A child actor is a very
young performer who plays the role of a child in a film,
television or theatrical production. Child actors can
range in age and category, such as babies, toddlers,
pre-teens and teenagers. Child actors fill a special need
in show business, because child actors are not as easy to
train as adult actors and actresses. Therefore, child
actors must have a natural talent and outgoing personality
in order to be successful.
Guidelines for Child Actors
Before you involved you child in acting,
here are a few guidelines you should first consider:
1. Does your child really want to be an actor? Make
sure the dream of being an actor is their dream and
not a dream of yours being lived vicariously through
them. If you are merely forcing them to live
your dream for you, it can do serious
damage to the child. The stress and demands of acting will
take a toll if a young actor doesn't enjoy what they do;
if they are simply doing it because you are forcing them
to do it.
2. Beware of scams. There are many, many acting scams
out there. Unscrupulous people prey on others who don't
really understand the industry by charging huge sums of
money for photos and selling unnecessary products. Learn
about the industry before you involved your child so that
you (or your child) are not victimized by scammers.
3. Find a reputable agent. A talent agency helps actors
find acting work in the area. But sometimes talent
agencies can be scammers, requiring you to pay money
upfront before they provide your child with
representation. Before signing on with an agency or paying
any money, ask the talent agency for references so you can
see if others have had a good experience with the agency.
You may be surprised what you find out.
4. Forget the money. There is much money to be made for
child actors. But, you have to make sure that you don't
focus on the money. Your focus, as a parent, must always
be on your child. Focusing on money may cloud your ability
to see that your child is, for example, undergoing
enormous stress, which may lead to problems down the road.
Forget the money and focus on the well-being of your
child.
5. Have fun. Acting should always be a fun experience
for your child actor, overall. The minute it stops being a
fun and rewarding experience is the minute you halt your
child's acting career.
