what can I do to become part of the acting industry

Hi Emily,

It's great that you've discovered a passion for acting. Probably the first thing to do, if you haven't already, is get involved in your school or community theater. Acting in plays is a great way to build up your skill set and experience as an actor. If you're living in San Francisco, I would imagine there are a lot of great theaters around you that you could get practice going to auditions, working with directors, meeting other actors, etc.

In college, you can study performing arts, and even go out for auditions for local theater/TV/commercials. What you want to do is build a resume and skill set that will help you land a qualified talent agent/agency. Once you have an agent, that person will help you find those roles you want on TV or film. But first, just start getting as much experience as you can! Good luck!

San Francisco? Check out A.C.T.! That's where I started taking summer classes when I was in high school. Like Kendall said, it's about gaining experience, and that means experience in a class, too.

And I would suggest looking at colleges that have a good undergraduate theater department, like UCLA or NYU. (I went to both, so I'm a bit biased!)

Learning about the craft of theater and acting is really the only way to find out if it's right for you.

Hi Emily,
I would suggest taking classes at ACT or Berkeley Theater. Take a look at the Bay Area theaters. Volunteer to find out what you enjoy the most. I worked at the Magic Theater years ago, then the Company Theater and ProVisional Theater in Los Angeles. The universities which you could attend might be USC, UCLA, Pepperdine or Chapman in Los Angeles. Best wishes, Mark Wagner