I’ve had small parts. I’m pretty good at improv, at least I’ve been told that, but my memory is a sieve. No way could I learn a major part.
Or they tried, and didn’t like it. I know several people in community theater who were, at one time, professional actors. For various reasons, they decided that it wasn’t the life for them, so they got “regular” jobs and just act as a hobby these days.
I have appeared in local productions of Annie, Love, Sex, and the IRS, Don’t Drink the Water, Ten Little Indians, and The Odd Couple.
I’m pretty sure I stunk up the stage.
“There are no small parts, only small actors.”—Konstantin Stanislavski
Acting as a character up on a stage in front of hundreds of people seems far less daunting to me than acting as yourself i.e. making a speech. I would absolutely crap myself if I had to talk as myself but I think I could cope ok if I was playing a role.
Oh gosh. Where do I begin?
First of all, I guess, I have little to no fear of getting up in front of others. I sang in church choir for years, lectured at colleges and universities, played music in pubs, was a radio host for some years (afternoon drive, no less), and hosted karaoke. I’ve been the ring announcer at pro wrestling. So no worries about getting up and performing in front of many.
And it’s not an acting performance, but as a lawyer, I stand up in front of judges and opposing lawyers and argue my client’s case. It was not easy at first, but now, it’s just part of the job.
When it comes to acting, all that experience comes together. I’ve participated in community theatre, which mostly did musicals, though I never had the lead. But I did get secondary parts, which were important enough to require me to sing solos. I’ve done voice acting—with a good producer, I can do anything you want, and I’ve got the demo reels to prove it.
Movies? Sure. Been an extra in a few. And not just that “generic passerby on the street”; no, I was in a scene with Kevin Costner once, which gives me a Bacon number of 2. But there were other filmed productions that I was a part of, where I was one of a hundred or more. Well, we got fed handsomely and paid well, so that was okay.
I’ve served as stage crew several times, but the only acting I’ve ever done is when I used to accompany a fellow college student went he went to buy dope. (This was the early 70s. It wasn’t particularly dangerous to buy a pound or a key, but you still stood a good chance of being ripped-off somehow.)
I was a big guy and in pretty good shape from athletics at the time. The buyer I went with (“Bob the Head”) took the role of director.
Me: “Should I glower and look tough?”
Bob: “No, look bored.”
Me: “Should I say anything? Keep my arms folded?”
Bob: “Nope. That makes people nervous. Just act like I’m your GF buying clothes in a store. Stay handy, but detached.”
Must have worked. Never any problems. I usually got a lid for my trouble.
Actually, no. I don’t think he was at that moment.
Almost every job looks to me like it’s learnable within a month or two, and then as I learn more I find out it’s much harder than appears. And I think acting fits into that bracket.
That is to say, not only would it take longer than that for an introvert like me to even be comfortable enough on set to be a bad actor, but when it comes to being half decent then natural talent applies and my ceiling is probably quite low.
When my daughter auditioned for a manager just before fourth grade they had the kids say “I love Cheerios” which was enough to winnow out 95% percent of the kids. After seeing kids on sets and in casting directors offices, we got somewhat good at being able to identify kids with acting talent. The one we recommended to her manager got signed and was in two movies, one major.
As for me, I can’t act, having a face good for radio and a voice good for email. I am high energy in front of an audience, however.
i used to teach classes to large groups of people. The only time I got “stage fright” is when i had to sing (I cant carry a tune in a bucket, altho apparently my voice is pleasing).
I have no idea, because I never got to try it out.
At sixth grade graduation, the graduating class at my school always put on a show of some kind. My brother’s class, one year ahead, staged The Mikado, but when our turn came we just lined up on stage and sang songs. IIRC one classmate did a solo piano performance, and two more sang “Those Were The Days” while one of them played guitar. Maybe my brother’s class was the last one that got to give a play. In fact, I’m almost certain of it; his class was the last summer graduating class when they were still dividing us by semesters rather than full school years. In my class, there were far too many people to give everyone a role or other assignment in a play.
Later on in high school my schedule was usually filled with college prerequisites, so I never got the chance there, either. Also, my brother was involved with the thespian crowd, once doing a bit part in a play but more usually playing the drums or doing other backstage stuff. It would have been weird being in a class together.