Why Every Actor Should Be Training Like An Athlete

For all the high school rhetoric that goes into sports vs arts, it turns out actors and athletes are not so different. They both have coaches, representation, get cast in TVCs and have extended family asking them what their “real job” is until they get that big break and suddenly Auntie Paula and your second cousins all want a photo with you.

Athletes are constantly working to be the best at what they do, to master their craft, their skill, their passion and to be fighting fit to compete at the drop of a hat. So if there are so many similarities between us as actors and the Serenas or Thorpedos of the world, don’t you think it’s time we started training like athletes too?

Let’s break down just how that might look!

Strive for constant improvement

No matter how successful an athlete may be, there’s always going to be that certain skill they’ve yet to master and will continue to work at; whether it’s pulling off the treacherous Quadruple Axel in figure skating, perfecting the Diagonal Cruyff on the soccer pitch or simply hitting a new personal best. So too with acting it’s important we continue to build up our toolbelt. Be sure to keep refining your standard American, evolving your script analysis skills, working on drama if you’ve been typecast in comedy. This commitment to keep learning and improving is what sets the professionals apart from the hobbyists so give yourself the best shot at success by chipping away at the gaps in your toolbelt one by one.