Why You Must Learn About The World

I wonder sometimes if the things that are important to learn for actors, are not always things about acting, drama or film. While it’s important to gain knowledge and acquire skills, sometimes we miss something as important too.

We must learn about the world. We must open ourselves up to experiences and knowledges that are beyond the confines of our own life.

We may need to travel, learn a language, volunteer, study – but to step out of our comfort zone allows us to understand more about the world around us, and therefore draw on a richer and deeper source. This opens our mind, challenges our worldview, and helps us to be able to understand the perspective of characters we do not understand ourselves.

To fully appreciate the breadth of material we are asked to embody, we must consume knowledge and experience outside our own.

So what might that include? History, Cultural Differences, Politics, Economics, Art, Literature, Sociology, Psychology, Philosophy.

No one is asking you to get a PhD, but I am encouraging you to see ALL of these things as contributing to your future success in acting.

Learn about the world, and you’ll not only enrich yourself, but also the characters you play.