"I'm a Natural, everyone tells me so"

Acting is like living your life, all of your life's experiences you have had gives you something to draw from. Much like have experience in any other profession make you better at what you do. Many if not most actors begin their careers as extras, or background actors, with no lines.

Or featured roles, also no lines but being very visible to the camera. Some of these featured roles can be recurring, like maybe a uniformed officer in a courtroom or the court reporter. Seen but not heard. These roles may require some acting experience or training due to certain requirements by the director. These type roles can also turn into a 'speaking' role which can be a big step forward. The common thread that pretty much all successful actors have and have had is good solid training for their craft, their career. Many careers are born from this opportunity, to speak to create the opportunity to become SAG/AFTRA and become more marketable, by being able to create something out of a given chance. They, the actors have prepared for this moment, and I don't mean just being lucky that the director picked 'you'. But being able to do something with the shot you were just given. Keifer Sullivan (24) says "Being pitched the ball is one thing, being able to run with it is quite something else.". Personally in over 30 years as an agent I can count the 'natural' actors I've met on less than one hand.

"People think that acting is like walking and talking, so they say "I could do that". Well known acting coach and teacher Nina Foch laughs, but acting is difficult. The best succeed because they make it look so easy. If you are an actor your whole life you may do one or two scenes really, really well."

Think about that before you make the comment "I'm a natural, everyone tells me so.

William Reynolds