Wednesday, September 22, 2010

The Essence of an Actor

The essence of an actor is the quality or qualities that define you as an actor.  It is the ‘X-factor’ that sets you apart from the hundred hopefuls at an audition.  This factor varies from your style to your hair, smile or voice, to name a few.  It can also be internal traits such as your presence, confidence and attitude.  These qualities draw a casting director to you, making them say, “Yes! I want him/her!  It’s my final decision!”  However, this essence is unique to every individual and casting director.  Therefore, it is important to know when to tone your quirk down to suit the atmosphere and vibe.  Regardless, you should always be approachable and unintimidating—there is nothing worse than an actor that no one can work with.  The essence of an actor is the hook on a line, reeling a director in so that he/she can reel you into his/her film.

The essence of an actor may also be understood as the rudiments of you as a person—all the experiences and struggles in your past.  It includes your motivation and drive to do what you do, the flame inside that pushes you to pursue your dreams, despite its adversaries and challenges.  Some people may act to reach out to others, to make a difference in the world, to surpass expectations among many others.

Finding your essence can be hard to accomplish.  It is like answering the questions: "Who are you really?", "What is your purpose for living?" etc.  Nobody really knows the answer and many spend all of their life searching.  However, this can be done by taking time to yourself to appreciate what you have got and what you want and why you want it.  You can look back at all of the obstacles that you had overcome to be where you are now. You can look at all the people you have met and the impact that they have left on you.  You will then realize why you do what you do, the people you do it for etc.
                                                                 
Ultimately, to find the essence of an actor is to uncover his/her building blocks and discover that one trait that sets him/her apart from a crowd of hundreds.

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