Talent Manager Henry Ravelo Reveals the Origin of Opportunity
To stand out in the acting universe, Talent Manager Henry Ravelo suggests shining like a star… creating a light force that draws people toward you.
Key Element #3 to the Big Break Theory = A MAGNETIC PERSONALITY
Henry is fascinated by why actors work and why they don’t work. Often times if I see an actor with all the right ingredients who isn’t working and I will call them in because I want to know why not. Usually within 5 minutes, I will know why, Henry says. Often it comes down to having a magnetic personality.
A magnetic personality is important because the audience goes to them. Actors in our society right now are not actors they are role models; they are people we connect with, even if it’s Kate Gosselin. The people who are into Kate Gosselin are people who relate to her. Either we like her or we like to hate her but it all goes back to being liked.
So how are you likeable? Henry asks. There are certain attributes in our human culture that are deemed to be positive attributes: taking chances, confidence, all those things. Anything we aspire to be is a positive thing so you want to share more of the positive in our brief 30 sec or 5 min of our meeting.
One way to stand out is through eye contact. Most people don’t look at the other person. Don’t stare. But you want to look at the person, look at them often. It lets them know that you care and makes you appealing right there.
Humor also makes you appealing; anyone who can laugh at themselves without being self deprecating, anyone who has humor.
Henry teaches a class called Find the Funny and says, I can take a simple scene… like when I was in a play delivering mail to someone and in rehearsals I asked if I could try something. Then when the woman went for the mail, I grabbed it away. The way I did it brought down the house. It always made everyone laugh. Logically I didn’t know why it was funny. It’s like Matthew Perry from Friends says shower curtain.’ It’s not written but he finds the funny.
What makes things funny is truth, Henry says. Don’t barrel through it. Uncover humor, learn how to play with humor, enhance it and be comfortable with it so when you have a script and have to find the humor in it you feel comfortable and at ease. If you have a good sense of humor, you can figure out a way to deliver a line so it’s entertaining to the audience. What makes people laugh is somewhat a mystery but if you create the environment, you will most likely achieve the results.
In addition to a good sense of humor, it’s important to have insight in you, Henry says. A good thing is if you go to a meeting and if you see they have a poster – say something about the poster because it opens up conversation. That poster is in their office for a reason.
Share your thoughts and while speaking eliminate your ums. Practice the things you want to say. Practice the answer to tell me a little about yourself.
In order to get work, the buyers, America, and casting directors need to like you. They need to have that intimacy; that familiarity, that comfort. Because you need the industry to fight for you and you need people to pay to see you. You are asking an audience in theatre to get out of their house and pay $100 to see you. If you are on TV, you are asking an audience to stay one the channel and to tune in each week. That’s a lot because they can watch anything else. If you do movies you are asking people to go on a Friday Night to stand in line and go see a movie because if a movie doesn’t make it big on a Friday night then it doesn’t make it.
We are asking a lot of an audience so you have to be willing to give, Henry shares. And giving of yourself doesn’t stop at any point of a career. When you get your big break out role… you still need to maintain that energy and stay relevant.
Part 4 of The Big Break Theory will break down how to stay on top of your game. Click here to read now!
