Acting : Professional Actors by Amanda Evelyn

Wow, that's an interesting concept! I wonder if my college courses would be enough to qualify me LOL! No, here in the US it's much more subjective. Depending on the role, they may not need any experience at all, whereas other roles require specific kinds of training. For example, true crime docu-series use "look-alike performers" which allows them to cast people who look like the original people regardless of skill level.

Depending on the acting job - voice over, commercial, on-screen vs. on-stage - depends on whether you have the correct experience for it. My stage combat training, for example, does little to help my voice-over pursuits.

I have to ask - is there a reason you would need to identify yourself as professional? Like, are they trying to protect themselves from inexperienced performers? Or to distinguish from pornography? Is there a standardized set of classes to qualify for this registration?

This is a fascinating topic, thank you for bringing it up!

Hi, Karen. Thanks for the comment.

Oh, wow! I wish Brazil could be more like US in this case.

Well, this is obligatory, because it is a legal way for actors to have all their labor rights. And also about the inexperienced performers. I don't know about the pornography, but maybe it is to distinguish actors from porn stars.

We need to have 1.400 proven hours between "stage hours" and performing arts courses to be able to have the document. And we still need to pay for it. All brazilians actors are obligate to have this, only child actors don't need it.

Thank you!!

I hope to know more about the other countries. It is nice to see how different things are for the same profession.

To add to what Kay said, here in the US, earning your way into the actor's union, SAG-AFTRA, theoretically should be a mark of a "professional". However, it is so much more complicated than that. All you need is ONE speaking role (with some exceptions) to earn your way in, and it's expensive to join. It is a point of pride for many actors, but living in the southeast US, there are other issues that make it more complicated.

Hi Matthew. Thanks for your reply. What are the other issues for actors in southeast US?

Great questions! I am in Portugal so I can relate to what's required in Brazil. I started off with a strong IMDB profile and acting reel. Keep us posed on your progress - would love to hear

Thanks for your reply, Dr. Samita Nandy. It is very nice to know about our profession in other countries.

It sounds like a controlled industry. Thanks for this insight in Brazil

People having a full time employments with theatres working on stage Mon-Fri and doing rehearsals/plays - so it's an "regular" occupation...everything else is contract be it movie, commercial, gig whatever...and no matter if it's Nicole Kidman or the guy next door to you, when contract expired ure considered unemployed until new one is signed...

Amanda Evelyn, sorry for the delayed response. In the US, we have what are called "right to work" states, which basically means that an employer can not discriminate between union employees and non-union employees. So, for example, in California, a SAG-AFTRA (union) production will hire SAG-AFTRA actors (with rare exceptions), and those same actors are FORBIDDEN to work on non-union productions. But in Georgia (where I live), a non-union actor can work as much as the want on union productions, and never be forced to join. And yet, as a union actor, I'm still forbidden to work on non-union productions. So actors here in the Southeast US can go years or decades building a very professional resume, and yet never joining SAG-AFTRA.

It's a more detailed discussion, but that's the summary.

Wow! I had no idea that in the US it is also so complex because of the union. Thank you for the informations, Matthew.

Kiril Maksimoski thank you for the reply.

Kwame Agyapong thank you for the reply!