Career Advice Every Young Actor Should Know

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Career Advice Every Young Actor Should Know

Many child actors are inundated with well-meaning advice. There is no shortage of people telling them how to do their jobs and build their careers. But with so much conflicting and confusing information, what’s a young performer to believe?

Here are five tried-and-true, never-fail tips that can help lead young performers down a path of success:

Always Be Prepared

This may seem like basic etiquette, but it will help get you far in your career. Arriving on time to any audition or professional meeting is a huge marker of care and professionalism. Being punctual and prepared go a long way to demonstrate your dedication, work ethic, and commitment to your craft.

Rehearsals, auditions, and many other activities have set schedules. If you’re late, or don’t have your lines memorized, you risk delaying a production and drawing negative attention to yourself. With so many challenges facing young actors, why make things difficult by committing completely avoidable mistakes? It doesn’t cost anything to be on time and prepared.


Studying Will Never Backfire

There’s no reason for an actor to ever stop learning. Taking acting classes or studying various acting methods will always give you something to think about and take into your next role or audition. Even the most successful actors are still learning and growing, otherwise they wouldn’t be as renowned as they are. Take a page out of their book, and keep studying, no matter what career stage you’re in.

Stop Worrying about Getting It Right

Overthinking is the enemy of growth, and many young actors can easily fall victim to perfectionism. Accepting that nothing you do will ever be perfect is the beginning of a free and happy career. No actor is perfect, and aiming for this unattainable goal will distract you from enjoying the journey. So many professional actors recommend letting loose and having fun instead of sweating the details. A very important lesson for young actors to learn at the beginning of their careers is that enjoying themselves in experimentation will get them much farther than striving for perfection will.

Diversity Is Your Friend

Playing the same sort of role over and over again will not help a young actor grow and hone their skills. Branching out into other genres, styles, and mediums will give you different abilities that can be applied more broadly, and allow you to breathe new life into any role. If you’re familiar with theater, try acting for television, or voiceover acting, or anything else that will give you the opportunity to broaden your acting tool kit. This sort of experimentation will ensure that acting stays interesting for you, while also bolstering your future prospects.

Choose Your Roles with Care

Many say that if you’re just starting out as an actor, any role you have the opportunity to take is a good role. Getting experience of any kind is valuable, as it gets your feet wet and can lead to other opportunities.

But after you have had the chance to audition and land a few roles, you can look at opportunities through a different lens. Just because there is a part available, that does not mean you are a perfect fit for it. Learning is always valuable, especially to a young actor, but you must understand that this is your career. When faced with decisions on which roles to audition for and take, it’s important to ask yourself what you want and what each particular job will offer you. Being too particular can limit your opportunities, but being selective can help steer your career in the right direction.

Child actors have much to learn and their whole careers ahead of them. These tips will help young performers remember what’s important while ensuring they enjoy showbusiness for years to come. 

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