Simple Everyday Activities You Can Do to Be a Better Actor

Of course we at the New York Acting School believe it’s always good to be in classes and working with coaches to better your skills. But what if you’re not ready to commit to a class and still want to improve what you know? Can you become a better actor on your own time? Well, while there’s no substitute for learning from the pros, there are still things you can do during everyday life to help you become a better actor.

First of all, what’s better for diving into character than getting into their worlds with your mind? Acting - really talented acting relies on the ability to stretch your imagination. To embody people and their personalities. The best way you can practice this is to read. Read novels. Classics. Anything. But notice the descriptive ways stories are told and see how you can imagine being the different characters in the story as it develops.

Listen. Next, I’d suggest listening to your relatives, or to the people at your favorite restaurants. Talk to people and hear them tell their stories - from the stories about their days to the stories of the years that have gone by. Watch how they express natural emotion and and carry you along in the suspense and curiosity! There’s a lot to learn from here.

Listen to music and notice the lyrics in the songs. Music is quite an untapped resource into character development for actors. You have the chance to lean in and listen to someone tell their story of joy or heartache in poetic form, full of emotion magnified by instruments and dynamics. Can you get into the head or life of the songwriter or the persona they’re singing as? What have they been through? Can you practice feeling and thinking from that space?

Binge on your favorite stars. It never hurts, if you have an actor that you can relate to or who’s path you aspire to follow, to binge watch their greatest movies or performances. Want to be better at improvisational comedy or extreme emotional silliness? Have a weekend of only watching Jim Carrey Movies and see what you can learn. Take it further and have a few acting friends over where you all watch the movie and choose to embody a character whom you act as for the evening. This is well worth doing!

Lastly, don’t forget to have a life of your own. Get out into the world, into different cultures and doing different things. One of the best ways to better yourself - as an actor or simply as a person - is to get out and live. Be an enjoyer and observer of life. Go on adventures. Love. Laugh. Learn from everyone and everything.

Because really, life is a stage, isn’t it? And your character is front and center. Give it your best. 

And when you decide it’s time to dive into classes or your personal coach, simply reach out to the New York Acting School for Film and Television and we’ll make sure you find the class that’s just the right fit for you.