Top 10 Qualities of a Great Actor What makes a great actor?

An actor must be convincing in his role and accurately portray elements such as time and emotion to the audience. To be a successful i n front of the camera or on stage, one must possess certain skills. This list names just 10 of the qualities needed to be a great actor: Acting - You Are a Star * 1. Is Captivating: A great actor is so convincing in a role that he can ho ld an audience captive and make them feel as if there is nothing but the story a t hand. * 2. Has a True Commitment: A great actor is committed to becoming the best actor he can be, as well as to working hard and preserving through rejection to find the best roles. * 3. Shows Confidence: A great actor is confident in his work and portrays t hat confidence both during a performance as well as in public to help create a r apport with the public. * 4. Has Insight: A great actor has keen insight into human behavior and can effectively convey the emotion that influences one's actions. * 5. Is Able to Use His/Her Intelligence for Role Creation: A great actor us es intelligence to research roles and impart that knowledge into their acting to develop more convincing attributes of the character. Great actors generally als o have excellent reading and interpretation skills. * 6. Possesses Good Physical Skills: A great actor has skill in physical mov ement and is able to portray the movements of a variety of characters. Many acto rs also perform stunt work and complicated physical work. * 7. Shows a High Degree of Professionalism: A great actor works with a wide variety of people and is highly professional in all situations. A great actor s hows tremendous respect to the craft, script, writers, directors, and all other key personnel involved in a production. * 8. Has an Innate Talent: A great actor has a natural talent for performing and entertaining. * 9. Is Willing to Work on Performance Techniques: A great actor has a perfe cted technique for his acting and is able to successfully bring believable chara cters to life. * 10. Has Some Sense of Vanity: A great actor has at least some degree of va nity that drives them to continue to improve and excel at the craft.

Not only can the road to becoming an actor be rough and treacherous, but it is u sually quite uncertain. Many start with a dream and end up only discouraged and broken down. Some, like anyone you have ever seen on the silver screen, end up wealthy and have Oscar as a roommate. Some reasons for th is contrast between actors are partly based on talent, but success is mostly bas ed in dedication and passion. Are you ready to become an actor? Can you do it? H

ere are the top eight qualifications for a great actor. Number Eight: An actor must be flexible. This characteristic comes into play often. There are three types of flexibility that an actor must possess. He must be flexible with time, with criticism, and w ith change. If you ask any director how easy it is to try and fit the rehearsal schedule into every cast member's busy life, he will most likely tell you it's l ike trying to herd cats. Some directors won't even try to mess with working arou nd your schedule; they might tell you that if you want to be in the show, you'll be at rehearsal, no matter what time it is or what conflicts you have. Most dir ectors won't do this. But they might, and that's something you must be prepared for. That goes along with number seven, being dedicated, but we'll get there in a minute. As with any artisan's craft, constructive criticism is perhaps the most importan t facet to growth. You won't ever be a perfect actor, just like you'll never be a perfect writer, because these crafts require criticism to grow. When the direc tor suggests you try a scene from a different viewpoint or in another way, you s ay, "Yes, sir." If you find fault with the director's suggestion, simply ask for clarity or say, "I can definitely try." Don't argue with the director. That mak es you a prima donna, and nobody likes those.

The last type of flexibility an actor must work with is that of change. On a set , anything can happen. Just because a show is running doesn't mean a beam won't fall from the sky, a light won't blow out, or a sound cue won't come. An actor must improvise and be able to cover for any faul t in the show. Even when he himself biffs a line, the mark of a great actor is t hat the audience never knew. If a beam fell from the sky, of course, they might notice. However, if you cover with, "Those construction workers are at it again, " it might just be workable. Number Seven: An actor must be dedicated. So many things rest upon your dedication to becoming and growing as an actor, es pecially when you are first starting out, things are rough, and you are nowhere near to being paid for your time and endless efforts. When rehearsals get tough or when you simply can't land a role, you must keep in mind your original desire for the stage. Keep that necessity for acting in your life fresh and potent, a poignant reminder when you ask yourself, "Why am I putting myself through this?! " The answer is always, "Because this is what I love." Remember: Everything is w orth it when show time comes. There is nothing more rewarding than that first op en curtain and the subsequent ovation at the final bow. But we'll get to that on e later, too. Number Six: An actor must be passionate. To get to the bottom of this one, if you look bored on stage, your audience will never enjoy your performance. The moment you walk on, your personality should p op with your entrance and scream, "This is what I love to do. Let me entertain y ou!" You must let your entire passion for acting, for the stage, for the audienc e, for the lines simply shine through your every emotion, burst with your every dictation. When you are passionate about your character you are truly able to sl ip into their clothes and make the audience believe in your story. And that is w hat acting is. Number Five: An actor must be confident. Everyone, no matter how seasoned, gets stage fright. Some get it knee quaking, e

arth-shakingly bad, some only have it before a Shakespearean show, and some only had it before their first grade rendition of Picnic. But no matter what, you must remain confident in your line memorization, your chara cterization, and your talent. No one enjoys reassuring actors constantly that th ey are talented; you must keep that confidence within yourself. When you walk on to the stage with your shoulders back, your chin up, and your back straight "unl an old woman "your audience will know that you know what you're doing. Even if y can act like you do and they'll never know the difference. Thus, the beauty of illusions. Number Four: An actor must be talented. Unfortunately, if you are really a terrible actor, you cannot memorize lines, yo u can hardly speak above a whisper, and you are terminally allergic to stage lig hts or microphone foam, then acting might not be the business for you. However, the good news is, I've never met anyone with those chronic symptoms. I believe e veryone, with as little or as much training as necessary, can be a great actor i f they utilize these rules to their advantage. It doesn't matter if you haven't the talent of Denzel Washington right off the bat, you can develop talent in cla sses and workshops until you feel ready for an audition. Even the greats go back to class for help; no talent is perfect. Again, I believe anyone can grow a tal ent like a flower, if they give it the right dedication, passion, and confidence . Number Three: An actor must be loud. This really only applies to stage acting, not so much film which employs microph ones. The number one note that directors give their actors, the one that repeats again and again interminably, is, "You need more volume!" Theatres are physical ly shaped for sound to travel, but people, clothes, and the seats themselves suc k up sound like vacuums. Projection comes with practice, but it doesn't take lon g to realize that the people in the middle of the audience just can't hear you. Diction and volume are a requirement for great stage actors, it's just one of th ose things. Number Two: An actor must be ebullient. This goes along with confidence and passion. The personality that you bring out in your characters onstage is what makes you unique as an actor. When you're act ing though, it needs to be ten times bigger than you would normally make it. All those funky quirks that you've got in your personal character can and should bu bble effervescently throughout your shows. Be a personality that people can laug h at, relate to, or simply raise an eyebrow out and you will be one that is reme mbered. Number One: An actor must be personable. Although all the other characteristics are equally as important, this is one tha t I cannot stress enough. Be nice. Be nice to your director, to your co-stars, t o your audience, and especially to your technical crewmen, or "techies." There is nothing worse for a cast than to have to deal with a pri ma donna who can't take direction and expects people to drop problems to work fo r him. Not only will the cast and crew despise a prima donna, but what is worse: directors talk. They have their own secret little community where they rant and rave about actors. If your name comes up in the 'Do Not Hire, Whatever You Do' pile, you're out of luck. No one is going to hire you or give you a role if you' re hard to work with. That's just that. All in all, becoming a great actor is just as easy as learning to dance, learnin g to write well, or learning to paint or draw. It just takes time, dedication, p assion, and the ability to not be a whiny prat. Now, doesn't that make you feel

better and a little less anxious about that audition you've got coming up?