Of all the mediums, television is the one that I, as a coach and an actor’s advocate, find the most challenging for actors. Actors need experience and training to handle the rigors of television work.
Being able to foresee some of the challenges can help actors of all levels better prepare for the experience so that they can do their very best work.
One of the first things to wrap your mind around is the lack of rehearsal involved in the process. Depending on the size of your role when you are cast, you are given whatever current information is available to you. Sometimes you need to ask the right people for this information. However, the expectation typically is that you will be able to function on limited information, as the story is often being written as you live it. If you are on the show for only a day, expect to know only what your specific scene is about and prepare accordingly, which means: know your lines, have a clear objective, and commit to your choices, but do not over-rehearse to the point where you cannot be flexible on the day.
The second thing to remember is how very technical the process is. An actor looking for room to discover an emotional experience in a moment must realize they need to be prepped
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