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Career entry as an actor: "I am very grateful when I have work"

2020-11-05T03:56:40.732Z


Ole is an actor, but he can't make a living from it - especially not since Corona. In order to have enough money, he also works as a model, stands at the bar and delivers food. Nevertheless, he wants to keep playing.


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Day-to-day work as an actor is often not as glamorous as many imagine (symbolic image)

Photo: Jerome Paressant / plainpicture

The start into working life is exciting, exhausting - and often completely different than planned.

In the series

"My first year in the job"

young professionals tell how they experienced this time.

This time: actor Ole *, 22, his passion is more important than a regular income.

"When I was at drama school, my grandpa once said to me that I had chosen a unique job, but also a very difficult one. In my first year on the job, I understood what he meant by that. I only earn money with acting a fraction of my livelihood, besides modeling, waiter, delivering food. Such part-time jobs get me through the year - being on stage fulfills me.

I've been working as a freelance actor since October 2019.

That's what I always wanted to do.

Even in my school days I was in the theater group, performed skits or musicals.

Immediately after graduating from high school, I completed a three-year training course at a private drama school, and I also worked there on the side to finance it.

During the training I learned to use my breath and voice properly, to use my body like an instrument.

We trained how to be audible right down to the last row, how to scream without getting hoarse.

We practiced expressing anger or joy through movements, which can look very different depending on the role and actor.

Acting isn't so much about talent, a lot is craft.

Enduring idleness and defeat

The drama school doesn't quite reflect reality, there you always have something to do, you can be creative and embody many roles.

In everyday work, however, I often have to idle.

When I'm not booked, I take part in online castings, maintain contacts in the industry and fear new engagements.

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The corona crisis made it even more difficult to get orders, as the industry was completely idle for a while.

In the past twelve months I've been booked for two plays.

We performed the first as a touring theater all over Germany, but I only had a small role and the pay was poor: I got 135 euros gross per performance.

I did it anyway to gain work experience.

The second piece went better for me, I played one of the two main roles and earned 2100 euros gross a month.

I am very grateful when I have work, enjoy the premiere and am happy to be able to perform.

There aren't such moments in my job that often, I imagined it to be different.

"Anyone who becomes an actor in order to become famous has missed the job"

Actor Ole

I had to learn to deal with rejections and defeats.

A carpenter sells a table and if someone doesn't want her product she may take it to heart, but her personality is not directly affected.

As an actor, I am the product, I sell myself, with my emotions and interpretations.

If someone does not cast me for a piece, it is sometimes difficult not to doubt me.

Coping with this constant rejection is one of the greatest challenges in my job.

I keep asking myself if I'm good enough.

I have to fight against that, remind myself that maybe it's not me at all.

Perhaps another type is being sought for the role. 

Anyone who becomes an actor in order to become famous has missed the job.

Only those who love art, slip into different characters, get to know themselves better and want to go beyond their own limits, can put up with defeats and overcome lean times.

Long trial days, little predictability

Strangers and acquaintances often ask me how I keep the whole text.

To be honest, the text is the smallest problem.

When rehearsals start, I'll be expected to sit.

There is no money for text learning either, the actual work only begins afterwards.

Together with the director and the other actors, I work out scene by scene - that can take weeks.

Rehearsal days are long and hard, I have to stay physically fit, my voice has to hold out.

Staying at home because of a sore stomach or a headache is not an option.

After all, I'm part of a whole ensemble.

"I can't plan, but you can't plan the future anyway"

Actor Ole

The variety in my job is a curse and a blessing at the same time: I get bored easily, routines may give some security, they cause anxiety in me.

As an actor, I often work in other places, travel a lot, meet new people, no two days are the same.

I can't plan, but you can't plan the future anyway, I think to myself.

As much as I like this life, I find it difficult to endure the uncertainty that comes with it.

Now I'm young, I can get on the train tomorrow morning and work for a few days in another city if I'm booked spontaneously, I have no children, I just have to pay for my room in a shared apartment.

But what does it look like in 20 years?

I've heard that even famous actresses like Jennifer Lawrence put a time limit on their passion.

In times when I don't have a job, I sometimes think about giving myself such a limit as well.

Maybe I should try acting for three years, I then think, and if I had few engagements until then, I'll study again - for example media and communication design.

Acting means a lot to me, but if I can't make a living from it, I have to change my job, for better or for worse.

Despite everything, I would never regret having trained as an actor.

At the school we were not only trained in acting methods, language, dance and singing, but also learned how to market yourself and present yourself to an audience.

This is also important in other areas of life; it is not without reason that actresses often coach leaders or people who give public lectures.

Acting is a school for life. "

* The protagonist wants to remain anonymous, his name is known to the editors.

Source: spiegel

All news articles on 2020-11-05

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