Becoming an actor in Ireland doesn’t follow a single prescribed path, but there are practical steps that most working actors take along the way. Whether you’re starting from scratch or transitioning from amateur to professional work, this guide breaks down what you need to know.
This isn’t about overnight success or guarantees. It’s about understanding the process, making informed choices, and building a foundation that can lead to real opportunities in the Irish acting industry.
Decide why you want to act
Before investing time and money, get clear on why you’re pursuing acting. Are you curious and want to try it as a hobby? Are you aiming for professional work? Do you want to perform locally, or do you have bigger ambitions?
Your answer shapes your approach. If you’re exploring acting for fun and personal growth, local drama groups and classes might be enough. If you want to work professionally, you’ll need to treat it more like a business: investing in training, materials and networking.
There’s no right or wrong answer, but being honest with yourself from the start helps you set realistic expectations and make better decisions about where to put your energy.
Get your first experience and training
Start local
If you’re new to acting, the easiest place to start is close to home. Look for:
- Local drama groups and community theatre: Many towns and cities have amateur theatre companies that welcome beginners
- Youth theatre: If you’re under 25, youth theatre programs offer structured training and performance opportunities
- Evening or weekend classes: Acting classes are available in most cities, often run by working actors or theatre practitioners
- University or school drama societies: If you’re a student, campus drama groups can be a low-pressure way to gain experience
These early experiences help you understand if acting is something you want to pursue seriously. You’ll also start building basic skills: taking direction, working with scripts, performing in front of an audience.
Consider formal training
Training isn’t mandatory, but it helps. Many working actors in Ireland have attended drama school, completed part-time courses, or studied with private coaches.
Formal training options include:
- Full-time drama schools: Typically degree-level or diploma programs, competitive entry, full-time commitment
- Part-time courses: Evening or weekend programs, more flexible, often focused on specific skills like screen acting or voice
- Workshops and intensives: Short-term programs focusing on particular techniques (e.g., Meisner, physical theatre, self-tape skills)
- Private coaching: One-on-one training with experienced actors or directors
The right choice depends on your circumstances, budget and goals. Full-time drama school provides comprehensive training and industry connections, but it’s expensive and requires total commitment. Part-time courses and workshops let you learn while working or studying something else.
What matters most is consistent learning from reputable teachers who have real experience in the industry.
Build your actor toolkit: headshots, CV, showreel
Once you have some experience and training, you’ll need professional materials. Agents, casting directors and producers expect to see:
Headshots
A professional headshot is a high-quality, natural photo that looks like you. It’s not glamorous or heavily styled — it’s a clear, honest representation of what you look like right now.
You’ll need at least one or two headshots, ideally taken by a photographer who specialises in actor headshots. Expect to budget a few hundred euro for a professional session.
Acting CV
Your acting CV lists your experience, training, and relevant skills. Unlike a standard job CV, it focuses entirely on performance-related work.
Include:
- Your name and contact details (or agent’s contact details if you have representation)
- Physical stats: Height, hair colour, eye colour, playing age
- Training: Drama schools, courses, workshops
- Experience: Theatre, film, TV roles (role name, production name, director/company)
- Special skills: Accents, languages, sports, musical instruments, driving licence
Keep it concise, honest and up to date. Don’t pad it with irrelevant work or exaggerate credits.
Showreel
A showreel is a short video compilation of your best on-camera work, typically 1-2 minutes long. It shows casting directors what you look like on screen and how you perform.
Building your first showreel is often the hardest part because you need footage. Common ways to get material:
- Short films: Many filmmakers need actors and will provide footage in exchange for your time
- Student films: Film school students often cast through open calls
- Self-produced scenes: Some actors film scenes themselves to create initial material, though professionally shot work is always better
- Professional showreel services: Some companies offer tailor-made showreel scenes, though these can look staged
Your showreel should showcase range, strong performance, and good production quality. Avoid using footage where you’re barely visible, poorly lit, or lost in ensemble scenes.
Understand agents and casting directors
Agents
An agent represents actors, submits them for auditions, negotiates contracts and manages bookings. Having a good agent can significantly increase your opportunities, but agents typically only take on actors who already have some experience, solid materials and potential for paid work.
You don’t need an agent to start acting in Ireland, but most professional TV, film and commercial work comes through agents. Theatre work is often cast directly or through open auditions.
When you’re ready to approach agents, research agencies carefully, follow their submission guidelines, and only submit when your materials are genuinely ready.
Casting directors
Casting directors are hired by productions to find actors for roles. They work with agents and sometimes hold open calls. Building a good reputation with casting directors takes time, consistency and professionalism.
Even without an agent, you can sometimes reach casting directors through open auditions, self-tape submissions, or being recommended by directors you’ve worked with before.
Setting realistic expectations in the Irish market
The Irish acting industry is small. There are fewer roles available than in larger markets like London or Los Angeles, and competition is strong. Most actors in Ireland:
- Work across multiple types of acting (theatre, film, TV, commercials, voiceover)
- Combine acting with other income sources, especially early in their careers
- Experience long gaps between paid jobs
- Continue training and developing skills throughout their careers
Success isn’t guaranteed, and what counts as success varies. For some actors, it’s landing a lead role in a major production. For others, it’s making a sustainable living from a mix of acting work. For many, it’s simply getting to perform regularly in meaningful projects.
The actors who build long-term careers tend to be:
- Consistently professional and reliable
- Open to different types of work
- Willing to invest in their craft and materials
- Resilient through rejection and quiet periods
- Good at networking and maintaining industry relationships
If you approach acting as a long game — building skills, experience and relationships over years rather than months — you’ll have a much better chance of making it sustainable.
What’s next?
If you’re serious about becoming an actor in Ireland, focus on these priorities:
- Get experience: Act whenever you can, in whatever capacity is available to you right now
- Train consistently: Whether it’s classes, workshops or self-study, keep developing your skills
- Build your materials: Invest in professional headshots, create a solid CV, and work towards getting showreel footage
- Research the industry: Understand how casting works, who the key agents are, what productions are active in Ireland
- Stay patient and persistent: This takes time, and rejection is part of the process
Becoming an actor in Ireland is entirely possible, but it requires commitment, pragmatism and a willingness to work hard without immediate results. If you’re ready for that, the next step is simply to start.