Times are a’changing grasshopper, but some things will always stay the same. During The Great Depression, when people were struggling to feed themselves and provide basic necessities, one could still stroll past a movie theatre and see a line extending out the door.
Going to the movies was something that allowed audiences to forget about their struggles for a couple of hours and focus on the feature on screen. They could laugh until they cried and relive the memories all over again later on.
That’s why, when people were making choices like “which one of us is getting butter with our bread tonight”, they continued going to the movies.
What was your favorite movie as a kid? Think of your favorite scene from it for a few seconds…
I bet something immediately came to mind.
That’s the value we bring to the world as actors. When we do our job right, we literally have the power to change people’s world.
Remember the 90’s when women everywhere were going to the beauty salon asking for “Rachel’s haircut?” It wasn’t about the hair, it was the character they were fond of.
That’s the influence of an actor. When we bring characters to life, we can create something bigger than us that brings people together.
Whether we play a character they love or hate, or one they love to hate, evoking emotion from the viewer imprints a mark on their memory.
Maybe they find themselves in the same predicament as your character did last week and think WWXD (What would X do) in order to find a solution.
Maybe they need to call on their memory of your character to find inspiration and pull through.
Personally, I summon my inner Rocky Balboa at the gym pretty often.
Whatever it may be, the characters you play are at the forefront of their minds, and something happens when you reach this level in your audience’s mind.
This is when they start to transition from casual observers to fans.
They start to think about you, the person.
They start to see beyond the character. They wonder who the actor is behind the character they love so much. It’s almost as if they befriend you.
They think you must be as fascinating, intriguing, hilarious or maniacal as your character, or maybe you’re not.
But guess what?
They now have a way to find out! They look you up and in a matter of seconds, they have everything there is to know about you at their fingertips.
When they find you on social media, they get your whole story. They know how many siblings you have, if you’re seeing anyone, if you root for the same teams, or if you couldn’t care less about anything having to do with teams.
This is why it’s so important to have a strong social presence.
What makes your growth faster on social media is already having a solid base to build on. Here’s how you do that.
What will have you knocking auditions out of the park is the same thing that creates a character that transcends the fourth wall on screen. It’s believability. I’ve written at length about this but it all boils down to just one concept: let go and let it flow.
Get out of your head and just let things happen naturally.
This is how your social media should operate too. It should reflect who you are as a person, so stop planning your Instagram stories. Let go and let it flow.
A strong presence there coupled with a strong industry reputation will make doors swing open for you. Here’s how to make sure your reputation is top notch.
The most successful actors have always known that it isn’t about them. Acting is not a simple career choice. It’s a public service. We do it for all of us.
Acting is one of the most selfless career choices you could make, but that doesn’t mean you have to make it hard on yourself.
So go out and perform with passion and surely I will…
See you at the top,
Scott