I want to be an actor, now what?
So, you've decided to join an industry of adventurers, artists, enthusiasts, weirdos, and creative souls. Now what? What do you need to pursue this crazy rollercoaster of an industry? Well, all I can do is share my story with you and hope you can learn from my journey. Remember, I'm an open book here to help you embark upon the journey of a lifetime. If you have any questions, additional tips, or advice you want to share, do not hesitate to ask.
When most people are asked, "How long have you been acting?" their response is, "All my life." Well, this post isn't for those people. This post is for people like you who've recently decided a traditional career in corporate America is unacceptable. I didn't fall in love with the arts until I was 19 years old -- shortly after sort of being thrown into the spotlight. When I was eighteen, I was chosen (out of 20,000 girls) by Ellen DeGeneres to be the new face of easy, breezy, beautiful COVERGIRL cosmetics. After hosting red carpets, doing photoshoots, and serving as a brand ambassador, I thought my career in the entertainment industry would take off! I knew I wanted to model, but I also knew I wasn't 5'11 and a size 0. So, I began working at a performing arts center (Hi, Vive Les Arts in Killeen, Texas!) and that's where I fell in love with acting. The actors were so fun, talented, and unique. It was just a whole different culture. I knew from that experience that I wanted to pursue acting, but I lived in a pretty small town, and there weren't many acting opportunities.... This brings me to my first point:
1. RELOCATE: Move to where the opportunites are!
I didn't want to admit it, because we always think opportunities will come to us, but this is my biggest piece of advice for beginning actors. Texas is a big state, but the acting market was not big. As a young black actress, I figured the best place to go wouldn't be Hollywood... it'd be Atlanta. So, I moved to Atlanta, GA. (If you don't have the resources, find a relative to stay with,
move with a good friend or two to cut living costs, and/or downsize your lifestyle). When I moved to Atlanta, I found opportunities
EVERYWHERE. Even if you can't get in with a big corporation, you can network with a bunch of other actors, directors, writers, and producers... And who knows? You may end up creating your own production (as I did with Harper's Radar).
So, what happened next? When I got to Atlanta, I didn't have a job. How did I pay my bills, you ask? Good question. Well, I worked as a full-time actor. No, no, no... I didn't star in anything but I worked as a background and featured actress for months!!!
2. FIND BACKGROUND WORK: It's a great way to get familiar with how legit productions operate and see TV and film sets.
My first film as background was with Zac Efron and Robert DeNiro (Dirty Grandpa which was released in January 2016).
It was the most exciting experience ever because I danced all day and night literally right next to both stars in a party scene. While some may try to downplay background artists or "extras," you should be very proud of every opportunity -- big and small.
3. GET HEADSHOTS: A picture is worth a thousand words. When you are first starting out, you may not want to invest $1,000 in head shots and that is perfectly fine. Take several well-lit photos on you smartphone or camera and make sure they are in focus. Print them on 8X10 paper, in color (no black and white), and put your resume on the back if you can.
4. BUILD YOUR RESUME: This will list all of your training (if any), projects, features, and skills. No pressure if it starts off small. Background work and independent projects are a great way to quickly build your resume.
5. BE SAFE AND STAY AWARE OF SCAMS: The acting industry has just as many scams as other industries, if not more. When going to an audition or set, never travel alone unless you have already mapped out the place and know it's legit.
6. ACTING CLASSES: When I moved to Atlanta, I didn't have money to take acting classes, but I found out that many acting studios will let you audit a class (i.e., sit in one day for free). TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS!!! Audit as many classes as you can with as many different studios as you can. It will help out a lot!
Happy acting and best wishes,
Alexis Harris
