Do you need a 3 Year BFA to be an actor?
In our Free Q&A with Will Centurion he asked us what were the most common things said to us that affected how we thought about ourselves as actors.
Someone mentioned that they were told once "You need a three year degree in acting to be an actor".
A thought like that can cripple you as a creative, as a person, and in your career.
Especially when it is unequivocally false.
Yes, you should train to be the best actor you can be. You probably were not born with the natural ability to play every character and experience every emotion and tell every story perfectly - (Sorry!).
All the best artists share a common trait; musicians, athletes, actors, painters, writers, dancers, they all train and work on their craft.
But the idea that you need to train in a particular sort of way to get a particular sort of result? Well that goes against everything we stand for as actors.
What someone gets out of a Three Year BFA (Bachelor of Fine Arts) - maybe you can achieve something similar in a one year course. And this is nothing to be ashamed of: Maybe you are scared of being on stage so you only want to learn how to act for camera - but really really well. (Not everyone wants to be a theatre actor). Or maybe you had a couple of great roles early in your career, but want to expand your skill base. Maybe you feel really confident with your acting but aren't working at the moment so you want to keep your skills fresh and your instincts sharp. There are many reasons to train. But they should all be reasons that serve you.
As Will said many times during the Q&A: "Stay in your own lane".
What works for you, works for you. Who cares that Timothée Chalamet when to Laguardia, or Jessica Chastain went to Juilliard, or Cate Blanchett went to NIDA. That's their path. Be honest with yourself and figure out what you need to do to get to where you want to be.
I really like another thing Will said: "If you're truly unhappy with something about yourself, do something about it, but do 1% every day".
Need to work on your accents? Take an accent class or hire a coach.
Struggle to break down a scene properly? Pick up a book on screenplay structure
Feel like you don't have great control over your voice? Do vocal workouts and feel your voice get stronger.
Need to work on staying present during a scene? For crying out loud - meditate.
These are things we can do that make us a better actor, and at the end of the day it doesn't matter if you're a RADA grad, or a person off the street - the best actor for the role, gets the role.
