To Train or Not to Train – Part I: At a Certain Point, Does an Actor Still Need Training?

To Train or Not to Train

As we move through our careers as artists and attain a certain level of success (whether that be consistently booking guest stars and recurring roles, becoming a member of a reputable theater company or some other definition of success), it can be tempting to think that you’ve “gotten there” and that there’s no longer a need for training.

I’ve also seen students come straight out of conservatory training programs thinking that they’re all set. They have all the training they need, and they don’t need to attend class or regularly “work out” their acting muscle.

As an actors’ business coach, and an actress myself, I know that ongoing training is vital to success as a performance artist. This is true because not only is continual growth and expansion important to any art form, but also because your competition is training. If you want to book work, you must train.

Over the last few weeks, I’ve interviewed some important industry voices on the topic of training. Here’s what they had to say...

Is ongoing training Important?

Read More
How Come I Haven’t Won an Oscar Yet?

I’d be willing to bet that you’ve had the thought (at least once or twice), “I should be further along in my acting career by now.”

 

It’s pretty normal for actors to have this thought. After all, most of us have gone out of our way to fulfill our life dreams. We leave our hometown to carve out a little space for ourselves in INSERT BIG CITY HERE much to the astonishment of our family members. Maybe they support us, if we’re lucky.

 

We took the big risks. We followed our dreams! And in life, doesn’t big risk yield big rewards? It worked for Tina Fey so it should work for me, too, right?


So when the day comes that you turn around and look at all the work behind you and then look at the road ahead of you and realize that there’s no discernable path that leads directly to an Oscar, you may hear yourself thinking it...

Read More
5 Powerful Actor Actions that Will Take Your Career to the Next Level

As actors, it’s easy to fall into the trap of feeling powerless. Waiting for a callback, hoping for a booking, crossing our fingers that they wanted a brunette instead of a blonde. Can you relate to that feeling?

Even though there are aspects to an actor’s career that, yes, rest in the hands of the powers that be, it’s a trick of the mind to get in the habit of expecting that we don’t have any control.

Or – said another way – we’re fooling ourselves if we don’t recognize that when we step into the world with focused intention and take charge of where we want our career to go, we become incredibly powerful!

Here are 5 things you can do today to own your power as an artist and creator... “desperately checking to see if your agent called” not included!

Read More
Courtney RiouxComment
Avoid Overwhelm from Big Goals

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” - Lao Tzu

 

Ever have that moment where you look at the road ahead of you and think, “How on earth am Iever going to get this done?”

As actors, we dream big [LINK: 2015 Year in Review]. We have to! If we didn’t have a strong vision of seeing ourselves on stage at the Oscars winning the golden statue, we might not have the fortitude to continue getting up early every day to brew coffee for cranky nine-to-fivers. It’s all in service to our grand vision.

The vision is fantastic – but sometimes when a dose of reality hits (say, you don’t get a part you want or auditions are slow), it can be really overwhelming.

If you’ve ever had thoughts like, “I can’t believe how much hard work this will take,” or even “This feels impossible,” then this blog post is for you!

Read More
Are You Down with the Know/Like/Trust Factor?

Let’s face it: people want to do business with people they KLT. That is, people they know, like and trust. 

That’s how it works on the playground, that’s how it works in the business world, and that’s how it works in the acting world! Think about it this way: imagine that you’re a casting director and the production company hired you to present them with the top three actors to fill each role. You want to do a good job so you can get paid and continue working as a CD. 

So you’re not going to bring them complete strangers, are you? No way! You’re going to bring them excellent people who you know will show up on time, are likable and personable, and who you can trust to get the job done right the first time. 

But... when you’re an actor trying to book more work (and you don’t have 20 years’ worth of carefully cultivated relationships under your belt) where can you start? 

Read More
How to Get Things Done (Even When You Really Just Want to Watch Game of Thrones)

No matter what business you’re in, no matter what stage of life you’re in, there will inevitably be moments when you need to get something done that you just don’t want to do.  That’s exactly why I’m excited to share the concept of Activation Energy. I wish I could take credit for this incredible idea that changed my approach to business, acting and productivity...

Read More