Being an actor is an interesting profession. A lot of people think it is something you just “fall into” or something that you don’t necessarily need an education in to succeed. While it is true that a lot of actors who are highly successful did not attend a typical school (aka college) this does not mean that they don’t have an education in the field of acting. There are so many different ways to get an education in the field of acting and there is nothing stopping you from taking your acting game to the next level through education. Here are some of the ways you can educate yourself as an actor!

1)            Read up. Read all of the books on acting you can get your hands on. Even the books that you don’t think you will like or agree with. Learning everything you can about the industry is important because it will allow you make educated decisions in your scene work, as well as your choices in the industry!
2)            Take classes. Take acting classes, improv classes, even take body, movement, voice, and any other type of class you can possibly find. These will help mold you into a better artist who knows exactly what they like in an acting style. This also helps you make solid character choices that can change your career.
3)            Promote yourself. Make yourself known as an artist and an actor. Make sure everyone you know knows what you do and whom you are! People who don’t promote themselves can miss out on some amazing opportunities because people simply didn’t know they were an actor! Make sure you do yourself a favor and get yourself out there as much as possible.
4)            Do the student films and the smaller roles. Get yourself on set as much and as often as possible. Not only is this great exposure for you as an artist but it is also the best way you can learn about the industry. Making yourself get out there and actually DO the work is the best part about being in the industry!
5)            Talk to your friends, family, and anyone you may meet who know about the industry. Take whatever opinions they may give you with a grain of salt; everyone has their opinions about Hollywood. But if someone you know has previous experience with an agent, you should ask them about it! Don’t be afraid to tell someone you don’t understand what they need from you, and don’t be afraid to ask questions!

     You need to keep educating yourself as an actor and as an artist. Keeping yourself up to date on all of the methods, the history of what you are doing, and why you want to be doing this career is important because it is what will keep you more and more motivated in your career. The more you know about acting, the better you will be at it! This is just the same with any other career and it is important to remember that; you are working towards a career. Actors are there for more than just entertainment. As actors it is our job to communicate a message, get people to think, and help people identify with whatever our message is. Make sure you keep yourself educated and moving forward in your career.