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Question: I got told by an acting coach that i'd be a character actress because of my looks!. what does this mean!?
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wow!.!.!. you got a lot of jerks on this one!.
Being a character actress means that you get the more "type" parts!. In Pippin, you'd probably get the Grandmother (if a male, Lewis)!. Many of the characters in Once Upon a Mattress are character parts!. They are generally thought of as the bigger (personality-wise), more bubbly parts!. And they are usually a lot more fun to play!.
Being a character actor does not make you ugly, or even less attractive!. And your acting coach should not say this!. Look into a new one if he is going to type cast you!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Hmmm, that's not very professional of your acting coach to say!.!.!.however, don't worry about being a character actress!. It's usually those actresses who continue to work long after the "leading ladies" have lost their looks!.
Now, that doesn't mean that character actresses are ugly by any means, just not classically beautiful AND it also doesn't mean that character actresses can't get lead or romantic lead roles!. LL actresses often fight to get the character roles (Charlize Theron in Monster) because LL's aren't usually seen as having the acting chops to pull them off!.
So, again, don't worry about it - it just means that while you may not be a huge celebrity like Julia Roberts or Reese Witherspoon, you'll have a longer career and better roles!Www@QuestionHome@Com

as a character actress you will never be the leading lady!. character actors are usually the secondary lead, kind of like the best friend or the side kick!. usually the parts are not terribly big and as i said never the staring role!. although there are a few shows that require a character actress as the lead, maybe like "Once Upon a Mattress" or something!. these are not the audrey hepburns or the nicole kidmans, these are the interesting best friends!.

don't get me wrong, i love character actors
i happen to be one myself!. i find these characters to be much more interesting than the leading lady, more of a range that can be portrayed through these characters!. i find character actors to be more versatile!. great examples of character actress in supporting roles from a musical would be Penelope Pennywise and Little Sally from "Urinetown"!. both actresses have to not only be funny but able to get a laugh and be serious!.

on stage character actors are rarely the lead but in movies it seems there are a lot more character actor leading roles!. take Johnny Depp for example he is a 100% character actor!. think of all the quirky actors and actresses and the strange roles they have had, they don't have to be and are not usually funny!. even De Niro could be considered a character actor, and Christopher Walken as well!. usually whoever the villain is, is a character actor!.

wikipedia has a great definition and examples of character actors!. (i included the link below)

method acting really lends itself to character actors since you can create this person in you and out of experience to make them even more interesting and entertaining!.

overall there are always going to be more character actress roles in this world than leading lady roles, and these roles will be more fun!.

i hope that helps
good luck with acting

from one character actress to anotherWww@QuestionHome@Com

It usually means that you don't have the classically pretty looks associated with leading parts!. But don't let that stop you!. Look at Glenn Close!. Patricia Arquette!. Even Kathrine Hepburn!. Acting coaches don't know everything!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

it also means that your coach doesn't know that there is no such thing as a separation between leading actors and character actors since all actors do the same thing to be effective!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

You have huge nose I imagine which is very sexy!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

that you're not pretty enough to be the princessWww@QuestionHome@Com