13 Acting Mistakes New Actors Make

In studying the acting process, what I have found is that acting styles change, just like cinema. What were considered compelling, powerful acting choices in the 1950s and 60s, might be considered “over the top” film acting today. Since the art of film is connected to culture, it shifts and changes with societal tastes. Now, let’s focus on your desire to be an actor in an industry that’s always changing.

So, you want to be an actor. That’s great! You want to be on television or in film – awesome! What will be the greatest step, I believe you’ll take, is to know that to be an actor is to recognize that it is an Art form: Just like a paint artist learns to work with watercolors or oil paints, you as the actor will learn to “paint the picture” or tell the story through characters you create.

What I focus on in this book is the craft of acting, not the marketing, or business side of the industry. Hopefully, using scenario examples, scripts, and scenes I have worked on, and my experiences working with first-time and seasoned actors will help you on your journey.

In working with actors these last fifteen years, I have seen some actors struggle to find their “voice” in the story. Either they are unsure how to create a character, or if they do study the process - in theory; the “rubber doesn’t meet the proverbial road”.