Yes! You figured out your acting type and are ready to kick your career into the next gear. You figured out that you are the ‘quirky librarian’ but realize so are countless others in this city! How do you stand out from the rest at your film, tv, and play auditions?
The answer: Your unique personality.
Just like a Ph.D must master a unique, one of a kind topic, so must successful actors master a unique, one of a kind topic – themselves.
Everyone has a unique personality and many who find this early on seem to see their careers skyrocket because they are hitting their type (so they’re getting into the room) and distinguishing themselves from the rest of those at the acting audition (so they are booking the roles left and right). There are several aspects to your personality that make you unique but I will touch on the two more noticeable.
The first is more obvious, it’s how you express yourself without words. Do you have a distinct laugh or an expressive habit (facial or otherwise) that seems to peak in unique moments? Do you have a unique speech pattern or vocal resonance that you may be embarrassed about because it has made you stand out in the crowd of friends? Well this is the time to stand out, so it’s time to play with it in acting classes and acting workshops and see how it helps your work. Do you present an intensity or vibrancy that becomes hard to hold back? These are the attributes that separate a De Niro from a Pacino or a Poitier from a Belafonte.
The degree at which you share your unique attributes may vary from role to role but having those tools in your pocket can come in handy in the most opportune times. So in your next acting workshop or acting class explore your uniqueness so you can become the master of ‘you.’
ScriptClips Tip:
With ScriptClips you can search for acting scenes from tv and film scripts that are unique to you and your type by entering keywords within the search bar, or selecting ‘Subtype’, or ‘Additional Description’ and entering in the keywords of traits that would fit your type more specifically. Click here to login to your free account and filter through the libraries using these dynamic search features to find the best script scene for you.
Author: Christian Telesmar is a professional actor living in Los Angeles, CA. He received his Bachelors (BA) from the University of Washington as well as his Master of Fine Arts (MFA) from the University of Washington School of Drama’s Professional Acting Training Program (PATP). He also holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Kaplan University School of Business. He is known for his work in Stomp the Yard 2 (2010), Sense and Sensibility (2014), and BONES on FOX (2015). He is also a freelance Creative Director and Writer, having won awards for his promotional work with Microsoft Windows 7, Wal Mart, and Pepsi Co. He enjoys hiking and is an avid Seahawks fan.
