Actors, Keep busy..

Well it’s February. For those of you who made your New Year’s resolutions, it’s a good time to see how you’re doing with them.

It’s about 6 weeks in. How’s it going? Are you on track? Staying on purpose?

This week I had a few conversations with actors regarding keeping themselves inspired, and keeping their passion going. I was reminded of what a casting director once told me and how simple and true it is. Very simply she said, “I tell actors two things, keep busy and do something outside of acting to have a life”. It was simple, straightforward, and specific.

KEEP BUSY. That means keep working, create work for yourself, and don’t wait for your phone to ring. Do theater, take class, put something up on YouTube, make tapes of yourself, get together with other actors and read plays, join in a collaborative workshop where you can resource yourself with others and create. Join a theater company, a writers workshop, go to open mike nights, and “Don’t let the clay dry!”

DO SOMETHING APART FROM ACTING. The second part means get involved in something else to balance yourself. Meaning – get a life! Have a hobby, other interests, a healthy distraction and passion that feeds you. Volunteer, teach, take a sport, join a cause, take a class that’s outside your own box, something that is fun and gets you out of yourself. Getting away from your work on some regular schedule will keep you alive, and will feed you so when you come back, you’ll stay fresh. Many actors ”burn out” because this is all they do and eventually, it can get to them. You need some balance.

Sounds simple enough, yet many actors become bitter and burned out. Check yourself, your life, your choices, and take a look.

These words are simple and make such sense. It’s just what I needed to hear today as well.

Fran Montano
Fran Montano - is the owner and Artistic Director of The Actors Workout Studio, located in the NoHo Arts District for nearly 30 years. It is one of the longest running small, intimate theaters and Acting Schools in the Los Angeles area. AWS was created to being a “home” for aspiring and working actors were the work not only includes classes and training, but personal coaching, career planning, networking, showcasing, and regular performing. His students range from beginning actors, accomplished actors who work regularly in film, television, and stage, as well as numerous working directors and writers. His style is on an individual basis and in his small, intimate classes, it’s like working with a private coach. His reputation is in finding and breaking actors blocks Fran’s background as an actor, in producing, directing and theater makes him an excellent resource for actors in Los Angeles, in finding their way both in their talent, and promoting their career. Visit www.actorsworkout.com for more information and a schedule of classes and productions