Ever dreamed of one day treading the boards but didn't know where to start? In a new series, award-winning actor and playwright Janet Moran, one of the stars of RTÉ's acclaimed dramedy The Dry, offers some tips for the budding actor...
A friend recently told me with a roll of their eyes that a young member of their family wants to become an actor. They mentioned that the entire family rolled their eyes at the idea. I can never understand this attitude, that acting as a job is somehow inherently silly. It's not. It’s the best job in the world*. It’s challenging, it’s exciting, it changes all the time. It’s fun and it can be lucrative.**
One of the most difficult things for people starting out, can be to find their way in, to actually becoming an actor. Drama school is the most obvious way; if you can get into a good one. University drama societies also produce a lot of Irish actors. So too does youth theatre, of which there are many throughout the country. Open casting calls occasionally, but less often result in someone beginning a career as an actor.
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Listen to Janet Moran in Drama On One's production of Eugene O'Brien's play Heaven
My own, route in, following rejections from numerous drama schools was to be an unpaid ASM (Assistant Stage Manager). This required me to put the kettle on at breaks, buy props, run lines with actors as well as many other responsibilities. Crucially, it allowed me to watch actors rehearse, see how directors directed and learn how a play is put together and how it develops over the course of rehearsals, through a technical rehearsal until it is in front of an audience.
This led to me wangling an audition for a very kind director, Jim Culleton, who took a big risk and cast me as Juliet in a production of Romeo and Juliet. I am aware now, of how, beyond enthusiasm, I brought little actual skill to the part. They had to remove the line "Here comes the lady. O, so light a foot " due to my galumphing about the stage. Either way, I was off. Officially an actor.
There are many ways in. You can find yours.
Another initial stumbling block that people often see as impregnable is finding an agent. This is slightly less important than you might think, initially at least. Notwithstanding your first job being a big Netflix show, it might take some time to get an agent’s attention. It can be a relationship that takes time to build. Every time you are performing, be it in college, a fringe production or small venues, send the agents that you are interested in a nice note, inviting them to the show. If you have a short film or a small part in a TV show, send them the clip. Use each opportunity to make them aware of you until you get the chance to really blow them away and make them devote their lives to getting you excellent work.***
My point is, there are many ways in. You can find yours. A good tip, from me (sorry parents), is to have no discernible skills at anything else whatsoever, so you simply have to persevere.
Next article I’ll talk about auditions.
* Serious caveats apply.
** Even more serious caveats apply.
*** They don't really do this.
Watch The Dry on RTÉ Player here, and take a deeper dive into our Get Creative section here
