Edward Darling a full-time actor is currently starring in Adam – the history of man, a Manchester Fringe production.
In today’s interview, I ask Ed’s his advice on becoming an actor
Ed Darling Interview
Chris: Hi Ed, thank you for joining me today. Let me start by asking you what made you choose the acting profession?
Ed: I went to an audition one day – almost on a whim – as a kind of personal challenge to myself. I was dealing with a lot of anxiety at the time and wanted to push my comfort-zone. Then I unexpectedly got the part and realised I’d be pushing my comfort zone FAR more than intended… that’s a whole other story, but from there I just kept going, and here we are!
Chris: Wow, great story. I was expecting that this was a childhood dream. It’s interesting really, this ‘doing something on a whim’ is a common way people accidentally fall into a career. So new actors want to know one thing – how do you find new acting roles?
Ed: You can find new acting roles via casting databases such as Mandy.com & Spotlight, as well as through an agent once you have representation. Social media is also a good place to look for auditions happening locally.
Chris: And what is the average salary for a new actor per job?
Ed: Average salary? For an actor? Wouldn’t that be nice! There really is no average in the way most careers would have a set salary, each job pays differently & a lot of work – especially when you’re starting out – is going to be un-paid/low-paid. Until you “make it” as a regular in professional theatre, film or TV, every actor has to supplement their income through other means.
Chris: ha-ha I don’t know why I asked you for an average salary. But it’s good for new actors to realise that starting out as an actor you are likely to do a number of free gigs. I wanted to ask has technology changed how you audition?
Ed: The big tech-change at the minute is “Self Tapes”, which means filming your own audition at home and emailing the video. It does mean less money spent traveling to auditions, but also runs the risk that you’ll spend five hours recording yourself over and over and over to get it just right… then, exhausted, decide the first take was probably the best.
Chris: Most new actors worry about confidence, do you have techniques to control your nerves?
Ed: It all comes down to preparation: Firstly in terms of the rehearsal process in the weeks beforehand, where you’ll hopefully have put in the work to learn your lines & stage-movements from heart (otherwise, you deserve to be nervous!). Then secondly your preparation on the day – warming up the voice and body and getting in “the zone” – which means something different for everyone. Personally, I like to enjoy being sociable and feeling the excitement build, then maybe 10-20 minutes before curtains up, I’ll find somewhere quiet to be with my own thoughts, focus on breathing techniques and get into character.
Chris: In what way has your confidence increased over the years?
Ed: I went from socially-anxious to performing in front of audiences all over the UK and abroad… so something’s done the trick! Performing under pressure, learning to trust yourself, developing your expressiveness and communication skills, all of these things make acting a unique way to gain confidence.
Chris: That’s great. Its a kind of like exposure therapy. How can a new actor find an agent
Ed: Generally, you’d either attend a drama school or course, which results in a final “showcase” where agents are invited to attend. Or get involved with local theatre, fringe, acting classes, short films, etc etc, building up your experience and credits, then approach agents directly – ideally with professional headshots and some credits, or a show you can invite them to.
Chris: What play are you rehearsing at the moment
Ed: I’m currently rehearsing “Adam: The History Of Man”, a newly wrote comedy showing at this summers GM Fringe. It’s immersive-theatre with lots of laughs and some deeper, thoughtful moments.
It’s also got a big ‘Historical’ angle, which is ideal for me as a huge History geek. The age-old problem with History, is that we can only learn so much from archeology and what evidence remains. There are so many unanswered questions! What if we could bring back ancient man and learn the truth about our past from ‘the horses mouth’?
Chris: How will you prepare for this role?
Ed: Ideally, I’d be “going method”, which for this would mean wearing a loincloth and living hand-to-mouth in the wilderness for the next few weeks. Unfortunately, due to budget constraints, this isn’t possible. But I’ll be researching my characters background(s), working on accents, physical movements, and also what they’re like as people – their personalities – are they shy, energetic, aggressive, obedient? Maybe all of the above!
Chris: ha-ha, I would love to see you living in the wild for a couple of months. Where did you train as an actor?
Ed: I currently train at the Manchester School Of Acting under Mark Hudson.
Chris: Thank you for joining me today.
Facebook: Edward Darling
Instagram @edwardodarling
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