It shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone...the people that tune in to Boost My Star tend to be pretty talented.

Over the years, as I’ve come to know everyone better and better I’ve been blown away not just by the caliber of talent but also by the diversity of talent present in our tribe.

You would find actors with many varied talents (in addition to their acting skills) such as artists, musicians, and even fire dancers, and much more are present here.

It’s often been a double edged sword that kept many actors stuck for a long time. More on that in a sec...

See, the industry has changed and most actors are still using an incredibly outdated method to get their “big break.”

It might be shocking, but what I’ve found over the years after working with so many actors that I’ve literally lost count, is that the more talented to you the harder a time you might have making any kind of meaningful progress in the industry,

So, if you feel like you are talented enough to “make it” as an actor but you’re struggling to get your career off the ground or get to the next level, here’s where’s to start...

No one decides to become a professional actor because they have a very limited range of characters they like to play.

A lot of the fun in acting is getting to escape into all kinds of characters each existing in their own world.

This combined with an aspiring actor's desire to get on set no matter what the job is, leads most actors to simply chase anything that comes their way.

Contrary to what you may have learned from others in the industry so far, the way to get ahead in the industry is actually to chase less. Focus on a single area and go deep into it, rather than dipping your toe into everything.

Take a moment and think about what your favorite character types would be. Then, think about what genre they would fall into.

Start with that and keep in mind that it’s only a starting point. You won’t be stuck in that category for the rest of your career.

The idea is to make a name for yourself and then leverage that into other genres.

In today’s industry environment we see many “outsiders” crossing over into the mainstream industry.

It’s been happening with musicians for a long time and that trend has evolved to include, Instagrammers, Youtubers, etc.

Many actors find their way into the industry from other places. For example, Dwayne Johnson came from the wrestling world.

He was able to successfully leverage the platform and notoriety he built there into a successful acting career.

Is there another profession you excel at that could serve as a springboard for your acting career?

It doesn’t even have to be something you are particularly passionate about, as long as it’s something you enjoy and excel at.

It could be music, dancing, martial arts or it could even just be yourself, if you can build a platform around you and your passion. ​If that’s something you want to work on, you can use this to help you get the ball rolling.

It can help you get started and add some legitimacy to your efforts.

Whatever route you decide on, make sure that you’re not simply spinning your wheels and getting distracted from your end goal of becoming a professional actor.

It’s a counterintuitive balancing act but as long you are constantly tying things back to your acting career you are on the right track.

People with multiple talents, like yourself, often get lost in the industry shuffle because they chase too many rabbits at one time.

Even for those that focus only on acting, it’s easy to get lost in a big range. It’s easy to spread yourself too thin while pursuing comedic roles, dramatic roles, and every variation in between.

It doesn’t allow you to go deep into any one category and make meaningful progress.

If you study the careers of top level actors, you will see them being a bit scattered in the beginning. It’s only when they start to go deep into one category that they start making progress.

Actors tend to only see the end result of them going from one category to the next without skipping a beat and they think that it’s the way to go.

However, that comes after those actors have established themselves in one category for a period of time.

Nobody wants to be typecast so it’s understandable to avoid it at all costs. However, that means they also avoid the focused effort it takes to carve out an area they can specialize in and make real career progress.

Being typecast is a valid concern and there will come a time when diversifying the projects you take on makes sense. It comes as you progress in your career, not as you build it.

Creating your own opportunities is something I encourage everyone to do but you should do it while focusing on a single category as well.

Whichever you decide to start with first, make sure that you give yourself the best chance at success.

In the industry, reputation is everything. It can open doors for you that you didn’t even know existed. ​Make sure that your reputation matches your goals so that you are seen as a true professional and not just a hobbyist.

Until you reach the top levels of the industry and have a body of work that precedes you, Casting Directors and industry decision makers will look elsewhere to see what you’re all about.

This is another area where actors get stuck.

They’ll often go on an audition, feel that everything went really well and never hear from casting. Oftentimes, what happens is that casting doesn’t like what they find or they like what they find about someone else a lot more.

Since this is the go to place for Casting Directors and industry decision makers to gather information and measure your industry reputation, I built something to help you.

I know we went through a few pretty big ideas here so take some time to think things through. Then, let me know how I can help.

I’m always happy to bounce ideas about next steps and I’m always only a comment or an email away. Feel free to get in touch anytime.

I help however I can because I would truly like to...

See you at the top,
Scott