Mastery of This Real Skill Is the Secret to Make It In Acting

You want to act and you want to get booked now. You’ve got plenty of experience but success is seeming to take on a slow momentum. What do you do? What are you missing? Is it always going to be this way or is there a faster way through it? One thing I’ve learned in my lifetime of both experience and education is that there are certain skills that if you don’t master, your career will be a disaster, but when you do - you’ll… get there faster. Today I want to cover one in particular that’s known for being able to make or break your career, depending on what you do with it. 

This skill? Has to do with your mind. It’s not so much about mindset or positive mental focus, even though that’s very powerful. In fact, it’s slightly connected to that, in the sense that too much of a good thing can also lead to you’re ruin. 

The problem and solution? Thinking. Too much and overthinking is one of the fastest ways to sabotage your chance at an audition, your character development, even your wins and losses. Not sure if this applies to you? Check the list below.

• overthink your role?
• stress about landing the part?
• fear that others are succeeding faster than you?
• see acting as work more than play?
• find yourself desperately taking low end jobs and then complaining about it?
• beat yourself off for not performing perfectly?
• dream about the red carpet, money and glory more than the experience?

You can’t overthink the role. Acting is about studying and embodying; becoming, not over analyzing. So if you find yourself over thinking - it’s time to get into a new class that helps you hone in on your skill as well as loose yourself to the role.

Stressing about landing the part will get you nowhere. You will be rejected more often than you’re chosen. It’s not personal - it’s just a very particular art. Trust that you will be perfect for certain roles and as long as you’re showing up as you at your best, you’ll get the roles you’re meant for.

Some people will succeed faster than you - but don’t compare yourself or get bitter about it. If anything, learn from it. See what they’re doing that you’re not, or where they’re gifted that you could stand to have more education or practice and then do something about it.

When actors see it too much as a job, they lose their love for the art. Don’t let this happen to you. Keep it fun, keep your passion alive and see the good in each experience.

In the end, you are the leader here and sometimes leading is about allowing the path to unfold. Other times it’s about educating yourself and it’s just about always about being thankful for where you’re at. But in the end, if you have the right intention for succeeding (you love it) and you’re humble and committed to learning - you’ll go far.

At the New York Acting School for Film and Television, we know you want to succeed. But we also knows the very habits that hold you back. So we focus on helping you excel while keeping it fun and keeping your love of acting alive! We hope you'll join us for one of our many classes and other offerings in New York City as you continue on the path to acting success!