Education · 1 of 4
The path
There is no license and no required qualification. There is training, and there is getting seen.
- 1
High school
Grades 9 to 12
Every school play, every community theater audition. Voice and movement training starts paying off early.
- 2
Training, if you want it
0 to 4 years
A four year bachelor of fine arts in acting, a two or three year conservatory, or ongoing private classes. All three are respected. Admission is by audition, not grades.
- 3
Build credits
1 to 3 years
Student films, small theaters, unpaid shorts. You need footage and a resume before an agent will meet you.
- 4
Get representation
Varies
An agent submits you for auditions you cannot reach yourself. They take a percentage, usually 10 percent, and they never charge you up front.
- 5
Join a union
After qualifying work
Actors' Equity Association for stage, and the screen actors union for film and television. Union membership unlocks the contracts with minimum pay, pensions and health coverage.