Counter Culture Mom Logo
actor

5 Tips to Maintaining Your Integrity as an Actor

Are you wanting to get into show business but not lower your morals in the process? It’s possible to keep your integrity while working as an actor.

“It’s a crime for God’s performers to keep their talent under cover. We are supposed to be illuminating God to all the people who have not met him and we cannot do that under the roof of a church,” exclaimed a woman from the AMTC video below.

actor

Tina on “Rock Star” movie set starring Jennifer Aniston & Mark Wahlberg. Find out the top tips to follow to break into show business.

THIS is why I chose to move to LA at the age of 20 and pursue an acting career. To share Christ with others who don’t know him while doing something I loved. LA was my mission field.

Over the years while speaking, I can’t tell you how many people ran up to me to ask the all familiar question, “How can I get into show business?” There are many ways a person can start working in the entertainment industry and there are no special formulas.  However, I share how I got started in hopes that more people would follow their dreams.

So if you’re a person who is considering working in the entertainment business or currently are, here are five steps you can take to become an actor while maintaining your integrity.

  • Connect with a talent agency. There are various talent agencies that will teach you how to audition, enhance your acting skills and help you create and develop your portfolio. You need to make sure this agency has a great rating with the Better Business Bureau. Many scams exist. Actors, Models & Talent for Christ (AMTC) does all of this and more. They are holding auditions country-wide starting this week and I highly suggest you check out their site and go to one of their casting calls to see if the entertainment business is for you. Pick quality projects to work on, because I believe once you do a role that isn’t what you want to portray you can easily be type-casted. You do not want this!

Check out this AMTC audition video below.

[youtube id=”LSXzdka6GrM”]

  • Get educated. The more classes you can take regarding the profession you want to pursue, the better. Knowledge is power. When I moved to Hollywood right after my 20th birthday, I had no clue what I was doing at first, but I knew God sent me. I started film school at California State University – Los Angeles and started taking communication classes, radio broadcasting, editing, history of film and television, dance, drama, a news reporting class and acted in various student films just in the first year of crossing the California state line.
  • actorJoin these unions. You want to join the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and the American Federation of Television & Radio Artists (AFTRA). I joined both after receiving my third SAG voucher while being featured on the TV show Boy Meets World soon after I moved to LA. Check out their websites to find out what you need to do to join these two organizations. Being a member will connect you to thousands of qualified producers, agents and fellow actors, who can help you and hire you for major TV shows, motion pictures, commercials, music videos, etc.
  • Get a coach. It is imperative that you find a great acting coach to help you hone your craft. Someone who teaches you acting techniques that will enhance your unique characteristics and help you become believable on stage. The hardest thing for me to do while in acting class was to portray that I was depressed or in severe distress in some of the scenes. My coach suggested that I pretend that someone died to get the result I needed. My acting coach was Julie Ariola and she was fabulous! Jeremy Renner was taking classes from her at the very same time I was! Sometimes I wonder what would have happened, had I not moved from LA.
  • Know your boundaries. Know exactly what you will and will not do in your career. For me, I chose to never do nudity, bikini shoots, anything porn related, sex outside of marriage scenes, etc. I did do drugs in one flick but the result was that I got help with my addiction. No glamorization was given. People say it’s just acting, but my conviction was that I never wanted to portray something I didn’t believe in. Period. God opened up many doors for me in the acting business and it fires me up when I hear people tell me that they want to experience the same thing. Many people told me they want to be a positive role model in Hollywood. I say, GO FOR IT! I will do a follow up post on the various organizations you can join to help connect you with people who produce quality projects you will want to be a part of.

I’m so encouraged by the emails that I receive informing me that someone took my message to heart, enrolled in the classes I suggested and even moved to Hollywood or New York City to produce quality content in our very influential media world. We need more movies like the Blind Side, Toy Story 3, Finding Nemo, Despicable Me 2. If we can get more positive messages pumped out through these channels, I sincerely believe our society would continuously improve.

Now go out there and create a movie I can take my kids to see!

Question: What other tips would be helpful for someone pursuing the entertainment industry? Share your answer by clicking here.

 

6 Comments
  • Chase
    Posted at 15:20h, 23 June Reply

    “I’m a recent graduate of AMTC and can say it is an awesome program – totally worth it. Not only do you get first-class training, incredible headshots, and your foot in the door with some of the biggest names in the business, but the people of AMTC are top notch. They make the experience fun and enjoyable. Because of AMTC I’ve found work on Chicago Fire, Empire, and countless other auditions. 10/10. Highly recommend AMTC to anyone looking to start a career in entertainment. I’ve also had the privilege of working with Chu at numerous training events and he’s the REAL DEAL! Thanks for all you do Chu!!!”

  • Chu
    Posted at 15:21h, 23 June Reply

    I love AMTC! While AMTC does have a casting function, it is primarily a talent development company. It’s a program that marries Godly discipleship with craft preparation by a NYC/LA national standard of polish and market readiness. Then graduates get to perform in front of the industry’s most influential professionals while starting the process of building professional relationships with them. I serve as a scout/presenter/coach with AMTC. Developing talent missionaries is my ministry. AMTC has facilitated the launching of countless careers, but I work in production and teach from that perspective. Aside from voiceover, I have not done much performing lately… and I hope my agent isn’t upset with me. 🙂

  • Ben@McConley
    Posted at 00:15h, 15 September Reply

    Get into a performer’s union. You’re about to hit the big time, kid! Getting into a union is a clear-cut sign that you’re taking this seriously. Once you take an apprenticeship or do some background work, you’re pretty much in. Hello, health benefits!

    • Tina
      Posted at 15:02h, 20 September Reply

      Ben!

      Great advice! Perfectly stated! AFTRA. SAG. You name it!

  • Tim
    Posted at 13:54h, 14 July Reply

    Hi
    If its ok could I know your full name please and when you said know your boundaries did you choose to only not do nudity? In your opinion what else is ok and what not? And is it ok if I’m more interested in the action and sci-fi genre? I also want to become an actor once

    • Tina Marie Griffin
      Posted at 09:08h, 24 September Reply

      Hi Tim!
      I did NOT do nudity or even bikini shoots in LA. When I first moved there I did a swimsuit photo shoot, but as the years went by, I wanted to become more careful on what I did and did not do for jobs. It’s a tough thing to be an actor in LA and not compromise your morals. I was asked to do a beer commercial and I turned that down. That was going to be a high paying job too. I didn’t want to promote alcohol and then talk to teens in school about the dangers of drinking. I would say read God’s scripture in the Bible and He will guide you on what roles and things to do in acting and what to steer clear from. That’s what he did for me when I was in Los Angeles and even still today when I’m at home with my kids or out in the world speaking.

Post A Comment