Lately, we've been talking a lot about all of the pieces you have to put in place to build your acting career.

You know that I absolutely love going over the training side of things and what it takes to deliver a world class performance on set.

Aside from actually being on set, it’s one of the most satisfying things actors do.

The problem is that this is only one of several things that have to come together to build a successful acting career, but most actors only focus on this one piece.

Unfortunately it’s not even the most effective piece to be focused on.

I know that sounds a bit crazy and it probably goes against most of what you’ve been told about making it in the industry. There’s a lot more to that, so we’ll come back to it in a bit...

So, look past it for now because if you want to be a professional actor, you will have to put all of the pieces together and you have to focus on the most effective things first.

Here’s what those are...

At some point in every actor's career, a decision has to be made about which way to go next. The industry is always looking for the next big thing and actors who don’t reinvent themselves will soon fall out of favor.

You will often see actors go from having mediocre careers, relaunch their career properly and go to entirely new levels of success.

Reinventing and relaunching careers is a conversation that happens almost on a daily basis in the offices of the majors, but hardly any other actors ever think about this.

I bring this up with actors often, and they typically think that it doesn’t apply to them if they don’t already have an established career. However, this also works if your career has stalled, or even if you are struggling to get it off the ground.

The same strategies that helped Chris Pratt go from playing a goofy, carefree guy to being a bona-fide action hero, without skipping a beat, are the same strategies that can help take your career to the next level regardless of where your career is currently...

Have you ever wondered why some actors make it and others don’t?

Do you sometimes watch a movie and think of half a dozen actors (probably including yourself and others you know) that could have played the role better?

Every actor on the planet does this and with good reason... They typically have a point!

As much as I wish it weren’t this way, the industry isn’t built on talent alone, and being a great actor doesn’t guarantee success either.

Incredibly talented actors struggle to get ahead in the industry every day, while others make huge career moves.

I’m careful to bring this up around most actors, because they tend to get angry about it. Whether or not you agree with the way the industry works when it comes to this, is beside the point.

It’s not going to change anytime soon, soi what really matters is finding out what those actors are doing that others aren’t.

If you want to be a professional actor, this is something you have to figure out...

Because I work with so many actors on a daily basis, I have a unique perspective on what’s going on in the industry.

Seeing the kinds of projects they are reading for is a big clue about the trend of the projects that are moving through the production pipeline.

Right now, there are a lot of projects about historical figures in the works. For some actors, that’s the best news ever! They love playing these types of roles and will always jump at the chance to be involved in the projects.

Other actors don’t really care about those projects one way or the other. Regardless of where you fall on that spectrum, there’s something I’ve noticed over the years that could help take your career to the next level.

It is something that professional actors do, while just about everyone else is completely in the dark about it.

If you want to be a professional actor, you should be doing it too. Here’s what it is and what it has to do with the coming wave of historical projects that is about to hit the industry...

Have you ever noticed that most actors subconsciously do all kinds of crazy things with their hands?

They rub their foreheads when their character is thinking about something. Sometimes they point at the other actor in a scene during a confrontation, or they’ll make other hand gestures to emphasize their words.

But, have you ever stopped to think about how natural any of that even is?

How many times have you sat at the dinner table, rubbing your forehead when you are deep in thought?

Probably not many times...

It’s actually a pretty unnatural thing to do. When people are deep in thought, they tend to be rather still. Finger tapping is a much more natural action 99% of the time, but that doesn’t mean it should be your go to character choice.

It may seem like nitpicking, talking about what goes on with an actor’s hands in a scene, but things like this are what separates amateur actors from professional actors.

Professional actors get into the details, to be sure that performance is always the best it can possibly be.

So, if you want to be a professional actor too, shouldn’t you do the same...

Because I work with so many actors on a daily basis, I have a unique perspective on the industry. I get to see what works and I also get to see what is giving actors a hard time.

What we’re talking about today happens a lot more often than you would think, and it’s something that most actors never give a thought to.

That’s a huge problem!

See, professional actors know how to leverage every opportunity they get and turn it into something that can really have an impact on their career.

If you want to make big career progress, then you have to be able to do this too.

So, what happens when you get an opportunity that looks really great but it turns out to be on a project that is not so great?

Here’s what Jack Nicholson would do...

I recently had the opportunity to sit down with an incredible director. We talked about a ton of really incredible stuff that I’ll be sharing with you over the coming weeks.

What we’re going to start with today are your questions...

You know that Boost My Star is the only place you can find stuff about the industry that no one else even dares to talk about.

A few weeks ago, I asked you to send me your questions, so I could have a world class, professional director answer them for you.

His answers to your questions did not disappoint!

This is the kind of stuff that can make the difference between becoming an accomplished actor, with the kind of career that dreams are made of, or ignoring it could keep you stuck in a miserable career where you never make any progress.

A big part of becoming a professional actor is doing what successful actors are already doing. There’s no need to reinvent the wheel, so to speak, you just have to put your own spin on it.

Go back and look at the careers of the actors you most look up to. You will see that, at some point, they shifted from what they were doing to follow in the footsteps of someone that was already accomplished.

That’s what usually helps them get on the industry’s radar. What takes them to the next level, is learning what industry decision makers are looking for and becoming that.

The director I sat down with is one of those decision makers, so what you are about to get is a first hand account of what the industry is looking for and how you can use it to take your career to the next level...

Because I get to work with so many actors, at different career stages, I have a unique perspective on what’s going on in the industry.

I get to see what’s working and what’s helping actors make huge career moves...

I also get to see what is keeping them stuck and what is causing actors with so much potential and incredible talent to leave the industry once and for all.

Needless to say, I hate to see that happen and I do my best to spread the word and reach as many actors as possible, and share with them what professional actors are doing right now to build their acting careers.

See, over the years I’ve realized that there are really only two ways to build an acting career. There’s the right way and the way everyone else does it.
If you’re not sure whether you are building your career the way professional actors do...