How To Get Unstuck As An Actor

On your acting journey, it’s easy to get stuck in a rut. That’s because being an actor is a path unlike any other. Actors are creative by nature, but the working life of an actor requires you to be disciplined. Essentially, you become the CEO of your own career. A lot of actors struggle with this aspect of the industry.  It can be disheartening when you’ve put so much time and effort into your acting and you feel your career hasn’t progressed. But take heart, even A-List actors lose motivation in their careers from time to time. Many have even been on the brink of giving up before their luck changed and they made it big.

No matter the type you’re stuck in, getting out an acting rut is easier than you think. There are simple actions you can take today to get unstuck. If you need a little push of motivation and a clear guide to your next success, read on!

Acknowledge That Your Acting Career is in a Rut

You might be feeling completely overwhelmed right now. Especially if it’s been a while between gigs, or if you’re yet to book your first role. But in order to generate success in your acting career, you just need to be intentional and consistent in your acting work.

There are three types of rut you can get stuck in as an actor: mindset, motivation, and skills.

The first step to getting out of any rut is to acknowledge that there is a problem. This step is absolutely crucial towards making any sort of positive change in your life, and especially in your acting career.

In psychology there is something called the ‘model of behaviour change’. The first phase of this model is what psychologists call the pre-contemplation phase. In this phase, people deny or ignore the problem facing them. Maybe you’ve tried a change like this before, and it hasn’t worked. That’s left you feeling demoralised or despondent. All of this is completely normal.

To determine quickly whether you’re in an acting rut, ask yourself these questions. Be honest. No one will know your answers but you.

• Do I still feel passionate about acting?
• Does an acting career feel possible?
• How do I feel about the progress of my acting career?
• What actions am I taking (or not taking) towards my goals?

If you still feel excited and passionate about becoming an actor, but feel like a career is impossible, you are probably in a rut. Especially if you struggled to list actions that you are taking, but could think of plenty examples of what you’re not doing.

Examples of an acting rut include:

You want to be an actor but you don’t know where to begin.

You’re stuck doing unpaid work and don’t know how to start getting cast in paid roles.

You have headshots, a reel and you’re ready to work but you can’t get an agent to sign you.

You’re unable to complete tasks associated with your acting career.

The next step is very important. Do not beat yourself up about being in a rut. It is completely normal, and there is nothing shameful in it. Even Matthew McConaughey has been there. Watch his story below.

Accept Responsibility and Take Control Of Your Acting Career

The first thing to realise is that the power to create a great acting career is in your own hands. Now, I hear you. You don’t feel powerful. You feel lost. Maybe you’re even unsure if this path is worth it.

This feeling most likely comes from your past experiences. The times where you’ve put a lot of energy and effort into your acting career but you haven’t yet seen the rewards for those efforts. It’s easy to feel that because your past efforts haven’t resulted in the change you’ve hoped for, future action won’t either. You lose motivation and are left feeling disheartened, despite your big dreams.

This is totally normal. But it’s also an incorrect way of thinking, and it won’t help you move forward. Just because you haven’t seen the results you’ve hoped for yet does not mean you won’t achieve them. Every actor who has the career you dream of has been in your position at one point in their lives. You simply lack motivation because you don’t have any evidence that new effort will result in new, successful results.

To change this, you need to take complete and total responsibility for yourself and your career. You are the one with the power to change your life.

It’s not your fault if you’re stuck in a rut, but it is 100% your fault if you allow yourself to stay there.

A lot of people think that to make it big as an actor they need to make a massive change. But the truth is, like a diet or getting on top of your finances, it’s not all or nothing.  Yes, you’re accountable for your own acting career, but that accountability lies in small every day action.

You don’t need to:

• Aim for huge creative comeback
• Beat yourself up for taking time off acting
• Overhaul everything at once

You do need to:

• Give yourself grace
• Make a plan
• Take consistent steps towards your goals
• Lean into your acting community

So let’s dive in. The first step is to master your mindset.

Getting Out of a Mindset Rut as an Actor

If you’re doubting yourself, start here. In an acting career, mindset is 80% of the battle. Mindset is simply the story you tell yourself. If your answers above tended towards self-limiting beliefs such as “I don’t have what it takes to succeed” or “It’s never going to happen for me”, you’re most likely stuck in a mindset rut.

There is no shame to being in a rut. The pathway to your successful acting career is going to have periods of feeling stuck. It’s all part of the journey. Feel your feelings. Know that you are courageous and brave for dreaming big and wanting to do this. Especially if you don’t come from a family of actors or you don’t have anyone in your life who is in a creative career to guide you.

In order to create change, you first need to believe in your ability to change. To get unstuck from a mindset rut, you need to start believing new things about yourself.

Now, if you’re not crash hot on ‘self-help’ style talk or the sort of woo woo manifestation, I hear you. So let’s look at the science.

Positive Psychology for Actors: How to Talk to Yourself

How you talk to yourself matters. This is backed by decades of research and evidence. There is even a whole branch of psychology called Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) that is devoted to helping people challenge their unhelpful self talk.

The psychologist Eric Berne created a framework that is very helpful when trying to shift your self talk as an actor. He defines 3 voices in our heads: the child, parent, and adult.

Next time you’re spiralling about your acting career, thinking things like “What if I never book a job again?” Start to filter it through the 5 types of voices outlined below. Which one is speaking to you?

1. Critical Parent
   This is the voice that attacks, judges and compares. The critical parent believes that criticism will protect you from painful situations (embarassment, failure) and it floods your nervous system, putting you on high alert. It’s the voice that makes you self sabotage and shifts you into anxiety.It sounds like: “You’re too fat, too old, not funny enough.”
2. Fearful Child
   This voice is wired for survival, and looks for danger focusing only on what could go wrong. Anxiety like this activates your threat response and takes you out of the creative state, unable to play or experiment. It’s just a vocie that’s trying to keep you safe. It’s favourite catch phrase is “What if?”… It sounds like: “What if I forget my lines? What if they black list me? What if I get dropped by my agent?”
3. Nurturing Parent
   The voice that soothes and calms us. It lowers the fear response and gives us clarity and comfort. Its the voice remind you you’re capable, that you’ve dealt with challenges before, and that you’re worthy. Activate this voice to clear your mind and settle yourself. It sounds like: “You’ve got this. Even if you don’t book the job, you’re still a great person and a great friend. You have something valuable to offer.”
4. Playful Child
   This voice just wants to have fun. It’s your joy, spontaneity and cheekiness. When you connect with this voice, your imagination soars and tension dissipates. The playful child is the one that says “I don’t care, how can I make this as fun as possible?”
5. The Adult
   This is the grounded, logical voice. The one that oversees all the other voices. It’s the decision maker, line learner, and logical thinker. Think of it as the judge in the courtroom of your head, calling order when every other voice is shouting. When you activate this voice, it helps you move forward and take action. It sounds like “Which voice is speaking to me right now? How do I take the next logical step?”

If you need an example of positive self talk, listen to these two artists below describe how they speak to themselves and a mindset for success.

Getting Out of a Motivation Rut as an Actor

All human beings are driven by motivation. This drive is to either move towards something, or away from something. External motivation is driven by something outside the self, like fame, money, reward of punishment. Internal motivation is driven by something inside us, to undertake something for our own satisfaction or because we enjoy or value it.

If you’re not spending the time required for success on acting career, it may be driven by a desire to move away from negative experiences, like rejection or failure. The desire to avoid pain is a powerful motivator. It may also be because your motivation is external, like fame, looking impressive at your high school reunion, etc. You need to find positive internal motivation in order to move forward.

How to Find Your Why as an Actor

To make progress on your acting goals, you need to identify an internal motivator strong enough to keep you going after your goals, despite potentially painful experiences.

The thing that I realised when I was in my late 20s is that ‘Oh gosh, if I don’t get my stuff together, I’m not going to fulfil my potential as a human being.  I think that started a path that I just every day I wake up and I try to be present.

– Bradley Cooper

Bradley Cooper is motivated by his ability to fulfil his potential as a human being. Listen to him talk about this mindset below.

To find your own why, think deeply about what draws you towards the path of being an actor. This is your north star, and should drive your action.

Identity Based Change for Actors

In his bestselling book Atomic Habits author James Clear outlines an identity-based system of behaviour change. He argues that lasting change comes from creating a new identity as the type of person who does your desired behaviours.

For example: I’m the type of person who proactively seeks out audition opportunities. This is about putting the control back into your own hands. Toxic positivity is not the answer here. It’s about realistic and grounded self reflection.

“Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become. No single instance will transform your beliefs, but as the votes build up, so does the evidence of your new identity.”

How to Break Down Your Acting Goals

As an actor, it’s so easy to look at a list of tasks you feel you should be doing (Get new headshots? Cut together a professional reel? Write a short film?) and become completely overwhelmed. Overwhelm will keep you stuck.

To move through this, you have to break down your goals.

Here, you need to get specific. Now, “I want to be in movies” is a wonderful aspiration but it’s a terrible goal. Why? Because “being in movies” is not something you know how do on a day to day basis. With a goal like that guiding you, success feels impossible because from where you are now to where you want to be feels incredibly far away.

Ask yourself: how do you become the type of person who would achieve the goals you have for yourself?

1. Step One: Name the goal you want to achieve
2. Step Two: In a single sentence, write a description of the kind of person who would achieve that goal. 
3. Step Three: List 5 tiny wins that can help you become this kind of person

Here’s an example of what that might look like.

Goal: In three years, I want to be starring in a sitcom that I’ve written produced by HBO. 

The type of person: A skilled actor and writer who is attractive to major networks. 

5 tiny wins:

• Write a 1 minute character comedy skit to develop my style.
• Do an open mic night to test material and get my voice out there.
• Join a writer’s group to begin drafting my script.
• Film a comedy self tape scene.
• Watch one episode of a sitcom on HBO.

How to Get out of a Rut In Your Acting Skills

Your feeling of being stuck might stems from a stagnation in your acting skills. This has a relatively simple fix, but that’s not to say it’s easy! Your goal will be to develop the skills that you’re currently lacking. There are many areas that this could apply to, but let’s look at some examples.

Technical & Craft Based Skills for Actors

Your rut may be that you are only booking one type of job (ie. commercials), or nailing one type of character in your work. The first step here is to get really specific about what skill you need to develop.

This is where an outside eye can really help, and getting feedback on your work is key. Working with a coach, acting teacher, or your agent can help you identify what’s not quite there yet. Then, once you have identified the skills that need to be developed, you can take action.

This might include:

• Getting private coaching to work on your ability to access vulnerability
• Practicing comedy scripts to develop your comedic timing
• Spending time in front of the camera to help you shed on-camera awkwardness
• Signing up to a Meisner class to work on your listening skills

Actors who stay developing their skills are the ones who book jobs, and the wonderful thing about this art form is that there is always something new to learn!

Business Skills for Actors

On the flip side, perhaps your craft is truly fantastic, but you’re just not getting the opportunity to put those skills into practice. This requires a different sort of game plan, and we can once again look at an identity-based model of behaviour change.

Goal: To get more audition opportunities and book more auditions.

The type of person: A confident and talented actor who is connected to industry.

5 tiny wins:

• Proactively look for audition opportunities.
• Email an up and coming director to say you loved their short film in a local festival.
• Research how to nail self tape auditions.
• Apply for 1 audition today.
• Film a new audition scene in your free time.

There you have it! This framework is applicable to any sort of skill development you need to undertake. The key for any change is to start small, be consistent, and work steadily over time. Your effort will be rewarded and you will be moving confidently in the direction of your dreams.

Now you know that no matter what type of rut you’re currently stuck in, there is a pathway out of it. Thank yourself for taking the time today to read this article. You’ve done some incredibly meaningful work just by thinking deeply and objectively about your current situation. Your future self will be grateful to you for taking responsibility for your own happiness.

If you enjoyed this or found it helpful, come and work with us. We help actors at every phase of their career to break down self limiting beliefs and move forward in their career. Check out our StageMilk Scene Club for details.

Now, go do one small thing to move your career forward. We believe in you.