How Long Does it Take to Become a Successful Actor? | Career Pathways

How Long Does it Take to Become a Successful Actor?

Written by on | Acting Industry

I was introduced to a rather well-established Australian director a few years ago. When I told him I was an actor, he said: “Awesome. It takes a while, you know.” It was a refreshing break from the usual “Oh that’s a tough gig, do you have a plan B?” And it’s a good bit of off-handed advice that I come back to whenever I feel like things are moving a bit slowly, career-wise. But it certainly raises another question. How long is a while? How long does it take to become a successful actor?

The time it takes to become a successful actor depends on a multitude of factors, not least of which is your definition of success. Different pathways offer different roads towards a satisfying acting career; while there is no guarantee of wealth and recognition, there are things within your power to do that will help maximise your chances of succeeding. 

One of the most common things you’ll hear as an actor is that a career takes patience and persistence. If you hang in there long enough, you’ll make it. It’s great advice–so great that I offer it in just about every article I write–but I think it’s worth addressing just how much patience we need. The main reason people give up on acting is the length of time it takes for things to happen.

So, when does it all pay off?

The Timeline(s) of Success

You’ve probably heard all about those late-bloomer success stories in Hollywood. Actors love to remind each other that Morgan Freeman, Ian McKellen and Samuel L. Jackson didn’t hit it big until they were well into their 40s. What often gets left out when idolising these veterans’ tales of success is the years and years of work they, among so many others, put in to get to that point.

Overnight success stories are often the stuff of myth and legend–anyone who tells you acting is an easy profession deserves a friendly smile and a comforting pat on the shoulder. So let’s put them aside and look at a few different pathways you might encounter in your life, if you’re not on one of them already.

The Child Star

Some people start working in film, television and theatre from a very young age. Sometimes it’s a matter of having the right connections–maybe their parents are established in the industry. And sometimes it comes down to having the right look for a particular role. A lot of the time it comes down to confidence: the ability to put themselves out there and show vulnerability when so many children tend to lock up with shyness.

Fun fact: a mixture of these qualities is usually what people refer to as talent. Click the link to our article on the subject, it’s often illuminating for those who either fear they don’t have it, or rest on the assurance that they do…

Child stars tend to experience success early; however, the longevity of their career is never guaranteed. Some make the jump to acting when they grow up, some lose the knack and others lose interest in favour of another field. Getting lucky and having enough talent to meet the luck early in life (Leonardo DiCaprio) can set kids up for major success later down the track. But it’s by no means a guarantee that you’ll become a successful actor.

The Drama School Grad

Almost everyone who goes to drama school secretly thinks they’re going to hit it big as soon as they graduate. I know this because I was one such case. Whilst it didn’t happen for me, it certainly happened to a few people I know.

At that stage in your career, you’ve learned enough about the craft to hold your own in front of a casting director, audience or a camera but you’re likely jumping into the industry with little to no credits on your resume. The biggest challenge with landing roles at this point in life is maintaining professionalism and staying realistic until you prove yourself.

Drama school equips you with some training, some contacts and a terrific community of like-minded peers. It doesn’t guarantee success—nor does it conveniently skip you from early- to mid-career. The best thing I think one can do at this stage is put all of their focus on treating everyone with respect and kindness, and making sure they continue to train and grow throughout this early stage of their career. 

The Independent

I’m using this label “independent” to refer to an actor who eschews the traditional drama school path. Some are totally untrained—which is rare. Others might have a theatre degree or some performing credits under their belt from university.

Generally, without the leg-up of early experience or drama school training and connections, the path to success for independents is longer, and, more difficult. However, this path rewards those with the gumption to seek out their own opportunities, not only as actors but as writers, directors, producers: creators of their own work.

To become a successful actor as an independent, you’ll still need training–or at the very least a focus on developing your skills. Take a drama class, start a scene study group with your peers and keep auditioning. If you are diligent in your work, you’ll find that you eventually surpass your drama grad peers who think three years of training is all they’ll ever need.

StageMilk’s very own Scene Club is a great place to do study as an independent. And our list of members with successful, fulfilling careers is long and proud!

The Amateur

As above, a quick clarification: I’m using amateur to describe an actor who aspires to work in local community theatre, and pursues their craft for love, not necessarily career. Funnily enough, that’s the origin of the word; “amateur” gets a bad rap in a world that pushes a lot of us to make every waking minute a push for financial worth.

But to step down off the barricade for a moment: the amateur actor’s career path is a lot quicker. It’s often heavily reliant on what your community is like, and your place within that space. For instance, you may have to pay your dues in lesser roles at the local am-dram society; however, if you can prove yourself a worthy performer and member of the team, the sky’s the limit.

My advice to you is still to work on your skills. Develop your craft, take a class here or there and research all things acting. You’ll find your path to becoming a successful actor is always quicker when people can rely on your talents and hard work, production after production.

The Veterans

Finally, the veterans: the people with whom this article began. After developing a frontal lobe and going to drama school and working in theatre and film for many years, these actors get their breakout role later—after they’ve had a fair whack of life experience.

Sometimes they’re familiar to us. They’re fantastic in That One Thing, or memorable in This Great Show Everyone Keeps Recommending. And then suddenly, they explode: they’re winning awards, they’re gracing magazine covers. They seem to be starring in every film coming out in the next six months.

Actors who follow this path tend to land well, as they’ve had plenty of time to learn what does and doesn’t work in sustaining a lasting and fulfilling career, if even on the fringes of the industry.

But never forget that a veteran’s success is testament to a lifetime of hard work, rather than some lucky break. Remember, there’s no such thing as an overnight success. Anybody touted as that is being marketed to you by an interested party.

How do you Define Success?

If you clicked into this article with the “how long” part of the question in mind, you’re probably not surprised to hear that it varies. Just for a moment, though, let’s focus on the other part: the “success”. You have plans to become a successful actor? Who doesn’t! But what does success look like to you?

How do you define success? And that’s you, not anybody else. Thousands of actors go their whole careers without ever stepping foot in the limelight. Some do commercials for forty years and never once command a starring role. Some actors only play villains in horror movies, others the supportive best friend in glasses. Does that make them unsuccessful? You’d have to ask them.

When I set out on the path of an actor, the allure of fame and fortune was undeniable. I fantasised about it a lot and thought that surely if I worked hard enough, I was destined for it. Hell, I still do fantasise about it occasionally, but I’ve learned a lot since my days of high-school theatre.

My personal ideas of success are no longer attached to becoming a famous actor and are now more geared towards the kinds of projects I want to work on. That’s my goal. And when I think about it in that way: I’m living the dream every time I focus on my craft.

Conclusion

So there you have it: how long it takes to become a successful actor (provided you paint success, acting and time in very broad strokes.) There are a myriad of pathways to becoming an actor, and the scenarios I’ve outlined above only scratch the surface. 

Jamie Lee Curtis talks about how after a job, she’s unemployed. And whilst she is fortunate enough to be in a position that she feels confident she’ll find work again, there is always the chance that one day, you simply won’t be what people want to see on TV anymore. It’s no surprise that she continues finding compelling work to this day—armed by the knowledge that it may all vanish in a second.

So take the time to answer this question for yourself: what do you want, how will you achieve your goals and what kind of time are you willing to put into it? And then, ever so gently but ever so constantly, remind yourself that this kind of life is about the journey as much as the destination.

Hope this helped. See you round the traps!

About the Author

Frazer Shepherdson

Frazer (he/him) is a writer, actor and director. He has worked professionally in film, television and theatre since 2016 and graduated from the Victorian College of the Arts with a Bachelor in Acting in 2021.

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