Is there a standard training to become an movie actor/actress? (movies, TV)
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In some countries there are nationally- and industry-recognized schools specifically to groom actors and actresses. Students come out possessing the basic skills needed to be an actor/actress (not that most will make it big or even just make it).
Is there such a thing in the US? I did a rough search, the suggestions seem to center around "take part in high school plays and musical", "study theatre or drama in university", "practice", "get agent"... This does not seem like a very focused path.
No. Try Russia. Though it's a little late. Usually, the training starts in special grade schools and/or high schools. By adulthood, you're supposed to already be trained and educated for a specific career.
I blog about movies and often write about the creator backgrounds. Many movie actors did get formal training. Some didn't. Some went to college. Some didn't.
Actors that get consistent work & make a lifetime career out of it, tend to have gotten formal training & got degrees in theater arts or drama. E.g. Gary Oldman, Jim Parsons (Sheldon from Big Bang Theory), Michael Rooker ("Merle" from Walking dead... lol he often gets redneck idiot roles but is quite intellectual in real life), Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones). These people are often not stars, though. But they get consistent work, which in show business is success. Some went to college but studied something else & just got into acting through volunteering for plays. E.g.: Alan Alda. Some went to college and dropped out, e.g.: Anthony Rapp, Carrie Fisher.
For actors that become major movie & TV stars, there are more intangible factors involved than just technical skill that can be taught in college & by mentors. They often have that "something" that can't really be taught, and it's about 50/50 that they got formal training. Most of them got a lot of practice in local productions & got a lucky break either through a connection or being in the right place at right time. However, their status as stars is often dependent on the fashions of the time, their connections, etc... E.g.: Carrie Fisher was the daughter of a major movie star and music star, Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher. Her connections helped. Also her particular style was perfectly suited for the late 70s, early 80s. Then she wasn't able to maintain it for a variety of reasons. It's very hard to be a star for a whole career.
Last edited by redguard57; 01-24-2020 at 07:40 PM..
No. Try Russia. Though it's a little late. Usually, the training starts in special grade schools and/or high schools. By adulthood, you're supposed to already be trained and educated for a specific career.
Not for me; but I know some kid who has the looks for this line of work.
Not for me; but I know some kid who has the looks for this line of work.
The kid also has to want to do it. J.K. Rowling lamented that she had found her "perfect Harry" in Ireland while they were casting the first movie, but he wasn't an actor, so that was that.
I know a family whose young daughter has had bit parts in major Hollywood films, but I have no idea how they got hooked up with the business. It might have just been a case of some talent agent catching a glimpse of her somewhere, or the Mom signing her up for a contest. The point is, she did not go to acting school.
The best formal actor training we have in the U.S. is at a handful of private schools that are widely acknowledged for putting out top acting talent: NYU Tisch, Julliard, Yale School of Drama, Carnegie-Mellon, and the American Conservatory Theater (in San Francisco). I think as far as formal training goes, these are considered the gold standard.
Obviously though, really talented actors can come from a lot of other places.
Not always. Plenty of "average" looking actors out there.
William H. Macy, Nick Cage, Kathy Bates, etc.
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