My cousin has a dream of being an actress?

Question:my cousin in 13. she is actually pretty dramatic and has been in alot of her schools drama club plays. she simply tops all the other actors in the play and i think she may be better at acting than most of her mentors... She's kind of pretty, and she wants to be an actress. i was thinking of looking into the whole how does she become an actress thing. she says she wants to be on a TV show for like nickelodeon, disney, etc... she lives in Phoenix, AZ... is there anyway she can get closer to her dream? more importantly, how would she get like acts and stuff? i have like no idea how to help her but i really wanna help her with this because i think she can do it.

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: my cousin in 13. she is actually pretty dramatic and has been in alot of her schools drama club plays. she simply tops all the other actors in the play and i think she may be better at acting than most of her mentors... She's kind of pretty, and she wants to be an actress. i was thinking of looking into the whole how does she become an actress thing. she says she wants to be on a TV show for like nickelodeon, disney, etc... she lives in Phoenix, AZ... is there anyway she can get closer to her dream? more importantly, how would she get like acts and stuff? i have like no idea how to help her but i really wanna help her with this because i think she can do it.

Since she's already involved in the school drama production and had taken acting classes - I would advice that she seeks workshops or actor's studio for teenagers outside of the school environment.

Not only she will learn crafts not taught in school, but she gets to participate in productions with actors from various of level. Some even already been working in the industry. - It is also a great networking environment, where she can learn more about the inudstry - and who knows, she might be able to get a referral to sign with an agent.

Do as much work as she can audition for location theatre productions, student films, indie films... you name it. This will help her develope a good resume - PLUS exposure.

Your local newspaper is a good source on casting calls. I'm not sure about Phoenix AZ --- but sometimes there are casting calls posted on ActorsAccess (http://www.actorsaccess.com) where filming do take place in AZ.

Since she's still young, she should always bring her legal guardian (Parents, relatives) to EVERY single casting/audition session.

When she attends an audition (or submitting to a casting call), make sure she has the following:

1) Resume
2) Headshot
3) Talent Agent

For headshots - I would just suggest you to find a friend, with a good camera and take a neutral photo of her from the shoulder up. (Do not spend $500+ for professional photos, unless you're already in the Union and have done a bunch legit works) As a starting actor, a good quality headshot is enough. (My first headshot is the one I took of myself in the bathroom - and I landed a national commercial) Once she is signed with a talent agent, he/she will recommand a reasonable priced photographer to her. (But make sure you do a research on the agent and the photographer first. check out http://www.easybackgroundcheck.com)

To find an agent - well, google for them, check out local newspapers... The world of mouth is the best way. My first agent that I freelance with was though referral from another actor while we were on a filmset as background extras!! Remember, network, network, network!!

Once she got a good resume, a decent headshot, and a talent agent (or manager) to represent - then that's where she can tell her agent/manager to look out for any breakdowns or auditions that she'd be great for. Which, may include upcoming shows from Nickelodeon, Disney..etc.

Good Luck.

get her an agent. get some headshots and put together a resume.

like the first answer create a resume, maybe look around for a talent agency and see if ur aunt and/or uncle would be willing to pay for it , and try to go to open calls around where you live if there are any

It sounds like somethng she would need to work on with her parents. Right now, if she is doing school plays, the odds of her jumping to jobs on Disney are very very slim.

She would need to find a real agent in the area, invest in some professional headshots, and study. If she is serious, it is a long-term endeavor that may not bear fruit for a number of years.

Join the drama departmetn at school, take acting lessons.

Well first you need training. You can just get an agent and
expect to become famous. It takes a LOT of hard work and a lot
of people don't realize that. See if there are any acting
classes in your area and start there.

http://www.disney-channel-auditions.com/
http://www.babymodeling.net/
http://www.disney-channel-auditions.com/...