It doesn’t matter if you're brand new to the industry or if you have been acting for many years, chances are, you’ve probably had this secret too.
It’s something that nearly everyone in the industry hates to admit, because they feel like their industry colleagues will think less of them.
See, when someone hears that you are an actor, their mind immediately jumps to “she wants to be famous and win an Oscar.”
The truth is that not everyone wants to be a superstar. Before we go any further, I want to be clear on something...
If that’s what you want for yourself, more power to you! Go for it and don’t let anything get in your way.
In some ways, the career path that could lead you to being in the top levels of the industry is in some ways easier. That might sound crazy, and if you want to be a professional actor, this is something you have to wrap your mind around...
When it comes to the industry, doing things the “easy way” will usually make things harder. Doing what no else does, is usually the way to go.
Here’s what I mean by that...
If you truly set your sights high and want to be at the top 1% of the top 1% of the industry, your competition will be nearly nonexistent.
Practically everyone is only thinking about today and they only focus on getting the next booking.
This keeps them locked into wherever they are in their career.
If they are currently doing commercials, actors tend to focus on getting their next commercial and that severely limits their career potential.
So, an actor that is truly striving to make it to the top and is actually doing the things that could get them there, will pass those other actors in a heartbeat.
What most actors will do insteadvis aim lower, thinking that the road to get there will be easier.
Actually, if you don’t approach it the right way, this can be the hardest career path.
Here’s why...
Going down this road would put you in the “everyday people” category. Even though this is the biggest category and there is plenty of work to go around, breaking into it can be really difficult.
Even though you would be playing everyday people, there’s a balance that you need to strike.
You can’t simply blend in and be one of a hundred other actors that could fit the role, because casting would simply look over you.
So, even in this category you still need some kind of an X factor, because that’s what makes CDs watch your audition and say “that’s the one.”
Many actors have an X factor in their back pocket, they just don’t know how to leverage it.
Here’s how to find yours...
Start by taking an inventory of your talents and of yourself overall.
Do you have some kind of special talent? It could be anything from horseback riding to playing an instrument. Think of anything that might set you apart in an audition.
Do you have a certain look?
The rock is a giant man but he mostly plays “everyday people” that just happen to be large. On the opposite side of the spectrum you have Joe Pesci, the small Italian guy. Both of them leveraged their look to carve out a place for themselves in the industry.
Do you have a signature way of delivering your lines? This could also be your X factor.
For example, Matthew Mcconaughey’s southern drawl is immediately recognizable and carries such a charm, that it sometimes doesn’t matter if it’s out of character.
When you go through this exercise, you might come up with a couple things. You then have to figure out how to make your X factor matter to casting.
They have to see it as something that only you can bring to the production.
Sometimes your X factor may not exist in the character that was written but it can be added. In fact, it’s often added when you are the only logical choice to fill the role.
If you have a phenomenal singing voice, it could be something as simple as adding a scene of your character singing in the shower.
I’ve seen characters evolve and take an entirely different tone, because an actor was bold enough to take a risk and play it differently than everyone else.
I spoke to an actor that was auditioning for a character that was written as a guitarist. Every actor that auditioned for the part went in, read the scene and strummed an air guitar.
However, she took it upon herself to show off her singing voice instead. When everything was said and done, the character was rewritten as a singer.
Directors and CDs love to help pull the best out of talented people and help them show it off, so if you show them you have something that you are truly great at (besides your acting), it’s in their nature to help you put it on display.
By definition your X factor will set you apart from other actors, but it can also bring a lot of attention to the projects you are involved in.
For example, if you were able to shatter wine glasses by hitting a high note, it would be a talking point for every project you did it in...and of course you would somehow be doing it in everything you were ever cast in.
Of course, this is how you can set yourself apart and make yourself memorable once you are already in the audition but you can also differentiate yourself, before you even step foot in the room.
So much of what actors do is designed to improve their acting skills and it’s all about what happens after being cast.
However, even if you knocked the audition way out of the park, it’s easy to fade into the background.
Before moving you through the casting process, casting will look into you and the other actors they are considering. When they do this what will they find? Will your industry reputation make you stand out from everyone else? Here’s how I can help with that.
We talked a little about the different levels of success you can strive for as an actor and how taking what should be the easier route, could be making things more difficult. We’ll talk about this more in depth in the coming weeks.
For now, find your X factor because it will help you regardless of whatever level of success you are reaching for as an actor, as long as you are building your career on a solid foundation.
Don’t be shy about reaching out and letting me know how I can help. I’m always only a comment or an email away and I truly want to...
See you at the top,
Scott