Thank You for the Invaluable Acting Advice

Hi Bonnie!

I just wanted to thank you so much for the invaluable advice you have in your weekly column. About a year ago I moved out to LA, not actually planning on becoming an actor, partly because I’d heard all my life that it was okay as a hobby, but hardly any kind of REAL work and partly because, well, I hadn’t done any acting since high school!

While I was looking for work in my preferred fields (I was trained as an artist/art historian and used to work in construction — surprisingly entertaining, construction work!), I signed up to do a little extra work as a stopgap until I could find some of that elusive “real” employment. Let me tell you, it opened up a floodgate. I suddenly remembered how much I’d loved the plays and short movies I did all through high school.

I suddenly regretted not being more involved in the theatre program at my university (I did help out in the costuming department, but being on stage never happened). I wanted to act, never mind what anybody else thought; I’ve been a storyteller all my life, writing and drawing and painting. Of course I lunged back toward acting!

The problem was, I didn’t know how to get into it. Didn’t even know where to start looking! Running a Google search for “acting schools” gave me so many results I was quickly overwhelmed, and digging through the scams to find the gems felt like an impossible task. To make matters worse, I didn’t have any friends in the industry to whom I could turn to for advice (and I might be inexperienced, but even I know that “I know a guy who knows a guy who knows a guy who can help you for five bucks” is a bum deal).

But lucky me, all that searching and digging through the library and so on paid off. I stumbled across your column a few weeks ago and it’s been an immense help on so many fronts, to say nothing of being an incredible encouragement. Seeing someone say, “this is going to take hard work, but it can be done” is so much better than the, “it’s impossible” argument that seems to get trotted out with regularity, and it’s far, far better than some of the nonsense I’ve seen on Craigslist. I kept digging and found an acting class I liked (no, loved. The teachers are amazing and my fellow students phenomenal). I dug a little more and started figuring out my type. Once I knew what to look for (and yes, your column helped immensely on that front), finding the right information became… well, not easy, necessarily, but I’m a lot more efficient when I search, that’s for sure!

Obviously, I’ve got a long road ahead of me, but between my own business savvy and the good tips I’ve gotten from your column, I think I’ll be okay. And hey, I’ve got an audition coming up soon, so there’s a step forward on my journey (and I am prepped and ready to nail it. Heck yeah).

So thanks, Bonnie! I couldn’t have done it without you.

Nova Bennett

What a wonderful email, Nova! Thank you! 🙂 I think one of my favorite types of email is the one in which an actor has recently found my columns, even after eight years of the weekly experience, here. It renews my passion for getting good info out there, free, and helping folks understand that it absolutely IS possible… but it’s work, this career choice.

I like to celebrate that it’s never gonna be EASY, but it sure is gonna be FUN! 🙂 Loads of work, but sooo worth it. And finding places to do research — for free — wow! Isn’t that the best?

I’m so grateful to the folks at Breakdowns, Showfax, and Actors Access for hosting such great resources for actors to discover. I’ll mention that you should also check out actors’ blogs and tweets and other free advice out there, but always be sure you can verify WHO is doing the advice-giving, as (just like with Craigslist), sometimes that “mystery advice” can be hit-or-miss.

Not to get salesy, but I’m gonna take this opportunity to mention (for those who are not already on my awesome mailing list) that we’re launching our SMFA Essentials program tomorrow, and it’s ridiculously affordable, for actors who are looking to get laser-focused on one, manageable topic per month, as they prep their tools for the next tier in their journey. Of course, as you learned, there’s plenty of good, free info out there too, but for those who’ve been craving something deeper than my weekly columns and books, but who aren’t looking to do long-term training with me, this is a great new offering.

As you transition into a full-time creative career, please always remember the WHY in your pursuit. Having a blast makes it all worth it, doesn’t it? 🙂 Thanks for reaching out and enjoy the journey!

Bon


Bonnie Gillespie is living her dreams by helping others figure out how to live theirs. Wanna work with Bon? Start here. Thanks!


Originally published by Actors Access at http://more.showfax.com/columns/avoice/archives/001497.html. Please support the many wonderful resources provided by the Breakdown Services family. This posting is the author’s personal archive.

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