### The Distinction Between Acting and Being an Actor
I have been a casting director in Mumbai for six years now, and I’ve noticed an incredibly important distinction: acting is not the same thing as being an actor. In fact, they can be worlds apart.
"Acting" is the actual performance by a person on stage or on screen. "Being an actor" (and here I mean a professional actor, one pursuing financial gain from acting) means not just performing, but also engaging in various activities to create acting opportunities and jobs. This includes marketing, networking, researching, taking meetings, self-producing, and myriad other business endeavors. Being an actor also includes acting (and here I include auditioning and attending classes), but honestly, if you’re pursuing a professional career as an actor, the percentage of your time spent actually performing is relatively low.
Those of you who did theatre in your hometown or different cities probably experienced hours and hours of rehearsals and performances, maybe two to six auditions a month, and zero time doing business, marketing, or financial work. Ninety percent of your time was spent acting, and maybe ten percent was spent being an actor.
In Mumbai, the percentages are nearly the opposite—ten percent acting and ninety percent being an actor.
If you just want to act, then don’t move to Mumbai. Seriously. Stay in your hometown and do theatre. Perform for children. Act all the time! There is absolutely no shame in that.
However, if you want to get paid enough to cover your rent through artistic expression, you must think like a businessperson. You must market yourself and find the joy in being an "actorpreneur." Building any business takes time—usually far more time than we initially anticipate. The reward, though, is like nothing else.
I have been a casting director in Mumbai for six years now, and I’ve noticed an incredibly important distinction: acting is not the same thing as being an actor. In fact, they can be worlds apart.
"Acting" is the actual performance by a person on stage or on screen. "Being an actor" (and here I mean a professional actor, one pursuing financial gain from acting) means not just performing, but also engaging in various activities to create acting opportunities and jobs. This includes marketing, networking, researching, taking meetings, self-producing, and myriad other business endeavors. Being an actor also includes acting (and here I include auditioning and attending classes), but honestly, if you’re pursuing a professional career as an actor, the percentage of your time spent actually performing is relatively low.
Those of you who did theatre in your hometown or different cities probably experienced hours and hours of rehearsals and performances, maybe two to six auditions a month, and zero time doing business, marketing, or financial work. Ninety percent of your time was spent acting, and maybe ten percent was spent being an actor.
In Mumbai, the percentages are nearly the opposite—ten percent acting and ninety percent being an actor.
If you just want to act, then don’t move to Mumbai. Seriously. Stay in your hometown and do theatre. Perform for children. Act all the time! There is absolutely no shame in that.
However, if you want to get paid enough to cover your rent through artistic expression, you must think like a businessperson. You must market yourself and find the joy in being an "actorpreneur." Building any business takes time—usually far more time than we initially anticipate. The reward, though, is like nothing else.
