaps turn it into a side hustle or more.
Hopefully folks with acting expertise will weigh in and give you even more pertinent thoughts. Best of luck!!
As you mentioned in your post, acting may not be the most stable career path. With that said, as long as you make a plan to gain stable employment (i.e. college, trade school, certification programs, etc.) there will always be time to hone your acting skills and perhaps turn it into a side hustle or more.
Hopefully folks with acting expertise will weigh in and give you even more pertinent thoughts. Best of luck!!
Thanks so much! Great advice.
Isaiah
Jerome Dees Jr.
Sales Professional and Networking Expert
833
Answers
San Francisco, California
Updated
Jerome’s Answer
If you have a theater club/group at your school, join it! My oldest started just hanging around and now he’s doing stage management and found himself on stage a few times with small parts. This could help you get experience while learning more about the industry.
If you don’t have something at school, maybe there is a local community theater that you can reach out to. It’s possible someone who acts there might be willing to act as your mentor (I thought act as your mentor was pretty funny lol). Hope this helps.
If you don’t have something at school, maybe there is a local community theater that you can reach out to. It’s possible someone who acts there might be willing to act as your mentor (I thought act as your mentor was pretty funny lol). Hope this helps.
Thanks a lot!
Isaiah
TRAVIS UPCHURCH
Federal Contract Admin
230
Answers
Austin, Texas
Updated
TRAVIS’s Answer
Join theatre in your school, learn everything, lights, sound, stage crew, acting, singing and dancing. Be open to all of those skills and practice practice practice audition skills. Dont be afraid to work with more experience actors. They will bring out the best in you. Good luck, you will do well.
Thank you! I will definitely "practice practice practice audition skills."
Isaiah
Michelle M.
Actress
3284
Answers
Updated
Michelle’s Answer
Hello, Isaiah !
I would be happy to fill you in on some important information since you are thinking about Acting. Sorry for the delay, but I am not receiving notifications for acting questions even though my tags are set and my career is stated in my profile.
I love your ambition and motivation to learn more about this career. The first thing I can say is that Acting is not part time or a side job, or side hustle or easily attainable as you said you think it is in your post. It's even more demanding if you are under 18 as your parent would have to be involved. It is a career that requires enormous amounts of time and you do not set your own schedule, the producer or director does. It is also something that you can't plan around a different career as you have previously mentioned you may want to start your own business. If you get hired for a project and are told it will be five days, that could turn into only two days or two weeks depending on circumstances of the production. So it's not something to bank on for making your own hours. You will need to be available when the director says you're needed.
Another thing to keep in mind if you are still in high school, if, after training and you're actually ready, you get cast you will have to miss an indefinite amount of school which your parent can arrange with your high school. Your parent will need to oversee and accompany you on all auditions, rehearsals and performances and provide transportation for you and sometimes film shoots can be very long, so you'd need your parent to be in agreement with this if you are under 18. The parent will also need to oversee, understand and co-sign your contracts if you are under 18.
Approaching acting with the idea of its instability in the forefront of one's mind can cause confusion and obstacles in becoming a well-trained actor who can obtain work. This career is best met with confidence, deep passion for acting and communicating and storytelling and learning about acting and how the industry is run. In essence, an acting career cannot be micro-planned based on what you want. It's something that is a process and you learn more and more each step you take. It does require a lot of time, networking, studying and life and social experience. It looks easy when you're watching a film or TV show, but that's just the finished product that lots of work and collaboration went into.
So, all things considered, my advice is to take the next 12 months to explore what you really want to do. Do you want to focus on starting a business ? Or do you want to give Acting your full time attention and not be concerned about how changeable, varied and unconventional this career is ? The ultimate decision is up to you, but you'll need to know how acting fits in to media and what the demands and requirements of actors are.
Many people do community theatre as a hobby, however, which you would not get paid for, but it could be a way to either test or satisfy why you want to act. I am not sure if you are in Ontario in California or Ontario in Canada, but look online for a list of community theatres where you live and ask them how to be notified of acting classes and possible auditions for your age range (the age you look). Definitely return here for more information and advice about Acting and learn as much as you can.
Best wishes in all you do and I hope this helps moving forward !
I would be happy to fill you in on some important information since you are thinking about Acting. Sorry for the delay, but I am not receiving notifications for acting questions even though my tags are set and my career is stated in my profile.
I love your ambition and motivation to learn more about this career. The first thing I can say is that Acting is not part time or a side job, or side hustle or easily attainable as you said you think it is in your post. It's even more demanding if you are under 18 as your parent would have to be involved. It is a career that requires enormous amounts of time and you do not set your own schedule, the producer or director does. It is also something that you can't plan around a different career as you have previously mentioned you may want to start your own business. If you get hired for a project and are told it will be five days, that could turn into only two days or two weeks depending on circumstances of the production. So it's not something to bank on for making your own hours. You will need to be available when the director says you're needed.
Another thing to keep in mind if you are still in high school, if, after training and you're actually ready, you get cast you will have to miss an indefinite amount of school which your parent can arrange with your high school. Your parent will need to oversee and accompany you on all auditions, rehearsals and performances and provide transportation for you and sometimes film shoots can be very long, so you'd need your parent to be in agreement with this if you are under 18. The parent will also need to oversee, understand and co-sign your contracts if you are under 18.
Approaching acting with the idea of its instability in the forefront of one's mind can cause confusion and obstacles in becoming a well-trained actor who can obtain work. This career is best met with confidence, deep passion for acting and communicating and storytelling and learning about acting and how the industry is run. In essence, an acting career cannot be micro-planned based on what you want. It's something that is a process and you learn more and more each step you take. It does require a lot of time, networking, studying and life and social experience. It looks easy when you're watching a film or TV show, but that's just the finished product that lots of work and collaboration went into.
So, all things considered, my advice is to take the next 12 months to explore what you really want to do. Do you want to focus on starting a business ? Or do you want to give Acting your full time attention and not be concerned about how changeable, varied and unconventional this career is ? The ultimate decision is up to you, but you'll need to know how acting fits in to media and what the demands and requirements of actors are.
Many people do community theatre as a hobby, however, which you would not get paid for, but it could be a way to either test or satisfy why you want to act. I am not sure if you are in Ontario in California or Ontario in Canada, but look online for a list of community theatres where you live and ask them how to be notified of acting classes and possible auditions for your age range (the age you look). Definitely return here for more information and advice about Acting and learn as much as you can.
Best wishes in all you do and I hope this helps moving forward !
@Michelle M. I am definitely taking your advice to explore my options over the next year. One thing I’m curious about is how you recommend moving forward if I want to pursue acting while in college. Do you see a benefit in pursuing a theater degree (like a BFA or BA), or do you recommend a different major while training at outside studios? Also, in your experience, is it possible to take college courses online to allow for the flexibility acting requires, or does that create other obstacles in the industry?"
Isaiah
P.S Im located in Ontario, CA. I'm not sure why it's just showing Ontario. Know anyway to fix it?
Isaiah
Chinyere Okafor
Educationist and Counseling Psychologist
1207
Answers
Port Harcourt, Rivers, Nigeria
Updated
Chinyere’s Answer
Hi Isaiah,
This is a really realistic approach to acting, and to be honest, you already have more strategic maturity than many individuals twice your age. You're right to view acting as a high-risk but high-reward venture, and you're wise to approach it as a scalable side project rather than an all-or-nothing risk at this point. You are in a strong position in the long run just by having that mindset.
Your best course of action right now is to lay the groundwork rather than pursue results. You still need to build your abilities, self-assurance, and evidence of your work before you can "break in." If they are available, acting classes (school-based drama, community theater, or introductory acting schools) are definitely worth starting right away. They lower your learning curve, not because they promise success. By the time you're eighteen, you want reps rather than regrets. Think about attending classes as a low-risk investment in skills rather than a way to get a job.
You can begin developing low-stakes experiences at the same time. Monologues recorded at home, student films, school performances, local theater, and short skits are all acceptable. This enables you to determine whether you truly appreciate acting as a method rather than just the concept. That is important. Acting is a fantasy that many people like, but many hate waiting, rejection, and auditions. You may reality-check that without ruining relationships or spending money if you learn about it early.
You're right to consider balance as well. Early on, acting is most effective when combined with stability, such as education, a part-time job, or another skill you're learning. That's risk management, not playing small. As you move closer to turning eighteen, your strategy may change to include taking headshots, writing a basic CV, and, if your area permits it, applying for background or starter positions. However, none of those have to happen immediately. You're ahead of schedule, which is good.
Zooming out, your current strategy is skill development, exploration, and optionality. Start taking classes if you can, take action when opportunities arise, pay attention to how you respond to criticism and rejection, and prioritize your education. Patience, perseverance, and self-assurance are much more rewarded by action than by hurry. You're not behind; rather, you're strategically preparing yourself for when the door opens more widely.
Best wishes!
This is a really realistic approach to acting, and to be honest, you already have more strategic maturity than many individuals twice your age. You're right to view acting as a high-risk but high-reward venture, and you're wise to approach it as a scalable side project rather than an all-or-nothing risk at this point. You are in a strong position in the long run just by having that mindset.
Your best course of action right now is to lay the groundwork rather than pursue results. You still need to build your abilities, self-assurance, and evidence of your work before you can "break in." If they are available, acting classes (school-based drama, community theater, or introductory acting schools) are definitely worth starting right away. They lower your learning curve, not because they promise success. By the time you're eighteen, you want reps rather than regrets. Think about attending classes as a low-risk investment in skills rather than a way to get a job.
You can begin developing low-stakes experiences at the same time. Monologues recorded at home, student films, school performances, local theater, and short skits are all acceptable. This enables you to determine whether you truly appreciate acting as a method rather than just the concept. That is important. Acting is a fantasy that many people like, but many hate waiting, rejection, and auditions. You may reality-check that without ruining relationships or spending money if you learn about it early.
You're right to consider balance as well. Early on, acting is most effective when combined with stability, such as education, a part-time job, or another skill you're learning. That's risk management, not playing small. As you move closer to turning eighteen, your strategy may change to include taking headshots, writing a basic CV, and, if your area permits it, applying for background or starter positions. However, none of those have to happen immediately. You're ahead of schedule, which is good.
Zooming out, your current strategy is skill development, exploration, and optionality. Start taking classes if you can, take action when opportunities arise, pay attention to how you respond to criticism and rejection, and prioritize your education. Patience, perseverance, and self-assurance are much more rewarded by action than by hurry. You're not behind; rather, you're strategically preparing yourself for when the door opens more widely.
Best wishes!
Thank you, Chinyere! You flatter me with your first paragraph. I will definitely take your advice into account. Thanks for taking the time to write this!
Isaiah
You're welcome, Isaiah!
Chinyere Okafor