10 Common Actor Mistakes to Avoid

Having been a full-time writer-director/producer for the past 15 years and having taught my twice-monthly ‘So You Want To Be An Actor’ Workshops for the past seven, I’m often asked by young — and in some cases, older — actors how they can best achieve their dreams, but, sometimes, I think what they need to be asking is ‘what pitfalls should I avoid’.

It’s frustrating for me because I frequently see many actors making the very same mistakes in their career — often things that require little else than common sense to combat. Yet, these mistakes can truly hinder their progress and set them back.

So, without further adieu, here are the Top 10 Mistakes That Actors Commonly Make (in no particular order):

1. Not doing the bare minimum.

By this, I mean, have excellent headshots, an imdb page with credits and a subscription to imdb-pro, a good reel, business cards and be enrolled in an acting class.

These things are all prerequisites if you are serious about your acting career. You’d be surprised how many actors I meet who have terrible headshots — a chipped tooth, puffy cheeks that make them look 10 pounds heavier, awkward position, terribly photo-shopped — no reel, no imdb-pro subscription and subsequently an imdb page with no photos and no bio.