\n<\/p>\n
Wake up. Pray for work. Pray to Shakespeare. Sit in local pub in long coat. Receive call from agent and get part in latest Marvel film. Learn lines for five hours. Shoot self-tape hours before it is due. Pay rent. Buy mansion. Walk around city in character, scaring children and stray dogs. No matter the path: a day in the life of an actor is never boring. But what exactly can you expect? What\u2019s accurate and what\u2019s a well-trodden myth? Today, we\u2019re going to explore exactly that\u2026<\/p>\n
A day in the life of an actor is a unique thing: no two are quite alike. Some days might entail juggling auditions and day jobs, others might call for long hours on set or late nights at the theatre. Actors need to be ready for each and every one of them, while recognising that there is no set path for them to live their lives.<\/strong><\/p>\n To accommodate the multitudes the actor\u2019s life contains, we\u2019re not just going to take you through one hypothetical turn of the globe. We\u2019re going to look at a few different scenarios that you might encounter as an actor\u2014remembering always the countless variations on each of these that will be.<\/p>\n So set your alarm, silence your phone and switch off the reading lamp. Next you awake, you\u2019ll be in very different shoes\u2026<\/p>\n Our first day in the life of an actor is all about the grind. It\u2019s a day of multiple responsibilities\u2014the kind that can deliver excellent results, provided it\u2019s not overdone in your calendar.<\/p>\n The day begins with some vocal<\/a> and physical<\/a> warm-ups. The ten-to-fifteen minutes you invest in your body and voice every day are going to keep you sharp and honed for any potential jobs that might arise.<\/p>\n It\u2019s also a great time of day to fit in some kind of exercise: a session at the gym, a run, Pilates or even a swim if you live someplace wet enough.<\/p>\n Once you\u2019re fed\/showered\/dressed (all very important when you\u2019re working for yourself or from home) it\u2019s time to check in on any audition\/job opportunities. You trawl the casting networks<\/a> sites, research theatre companies directly for upcoming notices<\/a>.<\/p>\n If you find opportunities for later in the year, mark them in your calendar so they don\u2019t creep up on you. An open call at a major theatre company is something you\u2019ll want to prep for: better to know about it now than later.<\/p>\n Earlier in the year, you made the decision to work on your showreel<\/a>. Rather than setting aside a weekend to do it all in a panicked rush, you\u2019ve set aside a few hours a week to work carefully towards the goal.<\/p>\n Today you looked at the ten scripts you\u2019ve put aside as potential scenes to include, and cut them down to a shortlist of five<\/a>. You even began to do a little script work<\/a> on the surest choice of the lot: in front of camera, to practice framing and technique.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t put that camera away: it\u2019s self-taping time! Your agent sent through an audition for a car commercial<\/a> the night before which is due this evening. You read the sides, work through the lines and end up with three takes you\u2019re happy enough to send to your agent.<\/p>\n In the afternoon, you work a few hours at a local caf\u00e9 as a barista. It\u2019s a good job\u2014pay is fair, tips are helpful, and they know that as an actor you may need to step away from the occasional shift.<\/p>\n Yes, you\u2019ve gone from one type of work to the next. But there\u2019s something refreshing about the kind of work where you don\u2019t need to end-game a long career in the arts. You can lose yourself in the repetition of the job and give your brain a break.<\/p>\n At a time when most people are sitting down to dinner or clocking off a particularly long day, you\u2019re off to a local theatre! Late last year, you offered your services to a playwright to read their latest work at a small, public showing. You may have even spent a weekend pulling the work apart and giving feedback<\/a>.<\/p>\n It\u2019s not a paid gig, but it\u2019s a great networking opportunity with a company you\u2019ve long admired. The fact that you\u2019ve donated your time means that you now feel on an equal footing with the people in charge. You\u2019re not an actor talking to a producer: you\u2019re two collaborators. And you\u2019re able to call on this relationship when pursuing future opportunities.<\/p>\n You\u2019re feeling wired after the reading\u2014far too excited and inspired to sleep! So you wind down for the evening by reading the rest of that great, classic play<\/a> you\u2019ve been working through.<\/p>\n Like exercising or warming up, a daily read of something is a vital part of an actor\u2019s development. And that\u2019s to say nothing of how enjoyable it is to get lost in a truly captivating piece of writing.<\/p>\n Our second day in the life of an actor is another biggie (in fact, none of them boast particularly desirable hours.) This one details the efforts of a theatre fanatic\u2014and a busy one at that!<\/p>\n You\u2019re headed for a 9am call at the theatre to rehearse a new production. Actually, since the call is 9, you probably arrived closer to 8:30 so you could perform some vocal\/physical warm-ups in the space.<\/p>\n It\u2019s, let\u2019s say, two weeks into full-time rehearsals. So after two weeks of intense character study<\/a> and \u2018table work\u2019 on the script, you\u2019re up on your feet and blocking the piece. You\u2019ll need to pay close attention to what your character says and does, and take copious notes before the day is done.<\/p>\n Rehearsals finish. Since you\u2019re working that night, you make the choice to stay out rather than go home (lest you collapse onto the couch and not get up again.) You decide on a long walk\u2014to get in touch with nature after a day inside being slowly dehydrated by air conditioner and instant coffee.<\/p>\n Even on a busy day in the life of an actor, chunks of \u2018nothing\u2019 aren\u2019t uncommon. The trick is to use them decisively to relax, recharge and centre yourself. Especially if you have something taxing ahead of you yet to come.<\/p>\n At six, you\u2019re expected to be at the theatre before your show that night. Performing a show while you rehearse your next is a lot to juggle, but you\u2019re a few weeks into this run and the theatre feels more like home than a workplace at this point.<\/p>\n The one hour call allows you to get into costume<\/a>, set your props, do hair and make-up and ready yourself however you like for the show ahead.<\/p>\n You are roughly twenty performances into this run, and the show feels as fresh and exciting as ever. No matter how you feel about your life around this\u2014be it personal, or the process of rehearsal for the next project\u2014being on stage is electrifying.<\/p>\n Every serious actor has a routine to de-role<\/a> themselves and step away from work for the evening. For you, it\u2019s a hot shower in your dressing room and a late night kebab at the food truck opposite the theatre.<\/p>\n You haven\u2019t always done the post-show routine well, but you\u2019ve worked at it. Now you can return home feeling satisfied\u2014if completely exhausted from this day! That said: you wouldn\u2019t change it for anything.<\/p>\n Film shoots are the epitome of the phrase \u2018hurry up and wait\u2019. There\u2019s long hours of nothing, followed by frantic flurries of action and blocking and fighting the clock. But they\u2019re a hell of a lot of fun. No better way to run away and join the circus (besides literally doing so.)<\/p>\n Yeah, so film jobs equal gross hours. You\u2019ll likely be getting up before you go to bed, just to get on set and have your hair and make-up done by professionals whose pep and work ethic at that hour is vaguely magical.<\/p>\n Luckily, an early call means breakfast is provided, so you can load up for the day ahead.<\/p>\n Filming is slated to begin promptly at six \u2026 except there\u2019s a bit of a delay due to some weather complications. Also, they need to move up a certain shot to better deal with the lighting situation. And actually would you mind waiting while the director tries this one thing they don\u2019t have time to do?<\/p>\n You\u2019ll spend a lot of time waiting around on set.<\/a> The trick is not to let it get to you, and instead embrace the long hours as an opportunity to knuckle down with the script and make some truly exciting choices to bring to set.<\/p>\n Acting on film<\/a> is its own art, and luckily something you\u2019ve read about on StageMilk in the past. At the very least, you remember that it\u2019s all about trusting your director<\/a>, your fellow cast and creatives. Film is the ultimate team sport.<\/p>\n After an eternity, the day ends. You\u2019re called again the next day, meaning that you\u2019ll need to head home and spend some time prepping the scenes for the following day<\/a>. Sure, you could do that on set the next day\u2014but you never know what the schedule might do from one day to the next. So get a jump now and be prepared.<\/p>\n Finally, it\u2019s time to wind down. The long hours of a film shoot require plenty of rest and wellbeing; try to limit the amount of wild nights out you have with your ragtag film family\u2014especially when you\u2019re on location.<\/p>\n Our last day in the life of an actor is a little bit different. This is less about the hustle, or any actual acting jobs. It\u2019s about finding balance and purpose in those quiet times: the times between gigs when it\u2019s easy to lose sight of the goals you\u2019ve kicked, or even the path in front of you. These days can be some of the hardest. That is, unless you make the effort to use them well and cherish them.<\/p>\n Working or not, it pays to wake up and keep your instrument in shape. Take quiet days in your life as a chance to focus on technique and execution of warm-ups. Is there an aspect of your warm-up that requires a little extra effort or attention?<\/p>\n At nine, you start a shift at your day job<\/a>. While you\u2019re not necessarily on a film set, you\u2019re still working in your field by working as a drama teacher\u2014running weekend workshops in screen acting. It\u2019s rewarding work, and is surprisingly beneficial in your own development as an artist. When you teach: you have to know your stuff, and be able to stand by your opinions on your craft.<\/p>\n The dirty secret about professional actors and day jobs is that they\u2019re a necessary thing, and everybody works them. You are never defined by the work you do to pay the rent. You\u2019re certainly never defined as an actor or not because of it.<\/p>\n After work, you head to the park with a couple of printed scenes and a red pen. Having joined StageMilk the month before<\/a>, your membership affords you the chance to send work in for feedback (among other things.) And quicker than you might say the words \u201cshameless plug\u201d, your tape is almost due!<\/p>\n So you spend the afternoon working on script analysis<\/a>, focusing on the different beats<\/a> in the scenes as that\u2019s your current focus. Often, it\u2019s in these quiet moments of study where you do your best work on your craft. The deadline isn\u2019t (t0o) pressing, and you get to develop your skills at your own pace.<\/p>\n After that, you retire for scene study<\/a> with some actor friends. Well. Sort of. You head back to yours to host a tabletop role-playing game which, despite being more than a little nerdy, is actually a terrific tool to practice acting and storytelling skills<\/a>. What\u2019s more, it\u2019s a great and creative way to strengthen your artistic community. One dungeon at a time.<\/p>\nThe Job Hustle Day<\/h2>\n
7am \u2013 Warm-up\/Exercise<\/h4>\n
9am \u2013 Audition Hunt<\/h4>\n
10am \u2013 Showreel Development<\/h4>\n
12pm \u2013 Self-tape for Commercial<\/h4>\n
2pm \u2013 Day Job<\/h4>\n
7pm \u2013 Theatre Workshop<\/h4>\n
10pm \u2013 Tackling the Canon<\/h4>\n
The Theatre Day<\/h2>\n
9am \u2013 Rehearsal<\/h4>\n
4pm \u2013 Rest\/Recharge<\/h4>\n
6pm \u2013 One Hour Call<\/h4>\n
7pm \u2013 Performance<\/h4>\n
10pm \u2013 Post-show Routine<\/h4>\n
The Film Set Day<\/h2>\n
5am \u2013 H\/MU Call<\/h4>\n
6am \u2013 Filming<\/h4>\n
5pm \u2013 Wind Down\/Prep<\/h4>\n
The \u2018Actor\u2019s Life\u2019 Day<\/h2>\n
7am \u2013 Warm-up\/Exercise<\/h4>\n
9am \u2013 Day Job<\/h4>\n
3pm \u2013 Professional Development<\/h4>\n
6pm \u2013 Dungeons and Dragons<\/h4>\n
9pm \u2013 Watching a Classic Film<\/h4>\n