Acting Tips for Getting Over Nerves

Posted by Stephanie Aleksanyan | Leave a comment

nerves

Thousands of people a year move to Hollywood, California with big dreams of becoming the next Brad Pitt or Angelina Jolie. So you can imagine how steep the competition is in the acting industry. At auditions, actors are sometimes competing with hundreds of other actors for one role. Actors literally only have about a minute or two to show the casting director that they are the best person for the role. Sometimes at auditions there might be one to ten people in the room and everybody is staring at you. This can make the actor very tense and nervous. Who can blame actors? That can be a lot of pressure.

The Casting Director will need to first establish if you are physically right for the role. Also, they will need to see if the actor will come through with great choices and have a great attitude or personality. They will also look to see if the actor is confident. An actor can have all of these factors and may not get the job because he/she is two inches too tall or too short, not because they are a terrible actor. So, actors can sometimes fall apart and later find out that they weren’t even right for that particular role.

When actors fall apart in the audition room, it’s usually because of nervousness. That can come from wanting to do a great job, wanting to book that particular role, and or being concerned about letting others down and even letting themselves down.

Here are a few acting tips that I collected from different instructors from SmartActors that will help actors with their nerves: Please note that a lot of these acting tips go hand in hand.

1. Confidence

I cannot stress enough how important this factor is to the actor. If you aren’t confident you are this character, then it is more difficult for the casting director to be confident seeing you as that character.

2. Casting directors are actually rooting for your success

Casting directors aren’t bad people. They just want to find the right person for the role, so it might as well be you!

3. Being prompt and prepared

Being prompt shows the casting director that you are responsible and a professional. Professionals understand that being late can put others in an uncomfortable situation. Casting directors sometimes think if you are late for your audition, you may show up late on the set if hired. Being late on the set can sometimes cost the production money (More on casting etiquette).

Being prepared is very important because it will give you more confidence and make the casting director feel confident in bringing you back for producers and or hiring you.

4. Private Training

Getting a one on one private face to face (in person) or skype one on one session will prepare you better for your audition. It is proven that actors book more jobs if they work with a coach beforehand. This helps the actor stand out more, especially if the coach is seasoned and proven in the industry.

5. Relax and Let Go

Taking a deep breath and saying the words 'Relax and Let Go' before you walk into your audition is great for the actor.

6. Don't try to be perfect

There is no such thing as perfection in life so why should there be perfection in your character. Just become the character and trust that everything will be okay.

7. Fill yourself with positive words before going in

For example, “I can do this” and “I will be great” instead of “I'm going to forget a line” or “I'm going to screw up. ” This will help with two things; your confidence and relaxing.

8. Stop caring

Stop caring about doing a good job. Just focus on the work at hand.

stephanie

About the Author:

Stephanie Aleksanyan is an actress and an expert in the field of Acting. She is the Vice President of SmartActors.com, offering affordable classes and one on one coaching with celebrities, Award Winning, and Top Acting Instructors.