Why Actors Quit (And Why You Won't!)

 Why do some actors fail and churn out of the industry? There’s one BIG reason.

You might not know this, but you have an invisible time limit on making it happen. Don’t let it happen to you! Let’s talk about arming yourself with what you MUST know as an actor.

Make luck the ONLY factor you can't control.

 When the odds are not in your favor, because only one actor can book a role, I like to approach the situation with every tool available to me. Since luck is a big factor in booking roles, why not do everything you can to make luck the ONLY factor that you can’t control.

 When you approach a job that you want, whether it’s coming out of college or trying to move from one job to another, you do a lot of research, right?

You write a great resume. You line up your referrals. You research what to expect within that company. What questions are they going to ask? What experience will help you land the job? You make sure you have the right education and qualifications so you know you’re ready for the job. You prepare as much as possible before the interview.

Can you imagine showing up to a job interview with no knowledge of how their industry works, not sure of how to perform your own job if you were hired, having almost no education or background, just hoping desperately that they’ll hire you because you’re good looking or because you want it so badly?

It sounds silly, right? You would never do that. (I hope.)

But that’s what many actors do when they dip their toe into the waters of the film and television industry. 

They enter with little to no education on the craft of acting, and definitely with no education on the business of acting.

How do you know what you don't know?

It’s almost understandable that this is the situation for most actors in the beginning. It’s rare to find a program that educates new actors on how the BUSINESS works. 

You’ll find many acting classes, but the good ones, the ones that REALLY make a difference in your skills, are a bit harder to find.

Our business is tough enough as it is with such a low probability of booking a role. But when you add the situation where you may not know how to capitalize on an opportunity, it gets that much more frustrating. 

The typical actor enters the industry after an acting class or drama school or conservatory. They fall in love with the craft and begin to feel their way around. Their main question is, “How do I start?”

Then, they go about asking everyone and anyone in the business, “What are you doing?” or “How did you book that?” or “How did you get an agent?” 

And you take that person’s advice because that’s all you’ve got. Then, you ask someone else, and they tell you the exact opposite strategy. You have no clue whether the advice is good or bad.

This is the beginning of a long, frustrating, rollercoaster of emotions. 

There’s a time limit on most people’s willingness to put in the effort to become a working actor. Once they hit too much push-back or they don’t get the wins they so desperately want, they give up.

Don’t let this happen to you.

You must understand THE BUSINESS OF ACTING!

No matter how talented you are, no matter how extraordinary your look is, without understanding the BUSINESS of acting, your chances of making it in the industry, booking work on film & TV sets, is very small. 

I’m sure you know you need a headshot and a resume to get started. 

Let’s talk about your headshot as our example.

Do you know exactly how important they really are? If you did, you wouldn’t start your career with a selfie or a picture from prom. You’d get professional headshots done by someone who’s been involved in the industry.

When you decide you’re going to “try” and see how it goes, but you start with a very amateur picture of yourself, you’re almost guaranteeing you won’t last.

If you don’t understand how to compete against the other actors “trying” who have decided to go in 100%, giving it their all, you won’t compete at all.

When all you are to a casting director in the beginning is a face, that headshot needs to pop off the screen amongst all the other headshots. 

When they find someone that interests them, they’ll click on that face. Once they click on you, they can see everything else you’ve provided, your resume, your actor’s reel or clips, skills, training… everything.

If you’re a little selfie, amongst the power of the other headshots, you’re not maximizing your chances of getting that desired click.

You fade into the background.

Stand out, grab attention!!

Your job as an actor is to stand out, grab attention, be the focus, jump off that screen and scream, “Me!”

If you’re trying to get auditions using a photo that doesn’t get the attention of casting directors, then your efforts won’t go anywhere. 

So no matter how many acting classes you’ve taken or are currently taking, no matter how great your resume is, no matter how great your reel is, no matter how talented and brilliant you are as an actor, the casting director will never see it!

And this is just one tiny part of understanding a sliver of the importance of the tools we use as actors in the business to get work.

You get what you give.

So when you approach becoming an actor in film and television with the smallest amount of effort and investment, that’s what you’re going to get back...a small response or no response.

Eventually, while you’re taking acting classes and paying to submit yourself for auditions, you’re going to get beaten down and tired. You’ll start to question if you even wanted to do this.

Or even worse, question whether you’re good enough.

When, in reality, what was wrong in the first place was the execution of your tools.

You're making it too hard!

It’s like trying to cut a steak with a butter knife and everyone else has the latest serrated blade. You’re going to struggle. It’s not impossible, but it’s a lot harder to cut through.

As in cut through and take a bite out of the industry to get your first taste of success.

So, yes, you can try with a selfie or a simple photo, no one is gonna make you do better than you want to.

But your expectations must match the level of effort in your attempt.

And this is where actors fail.

 It’s in our expectations that we give up.

It’s understanding how the industry works and what it takes and how long it takes. It’s understanding how to define success as an actor. 

And it’s not just about your headshot. It’s about all the other tools we control as actors.

 And if you’re asking, “What other tools?”  You need to understand the business of being an actor in film and television.

Until you control all the levers at your disposal as an actor, you’ll keep falling short of those who KNOW what you don’t know.

And in time, after giving it a few months, or even years, after stumbling around, taking advice from other struggling actors, paying money for classes and other acting expenses, and not understanding when you’ve actually had your foot on the ladder of success, you’ll quit.

Knowing what to control in your acting business, 

understanding how the industry works, mentally being prepared for the ups and downs, having the right attitude about what your job truly is as an actor, and having the right expectations on what success looks like will give you a power that most actors don’t have.

You’re armored with defenses against negative thoughts and energy because you understand what it’s all about.

 Being discovered and plucked from obscurity isn’t how it works anymore. Training, dedication, persistence and longevity in this business will show you the path of your success along the way.

Luck PLUS readiness is the key.

 As much as luck plays its part in a career, so does your readiness and willingness to control the pieces that you can.

Even knowing when you’ve had success as an actor can be confusing. When you’ve experienced an opportunity that others would die for, but you’ve dismissed it because you want more and you want it faster...that’s killing your attitude, your spirit and mental strength.

Know when you're winning.

You need to learn what a “win” is to an actor. No one wants to work with someone who’s bitter and ungrateful. 

It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy when you come into this business with your “I’ll try” mentality. 

Like Yoda says “there is no try.”

You’ve got to know what to expect and what success looks like to an actor so that you can grab onto it and enjoy it.

Educate yourself on the industry by getting a mentor or a career coach. 

Just like you go to college to learn a business, you need to get an education on how our business works.

Yes, luck plays a role, even when you don’t know how it works. But, basing success of your career on luck isn’t the smartest strategy.

Learn about the levers in this industry that you can control. It makes the biggest difference in helping you last longer in this business, which gives you more opportunities for success.

So, if you want to know about all the levers you can pull to increase your chances of success as an actor in the film and television industry, I’m here to help!

Have a great day and Break A Leg!