What To Do When You’re Acting Career Becomes a Freeze Frame

Everyone gets stuck. It’s part of life and it’s definitely part of acting. You put in a ton of effort, you’re on the go and things seem to be moving really well. But then you hit a wall. A slow season. You wonder if it’s you and if this is your new normal. And you’re not the only one. 

The trick is to maintain a healthy perspective and recommit. If you let it get you down, it will become your new normal. If you choose to rise above it, you’ll do just that. At the New York Acting School for Film and Television, we meet actors at all levels of their career. And one thing we want everyone to know is that the road to acting success is a journey, not an overnight leap. So when the going gets slow, you need to know how to keep going. 

The first thing you need to do before you can ever move through a challenge is remember why you’re doing it in the first place. You’ve got to have a strong enough why to fuel you through the hard times.

Learn new skills. Take new classes outside your comfort zone. You could try improv, comedy or silent acting group. Taking classes and participating in workshops, or studying in full-time drama/theatre programs will help you fine-tune your existing skills and pick up new ones. You’ll learn from instructors, directors, and other actors with different backgrounds and perspectives.

Take it further and learn from a coach on a one on one basis. Choosing help is the difference between wishing and wanting to creating and getting. They’ll help you by helping you improve on very specific areas as well as help you set priorities to reach your goals.

Have a life. All work and no play will leave you forgetting that you love what you do. It's time to get out of your own head. It's time to meet new people and do new things. Hike. Read a novel. Eat out every Thursday at a new lunch spot. Take a drawing class. Garden. Experience everyday joy so your job doesn’t wear you down.

To get more tips and take your acting career even farther, do something for yourself and get registered for an acting class; you’ll gain new experiences and perspectives that you can apply to future roles.  From all of us at The New York Acting School, we salute to your success!