How does one get an acting carreer?

[Miserabilia]

I don't know,
recently I've just been really interested in acting (Not as in major movie stars but just small roles, etc.)

I just wonder how people get there, like where does one start?
I'm not sure if I want it, I've just never wondered before.
I don't even know if I can act,
I just think it would be really great to do sometime, or probably just as someone in the background, to see what's it like when peoplare making a movie.

Oh well.

[Luminous]

I love this question! I am a professional actress, and I have been acting for several years now (though I've wanted to all my life). It may depend where you live. Start out by auditioning for your school plays or, preferably, community theater. Since you're a guy and there are fewer guys in community theater, don't be surprised if you get a major role, but don't be surprised if you get ensemble or don't get in. Do a ton of that. Take some on-camera acting classes. These will teach you about slating, appearance, auditioning, and of course acting! Are there any film schools in your area? Doing student films is an awesome way to gain experience. For example, in Boston there are BU and Emerson. BU has their own website/email list for casting calls. Depending on where you live, there are some places in America where there are great Facebook groups. The kids one (ages 0-17) started out with the New England Kids Actors Group, but after it got really big, they made two or three others. Try looking those up on Facebook. If you are really serious, get some professional headshots done. Work on your resume. Even with no experience, load it up with Special Skills. Search Acting Resume in Google Images for a good idea of what a resume should look like. If you have any more questions, please feel free to PM me!

[Miserabilia]

I love this question! I am a professional actress, and I have been acting for several years now (though I've wanted to all my life). It may depend where you live. Start out by auditioning for your school plays or, preferably, community theater. Since you're a guy and there are fewer guys in community theater, don't be surprised if you get a major role, but don't be surprised if you get ensemble or don't get in. Do a ton of that. Take some on-camera acting classes. These will teach you about slating, appearance, auditioning, and of course acting! Are there any film schools in your area? Doing student films is an awesome way to gain experience. For example, in Boston there are BU and Emerson. BU has their own website/email list for casting calls. Depending on where you live, there are some places in America where there are great Facebook groups. The kids one (ages 0-17) started out with the New England Kids Actors Group, but after it got really big, they made two or three others. Try looking those up on Facebook. If you are really serious, get some professional headshots done. Work on your resume. Even with no experience, load it up with Special Skills. Search Acting Resume in Google Images for a good idea of what a resume should look like. If you have any more questions, please feel free to PM me!

Dayum! Thanks for the great answer!
:P
I'll PM you about it

[Cygnus]

The White Padded Room :arrow2: Education and Careers

Now for a legitimate answer, the only acting I've done is a single commercial, and about 5 auditions for commercials, I literally got approached by a commercial casting person at my school and I said why not. I guess I had some luck for actually getting chosen in a commercial. I'm not doing that again though, I hate auditions because they basically treat you like shit.

[TheLivingLie]

My friend went to an acting class one summer, got recruited for the one show Halloween special a year ago, and is now an actor in movie like the hedgehog and the Christmas candle

Oh and he has an agent

[Syvelocin]

Connections, connections, connections.

Honestly, back when I had the time for community theatre, I got many of my parts by knowing the right people. Obviously, auditioning is very important as well, but everyone goes to the auditions. Not everyone does all the other work. You need any special consideration you can get. This comes from doing everything. Get your name out there, and not just by auditioning for acting parts. Help out backstage; many theatres need all the help they can get. Music, costuming, makeup, anything and everything. Summer camps, internships, volunteer work. You get the picture. Oddly enough, the most rewarding for me was volunteering with public school musical theatre. Loads of fun anyway but also, theatre teachers are often a gold mine for opportunites and connections. Often they know many people in the community, at other schools, colleges. I met a professional broadway actress who was the daughter of my vocal teacher whom I met through a middle school theatre director. That sort of thing.