I have been an acting coach for over twenty years now––and I’ve seen a multitude of disciplines from many of my students. I’ve had some start classes and never missed them for years! Plus, I’ve had many who will take classes for a few months and conclude that acting really isn’t for them. I’ve also had a handful of students who take a few months or years of class, book a decent gig, and suddenly think they no longer need training.
Effort In Results Out
Acting is exactly like anything else—effort in results out. Even actors who have a natural ability still need training! It’s astounding how much there is to know about the dynamics of a scene and what needs to be done to create the many different characters an actor may play.
Pro athletes constantly train. And the same goes for any concert musician. It is ridiculous to think that any of these people could train to get “good enough” and then not train any further, right? It would be like going to the gym to get a beach body and, once you have it, thinking you don’t need to lift another weight or do another minute of cardio.
Competition is Fierce
It’s also important to remember how competitive acting is. I believe there’s more competition for acting roles than there has ever been. Of course, the reason for this is the internet.
When I was in LA over twenty years ago, there may have been two hundred and fifty other actors vying for a role that I was auditioning for. With actors submitting mostly video auditions these days, it allows thousands of other actors to audition for the same role you want. And, I promise you, the actor who has put in the hours of training clearly shows that they know what they are doing and can also take direction will get the role.
What About Luck?
Yes, luck happens occasionally, and there is such a thing as beginner’s luck. However, I would not count on that for a long-term strategy.
That being said, I also believe it is important for an actor to find a class, coach and technique that works for them. When I say “works,” they are getting auditions, callbacks and booking jobs.
Acting is very personal, and what works for one student may not work for another. I believe that once an actor does find a good fit in this regard, they should stick with it. I’ve coached actors who try to combine different methods and it often just doesn’t work. They bog themselves down with too many details to consider and end up with nothing truly working.
So, the next time you think about how long should you take acting classes…think about how many artists spend their whole lives learning and improving their skills. It’s a life-long practice!
Book a Class with Us Today
Want to take acting classes in Dallas? You’ll find our studio is at Southside on Lamar, where I coach five classes a week. We would love to have you come and observe a class. To learn more about the studio, please make an appointment here. If you have any questions, please feel free to email us at info@tbellactorsstudio.com or pop in to visit at 1409 Botham Jean Blvd, Dallas, TX.
About Theresa Bell
Theresa Bell has been in the film business since 1987 when she began her acting career. She received her SAG card from Oliver Stone on Talk Radio and worked with Mr. Stone on two more films. She began her screenwriting career in 1995 and has been recognized in three competitions for three different screenplays; most notably, the first Project Greenlight Contest, which selected her feature-length screenplay, Lullaby, to be in the top 30 out of 7,000 entries. TBell began coaching actors in 2001 and has watched many of them find success; most recently Kamille McCuin stars in the film NOLA Circus which was just accepted into the Cannes Film Festival and Cynthia Santiago had a role in the movie 99 Homes which was an official selection at Sundance. She wrote and produced the short film, Sweetwater, based on one of her full-length feature scripts. Sweetwater was accepted into the Dallas Film Festival and the USA Film Festival in 2004. In 2012, she directed the short film Spark! for the 48 Hour Film Contest in Mississippi. The film earned the honor of best cinematography. Theresa produced, wrote, and directed the short film, Lullaby, based on her feature script in 2015, which aired on HBO Latino in February 2021. She is also an accomplished oil painter.
