With the pandemic still spreading actors are largely limited to their homes. We know it can be easy for entertainers to feel exasperated with the conditions. After all, actors want to act. But being an actor is very much a social occupation—lessons involve groups of actors, tryouts require lobbies full of people for each role, productions hire cast and crews. The present social-distancing necessities have turned the industry upside-down, and it’s uncertain exactly what the future will be at this point.
But there’s one thing for certain: there’s zero lack of demand for entertainment. Folks will always want to watch great movies and TV shows—and commercials surely will never be a thing of the past. So, performers, keep the faith and use this dear time to your benefit.
Work on your extraordinary talents.
Have you been meaning to learn to play an instrument, pick up a new language, or brush up on some scripts? Have you established intermediate-level skills in voice over and you’d like to advance that? This is the best time to do so. Every new exceptional skill you obtain translates to future audition possibilities—if not jobs.
Develop your “Portfolio.”
All of the resources that entertainers use to market themselves, including your headshots, acting clips, and resume, make up your portfolio. Entertainers often forget to put together a good package. The package is typically where most entertainers bomb because they don’t know how to take headshots. All they take are nice-looking pictures. And they don’t embody your type. And you have to know your style. And they don’t have good acting clips because they don’t know what goes in an acting clip to make it good.
Turn off the TV and tune into your passion.
To become decent at anything involves time plus energy. Looking at stuff like the news will probably leave you feeling distraught, maybe even kill your energy, and overindulging on a Netflix series is sure to eat up much of your valuable time. Remember to look at this quarantine time as a gift and promise to use it cleverly. Consider the number of hours a piano virtuoso puts into refining their musical capabilities each day or how long an Olympic runner trains at the track. Those are ethics of excellence, and surely your goal is to be an excellent actor. So whatsoever it is you need to work on, really devote your time. That way, when the industry gets back rolling, you’ll be ready to go.
