How to Become an Actor: The Ultimate Guide 2024

1/20/2024

Everything you need to know about how to become an actor.

First we'll discuss how to become an amateur actor... and then a working actor... and then finally a famous actor.

So what's the quickest way to become an actor... in just one sentence? Well, here it is:

Join a legit casting website, upload a photo (called a headshot) of yourself, and then start submitting to projects.

Now, I'm guessing you want a bit more info than that, and if so, you've come to the right place. By the end of this article you'll know everything about starting an acting career with no experience, and how to take it all the way to booking consistent work and preparing for your first breakout role!

How to Become an Actor: The Ultimate Guide

Is it all glitz and glam?

Well, if you're reading this article, you probably know it's not.

The chance of becoming a famous actor is astronomically small – but it is possible if you're strategic and keep pushing over the long run.

First, let's make a distinction between the three types of actors:

The Amateur Actor: This is anyone who trains and learns how to act. You could be the best actor in the world, but if you don't get paid, you're considered an amateur. Being amateur isn't a bad thing – it just means you don't get paid for what you do, and it has nothing to do with your talent or ability.
The Working Actor: Also known as a Professional Actor, this is someone who makes a living off of acting and usually also has a side gig to support some of their bills. This is someone who loves the craft of acting and eventually hopes to book a breakout role. Their long term goal is to never have to audition again – but to simply be offered roles based on their name alone.
The Famous Actor: This is someone who made it and has hundreds of thousands (or millions) of people who know their name. They're well-recognized in the industry to the point that they don't need any marketing materials (more on these soon) to be called in for a role.

A day in the life of an amateur actor consists of taking acting classes, getting together with friends to rehearse, and auditioning and performing in small productions for free.

A day in the life of a working actor consists of meeting with acting coaches, agents, and managers, taking classes, and submitting to auditions. If they book a job (usually 2-3 per month or more for busy actors), they're on set working or rehearsing with other actors. They also spend a large portion of their day ensuring they take care of themselves – eating well, working out, grooming, etc.

A day in the life of a famous actor consists of meetings with their publicist, attending special events to speak or be honored, and of course, working on set and in rehearsals just like the professional actor.

What Actors Do

The primary job go an actor is to bring a character to life for an audience. The actor helps the director and writer tell their story. They memorize lines and bring emotion to them on stage or screen.

When on set, the actor needs to follow what a director asks them to do and make sure to hit their marks perfectly. They must do things the same way for each take (film acting) so editing is easy, and they MUST take direction well (even when it's not given to them in a tactful way).

What Else Actors Do

There's a lot more work that goes on behind the scenes. Actors spend their free time memorizing scripts, networking within the industry, taking classes & working with coaches, and reading actor resources such as blog posts like this to keep moving their careers forward.

They work out and eat healthy to look their best, some meditate to keep grounded and relaxed, and others work a side hustle to pay the bills.

There's contract negotiations, meetings, cold emailing, and lots more, just like any business. But there's also the occasional big premiere night, the breakout opportunity, and the walking down the red carpet while rubbing shoulders with stars.

How to Become an Amateur Actor

What is an Amateur Actor?

As we briefly touched on earlier, an Amateur Actor is someone who is trained and loves performing but has not been paid for his/her work yet. Anyone wanting to become an actor needs to start here.

In this section, we'll talk about the craft of acting and how to find the right classes or workshops for you.

So How Do You Break into Acting?

The simplest way to break into acting is to use Google to find some acting classes nearby.

Technically anyone, no matter how young or old, can become an actor. All you need is some basic knowledge of how stage, screen, or voiceover acting works, and a willingness to dive in and get started.

If you can memorize lines and deliver them in a way that captures the audience, you can be a great actor.

Some Q&A:

How Can Children Get into Acting? The best way to get kids into acting is to put them into an acting school and then start submitting them to real productions as soon as possible. Submitting to real projects is critical because there are TONS of opportunities for young kids. Most parents wait too long and their child grows too quickly and misses out on these special opportunities. Children don't need years of training – they just need a few months to learn how the industry works and how to take direction.
- Related: How to Become a Kid Actor
How Can High School or College Students Get into Acting? Just as with kids, the best way to get into acting in high school or college is to start submitting to real productions BEFORE you think you're ready. Join online casting sites (more on these soon) to start auditioning for real projects. Do a few student films for free first, but after you've done 2-3 of them for experience, move onto paid stuff immediately.
How Can Adults and Seniors Get into Acting? One of the biggest barriers for adults and retired seniors getting into (or back into) acting is the technology. Years ago everything was done offline. Now, with the advent of the internet and online casting sites, the entire industry is digital. Many less techno-savvy adults give up and don't pursue it. But this is a good opportunity because if you're willing to learn the technology, the competition is lower (because so many people just give up), which means more opportunities for you.
How to Become an Actor With No Experience? If you have no experience and want to become an actor, you need to GET some experience. The quickest way to do that is to start learning. You can learn by buying books, taking classes, or even asking other actors you might know. But every actor starts somewhere, and when you're new, you by definition have no experience, so following this guide step by step is what you should do!
- Related Guide: How to Become an Actor With No Experience

How Can I Be a Good Actor?

One of the biggest reasons actors don't get picked during auditions is because they're unnatural when they perform. They tend to overdo things or "show" their emotions instead of "hide" them.

In real life, we don't "try" to show our emotions to people. We actually attempt to hide them most of the time, unless we have a specific reason to let the other person see our emotions (perhaps we want to make the other person feel bad, etc.).

Becoming a great actor is not actually about how much training you have. In fact, many actors (especially those who train in theater), tend to overact on camera and come off unnaturally. Sometimes the actors who never do any formalized training at all are the best actors!

How long do I need to study to become an actor? There is no set length of time. Most actors continuously train and take new classes to refine their skills more and more as they move through their careers (yes, even famous actors). To become an actor, all you really need is to start working in paid and unpaid projects to get experience. You can do that with or without formalized training.
How can I find acting classes? Formal education like elementary, middle, and high school, plus most colleges, offer acting and drama classes. There are also tons of classes and workshops you can sign up for once you've left school, and many offer in-person or online classes (especially since COVID-19). Acting classes can be as short as one 2-hour class all the way up to a multi-year conservatory. Some classes are free while others cost tens of thousands of dollars. And during the summer, many acting schools offer summer intensives for students while they're out of school.
- Related: How Much Do Acting Classes Cost?
How can I get acting experience? You can work for free in student films, perform in community theater or playhouses, and even create your own productions with friends. Putting together your own project can be helpful for your resume because when you eventually start submitting to paid projects, casting directors like to see that you have some experience working on the other side of the set – as part of the crew. It tells them that you know the importance of arriving on time, being professional and organized, etc.
- Related: Types of Actors: Everything You Need to Know
Is a 2 or 4 year degree necessary? Formalized training and higher education is unnecessary for actors. Directors don't care what you're training is as long as you're right for the part and you can play the character well. In fact, many actors can save hundreds of thousands of dollars and get a HUGE head start on other actors by starting at a younger age and skipping college, while building a side hustle or freelance business to support them financially. If you DO decide to go the college route, you might consider minoring in psychology.
What's the difference between an acting coach and an acting class? An acting coach usually charges significantly more per hour than a class or workshop, and their job is to help you fix one particular problem with your acting (or help you prepare for an audition or self-tape, where you film yourself doing some lines and submit them for an audition). Most classed are long term, so there's time to keep working on your acting technique in general. Every actor should have a coach they can call on as necessary between classes and workshops.

Beyond training, if you want to make it as an actor you'll need some other specific qualities to succeed. Here are some of the most important:

Communication – This goes without saying, but as an actor you need the ability to communicate clearly and directly with people. You should be able to hold eye contact, listen well, and build physical rapport. A strong sense of empathy is necessary to connect with the audience.
Ability to Take Rejection – Actors get rejected from most auditions, so you'll need a thick skin to stay in this business. Most actors submit themselves to about 50 projects per month, get invited to audition for about 5-10 of them, and only book 1-2. Being denied 49 out of 50 times can be extremely disheartening, but if you remember that it's never personal and you keep working to get better, you'll eventually get that one life-changing "yes."
Networking – Believe it or not, long term success as an actor is based MORE on your ability to network than your ability to submit and audition well. Casting directors who have hired you once and seen you do a good job (if you stay in touch with them) will want to keep bringing you back over and over again because they'll trust you. You need to get comfortable with email, phone calls, and meeting people in person consistently. You should also be willing to say yes when people invite you to shows, etc. If you're the kind of person who likes to stay holed up in your apartment or house, you'll finds it very difficult to get ahead.
Systematic – Most actors struggle because their marketing, networking, and submissions are inconsistent. To make it to the peak levels of the acting world, you systematize all you do so you can keep improving. Following up must become systematic. Your audition preparation process must become systematic. Your submissions process must become systematic. Only when everything is perfectly consistent will you starting to notice what's working and what's not, and figure out how to fix anything that's broken.

How to Become a Working Actor

What is a Working Actor?

A working actor is classified as any actor who does at least 1-2 paid projects every month on average. This means that if you booked a paid project last year but haven't done anything since, you're not a working actor. But if you did something just last month and you're still attempting to get more work this month or next, you're a working actor.

Ideally, most working actors aim to book anywhere from 3-5 projects per month (you'll be almost full-time at that point, depending on the nature of the projects). But it usually takes a few years to get to this level, and you need to be VERY consistent with your marketing and networking.

Where Should I Live as a Working Actor?

The best cities to live in for actors are New York and Los Angeles,. but there are plenty of other cities that offer lots of opportunities as well, such as Atlanta, Chicago, Las Vegas, and San Francisco.

Although these cities are great, it's a good idea to wait to move until you've done at least a few productions in your home town.

Even if there are no major film or television shows being shot in your area, there are almost always independent productions being shot, and these include student and short films, local commercials for small businesses, and even small independent playhouses and theaters you can cut your teeth at.

The competition is minimal in small towns, so it's easy to get cast and start building your resume. Once you've got some experience and credits, you can move to a bigger city. But if you move too soon, you'll find it extremely difficult to get started since the competition is high and you'll have no credits.

Prepare Your Basic Marketing Materials

In order to submit yourself to any production, paid or unpaid, you MUST have your basic marketing materials ready. These include your headshot, resume, and reel.

Fortunately if you're just starting out, you can put all these things together for free, and in this section, we'll outline the basics of what's needed for each:

Headshot – When you're just starting out, you can have have a friend take a photo of you and use that to submit to projects. Some industry professionals will recommend against this and tell you to pay hundreds of dollars for headshots, but the truth is that when you're just starting out and only submitting to unpaid student projects, no one cares. People casting these productions just need to know what you look like – they don't care if your headshot is super snazzy-looking. Eventually when you start trying to get cast into paid productions, you'll absolutely need a professional headshot taken by a headshot photographer (because using an unprofessional photo tells casting directors you don't take your career seriously).
- Here's a guide you might find helpful: Actor Headshots: The Ultimate Guide.
Resume – You can easily find tons of professional templates online for actor resumes; just use Google. If you don't have any credits you can focus your resume on training only, but even if you've performed in a community theater or school play, feel free to write in the name of the production and the role so casting directors can get an idea of anything you've done. Any credits are better than no credits because you need to show that you've got some experience.
- Create the perfect actor resume using this guide (includes free Google Docs templates).
- Note: do NOT lie by trying to make your resume bigger than it really is. If a casting director catches you padding your resume or making up fake credits, it can backfire big time!
Demo Reel – Most actors worry that they need a reel when first starting out... "How do I get booked for productions to get footage... if I don't already have footage?" Well, you actually don't need professional-looking footage when you're first starting out. Just like with headshots, you can get away with unprofessional footage at the very beginning of your career. As long as we can hear and see you clearly, it will work just fine! Ask a friend to help you record something because not having any footage makes it WAY harder for casting directors to feel comfortable bringing you in.
- Here's a great guide that walks you through creating a demo reel.

Submit to Auditions

Highly experienced actors have agents who submit them for productions, but when you're first starting out, you'll have to submit yourself. Legitimate online casting sites like these post casting calls for projects and actors can respond to these casting calls with their headshot and resume to be considered for a project.

A casting call is simply a breakdown showing you the what the project is (a short film, a feature length film, etc.), the character details (John is a 45 year old ex-marine going through a divorce, etc.), and info about the audition, pay rate, and shoot dates.

You can create profiles on them and be notified by email as new casting calls come in. Some of the above sites are free, and some cost money to use.

How Do I Know the Right Auditions to Submit To?

It's very important that you submit yourself to auditions you're right for. This means that if the casting is for an Asian person and you're white, you should NOT submit to it.

As you move forward in your career, you'll start to figure out your Type, which means what you look like.

Do you look like a cop? A teacher? A father? A student? A grandfather? Often you'll look like more than one Type, but it depends on what you wear, how your hair looks, your facial hair, and more.

Learn how to find your Types here.

You should avoid submitting to productions you're absolutely not right for because it could annoy the casting director and they might add you to their Wall of Shame (yes, this is a real thing). Once you're up there, they'll never hire you for anything in the future.

What to Expect in an Audition?

As you start to submit yourself, you'll realize that most of your submissions go nowhere. For every 50 submissions, expect to get about five auditions. But what happens when you do get invited to audition?

Sometimes, you'll be asked to submit a self-tape, which is just a video recording of you doing the scene. You'll need to make sure you're in bright enough light and that we can hear and see you clearly. Here's an in-depth video to show you how to shoot the perfect self-tape.

If you're asked to attend an in-person audition, you'll usually be waiting in a hallway outside with other actors. There you can read over your script and prepare.

When you're called in, you'll meet a few people including the casting director and assistant. For bigger roles, sometimes the director or producer will be there, along with a camera person who will be taping your audition.

You should greet them and hand out your printed headshot and resume to anyone requesting it. They'll tell you when to start, and then you say your name, the character you're reading for, and start performing!

It's best to memorize your lines if possible because casting directors almost never choose actors who look down at the script.

At the end, they might invite you to perform one more time, giving you specific directions on how to do it differently.

Once they're finished, they'll let you know that you're free to go.

General Tips:

Expect Rejection – Remember that most actors don't get picked in auditions. That's because for most auditions you go to, there are between 3,000 and 5,000 other actors trying to get the job. If you get rejected, it's nothing personal; it's just because they noticed someone else instead.
Prepare properly – Casting directors hate when actors arrive unprepared. This means that you should always memorize your lines (even though technically it might not be required). You should also make a choice about how you're going to play the character. Are they sad? Angry? Bored? Figure out how you want to perform the scene and then stick with it. The stronger your choice (even if it's the wrong choice), the more likely a casting director will want to see you do it again (but they'll tell you how they prefer it), and when you're invited to do it again, that's a good sign.
- Related: How to Prepare for an Audition Quickly & Easily
Study Audition Technique – Even though acting classes are fun, audition classes are more important. Auditioning is generally the hardest part of the job because no one is there to work with you to make sure you get it right (the way a director is on set). You should spend 2-3X more time taking audition workshops so you can book more jobs.

Build Up Your Resume

"How do I get booked in roles without a resume? And how can I build a resume without getting booked in roles?"

This is a classic conundrum – The Actor's Catch 22.

Fortunately, when you're first starting out, you can put anything onto your resume, even if it was just a small student film or local theater production that didn't go anywhere (even a school play). It doesn't matter how short your resume is at the very beginning.

Eventually as you get a few credits, you can start working in bigger productions when you have the resume to support it. Students just graduating or still in school tend to have an easier time getting booked by professional productions because casting directors expect them to have nothing on their resume. For adults however, you'll need to work for free first to build your resume a bit and only then can you begin applying to bigger projects.

Build Relationships With Casting Directors

As you start building your resume and booking unpaid and paid jobs, you should keep in touch with the casting directors who cast each project. There are a number of ways to do this, but one of the easiest is to simply ask them after the audition (and before you leave) if they ever host any audition workshops or classes you can join.

Most casting directors do, so by asking this, you can find out what's coming up and then sign up for one of those workshops. Once there, you'll already know them, and you can ask if it's OK for you to keep in touch with them occasionally via email or postcards. Here's a video that explains how to use casting workshops more effectively.

If you don't know a casting director but want to meet them and they aren't hosting anything anytime soon, you can look them up online, find an article or video where they were featured, and write them an email thanking them for something you learned after reading the article or watching the video. This is a great way to break the ice and start a long-term relationship. Check out this video on how to send cold emails to casting directors.

You should also keep in touch with important people you meet on set. Crew members (especially the camera operator, director, assistant director, and producer) might eventually be able to recommend you or introduce you to other people in the industry who can hire you.

Be sure to reach out to your contacts at least once every 2 months and let them know what you're up to. Ideally, you should find a way to relate what you're sending back to them: Hey Mark, I hope you're well! It's been a while since we worked on that Marvel film, but I wanted to let you know I just got booked in Sunrise! I think it was because you made that connection for me on set that day, so thanks again! Let me know if you're available to get a coffee and catch up.

Networking like this will ensure you keep booking more and more work (instead of stagnating at just 1-2 jobs per month like most actors do).

After just a few years, you'll be working 1-2 jobs consistently per week (many by being offered the role without even needing to audition)! Now you're officially a real working actor.

Sign with an Agent

At a certain point, you're going to need to get an agent. This can happen when you're so busy with bookings that you no longer have time to submit... or if you're like most actors, you'll hate networking and want someone else to do it for you.

An agent is great because you instantly get access to all their connections, meaning they can submit you for major productions with casting directors they know. In general, you'll have a higher chance of being called in than someone without an agent.

The downside is that if you eventually end the relationship with the agent, you can go from working constantly to struggling to find the next audition because you instantly lose all those connections.

Related: The Ultimate Guide to Getting a Talent Agent
Free Resource: Contact info of over 140 legit agencies across the world.

How Do I Find an Agent?

In order to get an agent, the most important thing is to be targeted. This means, do NOT shotgun mail your headshot, resume and reel to every agent in town. The chance of getting a response drops to near zero when you do that because agents don't want to work with desperate actors. They want to work with actors who really care.

The best way to get a great agent is to find 5-10 agents you'd LOVE to work with and do your homework on them. Learn about their agency, who they represent, and why you'd want to work with them specifically.

Then write a custom cover letter to each one. To have an even higher chance of success, find out if you know anyone who is represented and ask them to introduce you to their agent.

When searching for an agent, you should ideally design a professional website and have a good-quality reel so they take you seriously. Your headshot must be extremely polished and your resume should be up to date with at least 2-3 professional credits (paid productions). Related: How Many Headshots Do You Need for Acting?

Note: if you're under 22, it's not usually as important to have professional credits on your resume to get an agent.

If I Have an Agent But Find a Job Myself, Do I Have to Pay My Agent?

This depends on the contract you sign, but generally, no. You normally should not have to pay an agent for the job if they did nothing to help you find it.

On the other hand, if you have a manager (we'll talk more about those soon), you DO have to pay them for every job you book.

Join the Union

As you book more and more jobs, eventually you're going to start getting cast in union productions. Being a union member can increase your chances of landing an agent, but neither is dependent on the other. A SAG-AFTRA production or an Actor's Equity production is one that has signed with an actor's union to ensure that the actors get fair pay and accommodations on set.

Related: How to Get a SAG Card (easy to understand)

When Should You Join the Union?

There are too sides to this coin. Joining a union can get you into more professional productions and ensure you get paid more... but on the other hand, suddenly you're competing against much more experienced actors.

In general, union actors are not supposed to perform in non-union projects, so if you're not a part of the union, you'll have an easier time getting cast because union actors are typically WAY better and more experienced than non-union actors.

So be careful and only join the union when you HAVE to.

3 Numbers All Actors Should Know

If your goal is to act full-time, you should know these 3 numbers:

40-60 Submissions – This is how often full-time, working actors submit themselves (whether they have an agent or not) each month.
10-20 Auditions – This is how many times full-time working actors audition (or at least record and submit self-tapes) each month.
3-5 Bookings – This is how often full-time working actors book real, paid acting jobs each and every month.

If your numbers aren't there yet, that's OK! It's certainly not easy to audition and book that much.

But those are actual, real numbers from busy, working actors who didn't just get lucky.

Those busy, working actors started at the beginning – for them, the biggest question swirling in their minds at the time was:

How do I get taken seriously by casting directors when I don't have good credits or footage? And how do I get credits/footage without being taken seriously by casting directors?

It's the classic actor's catch 22.

When we're struggling to get our careers off the ground, our minds can slip into "desperation mode" and start looking for quick-fix solutions. We'll ask ourselves questions like:

"Should I take another acting class?"
"Do I need better headshots or should I pay to shoot a reel?"
"What's the fastest way to get an agent?"

But questions like those mean you're focused on Tactics, instead of Strategy.

Think about it this way: Would you bake a cake by randomly sliding a pile of flour, eggs, and chocolate into the oven? Of course not! How you combine the ingredients, the temperature you cook it at, and for how long are all just as important.

Similarly, the long-term, well thought-out strategy you follow as you grow your acting career matters. A LOT.

That's why "strategic thinking" is one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself as an actor.

So today I'd like to give you a gift: 3 tools specifically designed to help you start thinking and operating strategically.

These tools have helped over 14,000 actors so far, many of whom have gone on to:

Book Broadway roles
Land network television and Netflix shows
Sign with agents and managers
And much more – faster than you'd expect (you can see some success stories here).

My free Actor's Toolkit will help you BLAST through the actor's catch 22 so you start getting WAY more auditions and bookings every month:

The Actor's Toolkit

The Top 6 Casting Websites to Find Auditions, plus 3 specific submissions strategies to get higher-quality auditions from them
3 Pro Actor Resume Templates, professionally formatted (they work on any device – just add your info)
Contact info of over 140 Top Talent Agencies & Submissions Techniques to save you the hassle of trying to find legitimate (non-scam) agents

Get Instant Access

How to Become a Famous Actor

How Long Does it Take to Get Known?

There is no set amount of time it takes to get known in the industry. A typical average is anywhere from 3-5 years to become recognized by the major casting directors in the industry (if you do your networking right), but it can take just one audition to make you internationally famous, and that can happen at the very beginning of your career... or never.

What are the Odds of Becoming a Famous Actor?

1 in 1,574,638, according to this NY Post Article.
0.000063% chance.

You have a 3X greater likelihood of getting struck by lighting.

But one of the biggest reasons that number is so small is because most actors are not strategic and they just hope to be discovered. Hope will not get you there.

Instead, if you work strategically, you can vastly improve your chances.

Get a Manager

A great manager will ensure your career stays on track and you're connecting with the right people.

But most actors look for a manager way too early. You should get an agent BEFORE getting a manager, and only get a manger when you're so busy that you don't have time to keep your career in order.

Once you have a manger, they'll help connect you to people that can get you into bigger and bigger productions.

Watch this interview with manager Josselyn Herman-Saccio to learn all about managers.

Book Your Work a Year in Advance

The most efficient way to start getting known in the industry is to start booking WAY in advance.

If you're working in theater, this is easier to do because you can find production houses and call them to get their upcoming schedule for the next year. If you continuously focus on the same show over and over, and you play the same character over and over, you'll find it easier and easier to keep getting hired by more and more playhouses.

Eventually, you can work your way up to Broadway, and then shift into other Broadway productions by networking and schmoozing with the right people.

Once you've been in enough Broadway productions, you can easily shift gears and start focusing on major film and television shows.

Learn how actor Arbender Robinson used this strategy step by step to become a well-known Broadway actor.

Become Hyper Focused on Your Breakout Role

If you really want a breakout role, it's important to get comfortable saying NO to roles that are NOT breakout roles.

This means that anything below what you've already done is a non-starter. A breakout role is considered something the next level up.

If you've done plenty of work as a Guest Star, it's time to focus 100% on getting a Recurring Role.

If you've done a Recurring Role, it's time to focus 100% on a Series Regular.

Related: Types of Acting Roles (Lead, Recurring, etc.) – Learn What They Are and How to Get Them

Saying no to the wrong productions and turning down opportunities trusting yourself enough to believe that a better opportunity is around the corner is something that's scary but necessary to reach the highest levels of your career.

Build Unique Skills so You're Memorable (Your "X" Factor)

Actors with special skills, such as juggling, riding a unicycle, speaking with different accents, playing the piano, etc., can increase the possible roles they're right for.

These special skills will not only improve your chances of being hired for a production that needs your skill (because there's far fewer actors applying), but you can also build a brand focused on that special skill.

For instance, Jerry Seinfeld was the actor who also did stand-up comedy, and he became known for it. Arnold Schwarzenegger was the actor who was extremely strong and muscular, and he became known for it.

When you have a special skill, it helps you stand out amongst other actors, and you can build a following around it online. That following can be a great selling point for casting directors.

Build a Social Media Presence

Although not 100% necessary, building a social media presence can help you build a fan base. If you consistently post things your fans find engaging and enjoyable, they'll want to see you as more and more productions come out with your name attached.

It's very hard to build a fan base from your acting alone, so the way to shortcut this is to figure out whatever special skill you have that you want to be known for, and then start creating posts focused on that special skillset. This is why finding your "X" Factor is so important.

Perhaps you can teach your fans to juggle, or you can post workout plans on your social media page. Your fans love to learn things and if you're teaching people something, they'll want to follow you.

Eventually, they'll just want to hear from you because of your personality, and they'll want to see the productions you're a part of.

Build Relationships with Directors to Stop Getting Rejected

Most actors build relationships with casting directors, but the ones who build relationships with directors are the ones who succeed consistently.

The director can always overrule the casting director's decision on an actor for a production, so if you're close friends with a director and she's about to cast for a major film, she can offer you a role if you want it.

Therefore, be sure to pay extra attention to directors on sets (especially if they look like they're going somewhere).

Hire a Publicist to Build Media Attention

Once you start building your resume and you're booking consistent work, you can look for a publicist to help you get your name out there even more.

Hiring a publicist is a very advanced strategy though, and should only be done by actors who are extremely booked and performing in very big productions.

Some Final Advice

Don't give up if you want to book a breakout role – It's going to get tough at times, but you need to keep submitting yourself and following through until you get to where you want to be. A breakout role could come now or in ten years, but it's never going to come until you make landing a breakout role your number one focus.
Act professional and be your best self to the people who already know you – Treat every person you know well and do your absolute best work for them. As you grow your acting career, it's not about how many people you perform for and serve, but how well you perform for and serve them. In the business world, there's a great quote that goes, "Do things that DON'T scale." This means that when you're first starting out, you should go above and beyond for every individual you work with. Don't cut the quality of your performance and overbook yourself just to get in front of more people or the quality of your work will suffer and you'll lose momentum.
Plan what will happen AFTER your breakout role – Most actors make the mistake of not thinking ahead to what will happen AFTER they book their breakout role. You should always be on the lookout for the next production and keep your networking going (or hire people to do it for you) so that you never run out of opportunities.

Acting is tough! but if you want to become an actor, you owe it to yourself to give it a shot.

Even if you never become mega famous or overly successful, going after something you love is VASTLY better than looking back on life and feeling regret that you never tried.

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The decision start an acting career is a tough one! That's why I want you to have all the information possible as you get ready to dive into this wild industry. Luckily, there are many ways to grow your career and positioning yourself so you can build TONS of opportunities for yourself.

As someone who has worked with people in thousands of industries (through my headshot business), I've been able to take growth strategies that work for businesses and apply them directly to actors – to help them grow their careers faster than most would think possible (examples: one of my clients landed his first-ever Broadway role in just 4 weeks of working with me, and a brand-new actress signed with a high-level agent in just six weeks of working with me).

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Martin Bentsen (author of this guide) is an actor marketing coach who uses “outside the industry” thinking to help actors book more work. He’s helped over 6,000 actors with their careers and actor headshots since 2009 and his photography studio City Headshots is ranked #1 on Yelp. He’s spoken at NYU, The New England Theater Conference, The Actor’s Green Room, and other venues.

Want to book more acting work by thinking different? Start with his free Actor’s Toolkit to create new opportunities right away, or visit his website at www.martinbentsen.com.