08 Oct Actor Type: What is it and How to Find It
Today we’re going to talk about how to find your actor type. Now, why is that important? Because look closely at yourself. Look. On-camera acting is a visual medium. And everything you do sends some kind of signal.
It’s not like the stage where we look where there’s a noise, or it’s driven by dialogue. Acting for TV/Film is very, very visual. We see things up close, and that’s what we remember. So think about yourself for a second, as an actor. Do you know your actor type? Who are you? I know sometimes people say, oh, I don’t want to get typecast. Have you heard that before? In Hollywood, people say, I don’t want to be typecast.
Well, you know what? I think if you get typecast, you’re doing great. Because that means you’re famous and that starts with knowing your actor type. So I hope that happens to you. So first of all, we want to understand what is your actor type? And by that, I mean your brand. Am I tall? Am I blonde? Am I silly ? Am I happy? Am I moody? Am I creative? Am I mysterious? Am I romantic?
Do you ever see characters in stories where you think, I could have played that character. That could be me. What are those characters? How do you identify yourself? Could you play a cheerleader? Could you play a gangster? Could you play the valedictorian of your school? What actor type are you? Now, how do you figure that out? I’ll give you a really quick sort of outline to think about that.
What do you see when you look in the mirror? Who is that person? Who is this amazing person, this amazing actor? Are you funny? Are you sensitive? Are you a dreamer? Are you dangerous? And don’t judge it, because think of actors who make a living being scary. Some of them are really nice people. All of them, really. It’s acting. But it comes from emotion, and feeling, and something people get from you.
So here’s what I want you to think about.. I want you to find three TV shows, or three movies, where there’s a part for you. What would that be? A part for you that you know you could play. And then start to connect in your mind, what do those roles have in common? Why do you like these actor types? How is it that you see yourself?
Well, first of all, look for a character who is roughly your age, right? That should be important. You’re only going to play people who are your age. And the great thing about acting is, all the things in life that people judge about you, those are all your attributes and gifts as an actor. Every single one of those. If you’re shy, if you’re sensitive, if you have a bad temper, let’s say, those are things that are going to be the building blocks of your acting career. Because you will get cast just because you are shy, temperamental etc. So get to work and find TV shows, and movies, with the type of actor you would and want to play. A character that fits your personality best and have fun doing it.
