Where does a French actor start in New York City?
Dear David,
first of all i would like to thank you for your website, it’s very helping.
My name is Ali, i’m 26 years old and i live in Paris. I would like to try an acting career in NYC. I’ll be in NYC end of September to end of January for dance lessons at broadway dance Center (i’m a dancer too). And i would like to have some advices for a young french actor who wants to make it in NYc, i am a hard worker and i don’t expect that every thing will be easy. I don’t have lots of experiences 2 short movies in french and 1 in English.
i’ll put the one in english for trying booking something in NYC.
I’m sorry for my english, it’s not very good but i’ll try to improve it during my stay in NYC.
Thank you very much for your help, i wish you the best,
Best regards,
Ali
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Ali.
First off, congratulations on your first trip to the US to start your dance lessons. And your English is not bad – and will only get better as you learn more about how casual English is used here, and you speak it every day in New York. My French consists of being able to tell you that “the pencil is next to the library” and that “I don’t speak French,” so you’re just fine.
Your journey here, and your eventual career is going to take shape very much like someone coming to New York from anywhere else here in the US, with a few important differences. People often ask me about moving to any of the major production centers (New York, Los Angeles, London etc) from wherever they live, and my short and simple answer is this:
You have to live where the work is.
At least when you’re starting off – once you’re well into your career, and you have the luxury of living wherever you want, you can choose to live outside those centers. But, especially when you’re getting your career off the ground, you need to be in the middle of it all, ready to head out to an audition at a moment’s notice, networking with other entertainment professionals, getting to know your customers (casting directors, writers and producers) and really getting involved with the community, selling your acting wares as you go.
So – are you willing to take the plunge and move to New York permanently? I’m hoping the answer is yes. Doing so will allow you to build your career with the best chances for success.
And, since you’re headed here anyway, you can take advantage of the time you have here during your dance classes to evaluate the resources available to you for when you decide to move here. Getting headshots with a terrific New York photographer, meeting casting directors at workshops and at auditions, learning how to submit yourself for parts, networking other actors and watching their work on stage and on-set, getting a great resume together, putting together your reel from the work you’ve already done, and putting yourself up for student and independent films while you’re here to add to that reel are all steps you need to take once you get here.
Once here, don’t use the fact that you’re French as an excuse. Use it as what a famous advertising executive once called a USP, or “unique selling proposition.” Celebrate your being French as a reason for casting people to consider you for roles, not a reason for them to pass you by. Be up front with your heritage, and let the mystery of your nationality add to your acting tool kit. There are plenty of foreign actors whose careers are enhanced, not reduced, by the differences in the way they speak our language, the fact that they speak a second language, their different life experiences and their boldness to move about the globe to find the acting work they want. Vive le (la?) Ali!
One great way to get to know all of the moving parts is to intern, or volunteer, for as many different roles, other than actor, as you can while you’re here. Spend some time working in a casting office. See if you can help out at an agency. Work on set as a production assistant on an independent film. Volunteer to help run an audition session for a theater production. Do everything you can to get experience at how all of the different aspects of the business work. It will be invaluable in understanding how absolutely arbitrary and random show business can be. Also, audit (attend for free) as many different acting classes as you possibly can while you’re here. You might find exactly the right one for you.
On that same note, I mentioned earlier that you’ll have some important, additional differences in your decision to move here, including a potential student visa, a proper work visa and eventual citizenship, should you move here permanently. All of these options are entirely up to you, but you’ll need to work the details out appropriately. If you were moving to New York from anywhere here in the US, you’d be free to seek work to support your acting career, but in your case, there are legal requirements you need to be aware of should you want to have a side job once you’re here. The reason I bring this up is because acting training, development and seeking of work can be draining to a bank account. Manage your money carefully, and visit this site (and feel free to contact me personally at davidlawrence@gmail.com) to get advice on what to, and what not to, spend your money on.
Some resources I think are a bargain include BACK STAGE magazine (you can also subscribe to their online daily BACK STAGE Espresso for free at backstage.com), and both the book and podcast series at the Secrets of Screen Acting website. The $250 or so you’ll spend to purchase both will give you an extraordinary advantage when approaching working on-set and in front of the camera, and also provides hours and hours of wisdom from one of the most knowledgeable and caring people in the business, Patrick Tucker. Listening to one or two five-minute episodes a day and working your way through the book will have you following the path I followed that led to my career success on HEROES and the other work I’ve done. I can’t recommend it highly enough.
Finally, consider all of the advice you get from the actors and other entertainment professionals you meet (including me) very carefully before applying that advice to your life and career. Asking any question regarding the art or business of acting in a class, a gathering over dinner with other actors, in an online forum or even in the warmup room before dance lessons can yield many different and often opposing answers. Look for the “observable realities” in those answers – what works well for others in your situation – as well as the myths that crop up from time to time, and try to do more of what works, and less of what doesn’t.
I’m thrilled that yet another actor is about to take the plunge, and I am honored that you asked me for advice. Other New York City actors and transplants – please add your comments below!
What’s your answer to this acting question? Let me know in the comments below.
I love your website, very helpful. I am a Chilean actress (films and t.v) , what is the best place for me to start internationalizing my career, L.A or NYC?
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LikeDislikeInternationalizing? Are you trying to decide where to move, or are you looking to add opportunities from those markets to your portfolio? If the latter, both. Why decide between the two? And add London to that as well.
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LikeDislikeThank you very much for you response. I am trying to decide where to move. I applied for some acting short courses in NYC and L.A, I got accepted in both. So. I don’t know where to move, to try. If during this months I get any role or job, I will move permanently.
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