Training in singing and dancing is especially useful for stage work. Actors must have poise, stage presence, the capability to affect an audience, and the ability to follow directions. Modeling experience may also be helpful. Physical appearance is often a deciding factor in being selected for particular roles. Many professional actors rely on agents or managers to find work, negotiate contracts, and plan their careers.
Agents generally earn a percentage of an actor's contract.
Other actors rely solely on attending open auditions for parts. Trade publications list the time, date, and location of these auditions. Many of these auditions are only open to union members and union membership requires work experience. To become a movie extra, one must usually be listed by a casting agency, such as Central Casting, a no-fee agency that supplies extras to the major movie studios in Hollywood. In recent years, only a very small proportion of applicants has succeeded in being listed.