The State of Acting 101

I think it's so cool. So I love acting so much. It's funny because I think I was just born with it. I felt like I was just a born actor. We're all actors, everything in life is about storytelling and actors tell other people's stories, right? So everything's moment to moment within a story and made up of experiences that that's what acting is. So it's amazing. When a individual can look at a script, a story, a scenario, circumstance situation, and they see, okay, this is what's happening.
And the human being has their approach to it based on their real life experiences or something that they saw. And then they incorporate it and make it their own. And you put it into the scene and you put it into the work. So there's no right or wrong in acting. There's no right or wrong. It's just it's. You could only act from your authentic self and from your own experiences. So when I think about myself as a, An Actor, a performer, I always remember this video
I saw of myself in diapers holding this long broomstick, just singing, you know, singing along to music. And so that's more of like a singer or like, you know, vocalists, but I think they go hand in hand with one another because I was performing, I was entertaining and that's one of my first childhood memories. I'm just in diapers with little blonde bangs, with the long broomstick and just like singing and smiling and just being free. So it doesn't matter if you're introverted or extroverted, you don't always need an outgoing personality to be an actor.
There are a lot of actors who are very shy, who, you know, do amazing work on camera, but then they're just very to themselves. So there are different ways to see if, you know, acting could be for you. So maybe if you're more like me in a sense, you'll like the, you know, the comedies or the Broadway or the big movie TV kind of shows, you know, but I also like the, you know, serious acting roles. So maybe then you would want to read some books and just get some more information to see if you like the methodologies of the craft.
And, and everything starts with the backbone. I would definitely say watch some TV shows and watch films and identify and say, Hey, I like this tone. I like the vibe. I like the moral of these kinds of stories. I'm personally not into horror stories. I get very scared. I didn't, I didn't grow up watching scary movies. Like, I mean, I saw Freddy and I saw Jason like the classics, but it was very, very scary to watch those. And so, yeah, there's, you know, you see what kind of things you like watching, and then if you like watching it, maybe you would like playing in that kind of role or in that kind of fantasy and story, you know, there's like scifi and fantasy and there's, there's all different sorts of kinds of roles that you can play.
You want to seek a mentor, a coach, someone who has experience within the industry that you want to be a part of. So you can ask them questions and get good answers. So you're led in the right direction. You can, you know, reflect and start your journey to see what interests you, what doesn't, and then decide which class you want to take. I would definitely Google and look up acting classes. You can always reach out to me and ask me if I know them. You could also contact the local agencies in your area and say, Hey, you know, I'm not with your agency.
And I'm really interested in getting involved in acting. So I was wondering, do you have a list of people you could recommend to me? So, you know, taking some good classes, you know, so they could be kind a local agency that could give you information. So after you've done the research and you identified what makes you tick from within as an actor and you've been in some local plays and, or you've taken some classes, maybe had some one-on-one professional coaching, read some books, then I would suggest putting together a resume. So you want look at my professional resume and there's an industry standard of how resumes should look.
So don't put your phone number on there. Don't put your address on there. There's a certain format to it. So it's TV, film theater, you know, education is at the bottom and then special skillsets. Have you have representation? Great. Put your representation on there. At this point, you wouldn't be equity or union. So you can put an email for people to contact you. Everything is digital nowadays, which is great for you. So it's more cost-effective before you would, you know, pay for headshots hair, makeup, then pay, pay for a retoucher and get them printed and have all these headshots.
And then gosh, oh, six months later, you have to do the same cycle because as a human being, all you have is your resume and your headshot and the seasons change. So you have to have a spring head shot, a summer head shot, a winter head shot. And you know, sometimes people cut or dye their hair, or, you know, you might be at an age where six months from now, you look like a completely different person. So you, as a professional actor, you always need to have a headshot. The number one thing is having great headshots. And another thing I want to share with you, a lot of people get so worked up and worried about having the perfect headshot.
So they identify with the perfect headshot with spending top dollar with the top people. And let me tell you something. I spent top dollar with the top people and they still do not get me and capture my authentic self. So quality over quantity is important. Quality over the price is really important. And now with technology, so many people are photographers and so many people can do things with the lighting and post-production to still have a great photo of you without the whole bells and whistles of going to this massive studio, having all the massive lights and being intimidated by all the electronics.
So you can definitely contact me. And I can give you referrals in your local town. If we're in the same town, I'm a photographer. I could even shoot you so we can talk and keep the conversation going. Someone didn't tell me that at a very young age for a long time. And I felt so by myself and I felt, I felt so much pressure. And I put so much pressure on me to have like the perfect headshot with like my hair and my makeup. And like, seriously, when you're doing a photo shoot with a photographer, not only are you paying for them, but you're paying another fee for hair and another fee for makeup for guys, it's less because they have less hair and, and less makeup, but still it's like when you're having someone who doesn't know you do your makeup, then it's like, sometimes they make you look like it's not you.
And then you're getting these headshots and you're looking like a clown, or you're looking like, I don't know, it's just like off. So it's, it's very, very particular and very important to spend your time and study and not be taking advantage of. Okay. So the next step would be when you feel you're ready and talk to your coach and acting teachers, whoever you're studying with at a local theater, and you know, you want to have the conversation, Hey, I want to put something on camera, a comedic scene, and a dramatic scene. You want to have one of each and you want to pick a scene from a play or from your favorite movie or something that you've been working on. When you're ready to do that, you can have them record you and you have a comedy scene and a dramatic scene.
And then you have it together on a real with the black slate of your name. And you can submit that to local agencies to have representation as a non-union actor because you there's union and non-union. And so you can take your headshot, your resume and your reel, and you can say, Hey, here's my cover letter and my acting chops. And you submit it to agencies and you have them look at it, give you feedback, and then ask them for a meeting to come in because you want to be represented by them. One of my favorite books is called Respect for Acting by Uta Hagen.
You can read it, you can listen to it on audio. It's amazing. And guess what I am going to put in the bottom, a list of books that are my favorite go-to acting books to help you get started. Isn't that so cool. I'll also have some other links on there that you can check out and that will help you on your way in, on your new journey for acting. And you have any questions you can reach out to me and let me know what you think, and I'm here for you. And just so you know, it's a process and it's a long process. It's a journey. It's a life journey.
If someone who wants to get into acting and they're thinking it's a wham, bam, thank you. Ma'am or like a quick kind of fix. It's not for you. It's not what it is. It's the, it's the fantasy. It's the illusion. I don't want to burst the bubble or anything like that. But I mean, there are some people they say who have overnight successes, or they booked their first audition, you know, like, and those things could happen. There's beginner's luck. But even if you like book your first show, you're still booking your first show or your first job. And you're, you're off to the races for a journey. For example, I think Ashton Kutcher, that seventies show, I think he was like a model and it was his first acting audition.
And he booked the role. I don't know the whole entire detail of the stories he would know better than I would, but look at him since that Stephanie show, if you look at his career and his choices and his partnerships and the movies he's gone on to be in, and you know, maybe he's producing films. So, and then, and we'll look at where he's at and what he's doing now. So everyone has a journey. Like he's not only an actor, he's involved in different areas and now he has a family and it's a journey that keeps on going and growing. And it's all about community and building amazing relationships and planting seeds.
So like your first coach or your first acting class in your, you know, the community that you build, you can plant seeds to always remain friends with them because you never know. In like three years, five years, 10 years, they may be on shows, hiring you, or maybe you'll say, oh, I thought I was really interested in acting, but now you're a producer or an actor and you're on the other side of the camera, or you're both like, I am on both sides of the camera being an actor, but also being a producer of projects, share with a friend. If you know someone who wants to get into acting, please share this information with them again, I'm here for you. Email me, subscribe, share the content, spread the love, keep positivity and education at the forefront, keep your morals and your values.
You know, it's a dream. Go sell your dream for desperation and for a chance to be a part of something that maybe you're not sure about. Take your time, reach out to people, ask the questions. If you don't know, you know, if you're scared or intimidated, know that that's okay as well. It's a part of the unknown process and us being human beings. So I'm so happy to be here and share information with you. Thank you so much for joining us. We'll see you next time. KYRIAKI, over and out.