I get calls from agents and managers all the time asking me if I think a certain actor has talent. Very rarely do I say no; most actors have talent. I remember Stella Adler used to say, You have to have a talent for your talent, which means: do the work. Everyday fulfill the steps you need to take that will bring you closer to your dream—which is to work a lot as an actor. When you are constantly booking, you use your instrument all the time, so it’s tuned. When you are not working on a show, your instrument gets rusty, oh so quickly, so you have to take yourself to the acting gym. You have to do the work before getting the work. Work out in an acting class, where you get the chance to flex the muscles, work on plays or screenplays you are right for, or characters you would never get cast as, but that would stretch you and expand you.
Actors need to constantly be working on writing that excites them. Be part of a community of talented folks you can call and say, “Let’s get together and work out today; let’s pick material and work on it.” That’s a great phone call to make. To nurture your acting talent is to work on your voice. With the mic or boom so close, it’s a mistake to think
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