Acting Career FAQ - What About Talent?
by
Bob Fraser
I recently got a letter from a young actor from Kentucky,
who told me that an 'agent' in Atlanta had said that she
was definitely cut out to be an actor. That she had "the
look." However, the 'agent' said, she would need classes
and pictures and a marketing package – which the 'agency'
would gladly provide ... for a fee.
Then, a friend of hers, who has been 'acting for years,'
told her that she wasn't very talented and that without
talent she would be wasting a lot of her time and money
chasing after a dream that would never come true.
This young actor got 2 pieces of horrible advice.
The first 'advisory' was from a scammer (but you already
knew that and I helped her avoid that fate with a prompt
reply to her question, by email).
It’s the second bit of “help” that really gets me riled
up. That kind of mean spirited, uninformed and just plain
wrong junk is the subject of this week’s rant.
The idea that some people should just forget it, because
they aren't talented - or that others should go forward
because they have 'gobs of talent' - should be dispelled
by those of us who know the truth about what it REALLY
takes to have a professional career in show business.
The reason I never address the question of whether someone
is cut out for the business of acting, is because I have
learned through long, hard experience that, although I can
spot talent with the best of them, I don't know who is and
who isn't going to succeed. I don't believe anyone can say
for sure.
There are just too many variables that go into a successful
acting career.
As William Goldman so aptly put it, "Nobody knows."
Webster's Unabridged Dictionary defines 'talent' thusly:
1. a gift committed to one's trust to use and improve;
from the parable of the talents in St. Matthew; hence any
natural faculty, ability or power. 2. a special, superior
ability in an art, mechanics, learning, etc.
While I agree with Webster (who would dare to disagree)
there is a misconception among some agents, managers,
other actors - and fortunately for scam artists - even
ourselves, that there exists a "natural" actor gene.
Or, as Webster puts it, "a special superior ability."
This mistaken idea is that if you have it, your future
is secure - and if you don’t, you’re doomed.
Since most human beings ACT - behaving, emoting, reacting,
listening, and slipping in and out of attitudes – every day
(all skills of a professional actor), why is it that those
"special” superior acting abilities have never been set
down or explained in some methodical, scientific way?
Because, after thousands of years - still - nobody knows.
I DO know this much; I have seen (and probably so have you)
actors who were clearly 'talented' - end up teaching second
grade. And rather ordinary people with little or no acting
ability - go right to the top of show business.
Telling a young (or even not so young) actor that it's all
about "talent" or "looks" is just plain wrong.
When I first decided I wanted to be a professional actor,
I couldn't act a lick and I'm far from a babe magnet - but
I managed to make millions as an actor.
I’ll conclude my argument with one word: Schwarzeneggar.
Case closed.
My point is simply this: Any "reason" to go ahead or give
up should be questioned thoroughly - from all angles - no
matter who comes up with it.
Acting is not an easy business. It is more difficult than
most professions because it sometimes takes many years to
establish a career.
But the gap between 'talented enough' and 'not talented
enough' is smaller than Paris Hilton's sense of propriety.
As everyone knows, who reads my stuff, I try to make it
very plain that an acting career is really hard work. Few
achieve stardom. More actors can achieve a solid career,
but it is still a small percentage of those who think
they'd like to act for a living.
Not all of the successful actors on screen and stage are
"natural talents" or even passably good looking. Some are
just good at the business part - or they manage to stay at
it longer than others.
As I point out in my acting career course, You Must Act!
there are specific steps you must take to have any hope of
success. And the first step is to rid yourself of all the
walls you build up - or allow others to build - that keep
you from taking the steps toward fulfilling your dreams.
As with all dreams (whether it be sports, music, medicine,
poetry, dance ... or having the biggest ball of string in
the world) it won't become real without action on your part.
If you believe that there are "reasons" you will or won't
succeed - then you won't DO what needs to be done.
Don't accept "reasons" to give up your dream without first
considering whether those "reasons" are real - or just
someone else's illusion of reality.
Remember: REALITY IS NOT OPTIONAL.
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Bob Fraser has been an actor, writer, director, producer,
and show-runner on shows such as Full House, The Love Boat,
Benson and many others. He is the author of You Must Act!,
Headshot Secrets Revealed, This Acting Life, and writes a
regular column for NowCasting, ActorsLife, Beanywood and
several other acting related sites.
You can learn more about his computer-based acting career
course, You Must Act! 2.0, by visiting the site:
GO HERE => http://www.youmustact.com
You can get his FREE actor's ezine - Show Biz How-To by
visiting this page:
FREE E-ZINE => http://www.showbizhowto.com
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