Starting Acting at 50 or Older

You have had a whole career doing something else. Maybe you raised a family, ran a business, taught, nursed, sold, built or managed. Now you want to act, and you are wondering whether it is too late.

Well the bottom line is this: it's not too late.

But... it is a different road from the one a 20 year old takes, and this page is an honest guide to that road: what works in your favour, what is harder, and what to do first.

Yes, people really do start this late #

John Mahoney edited a medical journal until he took his first acting class at 37. He was 52 when he was cast as the father in Frasier. Kathryn Joosten was a nurse who started acting in her forties and won two Emmys in her sixties. Those are famous examples, but the more useful truth is less glamorous: on almost every film and TV set there are working actors over 50 who came to acting late and earn steady money from small and supporting roles.

Fame at 50 is rare. Work at 50 is not.

What works in your favour #

The competition thins out. Huge numbers of young people try acting, and most of them stop within a few years. By the time you look at the 50 to 70 playing age range, there are far fewer actors chasing each role. A casting call for a 25 year old can get hundreds of applications. A casting call for a 60 year old grandfather often gets a small fraction of that. (See, Why 97 out 100 Actors Quit for more on this.)

The roles exist. Every story needs parents, grandparents, doctors, judges, police officers, bosses, neighbours, shop owners, priests, politicians, and landlords. Most of those characters are over 50, and most of them are supporting roles that productions cast fresh for each project.

Commercials love real faces. Banks, insurance, pharmacies, holidays, food, cars, and phone companies all sell to older customers, and they want people who look like their customers. Advertising is one of the most reliable sources of paid work for actors over 50, and it rarely asks for a long list of credits.

You know how to work. You turn up on time, you listen, you do not create drama, and you understand that a set is a workplace. Directors and assistant directors notice that quickly, and reliable people get booked again.

You have lived. You know what grief, money worries, pride, regret, and long marriages feel like from the inside. That shows on camera in a way a younger actor has to work hard to fake.

What is harder #

Being honest about this now will save you a lot of disappointment later.

• You start at the bottom. Your previous career, however senior, counts for nothing on a casting list. Expect small roles, one-line parts, student films and extra work first.
• Leading roles are rare. Most film and TV leads over 50 go to actors who are already known. Your realistic target is supporting and featured roles, and that is where most working actors of any age make their living.
• The days are long. A shoot day is often 10 to 12 hours, sometimes outdoors, sometimes at night, with a lot of waiting. Be honest with yourself about your energy and health.
• Bookings come at short notice. You may hear on Tuesday that you are filming on Thursday. If your job or family life cannot bend, you will lose work.
• Some people will doubt you. You will meet people who think you are a hobbyist. The only answer is to be prepared and professional every time.

Know your playing age and your type #

Your playing age is the range of ages you can believably play on screen, not your real age. Ask people who do not know you well how old you look, and believe them. Then set your playing age honestly. Claiming to look 45 when you look 58 does not get you more work. It gets you turned away at auditions.

Next, work out your type: the kind of person a casting director sees when you walk in. The kindly grandmother, the stern headmaster, the tired detective, the wealthy businessman, the farmer, the eccentric neighbour. Knowing your type tells you which castings to apply for and which to skip. What Does It Say On Your Tin? explains how to work it out.

Do you need training? #

You do not need a three year drama degree, and nobody will ask for one. But you do need some skill before you take on paid work, because a casting director will not give a newcomer a second chance after a weak audition.

Good starting points are:

• a part-time screen acting course, ideally one that films you and plays it back;
• local amateur theatre, which teaches you to learn lines, take direction and work with other actors;
• a short course in self-tape auditions, since most first-round castings are now done that way.

There is more on this in Do Actors Need Training?

Your headshots, CV and showreel #

Headshots. They must look like you do today: your current hair, your current weight, your lines and grey hair included. An old photo is the fastest way to annoy a casting director. See Your Headshots and What Makes a Rubbish Headshot?

Your CV. You will not have many acting credits at first, and that is fine. Your earlier life is useful here. If you were a nurse, a police officer, a chef, a pilot, or a lawyer, say so: productions look for actors who can play those jobs convincingly. The same goes for real skills like riding, sailing, driving a lorry, playing an instrument or speaking several languages. A CV for Beginner Actors shows how to lay it out, and How Can I Find More Acting Jobs with My Special Skill? explains how to use those skills.

Your showreel. You probably do not have one yet. Read What to Do If You Don't Have a Showreel Yet and How to Get Footage for Your Acting Showreel. Student films are your best friend here: film schools are always looking for older actors, because their students have plenty of friends in their twenties and almost nobody over 50.

Where your first jobs will come from #

• Student and short films. Usually unpaid or low paid, but they give you footage for a showreel, experience in front of a camera and contacts who may hire you later when they make bigger work.
• Extra and featured extra work. It is not acting in the full sense, but it teaches you how a set works, who does what and how to behave. See A Day in the Life of an Extra and How to Find More Work as a Film or TV Extra.
• Commercials. As above, one of the best markets for your age group.
• Corporate and training films. Companies and public bodies make a lot of these, and they need believable managers, customers, and patients.
• Small roles in film and TV. The one-scene doctor, the witness, the shop owner. These build credits, and credits lead to bigger parts.

Apply to castings that fit your playing age and type. Where Can I Find Castings for My Age, Gender, Location, etc? explains how to find them on enCAST.

Do you need an agent? #

Not to start with. Most agents want to see some credits and a showreel before they take someone on. Build those first, and look for an agent once you have something to show. Some agencies specialise in older actors or in commercial work, and those are often the best fit for a late starter. How to Find a Talent Agent takes you through it.

Leave your old rank at the door #

This is the part many career changers find hardest. On set, your director may be 26 and the person telling you where to stand may be 22. They are in charge, and they know their jobs. Take direction cheerfully, never explain how things were done in your old industry, and never tell the crew how to run the set. Actors who do that do not get booked twice.

The flip side is that a calm, prepared, friendly older actor is a gift to a young crew. Be that person, and they will call you again.

Watch out for scams #

Older newcomers are a favourite target for acting scams, because scammers assume you have savings and little knowledge of the industry. Real productions do not charge you to audition, to be on a casting list or to be in a film. Be very careful with anyone selling expensive photo packages, "talent showcases" or courses that promise work. Read Acting Scams before you pay anyone for anything.

Money and time #

Keep your income. Very few actors of any age live on acting alone in their first few years. If you can, keep a job or a pension that lets you take short notice bookings, and treat early acting money as a bonus rather than a salary.

Give it time. For most people it takes one to three years of steady applying, small jobs and learning before paid roles start coming regularly. That is normal, and it is no different for a 25 year old.

Where to start this week #

Book a screen acting class or join a local theatre group. Get one honest, current headshot taken. Set your playing age truthfully on your profile, and start applying to student films and castings that fit your age and type. Then keep going.

If you would rather work behind the camera than in front of it, see Moving Into Film When You're Older.