How to Strengthen Your Acting Skills

Co-authored by Dan Klein

Last Updated: August 13, 2024 Approved

Improving your ability as an actor is a long process that essentially happens over the course of your life. If you are an actor you should always be taking measures to bettering your skill and craft. Luckily, there are many ways in which an actor can improve and grow. By taking classes, studying, auditioning, performing, even experiencing life, you can take steps to become a better actor.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Studying Acting

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1
Study acting. Like any skill or talent, improving your acting ability is a muscle that needs to be exercised if you want it to grow. Learning how to act from professionals in classes and workshops is one of the most important and effective ways to improve.
- You can find acting and improve classes in your city or at your college or university. Take classes that interest you and which will push you to improve.
- A professional acting coach or teacher will be able to guide you in proper technique and give you tools that better you as an actor. You can’t always see what you’re doing. But a teacher can. And your teacher will be able to help you make adjustments, learn the basics, and teach you how to mentally approach your craft.
- There are acting coaches and teachers who specialize in specific forms and can help you reach specific goals. If you want to learn to be better at auditioning on camera, you can find a teacher who will help you improve.
- Put yourself in the right mindset to learn. Don’t think you are too good for classes. You’re not. For most actors, your job isn’t to be an actor. Your job is to learn and to audition.
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Read books on acting. In addition to getting on your feet and learning, reading and studying books on acting will help you improve your skills as an actor.
- Treat acting like any subject in school. You have to do your homework and study. Because when it comes to acting, the test is an audition.
- There are countless books for you to read on the subject of acting. Don’t just grab the first one you see. Ask your teachers and coaches for recommendations.
- There are some books that have tremendous value like “Audition” by Michael Shurtleff. This book houses twelve guideposts that go way beyond just auditioning. The twelve guideposts in the book will show up in other books, in your technique, and in life. ^{[1]
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3
Read plays. Plays house a wealth of knowledge on acting. Plays will help you to understand how characters work and allow you to analyze the material.
- When you read plays pay attention to the stage directions, beats, and the dialogue. There is meaning in each part that can help you improve your skill.
- Notice the heightened nature of characters. In plays, characters have a heightened sense of purpose and reality. Whether it’s Shakespeare or something modern. Each character has an ultimate objective, something to strive for. Every line, every action is a step toward reaching that goal.
- Take notes on what you think these tactics and objectives are. Use what you’ve learned from class and books to break down the scenes and the characters. Practice the scenes and monologues out loud. Doing these activities will allow you to begin to understand how to portray characters from a page on stage or in front of a camera.
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Take notes on the greats. Learn from your favorite actors. Watch interviews, read books on these actors, and study films the greats are in.
- The actors that have made it can be another great resource for you. Pay attention to how these actors convey emotion, react to something or someone. Notice how truly talented actors seem can be completely immersed in a moment and live it as if it were real. Then go back to your work and think about how you can do the same.
- "Inside the Actor’s Studio" is a great source for watching interviews with actors. You can learn how these talented actors approached acting. The kinds of studying that took place. How an actor approaches a scene or character.
- Don’t just try to imitate your favorite actors. But pay attention to what these people believe is valuable and useful. Then try to incorporate it into your own studies.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Honing Your Skill

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1
Practice monologues. Monologues will help you get better at memorization, character study, and auditioning. If you're searching online for monologues, be wary of using ones that pop up when you search terms like "best monologues." Casting directors don’t want to see you perform the same monologue that four other people have performed! Instead, maybe try using a monologue you like from one of the plays you’ve read.^{[2]
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Expert Source

Jim Jarrett
Acting Teacher

Expert Interview. 28 April 2020.}
- You should also probably avoid using an iconic monologue from a legendary performer, because you'll inevitably be compared to that actor.^{[3]
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  Jim Jarrett
  Acting Teacher
  
  Expert Interview. 28 April 2020.}
- Go over your monologue and scan it. Meaning you should break down the beats, and know your objective. This is where the twelve guideposts come in handy. Find the places in your monologue where you can hit each one. Know where you are, who you are talking to, who you are, what you need, etc.
- If you truly want to improve your ability as an actor, you should have roughly four monologues. Have four that you practice frequently and have scanned and memorized. These are monologues that you could perform at any time with no preparation. You should have two that are humorous and two that are dramatic. One of each should be contemporary and the other classical.
2
Audition for plays. Classes and studying acting is a great way to dissect and build your skill. But auditioning for shows is also extremely valuable to improving.
- When you audition you get to act in a way that will allow you to better understand where your skills lie. You'll see what you need to further work on. Auditions are important for not only getting your face and name out there; but for getting some practice in.
- An audition usually consists of cold reading a scene, performing a monologue, or both. Auditions will help you to get better at making decisions in a scene quickly and in the moment. You won’t have a lot of time to scan your lines, but learning to operate well with that lack of time will help you grow.
- Go to as many auditions as you can. You can do a search in your area for theatre or film auditions and sign up. Or, ask your teachers where the best place to find auditions is.
- If an audition goes well and you get cast, then you know you are on a path that is helping you improve your skill. During your audition, treat it as if it’s opening night. You should use everything you have to fully immerse yourself in the character and make strong choices. If making strong choices is hard for you, auditioning will help you improve that skill.
3
Record yourself performing. Recording yourself can be a good exercise for identifying your quirks and pinpointing areas you need to improve on.
- Set up a camera and record yourself doing a monologue or a scene with a partner. You may not like how you look or how you sound, but that’s ok. Take notes on what you are doing, how much or little you are moving, and if you believe your performance.
- Watching yourself perform with an objective eye can really show you what you need to work on. Perhaps you don’t enunciate enough or you’re always touching your face. Maybe your movements are too big and unrealistic. Write down the areas you want to improve. Then go back and try it again.
4
Put up your own production. With so much technology and resources available to us, it’s easy to create your own production, whether it’s film or on stage.
- You can rent out a small theatre space and put up your own play or get some camera equipment and shoot a web series. Doing the work yourself will give you a new viewpoint on your craft. When you put up your own production you challenge yourself to do your best work.
- Having something that you’ve created and that others will see can help you develop your own style and become a better actor. You’ll find through the process what you like and don’t like. What works for you and what doesn’t. And because it’s on you, you know you won’t slack off or phone it in.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Refining Your Craft

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Meditate and explore your inner self. Meditating for a few minutes and allowing yourself to discover what makes you tick will help you connect to the characters you play.
- Meditating can also be a daily ritual that doesn’t have to be done on the floor. It can be done through activities that fuel you and your artistic talents. Chances are, you’re an artist because you felt a calling to it. Acting is a tough business that often has you running around trying to balance jobs that pay the bills with your art.
- Try taking some time every day to perform your monologue. Read a play or book. Or even watch your favorite movie. These can all be forms of self-discovery and exploration. Find what helps you stay connected to your creative process and not loose sight of your goals and love for the art. ^{[4]
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2
Practice cold readings. Grab another actor friend or anyone who will read with you and practice your cold readings. ^{[5]
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- Cold readings are a big part of auditioning, as well as helping you to better your skill. When you practice cold reads, or perform one in an audition, there are a few things you should make strong decisions on:
  - Relationship. Who is your scene partner to you (in the scene)? What do you need from this person? Always pick positives. Even if you hate this character, you love this character. Hate gives you nowhere to go. Love allows you to explore options.
  - Conflict. Find the conflict in the scene. What is it that you and your partner are both fighting for? Only one of you can win. Practicing these cold reads will help you understand how to win using only what’s on the page and within you.
  - Place. Know where you are. Learn to visualize this place. Pick places that are real and that are familiar to you. It doesn’t matter if your partner has a different place in mind. Having intimate knowledge and details in your mind of where you are will change how you behave in the space.
  - Moment before. Every scene has a beginning. But something always happens off stage before this moment. Learn to decide with confidence what your character was doing before the moment on the page. Having a moment before will affect how you start the scene. It will allow you to act with a stronger choice at the top and inform your partner and the auditors that you didn’t just flip on the lights when the scene started.
3
Notate your lines. Going over your lines notating your discoveries and details like place, moment before, conflict, etc. will help you improve how you perform a scene. ^{[6]
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- If a certain line reminds you of something from your own life, make a note of it. When you are performing you will be reminded of your own experience. This will allow you to draw on the feelings, body language, and emotions that you had. You can pour these elements into your scene.
- Make notes of what your objective in a scene is, and the lines that help you achieve it. For example, if you want your mother to make you a sandwich, note which lines help you achieve that goal. This will give your lines purpose and let you learn to mean what you say instead of just reciting words on a page.
- Make notes of what other characters say about your character, especially in scenes your character isn’t in. This will give you insight into who your character is. What others say about you is true. You can use this knowledge to become your character and deliver a three-dimensional performance. This is known as given circumstances. The playwright has given you the facts about your character. You can then use these facts to inform your character. ^{[7]
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Meryl Streep, Actor

There is a little part of you in every character you play. "Acting is not about being someone different. It's finding the similarity in what is apparently different, then finding myself in there."
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Use what you’ve learned in your work. To truly improve your acting skills you have to learn to incorporate everything you’ve learned into your process in a way that serves you.
- When taking classes and reading plays and books you will learn many different theories and methods. Not every one will work for you or be beneficial. But don’t discount something until you’ve tried it.
- Formulate your own process using what you’ve learned. Apply it to everything from learning lines to performing. Over time, you will develop a process that allows you to dig deep and get the best results out of your work. To keep improving, you should be willing to adapt and change that process as you continue to learn.
- Use your knowledge and the skills you have for everything. Performing, taking classes, and studying are all ways that you can improve. Use what you have and what you know works and treat every audition, scene, or play as if it’s the most important work you’ve ever done. Skimping on the process won’t help you get better.
- Use your real life experiences to help you as well. As you get older and experience more of life, you’ll have a larger bank of experiences which you can apply to a character.^{[8]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Jim Jarrett
  Acting Teacher
  
  Expert Interview. 28 April 2020.} You’ll be surprised at how a play you read five ago suddenly makes so much more sense and connects with you now. Use your own life to build three-dimensional characters.
- People-watch to get new ideas for how you can portray a character.^{[9]
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  Expert Source
  
  Dan Klein
  Improvisation Coach
  
  Expert Interview. 22 March 2019.}

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How can I get better at acting at home?

Dan Klein
Improvisation Coach
Dan Klein is an improvisation expert and coach who teaches at the Stanford University Department of Theater and Performance Studies as well as at Stanford's Graduate School of Business. Dan has been teaching improvisation, creativity, and storytelling to students and organizations around the world for over 20 years. Dan received his BA from Stanford University in 1991.

Dan Klein

Improvisation Coach

Expert Answer

Sit outside and people-watch so you can learn new mannerisms to incorporate into your characters.

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How can I practice acting by myself?

Jim Jarrett
Acting Teacher
Jim Jarrett is an Acting Teacher and the Founder of The Meisner Technique Studio based in San Francisco, California. With over 30 years of experience, he specializes in teaching The Meisner Technique and is Sanford Meisner's last teaching protégé. Over the years, Jim has established schools in Los Angeles, California, Hawaii, and Sun Valley, Idaho. He also travels the world annually as a guest teacher at universities, performing art schools, and theater companies throughout North America, Europe, and Asia. His flagship school is located in the heart of the Presidio in San Francisco, California.

Jim Jarrett

Acting Teacher

Expert Answer

Think about falling into the imaginary world of your performance like a child does when playing make-believe. Commit to whatever you're doing as a character without worrying about cluttering your mind with facts and logic. This can free you to become a more emotionally true actor.

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How does reading books help me to become an actor?

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Use the dialogue to act out scenes in a book. Determine how the narrator or person speaking is feeling at random points. It may seem useless, but it actually helps immensely with trying to find character depth.

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Tips

Always look for new ways to improve on an area you aren't as skilled in. Take classes. If you need to work on being present and living in the moment try an improv class.

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Keep studying and reading. Learning about great actors or techniques you love will inspire you to get out there and try something new.

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Get inspired by those great actors and actresses.

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