Doubting Your Acting Talent

[Cruel_Sandwich]

Posted: 7/4/06 at 8:42pm

I posted this on the main board but wonder what students have to say about it:

Any artist will always go through some period where they doubt their own talent. How do you deal with this when it comes to your acting and/or singing?

Because whenever I walk into an auditioning room, I feel like such an asshole. constantly torturing myself asking "what the hell are you doing here? you're wasting their time."

[BwayTheatre11]

Posted: 7/4/06 at 11:43pm

I am sure everyone goes through this. I ask myself this as a designer all of the time. An artist never likes his or her own work. But you have to know you have talent to be successful, I feel.

[Magical_Ms._Mistoffeles_72]

Posted: 7/5/06 at 3:20pm

Im going through that right now. I dont know if Ill ever pick up theatre again

[Dancinqueen123]

Posted: 7/5/06 at 3:39pm

This has happened to me in the past, not with acting, but with dancing. I have been turned down so many times for dancing parts, that I wonder why I'm continuing to do it. Then I realize that I do it because I love it.

[SarahBeth]

Posted: 7/5/06 at 3:49pm

Everyone is overly critical of their performance. I recently did South Pacific and the woman who played Bloody Mary is one of the most talented people I have ever had the honor of sharing a stage with. At the cast party we watched a tape of the show and the whole time she was saying "Oh my god why did they give me this part they should fire me right now" It's also a good idea to watch the tape AFTER the show ends because then you stand on stage and think about what you did on the tape.
If you truly love acting just do it and when you have confidence in yourself it shows in your performance.

[Masayous]

Posted: 7/5/06 at 5:28pm

As a male actor, i do this a lot.

In my area, there aren't many guys who do any form of theatre. In the last production i was in, there were six males including myself. Because of this, i often wonder if i get lead roles because I'm a guy or because i have actual talent.

I mean, they wouldn't give me lead roles if i didn't have a smidgeon of talent... but would i get those roles if there was more competition for them?

Posted: 7/5/06 at 6:27pm

I am currently dobting my acting ability as im goign inot college to study acting. I mean at home I got the leads and all that, but now its an even bigger sea and im at the bottom of the food chain again! I know I have the heart and all the drive in the world, but sometimes I just wonder will I ever get what im after.

I have never thought of giving it up though, I wouldnt choose anything else to do in life. I cant see myself doing anything else. So as much as I question my ability I would neve in a million years give up!

-EM