BE the Actor you want to be NOW by Neil Schell     04-17-07 Acting can sometimes feel like an elusive career. When one starts out there is always the question of "Am I talented enough?" or "Can I really do this?" The drive to be an actor is obviously strong but the question of acceptance is forever lingering. It's not only present when you begin your career but can also creep in after many successes. Sally Field expressed this when she accepted her second Academy Award for her work on "Places in the Heart" in 1985. She said, "And I can't deny the fact that you like me... right now... you like me." This was after having a very successful TV Series and already having a shiny Oscar on her fireplace mantel. It is very real to me that the strength of an actor comes from their belief in themselves and their excitement about that belief. After more than a dozen years of coaching actors, those who were not only enthusiastic about acting but also fully believed they were actors RIGHT NOW, have had the most success. They carry that enthusiasm and confidence into the the audition room and onto set. The more those qualities are backed by a solid understanding of what good acting is, the easier it is for the actor to maintain and increase those qualities. So here's a magic formula you can apply to your career. It's the BE-DO-HAVE formula. Some of you may have come across it before, others may not have. The trick is to sit down and envision the LAST part of it - HAVE. Envision what you want to have. See that shiny Oscar on your mantel. Don't have a mantel? Then envision the mantel too! See that fantastic relationship with that great agent who truly believes in you and your work. The possibilities of envisioning what you want to HAVE are endless and the more you do it the better it is. Of course, each actor has to have their own vision and they are always different from one actor to the next. With your HAVE step complete (not sure if this is ever "complete"), you will now have a better understanding of what you need to DO in order to receive what you want to HAVE. You can't receive the Oscar unless you have done the work on set and everything else before that to get on set. You can't get the relationship with that great agent unless you meet with them and cultivate that relationship. DO becomes clearer the clearer you are about HAVE. Now we come to the BE step of the formula. By refining your HAVE and DO steps, you wind up with a much better idea of who and what you need to BE. And here is the catch to it all. You need to BE that NOW. Not at some later date when you have finally received that Oscar but right now. When you go to your next audition BE that person right now. Walk in like you already have those accomplishments. Know now that you have already achieved them. Don't fall into the trap of "becoming" that. BE it now. And remember that it's not just limited to the audition room either. This isn't necessarily easy but it is vital to your success. The more you practice acting, the more you work as an actor, the more you learn what excellent acting is to you and how you can achieve it, the more you receive what you want to HAVE. It's my job to coach you in the direction to where you gain a clearer understanding of what excellent, high-quality acting is and how to achieve it. What is so very interesting about this formula is that it can be easily applied to your characters too. Isn't it true that characters have an identity? Is not identity directly related to BE? What one is being is who they are. Their identity. Until the next newsletter… Neil PS Feel 'free' to write to me at  anytime. I will answer. PROFESSIONALS HAVE COACHES, AMATEURS DON'T