Make a list of emotions to run through each time. Are there some that you need to practice more often than others? Up the challenge by trying to flow from one emotion naturally to the other. What is it like, for example, when a happy person suddenly hears devastating news? For a masterclass in emotional range, with purely facial expressions, check out Patton Oswald in this short film with David Byrne.

Choose a variety of monologues, not just the ones you’re most comfortable with. This is practice time, so challenge yourself. [1] X Research source You also want to try monologues that have contrasting tones. If you’re intending to use the monologues for auditions, steer clear of famous or frequently performed ones. [2] X Expert Source Jim JarrettActing Teacher Expert Interview. 28 April 2020. It may be worth experimenting, rather than going for a set expectation of perfection. Sometimes a different approach can really make a monologue stand out. What happens if you: Slow your lines down? Stress different words? Put longer pauses in? Say it in a different mood: sarcastic, uncertain, authoritatively, arrogantly, and so on?

Would you read the same lines differently? If so, how? Look up several different actors playing the same role on YouTube, which is common with Shakespearean plays or movies. How does each actor make the role unique and memorable with the exact same lines?[3] X Research source Remember that actors you admire do not necessarily have to be your same sex, age, or ethnicity.

Stand up straight, with your shoulders back and chin up, when reading. This allows clear, uninhibited airflow. [4] X Research source Read a monologue or article out loud, but without acting it out. Focus on clear, well-articulated words and phrases and an even pace. Speak as if you were giving a lecture.

Focus on reading the line, quickly rehearse it in your mind, then give eye contact to your audience, and deliver the line. Dramatic pauses are your friend. It is typically wiser to go slower than too fast. Grab a newspaper or magazine, or pick a short story, and deliver it as a speech. Look up short scenes or monologues online and launch right into them without preparing. Record yourself and play it back to get feedback. This is also a good warm-up exercise, helping you prepare you mind and body for acting. [5] X Research source

Read plays and scripts, at least one a day. When done, watch the movie and note how the actors portray the text. Study famous characters and monologues. How do they develop and change? What makes them so good? Highlight, annotate, and look up any words you don’t know to get closer to the text. [7] X Research source

YouTube has created a market for short, fun scenes or videos. Consider starting a short web series with a friend. When possible, record your practice sessions, or have another friend watch and give advice on ways to improve.

You may end up playing roles later on with your classmates, and you never know when someone will get their big break. Be kind and supportive to your classmates – they will form your acting community as you grow.

Some acting techniques like the Meisner technique are actually all about being the most improvisational, instinctive, moment to moment, from your gut, out of your head actor you can be. [9] X Expert Source Jim JarrettActing Teacher Expert Interview. 28 April 2020. If you don’t want to pay for classes, you and several acting friends can look up improv games online. Use them to practice in your own home.

Paul Rudd started life as a wedding DJ before getting acting jobs, but used the time to learn to interface with a crowd. Stand-up comedy is basically a one-person show, and you need to write and act out your material by yourself. This makes it an incredible practice opportunity. Even if you want to be a movie actor, try to perform in a play. The dedicated time in one role and need for consistency is invaluable for any actor. [10] X Research source

Once you’ve got a grasp on the full story, turn to your parts and read them an extra 1-2 times. Now, focus on your character’s role and lines. If you had to sum up the movie in 1-2 sentences, what would it be? How about your role?

Who am I? Where do I come from? Where do I want to go? Why am I here?[11] X Research source It can also be helpful to think about some of your character’s defining features that can be layered onto your performance, like the way they dress, talk, and walk. [12] X Expert Source Jim JarrettActing Teacher Expert Interview. 28 April 2020.

A character’s desires can change, but you need to know when this happens in the script. As an exercise, try and pick out the desires of your favorite characters/actors. In There Will Be Blood, for example, Daniel Plainview is completely driven by the need to get oil. Every action, look, and emotion springs from this unending, passionate greed. [13] X Research source

Experiment with the lines. Try them multiple ways. How does this affect the scene? Memorize the lines before perfecting them. If you keep trying to remember the words, you’re never going to make them sound natural.

If you are going to an audition, pick a direction for the character and stick with it. You won’t have time to ask advice and then change the character in the audition, so just trust your instincts. [14] X Research source

Start by figuring out the basic emotion of the scene – happiness, regret, sadness, etc. Then build from there.