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 Adding extra strings to your bow so you don’t just model but also act, sing or dance will not only get you more work but will also get your face known more widely.
Nowadays there is a huge cross over between the modelling and entertainment
industries. In Hollywood it seems that you have to have the looks as well as the talent to make it to the top. Angelina Jolie, Cameron Diaz, Hale Berry and Elizabeth Hurley all started out in modelling before becoming stars of the silver screen.
In the music industry, there are many acts that have been put together by record companies using models who have talents in singing and dancing. And you just have to turn on MTV to see dancers in music videos who have been employed for their looks as well as their dancing skill.
Here we give you some info on what it takes to be a professional actor.
Acting: The Work
It is an actor’s job to bring the character on the page of a script to life. There are many mediums for acting, such as film, television, stage and radio. Using speech and movement actors convey the words that were on the page into expressed human emotion to create drama for audiences.
However, the performance itself is the tip of a much larger iceberg. After finding the job (most often through an agent), the actor will attend auditions. If they are successful in obtaining the part there is also the process of line learning, researching and rehearsing, which is all usually overseen by a director.
Work and auditions can take an actor to nearly any set location in the country, or indeed the world. Naturally this involves a lot of travelling and sometimes spending a lot of time away from home.
Like much of the entertainment industry, working hours can be long and irregular. Not only are performances mostly in the evening, but there are rehearsals and sometimes matinees in the afternoon. There is often a lot of waiting around and the work itself can be physically and emotionally demanding.
Skills Required
· Actors should have a passion for their art.
· Actors will naturally be creative and expressive.
· Actors should have the skills to fulfil their role in the production.
· Don’t be a “one trick pony.” The more strings you have to your acting bow, the more opportunities will appear for you.
· To see a job from start to finish, an actor should be dedicated, disciplined, hard-working, reliable and punctual.
· Actors should be able to take and adapt to criticism.
· Working as part of a tight knit cast is nearly always the case.
Getting Started
You can walk into just about any audition without formal qualifications but a recent survey found that the majority of working actors had professional training.
The National Council for Drama Training (NCDT) highly recommends formal training at drama school. To get into drama school you may require A levels or similar qualifications but you will also have to excel in one or more auditions. Do an excellent audition and you could get in on your talent alone.
Drama school degrees take two or three years of full time education. Diplomas and postgraduate courses can be completed in one year. NCDT have information of accredited courses. Check out our links section to visit their site.
If you do not have qualifications don’t be put off. A successful actor usually has acting in their blood. If you have been acting since you were young, doing school plays, attending workshops this will all stand you in good stead.
Before you embark on a career in acting, you should become a member of the performer’s union, Equity. Most acting jobs will require that you have an Equity Card. A link to Equity’s website can be found in our links section.
Appointing an agent is highly recommended. They will find you work for around 20% of the fee. You can find contacts for many of the UK’s leading agencies listed in our links section.
The UK Hotlist was principally designed to be a free talent scouting tool for all UK Modelling and Talent Agencies but you can also use your UK Hotlist Profile to sell yourself to them directly. If you register your profile on our site, you can email it to any agency you wish (even if they are not registered on our site) completely free of charge!
Training
As a working actor you will be constantly developing your skills and adding new ones. You may wish to learn a new skill such as singing or dancing. Your career may even take you in the direction of teaching, script writing directing, producing. The possibilities are nearly endless. As you go along opportunities for you to explore new avenues should become available for you.
Opportunities
There is stiff competition for acting work. Fulltime work is very rare. Actors will experience “resting” periods between some of the shorter-term contracts. Even a fully trained actor who is actively searching for work could spend half of the year waiting for their next role. Appointing an agent to find you work is highly recommended.
Income
There is no set income for actors. Most actors are self-employed and are paid per contract or performance.
A survey of Equity members found that nearly half of UK actors earned less than £6,000 in one year from their profession. Most actors have to supplement their acting with work outside of the industry. The 6% with plumb jobs or contracts earned more than £30,000.
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