What Makes A Well-Trained Actor?

Happy Guru Tips Tuesday! And Happy Holidays! I can’t believe 2015 is almost over! (Don’t worry, we have one more Guru Tips of 2015 next week).

This week’s #GuruTips question comes from one of my good friends, Taylor, who just moved to Los Angeles, and she asked me “What does being a well-trained actor even mean?”

It’s a fantastic question, because this pertains not only to training. There are so many classes out there. Scene study, improv, dance, voiceover, Alexander, Meisner, sketch, cold reading, business… The list never ends!

But classes alone don’t make a well-trained actor, so I wanted to make it easy and clear for you- the things that every actor should know, the classes they should be in, that will give them enough training to be a force to be reckoned with.

Here’s an exercise for you: Think of a show or movie that’s been out for at least 10 years, that you still talk about today? These are called legacies. You’re still talking about them, meaning they did something right. So what about them is so amazing? Was it the directing? The performances? The plot? Actors need to know the history of film, theatre, and television. Who are the great actors, the great directors, of or before our time? You might be surprised when you see the patterns and connections between these legacies.

We still have one more Guru Tips For Actors of 2015, and then next year starts Season Two!

Watch the whole Season One of Guru Tips For Actors here and be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss any tips over the holidays!

Now I want to hear from you! What are you going to do next to round out your training as an actor? Leave a comment below! (plus each comment is an entry to win an exclusive Workshop Guru tote bag!)

Happy Holidays from the entire WG team!

xo,