How to Become an Actor:

The Complete Step-by-Step Guide to Starting an Acting Career

By Sebastian Reinert, September 2026

Dreaming of becoming an actor?

Here's how to turn that dream into a real acting career.

Becoming an actor can seem mysterious from the outside.

You see actors walking red carpets, starring in movies and television shows, appearing on Netflix, booking commercials, and signing with major talent agencies. It can make the entertainment industry look like a place where a lucky few simply get discovered.

The reality is different.

Well…

Margot Robbie began her professional acting career on the Australian soap opera Neighbours before moving to Hollywood and landing increasingly prominent film roles.
Michael B. Jordan began acting professionally as a child, appearing in television productions including The Wire and All My Children before becoming a leading film actor through projects such as Fruitvale Station, Creed, and Black Panther.
Leonardo DiCaprio started working professionally as a child actor, appearing in television commercials and series before landing film roles that eventually established him as one of Hollywood's leading actors.

A professional acting career is usually built through a combination of training, preparation, experience, professional marketing materials, auditions, relationships, persistence, and smart career decisions.

You don't have to be famous to get started.

You don't need hundreds of acting credits.

And you don't necessarily need to move to Los Angeles tomorrow.

But if you want to build a serious career, you do need to understand how the business actually works.

Here's how to start:

What Does It Really Take to Become an Actor?

Before we get into the practical steps, let's clear up one important misconception.

There isn't one single path to becoming an actor.

Some actors begin in theater. Others start with film or television classes. Some discover acting through school. Others begin as adults after pursuing completely different careers.

Some actors build credits independently before finding representation. Others eventually attend conservatory programs, universities, or specialized acting schools.

What successful actors tend to have in common is not one specific school or one secret formula.

They keep developing their craft, understand how to present themselves professionally, audition consistently, learn the business, and continue working even when opportunities don't come immediately.

The goal isn't simply to "get discovered."

The goal is to become ready when the opportunity comes.

A great video to watch before we dive in:

1. Learn the Craft of Acting

Your first responsibility as an actor is to become a better actor.

It sounds obvious, but it's one of the most important parts of building a career.

Acting is a skill.

You can have natural charisma, confidence, personality, or screen presence and still need training.

Professional acting training can help you develop skills such as:

Scene study
Character development
Improvisation
Emotional preparation
Voice
Movement
Script analysis
Listening and reacting
Cold reading
Audition technique
On-camera acting

You don't have to become a completely different person to act.

Good training should help you become more truthful, specific, present, and confident in your work.

Don't confuse confidence with preparation

One of the biggest mistakes new actors make is believing that being comfortable in front of people automatically means they're ready for professional auditions.

It doesn't.

Auditioning is a skill of its own.

The more you train, rehearse, perform, and receive constructive feedback, the more prepared you become.

Backstage similarly recommends that beginning actors explore acting classes and develop a foundation before relying heavily on coaching or auditions.

2. Decide What Kind of Acting You Want to Pursue

You don't have to know your entire career plan on day one.

But it helps to understand the major areas of the business.

Film & Television

This includes:

Feature films
Independent films
Television series
Streaming productions
TV movies
Short films
Digital productions

Commercial Acting

Commercial actors appear in advertising for products and services.

Commercial casting can have different requirements from theatrical film and television casting.

Theater

Theater can provide valuable performance experience and help actors develop their voice, movement, memorization, and ability to perform in front of a live audience.

Voiceover

Voice actors work in areas such as:

Animation
Video games
Commercials
Narration
Audiobooks
Corporate media

Young Actors

Children and teenagers have their own considerations involving education, training, parental involvement, working permits, scheduling, and appropriate representation.

You don't have to choose only one category forever.

Your career can evolve.

3. Start Building Your Acting Experience

You don't need to wait for a major Hollywood production to start gaining experience.

Look for legitimate opportunities that allow you to practice your craft and build professional material.

Depending on your experience level, that might include:

Student films
Short films
Independent films
Theater productions
Acting workshops
Improv
Self-produced scenes
School productions
Web productions
Professionally produced acting exercises

The key word is quality.

Getting your name into as many projects as possible isn't necessarily the goal.

You want experiences that help you become a better performer and give you legitimate material to show people in the industry.

A strong scene from a short film can be more useful than a résumé filled with irrelevant credits.

4. Get Professional Acting Headshots

Your headshot is one of the first things an agent, manager, casting professional, or producer may see.

That makes it an important part of your professional presentation.

A good acting headshot should:

Look like you
Be current
Be professionally photographed
Clearly show your face
Represent your natural appearance
Match the types of roles you could realistically play

Your headshot isn't supposed to make you look like a celebrity.

It's supposed to help the industry understand who you are as a performer.

For example, an actor might naturally fit roles such as:

Young professional
Best friend
College student
Leading man
Dramatic character
Comedic character
Blue-collar worker
Doctor or lawyer
Parent
Villain
Romantic lead

This is part of understanding your actor type.

You aren't limiting your future by understanding your type.

You're making it easier for casting professionals to see where you fit.

5. Create a Professional Acting Résumé

Your acting résumé should be accurate, organized, and easy to read.

Don't exaggerate your credits.

Don't invent experience.

And don't feel embarrassed if you're new.

If you're just starting out, your résumé can include legitimate:

Acting training
Theater
Student films
Short films
Independent productions
Commercial work
Workshops
Relevant special skills

You can also include special skills that are genuinely useful.

Examples include:

Singing
Dancing
Musical instruments
Languages
Sports
Horseback riding
Martial arts
Swimming
Accents
Driving
Other professional or performance skills

Only list skills you can actually perform.

If a casting professional asks you to demonstrate a skill, you should be prepared to do it.

Your résumé is a professional document—not a place to make your career appear further along than it really is.

6. Build Your Acting Reel

Eventually, people need to see you act.

That's where your demo reel comes in.

A demo reel gives casting professionals, agents, managers, producers, and other industry professionals a quick way to evaluate your on-camera work.

A strong reel should demonstrate:

Your acting ability
Your natural screen presence
Your range
Your emotional accessibility
Your ability to listen and react
The types of roles you can realistically play

Don't make your reel too long

You don't need to include everything you've ever filmed.

Lead with your strongest material.

If you have three excellent scenes, those three scenes may be more valuable than ten mediocre ones.

And if you don't have professional footage yet, you can eventually create quality scenes specifically designed to demonstrate your abilities.

The objective is simple:

Make someone want to see more of you.

7. Learn How to Audition

This is where the dream starts becoming a profession.

Actors don't get hired simply because they want the role.

They get opportunities to audition—and then have to deliver.

Auditioning requires preparation.

You may need to:

Memorize sides
Analyze the character
Understand the scene
Make specific choices
Record a self-tape
Adjust your performance
Take direction
Perform multiple takes

Self-tapes have become an important part of the modern audition process, making it increasingly important for actors to understand basic camera, lighting, sound, framing, and performance technique.

Don't try to "act like an actor"

One of the most common beginner mistakes is pushing too hard.

Actors sometimes believe they need to demonstrate how emotional, dramatic, funny, angry, or talented they are.

The camera doesn't necessarily need more.

It often needs truth.

Listen.

Think.

React.

Stay connected to the other person.

Let the scene happen.

Your job isn't to convince the casting director that you're acting.

Your job is to make them believe you're living through the circumstances of the scene.

8. Start Looking for Legitimate Auditions

You don't necessarily need an agent to begin developing your career.

Actors can find legitimate casting opportunities through professional casting platforms, theater organizations, schools, production companies, networking, and other industry resources.

Online casting platforms can provide opportunities ranging from smaller independent productions and student films to larger professional projects.

But be selective.

Not every casting notice is worth pursuing.

Learn to identify:

Who is producing the project
What the role requires
Whether the production is legitimate
Whether compensation is clearly explained
Where the production is taking place
What materials are required
Whether the opportunity is appropriate for your career

And remember:

Never pay someone simply because they promise you a role.

Legitimate professional opportunities should be evaluated carefully.

9. Understand Your Actor Brand

The word "brand" can make actors uncomfortable.

It shouldn't.

Your brand isn't a fake personality you create for Instagram.

Your actor brand is essentially the professional picture you present to the industry.

It includes:

Your headshots
Your résumé
Your reel
Your casting profiles
Your social media presence
Your website, if applicable
Your training
Your credits
Your special skills
The types of roles you're pursuing

Ask yourself:

If a casting director looked at my materials for 30 seconds, would they understand who I am as an actor?

If the answer is no, you may need to clarify your positioning.

10. Learn the Difference Between an Agent and a Manager

This is one of the most important things for a new actor to understand.

A talent agent generally focuses on representing performers for employment opportunities and helping submit them for auditions and negotiate professional engagements.

A manager may take a broader role in career development, positioning, strategy, and long-term guidance.

The exact relationship varies by representative and agreement.

Neither one replaces your responsibility as an actor.

Representation doesn't magically transform an unprepared actor into a working actor.

Think of your career as a system:

Training → Materials → Strategy → Auditions → Representation → Professional Work → Career Growth

Each part matters.