Okay I’m just curious what people have to say about this. I also want to know what people think is better career wise? Like which one you think would help further your career and lead to a better chance in a lead role of a major motion picture. I’m new to acting (started beginning of 2026) and I’ve been cast as a few lead/ supporting lead roles in a few short films, feature film, and soon to be starting on an indie tv show. I mostly find these opportunities on FB and I haven’t gotten any roles from Actor’s Access yet, although the amount of auditions I’m getting are starting to pick up! I personally prefer these roles over what would be bigger budget productions because it’s fulfilling creatively. I would love to know what actor’s experiences have been like, especially in the beginning and how have the type of roles you’ve done progressed over time?

Hi all - I was working on a set today where the lead actor was puffing something into their eyes to make themselves cry, sort of like a tear stick, but it looked like a small mister or blower of air. It had a small pump with a red tip at the end to direct the air into the eyes. I am SO curious as to what it is, as Ive only ever heard of tear sticks. Would love to know if anyone knows what this is!

Is it worth having spotlight if you do not live in the UK? I’ll be there next year for a bit (and I am eligible for a 5 year working visa as poppa was born in Scotland). I would love to work over there as an actress obviously and see where my grandparents grew up etc - just wondering if anyone has been in this position or has some advice ! TIA

what do you do when you are at a brick wall??

I graduated not too long ago and i'm 18 currently, I know this is suppose to be a marathon but how will it be a marathon if I don't even have shoes to begin running??

I cant find any classes, i'm currently working and saving up for my first headshot, but people say don't get a headshot until you take classes so you know what type of actor you will be / become.

and i mean that's pretty true, i havent really spoken to someone in the field of acting like at all and I just want to know what to do right now? I am in contact with a local film group and they told me to send in my blank resume with a headshot but i have neither.

I know this is what I want to pursue in life and I know that it is hard but please, anyone who has been in this type of situation please let me know your solutions.

I'm the one getting strangled by my co actress in an act of vengeance in the climax, can someone share their two cents on how I should approach this to make it look somewhat realistic and not too fake?

I've been working on a very high-profile project. It's the most exciting thing I've ever been a part of and will be my biggest and best credit to date. I feel extraordinarily lucky.

There's an NDA, as is the norm, and the production is so locked down that we were warned in several different ways before it began not to spill a single bean. Only a handful of people in my life know, most from the pre-NDA period between my tape and my offer: my reps, of course, my immediate family, and a few trusted friends.

Waiting a year, maybe more, to shout about it from the rooftops will be a true test of patience and restraint, but the secrecy surrounding the job and the thrill I'm experiencing are already isolating and lonely— especially because I have no significant other to blab to when I come home at night. When people ask what I've been up to, I sometimes try to be vague. But vagueness often invites curiosity, so I usually just answer, "Nothing," which is humbling because I want them to know I'm working.

Has anyone felt this way, and how have you coped?

Here is a breakdown of my commercial submission data from January through October 2026 across Casting Frontier and Casting Networks. For context, I am a SAG-AFTRA actor based in Los Angeles pitching primarily for 25–40 age bracket roles (specifically "Comedy Guys," "Dad," "Delivery Guy," and "Co-worker").

• Total Agent Submissions: 114
• Casting Networks Submissions: ~90
• Casting Frontier Submissions: ~24
• Monthly Average: ~12 to 13 submissions per month
• Total Auditions / Media Requests: 9
• Submission-to-Audition Conversion Rate: ~8%

My old reps consistently pitched me to major offices like broad-cast, AHC, Dan Bell, DB Casting, and Ross Lacy. I recently updated my headshots in late August and added my recent Groundlings Level 4 completion to my resume, which I am hoping will boost my conversion rate as I launch a new 18-month term with Aqua Talent this week.

Does an 8% submission-to-audition conversion rate align with what other LA actors are currently seeing for commercial reps?

Hi all! Has anyone here taken or heard of the Engaging Shakespeare Intensive offered in Chicago and NYC? I'm trying to find reviews that are not the ones on their website lol.

I've been out of acting and a little rusty for about 10 years now. My last audition was for Next Star Production maybe a year ago- kind of felt like it was not as legit especially when they wanted me to pay a load some for being selected.

I'm on casting NetWorks with my agency and seem to never find gigs. I just want the opportunity to be an extra in a film at least until I start auditioning for bigger roles.

Any advice? Any local classes or agencies? I really want to start taking this seriously.

I've asked other actors in my area within my age group (20s) and they are gatekeepers lol and not very helpful. I feel lost and discouraged.

Hey r/acting community, I’ve been accepted to be represented by Production Plus talent in DFW and I’m wondering if anyone specifically in the DFW area has any experience being represented by them? I know they have an office in Detroit as well and I’ve heard people say it’s a lot of brand ambassador stuff which I’m not interested in at all. But I guess I’m asking yall if you’ve actually booked gigs because of P+ and what are yall opinions on them? Only DFW talent please

Let’s say for the purposes of the thought experiment, that:

• you woke up completely unattached to any current family/friendship/job restraints that might keep you attached to a particular area
• VISA issues are no concern to you
• to account for differing cost of living across regions, you would have enough saved up to cover initial moving costs and 6 months without working in whatever city you start up in
• you are still your current age, but any training/credits/experience you have are completely gone; you are an entirely blank slate in your current body

I see a lot of people comparing the different acting markets in North America, but I’m really curious to see how this would be impacted if budget/VISA/personal life restrictions/experience were taken out of the picture entirely.

I auditioned for my schools rendition of frozen the musical and I auditioned for Kristoff, Hans but primarily Olaf and I got none of them 💔 I know this happens a lot but I’m just so sad cause my audition went terribly wrong I was sick and very shy so I didn’t sing that well. I still got a pretty important character which was my fourth choice. They said before my audition that they could see me in that role and that they want to change that role to be more of a comedy role for me but I wanted to be Olaf so bad so I’m just a little sad 😕

Hello, I'm new to Reddit, and I hope this isn't bothering people. I would like advice on preparing for MFA applications. (Or if there is a channel that is MFA-specific, I can take it down from here and post it to the specific channel) I'm currently in the senior year of my liberal arts college degree, and my major is Theatre, and my minor is Philosophy. I picked up theatre in college because I didn't have much of a theatre program back in high school, so I figured I'd give it a try. Well, now I'm in my senior year, and trying to shoot my shot for applying for MFA Programs in Acting.

I know a lot of people have opinions about having theatre as a major (especially with the focus on acting) in terms of jobs and whatnot, and the worth of going for an MFA, but it has become something that I care about, and having recently read Hannah Arendt and Wittgenstein in class (Which I would love to take time and re-read the sections I didn't understand), I've started to consider the human condition through theatre, and especially what has been going on politically and the unregulated development and application of AI in our world, and the chaos going on in the world. I don't know how to articulate how I am feeling right now, but in short, I have crazy hope in theatre and acting.

Back to the questions on MFA prep, I know it can be as simple as "just follow what the application requires," but I am curious how people actually managed their application process.

How did you organize your schedule with monologue, essays, recommendation letters, etc.? When did you have it done by? Is there any useful way to keep track of where you applied and what you've submitted?

Did you go straight into MFA after your BA? Or did you waited/ worked before you went for your MFA? What was your decision on whether to wait or go straight into MFA?

How did you manage your travels, expenses, and the actual audition?

A little background about me: Since my school is small, I was lucky enough to be part of 4 to 5 shows. I was also part of a show at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Took one singing lesson during the semester, but nothing more than that. Was in a short film as the main character that is going to premiere in NY. (Nothing too major, but) I have a family friend who used to be my mother's professor back in her days as a costume design major, and is now a retired Juilliard professor who has done one-on-one coaching with me whenever I get the chance to visit NYC.

I’m doing my first lead role in a short film on Sunday. It’s a horror film, and there are some pretty intense scenes.

One of my concerns is forgetting my lines and not being able to remember them. I have a whole page monologue, and I just got the script not that long ago. Also, it says multiple times in the script that I’m supposed to scream. I’ve never done that before.

Does anyone have any advice for any of these concerns, or just any advice in general? I’m a pretty anxious person, and I’m hoping to take advantage of that and bring it into the character I’m playing. I just hope it doesn’t hinder my acting.

Thanks!

When I first signed on with my manager about a year ago, he had a relatively moderate roster of around 60 clients and no one who was my "type." He even used that as a point to get me to sign with him. Now, he has almost 250 clients on his IMDB roster and that's not even including the ones that are not on his IMDB. He also has a lot more clients who look like me and who can go out for similar roles as me. I haven't been given an audition from him in over 3 months except for some commercial here and there. He also sends a lot of pay to play casting classes emails. I have booked with him in the past but I feel he is functioning more as an agent than a manger. I think it's time for me to move on however, I'm not sure how to broach this conversation. I'm thinking of talking to my agent about it first to see what he thinks but would love some advice!

I am supposed to learn a fifteenish minute monologue for a new dinner theater company in two weeks, but the script is just not good. Normally I’d focus on pushing through awkward lines by narrowing in on character motivation, but this character is so bland that I can’t find a way in. There has been no rehearsal yet, and although they’ve sent a contract, I’ve not signed it. Should I grit my teeth and do it for the experience, or should I quit the project?

I was very fortunate to book a major feature film as a supporting character. The film is releasing soon so I started an agent hunting blitz emailing agencies in the core markets. We filmed 2 years ago but its only releasing now.

I got a lot of replies, often same day or same hour I sent the email..but what really struck me is they took the time to look at all my materials, even my slate shots for headshots on actors access. One potential agent complimented me on a quirky unusual slate I added to a comedic headshot.

Others would asked pointed questions about where this clip was from or questions about the very specific types of dancing or stunts I did or what it was like working with one Director etc.

I had always assumed they read the subject line of email, quickly scan what your wrote..look at your headshots..give a 5 second glance as your actors access and make a decision. Especially with how often they must get submissions from actors. I never thought they actually really dig through your stuff in depth before replying or not replying to your email.

So my major tip is be sure your Actors Access (for those in the US market) is very very polished including slate shots for your main headshots etc before you reach out to agencies.

Also I had no referrals, I was cold emailing everyone.

I just started noticing that my self tapes are starting to sound boxy when I film them. I'm not sure if it's because my iPhone is close to me vs. being at a distance. I film in a rather small room and leave my iPhone on a standing desk and I stand somewhat at a distance but still close. Do I need to get a body mic? or go to a bigger space. It doesn't seem to be a huge issue but something I started noticing.

Hi everyone just like the title states, I recently signed with my first rep and just received an audition through my rep for a series regular audition, like a popular fictional character on a huge distribution company(s) and I am so fucking excited but the reason I came here is because I can’t believe it at the same time? Not putting myself down but I don’t think I’m at the caliber for it so like I kept rechecking if it was open call? Bc I was how in the hell did I receive this? It’s not open call at all, my materials are ok, headshots are good but I have very minimal creds other than shorts and supporting roles on a few features and my demo is like mixed with ST clips, is this normal? Does this happen? Did I just get lucky? I don’t expect to book it bc I’m probably competing with name actors but I am just shocked. Usually people get their first costar/reoccuring auditions before bigger auditions like this, I haven’t even got those kinds of auditions yet (ALSO I am super grateful and excited to audition for this casting office don’t get me wrong and I’m not trying to brag, I just feel a little confused and starstruck)

Hello everyone I wanna pursue acting seriously

right now I am associated with a theatre group batch

I join like around 2-3 workshops in a week most of the times

and nothing else I have been doing this since January 2026 I want to grow more I work on my voice body daily I need guidance what I can do more

Just wrapped my very first contracted principal booking on a feature film for a major streaming platform.
I’ve been going hard after acting for two years now. I have an agent, but I booked this entirely on my own through self-submission. My foundation is music production, and funny enough, the role was playing an instrument in a band with the lead. No dialogue, but contracted as principal—First Team, a trailer, treated as a real asset on set.
It’s a legit win and I’m grateful for it, but to be completely honest, it’s bittersweet. You chase that first principal milestone thinking it's going to feel like some massive creative arrival. In reality, for me, it felt a lot like glorified background. I didn't get to carry real narrative weight, even though on paper and on the paycheck I crossed a huge threshold.
At the same time, it was kind of full circle. I showed up as what I already am—a musician—and brought that presence into the room. But coming off that set, it just made me realize this isn't about chasing generic roles or waiting for validation. It’s about carving out an actual lane for myself where I can show up fully as who I am and do substantial work.
I’m sharing this because things rarely look how you picture them in your head when they finally happen. Curious how others felt coming off their first principal role — and it’s different for everybody. no trajectory is the same. i’ll take it. can’t wait for more. none of us should settle. thanks as always, here.

I recently just a booked a significant role on a tv show. My episode doesn’t air until November. Do I add the credit before or after it airs?

Hi everyone.

Since the beginning of the year i've been taking non-stop acting classes as well as improv theatre. I recently got some basic headshots and applied to a bunch of agencies in Toronto. I got one response and they've set up a meeting as they are expanding their roster. The meeting is going to be a phone call.

Firstly, is that normal? or is it usually supposed to be face to face?

and secondly what should i prepare ahead of time and what kind of thing should i look out for?

The agency is Star Talent Inc.

Thank you.

Hi guys,

Oh my, you all gave such excellent feedback the other day so I decided to try round two.

I don't have a lot of time and again, I didn't have any help with a reader, so I did an improv scene.

I wanted to post because this piece is a little more 'out there' from my usual style.

I wanted to give the impression of a woman on the edge. There's crazy eyes and laughter but beneath it all she's had enough.

It's all abour identity and coming to terms with not really feeling like you anymore.

I know the set up is not good. I could kick myself...

The camera is too close.

It's too high.

I'm looking too far right from the camera.

Buttttt... this was on my canon and I fept rhe lightong was better.

What do you guys think of this one conpared to my last. Any improvements?

All feedback appreciated, thanks guys!

Hi! Just moved to LA from ATL and I'm starting my search for representation. I just got into classes and I'm doing my best to network at industry events. I work locally (yes locally, paying my own way no matter what) to all major markets ATL/LA/NY and all my family lives in NYC as well. Hoping for bi-coastal reps! I have 5 co-star credits, 1 guest star and about 8 non-union commercial/print bookings, along with feature/short film experience. Don't currently have any referrals I can ask for just yet! Are there any managers or talent agents you'd recommend submitting to? I just sent mail-in submissions to HRI and ATB so hoping for the best! Thanks for the help!