If you’re new to the acting business and you want to know what it’s about before you decide to jump into it, or if you’ve always dreamed about being an actor but have no idea how to get started, here are my recommendations:
The first four acting books to read are Audition (by Michael Shurtleff), Acting in Film: An Actor’s Take on Movie Making (by Michael Caine), The New Business of Acting (by Brad Lemack) and True and False: Heresy and Common Sense for the Actor (by David Mamet).
There are many other books out there, but I found that these four books give a well-rounded understanding of what it takes to be an actor both from the artistic and professional perspectives. Below I describe what I found most helpful in those books; additionally, there’s an honorable mentions section at the end. The links to all these books are also given below (as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases).
1. Audition by Michael Shurtleff
The first book you need to read is Audition by Michael Shurtleff. This book was written way back in the 80s but almost everything that he talks about is still taught today by any teacher you will learn from. It’s a great way to get a head start on understanding the mental discipline and techniques that actors use to act well.
Michael Shurtleff was a very famous casting director (i.e. the person in charge of auditions) in New York, and this book is broken up into a couple of different parts that make it interesting to read. Although it’s focused on auditioning, the techniques here can be applied to acting as a whole. This is the first acting book I ever read, and it really opened my eyes to the concept of acting as a series of skills that can be learned regardless of your innate abilities.
What I really like about this book is that it’s broken up into sections and many sections have hypothetical conversations between the author (Shurtleff) and actors. The reason this is so effective is because it essentially mimics what you would go through in an acting class and you can put yourself in the shoes of the actor thinking about their role and think of Shurtleff as your instructor.
This book will basically tell you everything you need to know to become an actor from an artistic performance point of view. It’s also full of great stories from legendary actors he has worked with, which makes the book more entertaining.
2. Acting in Film: An Actor's Take on Movie Making by Michael Caine
The second book to read is Acting in Film: An Actor’s Take on Movie Making by Michael Caine. Michael Caine, as you probably know, is a legendary actor. The book is partially a biography of his early life and partially a manual for actors on how to work on camera. This book is not only charming but very entertaining and informative.
When I was first starting out as an actor, this book gave me a real sense of what success might look like. As I mentioned above, the book really covers his early life as an actor and is intermixed with some great life and career lessons. I still reference certain stories that he says to give newer actors an understanding of the uncertainty of the opportunities in the acting world.
On top of that, Michael Caine gives you some very easy-to-understand physical and practical lessons for acting on camera. In fact, this book inspired a live BBC class where he taught other actors how to act on camera. The great part about this book that separates it from others is that it’s very tactically based. Rather than covering some general ideas, he gives you physical tactics you can start applying right away.
The entertainment value in this book is also really compelling. He talks about experiences with other up-and-coming actors who are now huge celebrities. Additionally, he talks about his experiences with people both socially and on set to teach you not just the craft of filmmaking and acting on film but also the business aspect of it all.
3. The New Business of Acting by Brad Lemack
I put The New Business of Acting by Brad Lemack as 3rd on the list because, now that you understand the craft and the fun and beauty of acting, you also have to get down to earth. Too many people enter the world of acting because it’s a dream, or some life-fulfilling thing that they feel they want to have, or they really want the fame and they’re just not willing to say it. This book is great because it gives you a pragmatic no-frills idea of the business of acting.
I still think about this book’s first chapter where he essentially tries to convince you to not be an actor. He gives you some great ideas about what success will actually look like. I still remember reading this book and starting to have doubts about whether or not I want to dedicate 10 years of my life to a profession that would give me nothing at the end.
Most of those who dream about being an actor won’t be tough enough to last more than a couple of years. This book will be a good test to see if you have what it takes or are willing to make the sacrifice to be a professional actor.
4. True and False: Heresy and Common Sense for the Actor by David Mamet
The final book is True and False: Heresy and Common Sense for the Actor by David Mamet. If you don’t know who David Mamet is then you really are brand new. David Mamet is, first and foremost, a playwright, and he is known for some of the most iconic modern plays in Western culture, such as Glengarry Glen Ross (which led to Alec Baldwin’s most iconic monologue).
Mamet it is also known for being incredibly intimidating and tough, and this book actually contradicts a lot of the acting books out there. Mamet talks about acting skill as a thing that you’re born with and says that acting classes aren’t really effective if you don’t have the initial instinct and skills. You should read this book because it’ll cause you to really look at yourself and see if you have the talent it takes to become an actor. I remember seriously thinking about myself when I read it and it was just another test before I really jumped into the acting world.
The book also exposes you to lots of great and counterintuitive acting concepts. The one that I always think about is knowing what you want. So many actors and acting teachers try to convince you that in order to understand a scene or character you have to know what you want. But Mamet contradicts this because acting is supposed to mimic life, and when in life do you actually know what you want? When in life are you sure 100% about your feelings? Such certainty is rare. Therefore, instead, Mamet says that real acting is about uncertainty, and that’s what makes actors interesting. This is just one of many concepts he throws out that helps you become a more well-rounded actor and gives you an entirely different perspective.
Honorable Mentions
The books below (Respect for Acting by Uta Hagen and Sanford Meisner on Acting by Sanford Meisner and Dennis Longwell) are also good. However, they didn’t impact me the way the above four did. They’re also very famous and you can find information about them everywhere. However, needless to say, whether you only read the four above or try and read all the ones including the ones below, remember the acting is a discipline and a journey that will take you years to even get basic at.
If I can give you one walk-away message from all of these books, it’s that there’s a lot more to the logistics of acting than to the art of it. Therefore, getting to the realm of becoming a working actor, with one line in a TV show, should be thought of as a learning process that will take you several years. Minimum. For more information about this process of becoming a professional actor, check out the article How Long Does It Take to Become a Professional Actor? (As an Adult.)
