How to Land More Roles

So, you want to land more roles. Me too! Every actor would like to land more roles. The only problem is, how do you do it? There are two main contributing factors: hard work and good luck. There isn’t much you can do about improving your luck – except to be prepared to take advantage of any and every opportunity that comes your way. That’s where the hard work comes in. So if you are ready to take control of your acting career, here’s how to land more roles.

Broaden your Range

Broadening your range as an actor is the best way to land more roles. If you can play more roles, you can land more roles. The best way to broaden your range is to train. So are you the reason you’re not booking jobs? If you think you could improve your audition-to-role-ratio by doing some training, do it. Take a voice class, take an improv class, do anything!

Tool Kit

The next step towards landing more roles is to prepare your professional tool kit. Your tool kit is your headshot, showreel, and online profiles. Having a professional headshot is essential for every actor.

Headshots are still the first thing that casting agents and producers look at when searching for talent. Next is your showreel. Showreels can either be a combination of your professional work or just a few audition tapes cut together. Keep them short and sweet, and always put your best work first.

After looking at your headshot and showreel, agents, casting agents, and producers will google search you. You want the first thing they see to be your casting profiles. In particular IMDb. So, jump onto IMDb pro and make sure that everything is up to date. Is your tool kit in order?

The Right Agent

We would all like to sign with CAA, WME, or your local equivalent. But not everyone can sign with the best agencies in the world. The most important thing to remember when seeking representation is to find the right agent for you. Having an agent or manager that appreciates who you are as a person, and what you can do as an actor, will mean they submit you for the right roles. If you are auditioning for roles that you are appropriate for you will be more likely to book the job. Having the right agent for you at this stage of your career is a great way to land more roles.

Audition Technique

Auditioning is a strange part of our job as actors. In fact it’s so far from the reality of acting on stage or set that it requires a whole different set of skills. Improving your audition technique is a great way to increase your chances of landing roles. For me, feeling comfortable and confident in the room is key. You can improve both of these by setting up a self taping studio at home and filming an audition scene each week. Being in front of the camera more often will help you relax and feel comfortable. Working on a variety of scenes will give you the confidence to make stronger character choices. Is you audition technique why you’re not landing more roles?

So there you have it. They are our quick and dirty tips on how to land more roles. Remember booking acting jobs is about a combination of hard work and good luck. Work hard on the practical steps above so that you are as prepared as you can be to take advantage of any lucky opportunities that come your way!

Chookas (Australian for break a leg)