[custom_adv] When I teach my acting classes, I generally get two types of people thinking about signing up: young kids and teens, and older folks. [custom_adv] And it’s interesting: knowing what we as adults know about how tough it is to be a teen, how navigating simple things like attending class or just chatting with people can be a harrowing exercise in insecurity and embarrassment, you’d think that the teens would be the most reluctant to get into acting – which is after all, deliberately putting yourself out there in front of other people on a metaphorical balance beam, ever-poised to fall off very publicly. [custom_adv] But what I’ve often found is that it’s the older folks who are most unsure about getting into acting, who second-guess themselves and sort of mentally short-circuit themselves with doubt before they even get started. [custom_adv] They tell themselves, “Oh, I’m far too late to START acting. Most people have been doing it since they were in high school. I’ll make a fool of myself.” [custom_adv] Well, guess what: there is not only plenty of room out there for people over 40 to get started in acting – being that age and up can be huge advantage for an actor just starting out! [custom_adv] Think about it: the pool of actors in their 20s is massive. That’s the age when we are at our most adventurous, most unburdened by obligations, and most free to try new things and move to new places. [custom_adv] It’s also, generally speaking, an age when we’re most malleable and don’t know ourselves very well. [custom_adv] It’s also, generally speaking, an age when we’re most malleable and don’t know ourselves very well. [custom_adv] It’s also, generally speaking, an age when we’re most malleable and don’t know ourselves very well. [custom_adv] It’s also, generally speaking, an age when we’re most malleable and don’t know ourselves very well. [custom_adv] It’s also, generally speaking, an age when we’re most malleable and don’t know ourselves very well. [custom_adv] It’s also, generally speaking, an age when we’re most malleable and don’t know ourselves very well.