[custom_adv] Plenty of people make it without going to drama school. Some never study at all, while some study at university. [custom_adv] Oxford and Cambridge supply a constant stream of genuine talent, as do one or two others (Manchester, Durham), but beware courses on offer at minor universities and colleges of further education. [custom_adv] Jamshid Hashempour (born March 23, 1944), original name Jamshid Arya, is an actor. Jamshid Hashempour has starred in action and thriller movies and is the only Iranian actor who has performed in more than 80 films. [custom_adv] Despite their claims, most are a waste of time. Don't kid yourself that two years spent at Uttoxeter Polytechnic's foundation course in the dramatic arts will get you noticed once you leave. It won't. [custom_adv] The same, to a lesser extent, is true for drama schools; there are maybe five or six decent establishments that offer superb training and are regularly monitored by those in the profession looking for talent - RADA, of course, Central, Lamda and one or two others - but beyond those you should be wary. A little sleuthing will soon reveal whether these less august enterprises have produced anybody you've ever heard of. [custom_adv] Your greatest asset is your novelty value. When you finally become a professional, for six months or so (or at least until the next wave of graduates and wannabees are disgorged from their training and trample all over you), you're brand spanking new, and this is your best chance of getting a foothold. Everybody - producers, agents, directors - wants to be the one to discover the next big thing, so you'll be paid levels of attention that, however slight, will seem a distant memory even a year later. [custom_adv] In the old days the profession allowed a slow, steady approach: a bit of experience in a provincial repertory company (maybe combining bit parts with some stage management and tea-making for the director), after which you could find your feet and advance to bigger parts and bigger theatres. [custom_adv] But nowadays only a handful of regional venues produce their own work, and in this novelty-obsessed celebrity culture, getting noticed while you're still shiny and pink is more important than ever. Don't squander this precious resource. [custom_adv] Approach an agent like you would any other work interview: your CV should be crisply presented, suggesting you're the real deal rather than a loser. [custom_adv] Remember, agents will be receiving tens of supplications a day, so your approach needs to pass muster during their cursory initial scrutiny. Poorly presented or badly spelt CVs accompanied by fuzzy photographs will go straight in the bin.