Cultural difference is beautiful—but it can also cause red-faced humiliation, depending on the ways in which it manifests. If you’re an American actor looking to make the leap across the pond (either permanently, temporarily, or for one short gig), there are countless mistakes you can easily make, but that can just as easily be avoided. That’s where we come in.
An All-American headshot:
“In the U.K., U.S. headshots are thought of as being more loosely framed and cropped than the U.K. standard, showing much more of the body, even being a three quarter length type shot. Another belief is that landscape (horizontal) shots are very popular, even standard. Both may have been true here a few years ago, but now, with the importance of how your headshot looks as a thumbnail, the opposite is true. Agents and managers are encouraging clients to get their shots cropped tighter and tighter in a bid to stand out in a sea of tiny thumbnail sized heads and faces.” —Tony Gibbons, British actor and photographer, working in Los Angeles
Not knowing the ins and outs of the Visa process:
“There is a Creative Sector Code of Practice within the immigration rules that sets out the category of performer and the evidence that they need to show in order to stand any chance of obtaining a visa. It used to be the case that [the visa process] was more knockabout, and you could be a lot less defined in the application if you’d made one 10 years ago. But it’s a different regime now to what it was pre-2008 and pre–points-based. You can no longer assume any knowledge. You’ve got to build your case and not assume they’ll take a leap of faith and let you into the country.
“You’ve got to take [the visa application process] against the backdrop that what the government is trying to do is make sure that jobs are available for British or European actors. You’ve got to justify why you deserve that visa over someone in the European economic system.” —Robert Sparks, London-based immigration lawyer who’s helped actors and dancers obtain visas since 2001
Cockiness about strengths, and ignorance of weakness:
“Initially [American students] are likely to find emotional engagement and commitment easier than their sometimes more reserved British counterparts…It’s a generalization, but I think there is some truth that British training tends to put greater stress on a rigorous mining of the text and a little less on mining the self. I was working with a very able American student, who had had some good American training, on a speech from David Rabe’s ‘Hurlyburly.’ He’d done some Method work on it, but it wasn’t really working. We looked at Rabe's punctuation—only three full stops in a page-long monologue. He played the punctuation and unlocked the speech. As he said to me afterward: ‘No one’s ever told me to do that before.’ ” —Kim Durham, head of international acting course at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School
Instantly going for the British roles:
“I think there is always a need for Americans to play Americans in the U.K. I don’t think drama school is a requirement these days.” —Alexa Fogel, intercontinental casting director
Blowing every dime you have on rent:
“Any time a young actor is featured in a British movie, they’re always shown in some kind of cavernous ‘grungy’ warehouse in Shoreditch, or closing the door, coffee in hand, on a white-stucco Regency pile. If you’re just starting out, scratch these from your mind and set your sites on somewhere further afield to get more bang for your buck.
“Huge numbers still live in flatshares in London, so don’t freak out if these are the only places you can find on your budget. Also, think carefully about whether you want to live with other actors: London is competitive, and while living with actors can offer a safety net, you don’t want to end up being jealous if they bagged a role you were after. Joanna M moved to London four years ago: ‘I’ve always lived with other actors. We cry together when we don’t get parts and help each other run lines. But sometimes the bitchy chat gets a bit much so I shut myself in my room and watch Netflix. Simple!’ ” —Eleanor Ross, U.K. contributor
Or general financial ignorance:
“Bikes are a wonderful thing and can pretty much get you everywhere in London. If you aren’t up for the hustle and bustle associated with maneuvering around buses, taxis, and pedestrians, something more mainstream like the tube might be your chosen mode of transport. You’ll need to buy an Oyster travel card to get you to your auditions, classes, networking nights, theater shows, and other jobs. In London, this can be one of the single biggest monthly costs for actors.
“Budget a minimum of £130 per month if you intend to travel and live in Zones 1 and 2. That’ll mean you can use the tube and buses as much as you like within those zones. It’ll help a lot to have a monthly card, especially in the early days as you get used to where everything is.” —Angela Peters, Australian actress, and voiceover artist
Check out Backstage’s London audition listings!