When it comes to asking yourself if you have what it takes to become an actor, you have to ask some serious questions. How far would you go to get a part? Some actors are discovered and some spend many years training for the roles that they take on. Here we will focus upon the actors that have been in the right place at the right time. Whether they were a handyman/carpenter at the studio of George Lucas or they were simply taking a holiday to New York City as a Holiday and ended up getting talented spotted.
Here we will round-up some of the methods and strategies that other discovered actors have used to work their way into the field of acting. Some are pretty unexpected and others are really surprising. Please be aware that this is a light-hearted take on how to become an actor and most of this advice should be taken will liberal amounts of scepticism.
1, Deal Drugs, Get Yourself Arrested!
Danny Trejo A.K.A The Mayor is well known for his ability to be type cast and often plays characters that are very skilled with knives. Trejo can frequently be seen in the films of Robert Rodriguez who appears to like Trejo’s on screen presence. Trejo has admitted himself that he usually plays the role of the criminal, a role that seems to come very naturally to him.
Trejo has spent many years in and out of Jail, approximately 11 to be precise. Most of his convictions were for violence and drug related incidents. He’s been in and out of San Quentin, the USA’s most notorious prison for more than a few years. On the inside he became a boxer and won many titles. Later on he’d come to train Julia Robert’s brother, Eric Roberts for a role that he was preparing for.
Trejo eventually broke free of his life of crime and became a mentor for Cocaine Anonymous. He was once called on the phone by somebody he was sponsoring from Cocaine Anonymous, whom happened to be working on Jon Voight’s film Runaway Train (1985). When Trejo arrived on the set he was spotted by a member of the crew and later became an extra in the film due to his rugged and rough looks.
Trejo is a very well-known actor and has made an appearance in many films. Most of which he admits that he doesn’t remember what they are called. Personally I remember him best in ‘Machete Kills’. Trejo personally selected the winning design of the Zavvi Exclusive Machete Kills Steelbook that was released earlier this year.
Trejo also starred in the critically acclaimed film ‘Heat’ (1995) alongside Robert De Niro and Al Pacino. His character was known as Trejo. He obviously insisted upon this - or the script writer was truly lacking in creativity!
2, Fall Over, A Lot! (Usually In Front Of The Worlds Media)
Jennifer Lawrence is rapidly becoming a superstar and at the age of 24 has a bright future ahead of her - she’s already been in more than 15 films! Notably, she has already won an OSCAR for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role for her part in Silver Linings Playbook.
Jennifer Lawrence was talent-spotted in New York whilst she was on holiday with her family. Apparently the talent scout just started taking pictures and the rest was history. Her role as Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games saw her catapult from relative obscurity into superstardom.
At the 2013 OSCARS where Lawrence won her first award she famously stumbled when making her way up the stairs to collect her award, and had the media poke fun at her in the Q & A after the event. She was in stunning comedic form, though, and turned the jibes back upon the journalists as they continued to fire some fairly awkward questions at her. A quick Google search will reveal the video in question, and it’s worth the effort, we promise!
So, in 2014 you’d have thought she would have been a little more careful when attending the Oscars. Not the case! She was at it again. Wearing a slightly more sensible dress than last year she took a fall whilst walking up the red carpet. Helped to her feet by a bystander and a Terminator looking police officer she shook it off and gracefully continued, much like her career.
3, Become A Stripper!
If you fail in the chosen field of acting you can always take your clothes off for a living. Clearly we’re only joking but if we take a leaf out of Channing Tatum’s book then we’re not too far off the mark. Tatum had never really considered a career as an actor and began to work as a stripper when he was 18 - clearly this paved the way for his role in the movie Magic Mike, directed by Steven Sodabergh.
Tatum is obviously eye candy for the ladies – well, Jennifer Anniston seems to think so at least! She was rumoured to have had a ‘Tatum’ night and invited many of her friends around to watch several of his movies in one sitting.
4, Get A Job At A Studio As A Carpenter!
By the time that George Lucas had announced the cast of his immortal ‘Star Wars’, Harrison Ford’s name was nowhere to be seen. In fact he was busy hanging a door at the Star Wars studios following the orders of his agent who believed that if he was seen by Lucas and his team he would be offered a part. In fact Ford was seriously considering taking up carpentry as an alternative career path. A risky strategy that paid off as he was later cast as Han Solo, Captain of the Millennium Falcon.
Harrison Ford had played a small part in Lucas’ other film ‘American Graffiti’ however Lucas was convinced that he was going to hire all new actors that hadn’t been in any other films previously. Personally I’m glad he changed his mind and rescinded his original statement about new actors. Han Solo would never quite be the same without Harrison Ford at the helm.
5, Eat Pizza In The Right Part Of Town.
Natalie Portman was spotted scoffing pizza by a Revlon talent scout that lived in her neighbourhood. She’d just finished her dance class when she was approached, and only eleven years old. Determined that she wanted to act from a young age she is a very career minded and self-driven person. Having starred in Leon, Star Wars, The Black Swan and many other stunning films Portman is living proof that determination and being in the right place at the right time is quite literally the best start.
6, Learn To Speak With An American Accent.
Whether you’re form London’s East End or you have a South African twang you’ll never be able to play with the big boys unless you have the ability to be able to speak English with an American accent.
Charlize Theron was also determined to become a star in the field of dance that she’d studied for many years, she was also considered good enough to become a professional. A knee injury put pay to this idea and when it did she considered her options. Moving to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career, the hardest task was to let go of her South African accent.
