The Unshaken Actor

Maintaining a success oriented mindset in an industry full of rejection.

A career in acting is such an incredible journey made up of adventure, creative expression, joy, and teamwork. Each day can feel new and exciting and filled with unique challenges to face and overcome as you get to make art with others. But sometimes it doesn’t feel that way. An acting career can also feel hard and downright full of rejection. The periods where finding work feels impossible can feel really isolating and can lead to feelings of being bitter about your career as a whoe. And it’s not just new actors that can feel this in fact, even A-list celebrity Susan Sarandon says: “Rejection is a way of life if you’re an actor…”

So how do we as actors deal with this? If rejection is a way of life for an actor, how do we avoid being weighed down by it? Thankfully, here at The Actor’s Scene, we are ready for just such a question! We suggest that when it comes to rejection, you need to: Reframe, Remember, and Rejuvenate. Let’s dive in more!

BEFORE we dive into the three R’s, let’s get something straight:

“Rejection doesn’t mean you are a bad actor. There are so many things that are out of the artist’s control when it comes to casting, and sometimes it is the silliest thing… So my attention is on controlling the controllable and after that, I send it off.”

-Coach Samuel Salary

Control the controllable! As long as you have done your acting work and have taken classes, built a great audition setup, researched your character, and prepared it well, then the rejection is outside of your hands. Like Sam says, it could be the silliest of reasons why they didn’t pick you. Start with making sure you have done the work! Only then do the three R’s help out. Let’s check them out!

First ‘R’:

Reframe:

Real quick, what is your gut reaction to “you got an audition”. Is it excitement? Is it stress? Is it a groan? If it’s not excitement, then you may need to reframe the way you are looking at being an actor. Let’s hear from Front Desk Manager and Coach Leah Merritt on this:

“Rejection comes with the territory. I’ve been able to reframe rejection by thinking of every audition as an opportunity to do what I love and learn something new. Then, I submit and forget.”

Instead of going into an audition with rejection on the brain or annoyance about having to do “another audition I won’t book”, reframe your mindset around what an opportunity you have in front of you. It’s a chance to play as an actor, to practice a skill, and to dive into a new character. Reframing your thoughts is a powerful tool for the mental load on an actor.

Second ‘R’:

“Remember”…

who you are.

Mufasa gets it and so should you! But seriously, this is a huge step for an actor who feels rejected. It is easy to get caught up in trying to perform in a way you think casting wants or in trying to be just like another actor/actress. All this does is make you lose your “youness”.

Let’s hear what Coach Madison Stuckey says on it:

“I am usually able to brush off rejection, but this only came from many years of figuring out who I am as a person and learning to deal with it. I think reframing the situation and thinking about it in the context of my life as a whole helps a lot. I’m pretty sure every actor remembers that one audition (or more than one!) that haunts them before they fall asleep, but you have to keep going and know that no one remembers things like that except for you.”

Not only has she learned to reframe her mindset, but she is able to do so confidently because she knows who she is. Casting picked you for an audition because they want to see you! Not you acting like another actor, not you trying to give them whatever you think they want. YOU. Your unique take on the character. Remember who you are and what you bring to the table for each character.

Third ‘R’:

“Rejuvenate”

Finally, when the weight of rejection really weighs you down, the best thing to do is to take a step back and rejuvenate through the other things that bring you joy. No matter your career, this is solid advice. Let’s see what some of our coaches say about it:

“I handle rejection by reminding myself of who I am outside of acting. I like to reconnect with other hobbies and interest that bring me artistic fulfillment!”

-Coach Maddie Compton

Coach Leah Merritt

“We all have those few rejections that sting a little more – that’s where it’s so important to have other passions and creative outlets to refill your cup. Journaling, painting, music – I go to these things when I feel down and need to remind myself of my own artistry.”

Coach Madison Stuckey:

“Improv is an incredible tool for rejection therapy as well! Since you don’t have a script, you are forced to put yourself out there and be comfortable with yourself and your creativity!”

There are many outlets for this! Personally, I go out into my garden and dig my hands into the dirt. Getting reconnected with the world lets my brain focus on something bigger than me which helps in letting go of rejection and truly leaves me feeling rejuvenated creatively.

Before we go, let’s see check out the rest of that Susan Sarandon quote:

“Rejection is a way of life if you’re an actor… I would celebrate and say, ‘Well, that’s what’s supposed to happen, that’s okay.’ And actually, the more rejection you get, you start to get into a life without expectation, and that’s when things surprise you and come your way.”

Incredible!

If you are feeling down about your acting career, we get it and we would love to help you reframe your feelings on it. One of our skilled coaches would love to sit down with you and figure it out. Reach out to our Front Desk today to get a private or career coaching session booked right now!

Give us a call at 770-904-6646, or check out our Career Coaching options HERE.

Ready to get started? Reach out today!

TASFRONTDESK@GMAIL.COM

770-904-6646

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About The Author

Kirsten Krehbiel

Kirsten Krehbiel is an Atlanta based actress, director, and writer who enjoys bringing people new truths through the art of storytelling. She has a love of acting both on camera and on stage, having been lucky enough to be a part of incredible productions in both worlds. Kirsten joined the TAS team in 2020 as a coach, a job she loves because it lets her watch first hand as students grow and gain self confidence as actors. When she is not creating or coaching, you can find Kirsten hanging out with her grumpy cat on their back porch.

The Unshaken Actor