How to Become a Actor

About Actor

Actors are the people who express their ideas through acting and portray characters in film, television, theatre and other performing arts media. They also perform at various live events and theme parks to entertain people or to convey a message of public interest. Becoming an actor is not an easy job and requires extensive training and skill development as new roles require them to learn new skills.
There is no formal education required to become an actor but a bachelor's or master’s degree in drama, theatre arts, acting and performing arts, may be helpful in learning practical and technical skills. Work experience is of great importance in the career of an Actor, as experienced individuals often bag bigger and higher paying roles. Read on to get a better understanding of a career as an Actor.

Responsibilities of an Actor

Captured below are the major responsibilities of an actor:

• To learn dialogues, songs or/ and dances

• To thoroughly research the character

• To attend costume fittings

• To attend every scheduled rehearsal

• To take direction from the Director as well as the Choreographer

• To attend technical and dress rehearsals

• To perform the show to an audience

• To promote the show/ movie/ play

Eligibility to become Actor

Even though some actors become stars without getting a formal education, most of the actors acquire some formal training through acting skills or a theatre company or theatre arts program. Students can join acting classes or filmmaking to prepare for a career as an actor. Additional classes in dance, music and personality development may help as well. Provided below is a glimpse of the eligibility requirements to become an actor:

Types of Job Roles Actor

Actors face intense competition for jobs and most of the actors started their careers by doing side roles and guest roles. However, with the advancement in technology and boom in social media many actor job profiles have come up. Earlier the job profiles for actors were limited to films and tv. Listed below are some of the popular job profiles for the actors:

• Film Actors: Very few actors make up to the level of acting in movies and a few of them achieve the recognition of becoming a star. Film actors work for the big screen and get cast in main roles or as supporting actors in the movie. The film industry is huge and is now categorised into commercial and art films. Therefore, there is a lot of scope for every actor these days to find a suitable role for themselves.

• TV Actors:  TV actors are seen performing varied roles in daily soaps and sitcoms. They are paid great salary packages and receive a lot of recognition.

• Stage Actors: Stage actors act in plays, theatres, and perform in various stage shows

• Extras: Some actors who have just started their career work as extras for the experience. These actors have no lines but are included in the scenes to make it look more realistic.

• Voiceover/Narration Actor:  Some actors do voiceover or narration work for animated features, audiobooks, or other electronic media.

• Acting/Drama Teacher:  Drama teachers train future actors to enhance their skills levels and to refine their acting skills. Drama/ acting teachers teach students acting theories, techniques and theory of dramatic arts.

Employment Sector/Industry for Actor

Bollywood is the second largest film industry in the world and is flooded with employment opportunities for actors. Check out the top employment opportunities for actors below:

• Motion Pictures

• Television Industry

• Video Industry

• Theatre Companies

• Stage Shows

• Plays

• Advertisements

Top Recruiting Companies for Actors:

There are no specific companies that recruit actors. However, there are many production houses and agencies where the actors can drop their portfolios and will be called as per their profile and the requirement of the role. Some of them are listed below:

• T-Series

• Yash Raj Films

• Viacom 18 Motion Pictures

• Vishesh Films

• Aamir Khan Productions

• UTV Motion Pictures

• Trimurti Films

• Reliance Big Entertainment

• R.K. Films

• Rajshri Productions – Mumbai

• PVR Pictures

Pay Scale/Salary of Actor

In the initial stages of the career, an actor may find it hard to earn a good amount of money but with time and experience, the salary grows profoundly. Provided below are the figures:

Note: The salary may differ from individual to individual and project to project.

Books & Study Material to Become Actor

To pursue a career in acting, you will need to create a portfolio and share it with casting agencies/ production houses. As and when there is a requirement for fresh talent, they will contact you. If you have ties or links, it will be an added advantage. So ensure that you are strong and have some acting experience, while in school and college. If you get admission to a good college, then you will get good exposure and a chance to work with renowned people from the industry. If you make a mark in front of them, then you will be in an advantageous position. Provided below are a few good books that can help in polishing the skills and becoming a better actor:

• An Actor Prepares by Constantin Stanislavski
• Audition by Michael Shurtleff
•  Respect for Acting by Uta Hagen
• Sanford Meisner on Acting by Sanford Meisner
• Acting as a Business by Brian O’Neil
• Improvisation for the Theatre by Viola Spolin
• The Intent to Live by Larry Moss

Pros of becoming a Actor

• You are recognised by many people and you get a chance to work with new people everyday which is not offered by most of the jobs.

• Actors get to work on new projects unlike other jobs where one has to stick to their job profile mostly for all their life

• You get a chance to get involved in various social causes and help people in need. Actors get a chance to address many environmental and global causes.

Cons of becoming a Actor

• Actors are under constant media attack, media scrapes away their freedom to choose and what to share. The moment they step out of their house , media swarms them with their cames asking questions.

• Extreme criticism from film critics and media can ruin the career of an actor.

• Since actors are public figures and millions of people look up to them, their entire life is like an open-book leaving no space for personal life.

Career path for Actor

Most of the actors enhance their skills through formal dramatic education,and long-term training is common for performing different roles.