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How to Become a Soap Opera Star

Contributor
By eHow Contributing Writer
(7 Ratings)

Many big stars in Hollywood got their start on soap operas. Demi Moore, Julianne Moore, John Stamos, Ricky Martin and Sarah Michelle Geller are just a few examples. You may want a soap opera to be your stepping stone into movies or prime time, or maybe being a soap star seems like a perfect permanent gig for you.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging
Instructions
  1. Step 1

    Audition for SoapNet's "I Wanna Be a Soap Star." Win the competition and a coveted role on this season's soap of choice. No experience is necessary.

  2. Step 2

    Move close to Los Angeles or New York City, where most soap operas are filmed. By living nearby, you'll be able to attend more auditions.

  3. Step 3

    Do theater work in New York City or Los Angeles on your journey to become a soap opera star. Send an invitation to a casting director or agent so they can see you in action. You could land an audition or an agent based on your performance. Any experience you can get in acting will help you become a soap star.

  4. Step 4

    Get a franchised agent to become a soap star. You'll need a photo, a resume and audition material. Find agents in the yellow pages. For soap opera work, you need a theatrical or full service agent.

  5. Step 5

    Take classes. You may be the most talented actor you know, but taking classes only improves your skill and it looks good on your resume. Learn how to cry on cue. Be prepared to play your own evil twin. Perfect the cut-to-commercial look that seems to linger for minutes in silence as the soap music plays and carries the show into a commercial.

  6. Step 6

    Build up your stamina and memory. Being a soap star requires long days with very little rehearsal time before shooting. Soap stars have to memorize dozens of pages of dialogue for every day they shoot scenes. The bigger stars have more lines, the recurring ones, fewer.

  7. Step 7

    Audition as much as possible. The more you are seen by casting staff, the better chance you have at being remembered later on down the road if a role comes up that you have the perfect look for. Take unpaid jobs, if offered, to help build up your resume until the soap opera industry snatches you up to become their next star.

Comments  

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on 8/8/2007 I know soap stars get looked down on in hollywood, but seriously, they spend more time filming and less time rehersing than any other genre.

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