Acting and many careers in the arts are hard to go into and even harder to make a living from. Making a choice to become an actor cannot be taken lightly at any age, but especially as a kid. Parents who care about your success may be understandably concerned if you tell them your choice. Their reactions may vary, but most will be concerned about your ultimate happiness in a career where few people are happy. In this article we'll examine a few ways you can help relieve your parents' anxiety.
Steps
Method 1
Method 1 of 5:
Understand Your Own Decision
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Ask yourself why you want to be an actor . Brainstorm your answers. In other words, write down everything that comes to mind. This could just be a phase of different interests, and that is entirely okay.
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Analyze the list for good reasons, like "I'm good at it" or "My friends tell me I should try".Advertisement
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Be specific. Things like "It makes me happy" are great but try to ask yourself why it makes you happy. Write it down.
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Edit your list on a new sheet of paper. Some reasons that are important to you, like "I have a deep psychological need for approval and appearing on a stage can meet" may be a great reason (and is), but probably not the best bet for talking to your folks.Advertisement
Method 2
Method 2 of 5:
Think about what kind of actor you want to be
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It's easy to want to be the next Tom Cruise, the movies are full of young actors trying to do just that. Few if any of them will make it. There are a lot of different ways to make your living as an actor other than movie stars. For example:
- Stage acting. A modest living but a lot of fun.
- Character acting.
- Commercials.
- Acting coach or teacher.
- Acting as path to writing or producing.
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Showing your folks that you do not have the all-too-common teenage bug about wanting to be a movie star and have instead considered your career realistically and carefully will go a long way towards their taking your choice seriously.Advertisement
Method 4
Method 4 of 5:
Develop a mature plan
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Parents like to see that young adults are approaching their life choices in a mature manner and nothing will do that better than doing your homework.
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Think about what other careers you may be able to do with acting skills if you don't make it as the kind of actor you wish to be. For example sales, publicity and marketing positions often require the same kinds of skills. Showing your parents you have sensibly considered an "escape route" if things don't work out should impress them with your mature sensible nature.
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Research what you will need to do to achieve your goal. For example:
- Research and price acting schools. Each school will have its own style and, more importantly, its own placement rates in various acting careers. Find and choose the one that is right for you.
- Honestly evaluate your talent and find areas you are lacking. Perhaps you need to be a better dancer dancer, or singer or tell better jokes. If these skills are a part of your plan, figure out how you will learn the skills.
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Method 5
Method 5 of 5:
Tell your folks
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Choose a time when they are in a good, receptive mood and not tired or distracted by other things. Parents are usually busy all the time, although it may not seem that way. Usually, the weekends are when they are the happiest.
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Consider raising the subject in a public place. Eventually, you will have to have an intense private conversation, but first raising the issues in a public setting, like a cafe, can give you an idea of their initial reaction and what you may be up against.
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Show them your passion and excitement about your choice.
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Calmly tell them of your plans, your reasons why this is the best choice for you and your goals.
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Carefully listen to what they have to say.
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Do not argue with them at this stage, just listen. They are your folks, they probably have some smart things to say.
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Try to compromise or find common ground. For example, you might suggest that you would like to follow the acting path but also take a different part time job "just in case".
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Ask for their help in making the decision. Perhaps you need some financial help paying for acting classes? Help them discover if this is the right thing for you on their own time. Remember, you have been thinking about this for a while, but it is all new to them.Advertisement
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Tips
- No matter what reaction your parents have to the news try to remain calm, rational and mature. Getting upset will only convince them that you are too immature to make this choice.Thanks
- Your parents care about you, so when you tell them aboutThanks
your choices they may disagree. Approach them calmly and respectfully.
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Warnings
- Make sure you explain to them why you want to act.Thanks
- Don't give up.Thanks
- Don't be mean about it.Thanks
- Both parents have to know the idea.Thanks
- Make a presentation of some good reasons why you should actThanks
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About this article
Article Summary
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Before you tell your parents you want to act, first decide the kind of actor that you might want to be. Then, use that to do your research into things like the cost of college, and potential backup jobs where you can use some of the skills you have from acting. When you’re ready, lay that plan out for your parents, and tell them why you think acting would be a good fit for you. While you want them to see how excited you are, you also need to be ready to listen and ask for help in making the decision! Keep reading for tips on how to articulate the reasons you want to act!
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