Honestly, I am not trying to discourage anyone from becoming an actress, but if you want to become one be prepared to face everything that comes along with it.

 

There are all kinds of acting jobs you could do to satisfy your creative desires. There are theater houses all over the country, and probably in your neighborhood or school. That's where I was "discovered."

You could even start your own group. But if you want to get into Hollywood and all its drama, be prepared for a struggle. Here's a scary fact -- Only 5% of actors in the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) actually work. The rest are hoping for auditions and have to bear the heartbreak of rejection. (Which is not good for one's ego) That means that of those five percent, less than 2% are under the age of 18!!

Television and movies are just the beginning. Once you make it that's where the real challenge starts. For every day of school you miss you have to do three hours of school on the set, in addition to actually working. That means that if you go to regular school, you have to get all of your assignments ahead of time, take it to the set and try and finish it between shots, and take it back to school again. Even then, sometimes you will miss something in class that the teacher made up on the spot or forgot to give you, and you'll have to make that up. Sometimes, it will be an important lecture or something else that's impossible to make up. Some teachers aren't willing to help you out either. They think acting is just a hobby, A few of my teachers, lucky enough for me, were very supportive last year. There are some private schools that don't even allow working actors to enroll.

You also have to be very careful about what you say. Anything that could sound even remotely rude, will make people think you are stuck up or conceited. I remember when I first started in the business, I lost a lot of friends. Some were jealous, some were annoyed at the fact that I was an actress. Even people who didn't like me before I started acting, wanted to be my friend because I was "Somebody." I felt used in a way, after a while, it was hard to tell who my real friends were. I would miss social events all the time. Which may not sound like a big deal, but if you've been working all week and haven't seen your friends, a birthday party or a trip to the beach becomes exceptionally important.

Here is a part of the business that is rarely discussed: SCAM ARTISTS. There are hundreds of them in the business. They tell you that they can get you a job. (Great. Right?)

Their next line typically asks for some absurd amount of money. So the next time someone approaches you and says: "You're really pretty, have you ever thought about acting or modeling? Think twice about what they are saying. It happened to me a couple of days ago. I told the guy that I'd have to check with my agent first. Of course he passed out his card to every girl who walked by...

So, if you really want to become an actor, you should really think about all that comes along with it. My advice is to make acting your second career choice. (Writing is my first choice) And if you make it big time, then it can become your first, but it would be a bad idea to just pick up everything and move out to Hollywood and try to conquer the world. An aggressive move is not always a bad one, but it can leave you stuck between a rock and a hard place, (pardon the cliché.) I know plenty of stars who say to never accept "no" as an answer. But the truth of the matter is that 95% of the time, it's unrealistic to do that. Making it big in Hollywood is a dream come true for thousands of people, which makes it probably the most competitive business in the world.

If you believe that God put you here to act, then you have to be different. Go into casting offices, with something other girls don't have. Be bold, witty, and extremely knowledgeable. A casting agent may ask you to read a scene 3 or 4 different ways in the same interview. Be ready to be able to change your personalities with the "Quickness". A lot of people think I'm cynical when I talk about acting. The truth of the matter is, I just don't want someone to get some lame advice that will send them in the wrong direction. I want people to find their true love in working, whether it be acting, teaching, or any other job. Bottom line: Be Careful! A business like acting is 90% luck. You can be a star one minute and out of work the next. Always keep your hopes high and your energy positive, and don't think it's impossible, but know that it's very hard.