Los Angeles actors will succeed if they know about the “type” of an actor before starting their career. What is it, and how can one know his or her exact type? Acting is like a business, where we can consider the actors as products and the audience as consumers. In order to sell your product efficiently, you have to know where it exactly fits and what characteristics it has. Actors in Los Angeles can understand their type based on the dimensions of age, sex, physical characteristics, personality traits, and job title. Knowing your type as an actor has lots of advantages, such as saving your time while looking for a job, knowing who will be interested in you, avoiding getting typecasted, etc. So, let’s understand whether everyone suits any type, how you can find yours, what exactly is typecasting, and other questions together.
Does every actor have a type?
It finds out that every actor has a type. Even the ones who are very versatile and flexible Los Angeles actors and seem to have played lots of roles have a type. In fact, the actors who just started their acting career will benefit from knowing their. They will find a language with casting directors and prospective agents easier. The reason is that the latter will take them more seriously. After gaining some credibility and visibility, it becomes easier to act against and delineate from your type. This is because knowing the roles you can play will bring you to the cast from the audition room. Then, you will do what you love. Experience shows that when you do what you love, you will grow really fast. Latter, eventually, will let you change your role easier as a famous actor.
Some common types
There are lots of “types” of actors that we meet very often in the movies and series. Each of them has its own characteristics. We have separated some of the common “types” below.
“Girl next door”
This role is usually someone who is easy to approach and young. She is crushable, clever, and the one who can make you laugh hard. However, this is not usually the “queen bee” and is someone, not the most popular or hottest.
“Bad boy biker”
This character’s appearance usually underlines his leather jacket and tattered jeans. He usually creates a feeling of mystery and resilience. Although, may sometimes be misunderstood. We meet this type, especially in high school dramas and comedies.
“Queen bee”
This one is usually the leader. She is cold-hearted and analytical. Eventually, gets what is coming to her, usually ends up being a CEO or occupying other high positions. While its difference from the “girl next door” proves the fact that the former would become a mother of three children.
How to figure out your type
The first thing which will help you understand your type is self-observation. Being self-conscious and knowing about your traits is always important, but be more attentive while determining your “type.” Stand in front of the mirror and examine your hairstyle, clothing, expression of your eyes, and overall appearance. Pay attention to whether you look older or younger from your age. Do you imagine real you with all your characteristics in a comedy movie or a serious drama? Sometimes it is really hard to accept ourselves with all our advantages and disadvantages. However, try to be honest and examine your traits honestly.
If you are not very well at self-observation, ask questions to others. This may be difficult because people who know you well will answer in a biased way. That is why you can ask your close people just to list several adjectives that they think describe you the best. And, it is better to ask questions to strangers or those you have just met. The questions might be: “How old do you think I am?” or “What role would suit me the best, you think?” And it is important to be ready for every answer and accept them with a smile.
If you are an actor in Los Angeles, you are probably participating in lots of headshots or photo sessions. You can benefit from it and ask your headshot photographer in Los Angeles these questions and explore how professional or artistic you look in front of the camera. And, again, be ready for every answer. Sometimes, what you think you do not fit with reality. If you want to grow as an actor, you have to accept yourself as you are at first.
Another way of exploring your type is by trying yourself in a process like during Actors’ networking event in Los Angeles, as experience brings the skill. Improvisation classes, where you will have to act quickly at the moment, will help you discover your hidden talents. Trusting your instincts, you will find out more things about your characteristics. Workshops for Los Angeles actors will give you diversity. You can try as many roles as possible to find out which suits you the best. On-camera classes will let you observe your play after the class. You will look at yourself from the side, which may be very beneficial.
There are some more ways to figure out your type. Even if you do not manage to attend lots of acting workshops and classes, you can take advantage of films, TV, and theater. Try to watch lots of movies, soap-operas, plays, and try to examine the characters carefully. Write down a list of the traits you think the characters have that are similar to yours. Also, write down the ones which you would like to have, but you think you do not yet. You may have productive discoveries about yourself through the comparison with others. And you can also improve yourself while thinking about the traits you would like to develop.
The role of age you think you can play
Very often, the casting directors ask the actors what age they can play. If your answer is “Better you tell me” or “Something between 18 and 60,” you will not be taken seriously, for sure. The directors may think you are not a professional, as the professional would surely know that crucial detail about his or her acting. An important point here is to know that actors can usually play a role within the range of 5 years. And, in order to find out exactly which 5 years, you can use the methods mentioned above: self-observation, asking questions, gaining experience, etc.
It is often better and more accepted to play for an older role even if you look younger than the contrary. When you choose the age range, it is essential to come into the field of reality. If you are not quite that young, forget your wrinkle-free or in shape times. You should accept yourself as you are now, not 10 years ago.
How your type affects the time in the audition room
You have to know your type in order to have an appropriate wardrobe and clothing for it. That is because when the directors call you to the audition room, you will already know what appearance to appear with. For example, imagine you know your “type” will suit the lawyer’s role, and you have heard that it is one of the suggested roles by the directors. Now, you will choose the corresponding clothes from your wardrobe. But the thing to highlight is that your acting is the most important part. The appearance is not the most crucial thing in the audition room. Hence, you do not need to add any extra or heavy or any kind of detail to your clothing, which may disturb your acting.
Another importance of knowing your type is how you will present yourself in your resume. It is not a secret that we try to adjust the information about ourselves to the job or the role we want to get through our resume. And, we include our headshot photos in it very often. Discuss the role you are willing to apply for with your Los Angeles headshot photographer. Consider Los Angeles headshot rates and photoshoot rates because you may need lots of headshots in order to find the best photo. Decide how you are going to present your “type” in order to get the role you want. However, do not get too far, because you will need to show yourself in an honest way. Do not forget that they will find out the reality at the end working with you.
What about standing out and showing your uniqueness?
We already said that you will have to know how to introduce yourself in order to get the role you want. And we already mentioned that, before that, you have to know your type and be realistic in your role choices. Very often, actors in Los Angeles hear “be yourself” in the audition room. So, how to overcome the contradiction of introducing yourself in a needed way and being yourself? The key point here is that you will always have to take into account all your unique characteristics and traits as a Los Angeles actor and not to hide them. The role you are applying for should not be totally different from your essence. It should just be your characteristics extension. And, indeed, it should save your specific and unique descriptions, which make you a differentiating actor. Just extend and modify them for a little.
Typecasting and how to avoid it
Knowing your type has lots of benefits, as we already mentioned. You will probably play the same “type” roles during your path to success and growth and will be accepted according to that one exactly. Typecasting, which is changing the “type” may become difficult over time. And here may emerge the hardest problem: if you are enough professional and experienced but want to try new things in a new role, how can you do it? It will be very difficult to convince the directors that you are more suitable for the role you want to try than for the one you have experience in. The process of convincing may be difficult, but you can find some tips to succeed. Indeed, the changes in your acting style may be beneficial.
Another good way maybe, again, how you will present yourself via photos. If you are a professional and famous actor, you would have probably already participated in lots of photo sessions in Los Angeles. During your next Los Angeles photoshoot, you can try to present yourself in another way. For example, if you have always played good roles and presented yourself in a positive atmosphere, but now want the devil role, try to present yourself as a bad guy.
Another option to avoid typecasting is not being afraid to start acting “against the type.” The beginning is always difficult, but do not overthink it. You may have to choose places for changing that are not very glorious or famous. However, that is what will make you succeed. You can start acting against typecasting in web series or indie, which are very comfortable for the beginning. Then, you will have more proof to convince the directors that you are suitable for the “against-type” role you want. So, be attentive to taking the opportunities and chances you are given.
Conclusion
If you are going to become a Los Angeles actor and have not known a lot about an actor’s “type,” I hope this was helpful and will help you to succeed in your Los Angeles acting career. To sum up, we looked through the type of actor, whether it refers to everyone, the most common types, and how you can find yours. We also concentrated on how knowing your “type” is connected to the audition process or whether you need to highlight your unique characteristics or not. In the end, we talked about typecasting and how to avoid it.
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