The following Career Dispatches essay was written by Darci Shaw, who stars in the new Netflix series The Irregulars.
Have realistic expectations
One of the most important things for me is having realistic expectations. For someone who is creatively inclined, the industry can be one of the most exciting things to be a part of, whether it is stage or film and television, but it does come with its drawbacks.
“Having a realistic viewpoint is probably the best thing you can do for yourself as an actor.”
At 14, when I seriously started considering acting, I was full of ambition and drive – but as someone with an overactive imagination, I would run away with myself. I would receive an audition script and create a picture in my mind of what it would be like to film that role, what the costume would look like, how much fun it would be to film in a certain place, or how many new people I might meet. Imagination is a huge part of the job – I love being able to transform into an entirely different person and to live their reality for however long it may be; but that idealist way of thinking, when it comes to auditioning, is something I have learned to leave behind. If last year taught me anything, it’s that anything can happen at any time, and pinning your hopes on something that ultimately you have no control over isn’t good for you in the long run.
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Be prepared to wait around on set
My next point is something that I wish I knew before I started working: there is a lot of waiting around. On my first job, Judy, I had absolutely no idea what “filming” entailed and I was completely unprepared and overwhelmed as we drove into Pinewood Studios. I spent a whole day sitting in the trailer to do a scene that didn’t end up being done – which I have now discovered happens quite often! My phone was about to die, I had no charger and no book or anything to keep me occupied, and when you are dressed in 1930s period costume with hair and makeup you can’t exactly go to Pret and wait there to pass some time.
And don’t forget your hot water bottle…
Now, I bring card games, a journal, a book – I even bring a mini kettle and hot water bottle. I am completely obsessed with hot water bottles, so being able to have one at any time while waiting to go to set is just incredible. I have even been known to have three hot water bottles on me at one time while filming a particularly difficult scene in The Irregulars – at one point, I was completely buried in soil except for my face; I felt like a potato being planted. There was definitely a lot of laughing that day, but I do wonder if I hadn’t had hot water bottles buried underneath the soil with me if I would’ve found it quite so funny. I have just realised how many times I have written the words hot water bottles during this but I genuinely love them, I also adore my heated blanket, but that’s a whole other thing entirely.
It’s not all glamorous
There is one more thing I would like to address: despite how it may look, the television and film industry is not glamorous. Of course, there are parts of it where you get to dress up, but while filming as a Victorian street urchin for six months it seems only fair to get a chance to have your makeup done a few times without having dirt put inside your ears and behind your fingernails.
“I love the gritty bits – it’s the details like that that make you feel fully immersed in the character.”
I would actually forget how I looked, and I remember once I threw a coat over my costume and ran into a coffee shop. When I went to pay, I saw my hands and just wanted the ground to swallow me up. They were filthy and I had completely forgotten my face was caked in it too. Rather than being judgmental, the barista looked genuinely quite concerned for me, which I think was even more alarming. All joking aside, I actually love the gritty bits – it’s the details like that that make you feel fully immersed in the character, even if days after, you keep finding dirt in weird places dirt shouldn’t be.
How to Audition for Netflix in the UK I am by no means filled with wisdom and insight as I am still learning new things all the time, but these are just a few things that might have opened fourteen-year-old-me’s eyes a little. You may think the biggest takeaway from this is, never go anywhere ever without a hot water bottle (which is a pretty amazing piece of advice, if you ask me) or that having a realistic viewpoint is probably the best thing you can do for yourself as an actor. Whatever it may be, I hope most of all that you can enjoy the arts, even if it is just by watching a film at home. I hope they can help to bring some comfort and much-needed escapism during these tough and confusing times.
The Irregulars is available to stream on Netflix from March 26 2021
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