As kids, we’ve all pretended to be astronauts, princesses, doctors, cowboys, and so on. For some, this career has security so they leave their dreams behind. For others, this fantasy has evolved into a passion that helped them become successful and talented actors, regardless of the odds. 

The prime examples of that are Robert De Niro, Meryl Streep, Al Pacino, Clint Eastwood, Marlon Brando, and so on. The list goes on and on, but the point is that, with a little work and dedication, you could be mentioned alongside these legendary artists.

If you chose acting as your career path, read on to learn how it’s like to be a professional actor.

Career Description

Actors use dialogues, movement, and expression to portray a character in a movie, TV show, theater, radio, or commercials. First, they research every aspect of the character so they could be authentic on screen. Actors memorize dialogues written by the screenwriter and precisely follow the instructions of the director.

Acting is the field of work that has a lot of competition, so it’s incredibly difficult to break through into the big league. Oftentimes, they have to play a wide range of different scenes and roles. To be able to do so, they have to use various gestures, expressions, speech, or other forms of communication tools.

Wannabe actors must prepare to work long hours because they often face a very tight deadline. The acting job often requires a certain degree of networking and job searching that includes attending auditions and rehearsals of shootings.

For every actor, it is very important that their lifestyle doesn’t take over their personal life. Sometimes finding a balance between the job and personal life is easier said than done because actors can be absent from their families for a long period of time. In acting, it’s important to find a method that will support a high quality of work but still keep a normal and healthy lifestyle.

Education and Training

Formal education is not a crucial part in the process as some of the best actors/actresses did not finish professional acting training at all. However, acting classes, conservatory programs, and college education help actors improve their skills and set them apart of the competition.

Some actors hire acting coaches to work with them, while others create their own plays in repertory theater companies. The entire learning process is unique for every actor, and it’s important that they take their time and decide what works best for them.

Experience and Skills

If you want to become a world-known actor, you should aim at a variety of character roles in drama, comedy or actions movies. Every role is different and you might need to develop a diverse skill set for the one you’ll be performing. Also, get used to working long hours because the days can be very long and exhausting. Sometimes it is necessary to take over twenty shots before the preferred one is achieved.

Earnings

Actors usually start by playing small roles, but eventually, if they are talented and persistent enough, they advance to larger movie productions and receive offers for leading roles.

Actor’s fees depend on several factors. Actors working with the union earn more money than the ones working independently. Depending on the budget level and the role, actors earn between $130 and $550 daily. The biggest stars certainly get paid much, much more.