Staying Motivated
It can be hard enough to stay motivated as an actor when you’re auditioning a lot but not getting parts. Even harder when there are fewer auditions – like during summer.
Being an actor is often an act of faith. Starting out, we train and audition in hopes of working. We take tiny roles with little-to-no pay hoping for a “break,” or at least a clip for our reel. But going too long without some kind of validation can make even the most tenacious and optimistic actors lose faith.
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In the past 5 years the U.S. acting community has gone through a pandemic shutdown (and filming with protocols, and losing the in-theater experience to the streaming boom), 3 major union strikes, the development of A.I., a decimating fire in our industry’s heartland, and the shift of production to out of the country. Things are slow.
SAG-AFTRA strike 2023
But I’ve been doing this for over 30 years and I’ve seen plenty of ups and downs before. Whatever comes next – use down time to make yourself ready.
Be ready
Actors have the rare issue of needing “permission” to do what we’re good at – we need a role to play. So, what can we do when there are no auditions coming in?
Update your materials:
Do you need new photos?
Is your resume up to date?
Have you tracked down your most recent clips and updated your reel?
Is your website up to date? (Do you need a website and don’t have one?)
Are your Actor’s Access and other online sites up to date?
Are your social media links, bios, etc. current?
When I go too long between jobs, I can get “rusty.” Auditioning helps me keep my skills sharp when I’m not working. But how can we keep building our acting muscles when there’s nothing happening?
Work on your skills:
Take classes.
Work with a private coach. (Like me!)
Film yourself doing monologues.
Act in a play or a student film. (I especially love working with graduate students)
Make your own short films, mini-dramas, features, etc..
Work/volunteer as a reader for other actors in person or online.
Learn potentially useful skills: driving, swimming, martial arts, fencing, archery, cooking, sewing, horseback riding, etc.
class at American Academy of Dramatic Arts / acting in a student film / directing a short film starring Richard Dreyfuss and Mircea Monroe
Create your own momentum
For so many reasons, acting is a terrific way to learn a lot about the difference between the things you can control and the things you can’t. You can’t control anything from what your costars are going to do, to how a scene will be edited – but you can be prepared. You can be daring. You can be open and ready to try things.
Subscribe to the Know Small Parts Newsletter and get Chapter 2 – Breaking Down the Scene of my book as my gift to you!
You can’t control if the industry is going through a slump, but you can choose to use downtime as an opportunity to regroup and reenergize. If you live in L.A., New York or another industry hub, just choosing to go out at all might become a networking opportunity. The first few of these suggestions apply best in those areas and might require help from an agent or other industry insider:
Have a meal/beverage at the “right” place. Take your agent/manager out!
Attend a premiere or screening – another great excuse to hang with your agent/manager.
Go to a target-rich environment (gallery opening, fashion show, a particular gym, etc.)
If you don’t have access/location on your side:
Attend a film festival near you and ask questions at the Q&A. Meet the filmmakers afterward.
Create your own podcast, YouTube channel, newsletter, etc. You can grow your fanbase, attract industry interest, even create networking opportunities for yourself. Same goes for:
If you have a career but no current work:
Do a signing convention. Not only do you get some cash, you get to meet your fans and stir interest in your work - past, present and future.
Join a free podcast page/site/service. There are literally thousands of podcasts looking for people to interview. Almost all of them allow you to promote anything you want. Think of your area of expertise and offer it up to podcasters.
Go where the love is
Sometimes all we really need is a reminder that we’re talented and deserving. In the hilarious movie, Soapdish, when Sally Field’s character needs a boost Whoopie Goldberg takes her to the Paramus Mall so soap-opera-loving fans can fawn over her. Whether you’ve been doing this since the Betamax days or just started this year, you have fans – people who believe in you and your talents.
Like a battery, to recharge plug back into the people and things that inspired you:
Send follow-up postcards or emails to people you’ve worked with.
Visit the high school/drama teacher/theater, etc. that inspired you.
Watch movies and television – especially “classics.”
Do something ELSE you love – play golf, do yoga, go fishing.
Form a support group – IRL or virtual.
American Academy of Dramatic Arts New York in the 80's / 2013
Formed by me and a friend from acting class, the Support Ho’s (a women-in-the-industry support group) met weekly for over 15 years until I left L.A. Through the years, the group’s results were dramatic with many people achieving goals they’d barely dared to dream when we started. Success was actually the most common reason we’d need to replace members.
I write more about starting a support group as well as other ways I stay motivated in Know Small Parts: An Actor’s Guide to Turning Minutes into Moments and Moments into a Career, with foreword by Richard Dreyfuss and endorsements from Kevin Costner, Lou Diamond Phillips, Reginald Hudlin, and other industry luminaries.
Subscribe to the Know Small Parts Newsletter and get Chapter 2 – Breaking Down the Scene of my book as my gift to you!
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