How to Get Discovered As an Actor

There are many ways to get discovered as an actor. Gaining substantial training as an actor and networking with television, film, and/or theater professionals can help. Additionally, take on as many roles as possible, even if they are minor or seem unimportant. Finally, work hard to improve the quality of your acting with each project you take on.

EditSteps

EditGetting Training and Promoting Yourself

Get training. Take acting lessons, preferably at a college or university. Working with an acting coach or drama instructor will allow you to identify acting strategies that can help you summon or refine particular emotions, project your voice appropriately in a variety of dramatic contexts, and get feedback on your performance.^[1]
- To increase your odds of getting discovered as an actor, get at least five years of training.^[2]
Learn more about the industry. Read biographies of great stage actors, TV stars, and/or film actors. Look for details about how they were discovered and replicate their paths to discovery as much as possible. Additionally, read industry magazines to learn about the latest trends in your industry and tips that might help you get discovered as an actor.^[3]
Promote yourself. Write a blog post about successful projects you’ve participated in. Include information about who you worked with, your role, and the final ticket sales totals. Use social media to talk about your current or recent roles, and link to your homepage and sizzle reel.^[4]
- Always make yourself available for interviews.
Look and apply for roles that fit your acting style. Don’t waste time sending out press packets with headshots, resumes, and generic cover letters to production houses or theaters. Instead, send succinct emails to agents or to casting directors who you really think would appreciate and utilize your talents. Describe exactly why you’re right for a particular position in your email.^[5]
Network with others. Be friendly and outgoing with your classmates and instructors at drama school, the directors and producers of your film or theater productions, and the agents who help you land roles. Charm industry professionals by laughing at their jokes, and accept as many invitations to social gatherings as possible.^[6]
- Make recommendations for other actors or industry professionals who you respect. They might do the same for you when they have the chance.
- When you meet other actors or people in film, television, or theater, don’t ask immediately for help landing roles. Develop a relationship first and let them get to know you.^[7]
- Network with both aspiring and established actors. You can learn from both types, and either could extend opportunities to you.
Move to the right area. Generally, to get discovered as an actor, you’ll need to head to a city of regional or national importance. For instance, if you’re in the U.S., you could relocate to the L.A./Hollywood area, New York City, or Chicago. If you live in India, you might want to move to Mumbai. Identify the best area in your nation or region to get discovered as an actor, then move there.^[8]
- The area you move to could determine the type of acting you’re able to do. For instance, Chicago and New York City are thriving centers for actors in the theater, while the L.A./Hollywood area tends to attract film actors.

EditWorking as an Actor

Take on as many roles as possible. Taking on a lot of acting roles will improve your odds of being discovered in two ways. First, taking on all the roles you can will give you lots of experience and a robust resume. Second, being on stage or on camera will allow you to meet more people in the industry and keep your name circulating among industry professionals and the public.^[9]
- For instance, if you have time, take on two or more small parts at once.
- If you’re involved in a project as a lead actor, consider taking on another project at the same time in a smaller supporting role.
Refine and improve your performances. With each role you take on, work to express a greater emotional depth and expand your dramatic capabilities. Ask directors what sort of performance they want from you, and push yourself to meet their demands and expectations.^[10]
- Scripts can be ready in many different ways. Try performing a given scene in slightly (or even radically) different ways. Ask other actors and production crew which version of the scene they like best.
Don’t turn down small roles. Some people scoff at small roles or roles as extras. But these minor (and sometimes even uncredited) roles could help you form connections with other actors, directors, or industry insiders, and they allow you the opportunity to impress others with your acting and professionalism. If you’re offered even a small role, eagerly accept it.^[11]
- For instance, if you audition for a lead role but are offered only a minor or supporting role, you should take it even though it is not the role you wanted.
Embrace opportunities. Many directors and producers are constantly on the prowl for people who have a particular “look,” and sometimes recruit people in situations that have nothing to do with acting. If you receive an invitation to audition for a film while, for instance, walking down the street, you should take it.^[12]
- If a director or producer approaches you while you’re shopping at the mall, buying groceries in the store, or enjoying a vacation, thank them and follow up on their offer.^[13]

EditAuditioning Successfully

Prepare for the audition. Preparing for an audition is a highly variable process. If you’re not allowed to use a script during the audition, memorize your lines by reading them aloud over and over until you can recite them confidently without referring to the script. Read the script over and over to identify the psychology driving your character. Bring that understanding to your performance.^[14]
- Try performing the script in a variety of ways to strike the right tone. For instance, you might try performing an angry role by yelling or by using a terse, acidic tone.
- Additionally, find out when and where the audition will occur and plan to arrive there at the appointed time.
Submit your resume and headshot. Even if you aren’t a fit for the role you’re auditioning for, you might be able to get a role in another production. With your resume and headshot in hand, theaters and film studios will be able to contact you about other roles you might want.^[15]
- You might be asked to submit a resume and headshot well in advance of the audition itself, or you might be asked to submit it right before or right after your audition.
Don’t make the audition crew wait on you. When waiting in the lobby or waiting room for your turn to audition, don’t have a bunch of your belongings (scripts, notes, and so on) spread out that might take time to collect and order. This will only irritate the director, producer, and/or casting director.^[16]
Don’t waste time with pleasantries. Casting directors and producers don’t want to have a conversation with you. They want to know if you can act. Present yourself in a single, quick sentence (“Hi, my name is Mike Fisher and I’m performing a scene from Hamlet,” for instance), then launch directly into the scene when they give you the go-ahead.^[17]
- You might also be asked to name your agent, if you have one.
- Additionally, don’t waste time during the audition with questions. If you have questions, direct them to your agent, the audition liaison, or whoever helped you set up the audition.
Perform your role as requested. The process of performing your role in an audition is highly variable. In some cases, you’ll be allowed to read from cue cards or a script. In other cases, you’ll be expected to have your lines memorized. Some auditions permit you to select the role you want to audition, while other will expect you to recite a passage directly from the production that you’re auditioning for.^[18]
- The rules and expectations about what role you’re to perform during the audition will be explained to you in advance.
Be respectful of everyone. Unless you recognize someone specific in the audition, you never know who is a director, a producer, and so on. Some of the people at your audition could be your ticket to getting the job -- or another that you didn’t even audition for. Therefore, smile and treat everyone in the audition room with respect.^[19]
- Disrespectful behavior includes eating, smoking, or chewing gum inside the audition room.
- Additionally, don’t touch the casting director or any of their possessions.
- Thank the casting director and other audition staff before leaving.