New Orleans actor Michael Everest DeMarco recalls his early days as an actor. Growing up, he always envisioned himself as the main character who keeps the film alive. He wanted to be the hero who saves the world from a zombie apocalypse one day and the leading man in one of Jennifer Aniston's romantic comedies the next. There were many roles that DeMarco wanted to explore.
Although Micheal Everest DeMarco has had a successful career as a world-renowned actor, he remembers how hectic the beginning of his career was. Acting is a very demanding line of work and takes more out of a person than he expected. Looking back, DeMarco wishes he had advice from an experienced actor in the industry before booking his first audition.
What advice Michael Everest DeMarco has for young actors
Before any actor books their first audition, they should be prepared. It's important that every aspiring actor does their research. However, research for acting can be a lot of fun. This means watching as many movies as possible, watch films from different genres and different decades. It's even a good idea to watch films from different cultures and take in how they approach cinema.
Research shouldn't stop at films either. Aspiring actors can learn a lot about getting into character by reading as many scripts as possible. Michael Everest DeMarco recommends every aspiring actor fully immerses themselves into the scripts to get a feel for what it's like to take on the role of many different characters.
How Michael Everest DeMarco prepares mentally
If a young actor wants to make it in this industry, they are going to have to prepare themselves for a lot of rejection and criticism. It's important that every aspiring actor realizes that this is part of the industry. Often people view rejection as failure, but that's not how an aspiring actor would view it. Remember, casting directors view hundreds of auditions for each role.
Michael Everest DeMarco encourages actors not to focus on the roles that they didn't get, but to put their energy towards things they can control. Use rejection as a learning experience to be more prepared for the next audition. Actors can improve by focusing on getting into the character's shoes more and rehearsing the lines in a way that represents that character.
Never stop training
Being an actor is a lot like being a full-time student. Micheal Everest DeMarco has to do thorough research for every role he auditions for. There are many different fundamentals of theatre and film that an actor needs to prepare for in order to be successful. They may even have to focus on areas like dance or singing.
Actors should also be prepared to travel. Their job is rarely ever in one location. One project could be filmed in Miami, where the next could be all the way over to the UK. An actor's job could take them on adventures all over the world.
