There are tons of misconceptions about this business, and this section will hopefully clearify a few of them.

Myth #1: Actors make big money.
There are only a handfull of actors that live solely on their acting income. In Canada, 54% of ACTRA members make less that $400 a year - and those are the actors who are professional and in the union, and most of them have agents! 82% of ACTRA members make less than $10,000 a year, which leaves a mere 18% that are able to comfortably live off of their income. Most performers have a second, "normal" job to support themselves.

Myth #2: Taking classes will ruin your "naturalness".
Classes don't ruin anything, you will only benefit from them. They give you important skills, give you the opportunity to meet people in the business, and they help build up your resume. In fact, many agents won't see you unless you have some training under your belt.

Myth #3: Once you have an agent, you'll find success.
While getting an agent is beneficial, is doesn't guarantee that you'll get work. It's not the *agent* that gets you the job, *you* have to get the job - he just lets you know where opportunities are. You have to do a lot of work on your own to promote yourself and train yourself. Look at it this way: Your agent gets 10% (15% in Canada) of your pay, leaving you 90% (85% in Canada). That means your agent should be doing 10% of the work, and you do the other 90%. Besides, when it comes right down to it, you have to fit the part, which is something no agent can guarantee.

Myth #4: As long as you have talent, you'll make it.
Unfortunately, this isn't entirely true. It certainly helps to be talented, but whether or not you suceed also depends on who you know, how hard you work at getting yourself out there, where you live, what opportunities are available to you, and mostly, luck. It's sad that it works that way - logically it should be the most talented ones who get the most work - but that's not how it happens.

Myth #5: Actors need to be outgoing.
As a shy person myself, I can tell you that you don't have to be really outgoing to be an actor. Often it's the quiet, insecure people who make the best actors. That's not to say that outgoing people aren't talented as well, I simply want all those shy people out there to know that they, too, can make it.

Myth #6: You can become an "overnight star".
Most actors have to work for years, getting tons of small roles until they finally land the big role that makes them famous. It's going to take a while and you have to be willing to do the small, one-line parts before you can work your way up. Don't let that discourage you, though - someone once told me, "If you work once, you'll work again" and they're absolutely right. Eventually it'll happen if you keep at it.

Myth #7: You have to be young to start out as an actor.
Nope. It's often an advantage to begin acting at a young age, since you will have a longer time to work on your craft and gain experience. But, it's certainly not neccessary! Many people begin their careers later in life and are very successful. My former acting coach got into the business in his late 30s and has had success for over 20 years. So, no matter what your age, if you love to act, GO FOR IT!

Have you heard something about the acting business and you're not sure if it's true or not? Let me know at vinnie_oatmeal@hotmail.com and I'll try to clear it up for you.