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How do I start my acting career as a 14 going on 15 year old boy?

I have never acted before and really want to try. I am uncomfortable of doing school theatracal acting. What would you suggest I do?

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Sean’s Answer

Hello Hawke. I do a lot of professional public speaking on stage and on camera, and I've also done some minor acting. One skill set required to be a successful actor, or presenter, is to be comfortable on stage or camera regardless of your audience. You may want to start looking into how to avoid feeling nervous on stage or presenting/acting in front of other people. The simplest and easiest thing I have done (among others though) is to be confident in what I'm doing and what I'm saying. Stay in the moment and focused on what you are trying to deliver. Focus on your content and delivery and not so much on who is watching. As for your delivery, do a little reading and watch some videos on the basics of acting and then try them yourself alone without anyone watching. Maybe even try recording and playing it back and make adjustments. Note, you will likely never be comfortable with the way you look and sound but understand that the audience does not see and hear you the same way you do. Try downloading some scripts, or writing one on your own, and do a little cold reading (become a character and read the lines playing out the character without much foreknowledge or preparation). When you feel a little comfortable with your skills, try connecting with people of similar interests and talk about finding opportunities to act. At your age, school is probably the best starting point, but you might also explore local community theater. However, be sure to look for these opportunities and explore them in partnership with an adult parent or guardian. Like any skill, it requires learning and practice to understand if you like it and if you do, more learning and more practice will help you get better at it.
Thank you comment icon Thank you, this really helps! Hawke
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Martha D.’s Answer

Good for you, Hawke, for wanting to try something new. Sean has given you a lot of good advice. From my own experience in community theater, I would like to add / reiterate:
- Start practicing in as small a way as you need. Sean suggested reading something in front of a mirror first. I would like to suggest interacting with others as soon as possible because you may judge yourself more harshly than others would.
- Progress to small acting opportunities such as doing a skit for a project in English or History or maybe helping others "run lines" which means reading a part so the actors can learn their lines and cues
- Volunteer for other roles in your school or community theater. This could mean building sets, getting or developing props, helping backstage, running lights, etc. This would help you learn more about how acting works, and the familiarity will help you feel comfortable. Also, it will let you see that even experienced actors struggle sometimes. You may also find that you love some of these other roles, which would be fine, too.
- There is an expression in theater that there are no small parts, only small actors. This means that any part you get is important to the whole production so do your best at all times. There are many stories of actors who took their role in the ensemble (often unnamed people in the background) seriously and impressed directors so much that they got much larger roles the next time.
Wishing you good luck!
Thank you comment icon This was super helpful, thank you! Hawke
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Michelle’s Answer

Hello, Hawke !

Thanks for reaching out for advice as you're thinking about Acting ! It's a wonderful future career and it starts with learning about the actual act of performance as well as the business.

Since acting is just a thought in your mind right now, your first step would be to obtain and read The 7 Simple Truths of Acting for the Teen Actor by Larry Silverberg, as this book can strip away some of the mystery and help you relax and connect with the skill. Another book, The Actor and the Target by Declan Donnellan, explains what Acting is and can help you form your understanding and intention as an actor. Once you obtain that basic knowledge, you can read Acting for Young Actors: The Ultimate Teen Guide by Mary Lou Belli and Dinah Lenney which will introduce you to character development. See if you can find these books at your local Library, on your library's internet portal or purchase them online. These sources will clarify what you need to know to start actually acting at school.

Since you've stated that you are not comfortable acting at school just yet, in that case I would advise experiencing online acting classes, one being The Online Actor's On Camera for Teens Program for your age range. The New York Film Academy also provides Online Acting Workshops for Teens. Milne Acting Studio offers Online Teen Acting Classes and is beginner friendly. Online is good to test your desire to act but most of what you'd need to do later would be on site and in person since Acting is a very heavy people oriented field of work.

I also advise doing volunteer work at The Shell Lake Arts Center where you can also take theatre workshops. Another beneficial experience and fun too, would be to get involved with Theatre In The Woods in the town you live in. Volunteer or take/inquire about acting lessons. Being active will start to make Acting real to you and some of the uneasiness will go away. Right now, it's just a thought you're having, but making it active and real will help a lot.

I hope this helps you for a start and I wish you all the best !
Thank you comment icon Thank you so much for the options. I will definitley try some of these out! Hawke
Thank you comment icon You are very welcome, Hawke ! Michelle M.
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