Living with Anxiety and Uncertainty as an Actor
Actors are constantly faced with rejection and uncertainty. This is a natural part of practically every career or field of interest, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy to grapple with. Especially for young or new actors, a lack of confidence can feel debilitating. But it’s important to remember that every actor has had to deal with this type of anxiety at one point in their careers. There’s nothing wrong with feeling nervous about your burgeoning skills, but in the long run, these feelings can hold you back from growth.
Confidence is the perfect tool for combatting the uncertainty life may throw at you. Here is how you can learn to control and live with these feelings as you progress in your acting career.
Do You Really Want to Be an Actor?
This may at first seem like a silly question, but it is the most important one to ask. Acting is a tough field in a tough industry, and if you aren’t sure that it’s something you’re passionate about pursuing, you might not be able to navigate the pressure of the industry. Likewise, because young actors will be working closely with family and guardians, it is important to discern if you are pursuing acting because it is something you truly want to do, or because of outside influences. Parents of child actors should check in with their kids regarding this matter often.
Understanding your priorities and where your passion lies is the first step. If you don’t have this foundation, any point of anxiety in your career may become too much to handle.
Focus on What You Can Control
Anxiety is such a problem because it thrives on our fear of failure, and in acting there are many uncertain moments. Auditions are a perfect example of this concept. It is so easy to feel anxious when you have to stand on a stage in front of strangers in the hopes of landing a role. We want others to like us and appreciate our skills. But rejection is extremely common in entertainment, and because of it, many actors can be consumed by feelings of inadequacy.
The key lesson to learn here is that worry does not help you in the long run; it does not make you a better actor, it only holds you back from your passions. The more you worry and overthink your abilities, the less focus you will have, and that will be reflected in your performance.
Actor Dallas Liu summed this up perfectly. After failing an audition, he came to an eye-opening conclusion:
“I realized that I needed to stay focused on myself, be confident in my talent, work hard, and don’t overthink. Everything else didn’t matter. Have trust in the path that you are on. Understand that as long as you work hard toward your goals, opportunities will follow, and everything will fall into place.”
A career in acting will be full of many ups and downs and challenges, but amidst it all, you are the one thing you can control. If you put your energy toward your passions instead of your fears, then the possibilities will be endless!