Are any of you actually actors?

[ShotokanKid]

I want to act for movies with martial arts but I don't know where to start? How does one start acting?

[Shorinryu Sensei]

I want to act for movies with martial arts but I don't know where to start? How does one start acting?

I'm notan actor, but I play one on TV. OK..seriously (me? serious? Nawwww..) if you're still in school, get involved in the drama department. If you're out of school, get into local plays and such. Take acting lessons if they are available. If you already have experience and think you're good, get an agent, join the actors guild (union), take any acting job that comes along to get your name out, including extra parts, commercials, etc. Most big name actors started out on the stage, then went to commercials, or extra parts and small roles. Nobody just signs up and gets a lead in a movie. Well, except for Arnold and VanDamm...they did it on their bodies. Neither even spoke hardly any English when they got their first movie roles.

[isshinryu5toforever]

Shin Koyamida was able to step right in too, but as stated above that is extremely rare. You're still in high school take part in the school plays. You have to figure out if you really love acting. If you figure out you do, then when applying for colleges consider those with strong acting programs. New York University and the University of Southern California both have strong film and acting programs. Just remember acting is one of those things you either make it in or you don't. So, I'd have a back up plan ready just in case like double majoring in Theatre and English and then considering grad school or law school. Too many people focus only on acting and end up wearing nametags and asking do you want fries with that for a long time before a real job comes along.

[Shorinryu Sensei]

Shin Koyamida was able to step right in too, but as stated above that is extremely rare. You're still in high school take part in the school plays. You have to figure out if you really love acting. If you figure out you do, then when applying for colleges consider those with strong acting programs. New York University and the University of Southern California both have strong film and acting programs. Just remember acting is one of those things you either make it in or you don't. So, I'd have a back up plan ready just in case like double majoring in Theatre and English and then considering grad school or law school. Too many people focus only on acting and end up wearing nametags and asking do you want fries with that for a long time before a real job comes along.

Good advise...except for the law school part. There's to many lawyers in this country already.

[isshinryu5toforever]

lol, I was just picking an option that is lucrative. I dunno, business school whatever, a lot of grad students are jerks. There are some very nice ones, but there are some that just stick out as people you don't really want to aquaint with. Maybe a teaching degree with an acting degree? I dunno, but any way you slice it you need another plan of action.

[ovine king]

what kind of actors?

i have friends who in their spare time make short films/fight scenes.......

granted that some of the choreography is er... 'stolen' but still, everytime they make another short film, their camera work gets better.

i also know people who do the occasional bit part role in some biggish movies.

one of them had a fight with jet li in one of them and another friend actually had lines (woohoo!) in spygame (he's the chinese guard who screams something out in cantonese like "don't let him get away")

[isshinryu5toforever]

I have a lot of friends who are actors or aspiring actors, or directors. I know the guy who played the taller Asian mathlete in Mean Girls.

[aefibird]

As well as taking acting lessons (either at school or privately) you might want to consider signing up with an agency that specialises in supplying extras for film and television work. These are the people that stand in the background in a crowd scene etc. It can be good way of getting your foot on the ladder of acting. Also, it can be well paid for not a lot of work.

If you want to be a MA specialist actor then make sure that your MA skills are the best they can be. There'll be 1000s of people out there all wanting to be MA actors - you have to show that you can do Martial Arts more skilfully than they can. If you'd eventually like to do wire-fu type MA films then a course in acrobatics or gymnastics will help you too.

[Straight Blast]

A lot of martial art actors have been previously stuntmen,which gave them a boost in their acting career to start.

Like Jackie Chan and Bruce Li(most known of all B.Lee imitators)

[Karateka_latino]

Hi, im a Stage Actor/director, did some TV but mainly Stage, i've also coreograph some fights scenes.

Have clear goals. what do you want to be? an actor, stuntmen, action director?

Have something else to offer. There are many people who know martial arts and that are very good. have a Gimmick, a trademark, have a personal style.

If you want to be an actor, then take it seriously, take acting lessons. It doesn't matter if you have the Best skill in martial arts, if you can't act then you better have a TON of carisma otherwise forget about it.

Learn flashy techniques. High, spinning, flying kicks, gymnastic, capoeira, wushu. all the things your sensei say "wouldn't work in a real-fight" works in film fight.

Watch a LOT of movies. Specially the ones coreographed by the masters Yuen woo ping, sammo hung, lau kar leung, etc..

Leave the Ego in the door. Not only worry for look good but also, and this is very important, make your co-star look good also. its a team work, you BOTH need to look good.