Momentum is the perfect word to describe May. Energy is high, and releases, casting calls, festivals and live performances spur the industry’s excitement.
May offers actors a mix of inspiration and goal-setting, not to mention ongoing opportunities. With Mental Health Awareness Month, Broadway openings and blockbuster premieres, it’s time to recommit to your passion while staying grounded in wellness and creativity.
Insights: How to Get the Most Out of Your May
- Set specific monthly goals, such as submitting to five new roles.
- Learn about actor contracts and union rules.
- Prepare a role that defies your typical casting to show range.
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Advice & Inspiration
1. Set a New Monthly Acting Goal: Instead of being vague like “book more work,” be more specific ( e.g., “submit to casting calls to book roles” or “memorize a new monologue”). Small goals create momentum and momentum builds… you guessed it… confidence!
2. Learn About the Business Side of the Show Business: Acting is not only your craft; it’s your business. Learning about contracts, unions and royalties will help protect your rights and ensure you’re being paid correctly. Some items to study would be learning about a “buyout” clause and the positives and negatives of joining the SAG-AFTRA and AEA unions. The more you educate yourself, the better you are at having a long-term career.
3. Meisner Quote Reflection: “Acting is behaving truthfully under imaginary circumstances.” This is a powerful reminder that your job isn’t to pretend, but to convey a story honestly. Doing so will make your performance magnetic and allow a real audience connection.
4. Keep a “Wins” Journal (Even Small Ones Matter): Keeping a “wins” journal is one of the simplest things. Nailed a self tape? Write it down. Got a callback? Bam. Documenting these moments helps shift your focus from what’s lacking to what’s working. Over time, you’ll be able to see your improvement (grab a fun journal here).
5. Read The Actor’s Life: A Survival Guide by Jenna Fischer: What spare time? Those four minutes you have before you pass out from exhaustion, the 10 minutes in the Uber… every second you’re doing nothing is when you should consider pulling out this book.
6. Reconnect with a Mentor or Fellow Actor: Reconnecting with a mentor or fellow actor is soul-fueling. It doesn’t have to be in person. A quick check-in message to share an update or express gratitude may result in collaboration and/or inspiration — no need to wait for a reason. Scroll through your phone and figure out who you will call today.
7. Identify Your Top Three Acting “Types” and Prep One That Defies Them: Knowing your top three acting “types” helps you market yourself effectively, but prepping a role that defies them shows your range. Identify how you’re most often cast (maybe you’re the best friend or the nosy neighbor), then challenge yourself with a character outside that box. This expands your skill set and signals to casting directors that you’re more than just a type. You’re a storyteller with depth.
8. Watch Your Old Videos and Critique Your Growth: This could hurt. Did you ever say to yourself, “I should have done it this way instead?” Try not to cringe when you view your earlier roles. Instead, up your game and discover different ways to work the same scene.
9. Analyze Performances in New Releases: Watching new releases is an acting masterclass in motion. Notice how the actors use silence, timing, breath or stillness. Notice what feels authentic and what does not feel genuine. Analyzing performances will help you sharpen your instincts and build a mental toolbox of techniques to try in your next audition or role.
10. Submit to Five New Casting Calls this Month: Staying proactive will keep you in the game. Nothing may come from every submission, but they do keep your presence growing. Even better would be to diversify the roles you go after. Finish the old saying… “The more doors you knock on…”
11. Research One New Agent or Manager: In show business, there are many types of doors, some of which you may not even know exist. Researching agents and managers is an opportunity to find and open these doors. Look beyond the big-name agents and managers. Read interviews, check client lists and see where their talent is booking. This will help you identify whether the agent or manager fits correctly.
12. Social Media Spotlight: This month’s social media spotlight goes to comedian Tammy Pescatelli! If you get offended easily, you might want to sit this one out (or better yet, buckle up and learn how to laugh at life’s absurdities, Italian-style). Tammy is a New Yorker who married a non-New Yorker. That should tell you right away what kind of laughs are in store.
What to Watch in May:
13. The Four Seasons (comedy): This series, starring Tina Fey and Steve Carell, premieres on May 1 on Netflix. Three couples. Four vacations. A lot to unpack. The Four Seasons follows longtime friends through the ups and downs of life for four seasonal vacations. Created and written by Tina Fey, Lang Fisher and Tracey Wigfield.
14. Thunderbolts* (action/adventure): Marvel’s superhero ensemble film featuring reformed villains, releasing on May 2.
15. The Walking Dead: Dead City: Season 2 (horror): The show continues the saga of Maggie and Negan, premiering on May 4 on AMC.
16. Clown in a Cornfield (horror): A slasher horror movie scheduled for May 9. A fading midwestern town is terrorized by Frendo the Clown, a symbol of bygone success. Based on the acclaimed novel by Adam Cesare, it stars Katie Douglas, Carson MacCormac and Aaron Abrams.
17. Duster (crime drama): From J.J. Abrams and LaToya Morgan, lands on May 15 on Max. Starring Josh Holloway, Rachel Hilson and Keith David. Vengeance is a wild ride. Set in the 1970s Southwest, the life of a gutsy getaway driver for a growing crime syndicate goes from awful to wildly, stupidly, dangerously awful.
18. Hurry Up Tomorrow (musical psychological thriller): A film set to release on May 16. It’s directed and edited by Trey Edward Shults. The film is based on The Weeknd’s sixth studio album of the same name. Starring Abel Tesfaye, Jenna Ortega and Barry Keoghan.
19. Murderbot (sci-fi): Debuting on May 16 on Apple TV+. Based on the award-winning, best-selling series by Martha Wells, this series stars Alexander Skarsgård, Noma Dumezwen, and David Dastmalchian. Murderbot follows a rogue security unit as it searches for the meaning of life. In a high-tech future, a rogue security robot secretly gains free will. To stay hidden, it reluctantly joins a new mission protecting scientists on a dangerous planet…even though it just wants to binge soap operas.
20. The Phoenician Scheme (Comedy/Drama): Wes Anderson’s latest film featuring Scarlett Johansson and Tom Hanks, releasing on May 30. Wealthy businessman Zsa-zsa Korda appoints his only daughter, a nun, as sole heir to his estate. As Korda embarks on a new enterprise, they soon become the target of scheming tycoons, foreign terrorists and determined assassins.
Wellness Activities
21. Vocal Steam Therapy: Use a facial steamer or bowl of hot water with essential oils to soothe and hydrate vocal cords before auditions or performances.
22. Cold Read Confidence Meditation: Try a guided visualization focused on calming the mind before cold readings or last-minute auditions.
23. Eye Relaxation Exercises: Practice “palming” or gentle eye stretches to reduce screen fatigue from memorizing lines or filming self tapes.
24. Character Journaling: Instead of traditional journaling, write a diary entry as one of your characters to enhance emotional connection and empathy. Grab this affordable character notebook for your entries!
25. Vocal Bath (Humming Session): Lie down and hum continuously for 5-10 minutes. It’s meditative and stimulates the vagus nerve, reducing stress.
26. Scent-Based Memory Triggers: Use essential oils while memorizing lines, then carry that same scent to auditions to ground yourself in character.
Live / Virtual Events
27. 2025 Met Gala – “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” (May 5, 2025, New York City & online): This year’s Met Gala focuses on menswear and Black dandyism, co-chaired by Lewis Hamilton, Pharrell Williams, Colman Domingo and A$AP Rocky. The red carpet will be livestreamed on Vogue’s platforms, hosted by Teyana Taylor, La La Anthony, Ego Nwodim and Emma Chamberlain.
28. DOK.fest München (May 7–25, Munich, Germany): One of Europe’s largest documentary film festivals.
29. Cannes Film Festival (May 13 – 24, Cannes, France): The 78th edition features films from directors like Wes Anderson and Ari Aster. Robert De Niro will receive an honorary Palme d’Or. The festival opens with Amélie Bonnin’s Leave One Day.
30. Patrice O’Neal Comedy Benefit (May 18, New York City Center): An annual comedy event honoring the late comedian, featuring performances from Rosebud Baker, Greer Barnes, DC Benny, Bill Burr, Tim Dillon, Nimesh Patel, Sean Patton and Rich Vos.
31. Future of Everything Festival (May 28–29, New York City): Hosted by The Wall Street Journal, this festival explores trends in technology, culture and entertainment.
Actors with May Birthdays
Watch their performances for inspiration. Read interviews or biographies of these actors for insight. Post a tribute on social media about the actors below to spark conversation.
- May 1: Jamie Dornan (Fifty Shades of Grey, The Fall)
- May 2: Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson (Jumanji, Fast & Furious)
- May 4: Will Arnett (Arrested Development, BoJack Horseman)
- May 4: Audrey Hepburn (Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Roman Holiday)
- May 5: Henry Cavill (Man of Steel, The Witcher)
- May 6: George Clooney (Ocean’s Eleven, The Descendants)
- May 9: Rosario Dawson (Rent, Ahsoka)
- May 10: Kenan Thompson (Saturday Night Live, Kenan & Kel)
- May 12: Rami Malek (Bohemian Rhapsody, Mr. Robot)
- May 13: Robert Pattinson (The Batman, Twilight)
- May 15: Chazz Palminteri (A Bronx Tale, The Usual Suspects)
- May 17: Derek Hough (Dancing with the Stars, Hairspray Live!)
- May 19: Sam Smith (Spectre theme song singer, also appeared in And Just Like That)
- May 20: Cher (Burlesque, Moonstruck)
- May 21: Mr. T (The A-Team, Rocky III)
- May 25: Octavia Spencer (The Help, Hidden Figures)
- May 26: Helena Bonham Carter (The Crown, Fight Club)
- May 28: Carey Mulligan (Maestro, Promising Young Woman)
- May 29: Annette Bening (American Beauty, The Kids Are All Right)
- May 30: Idina Menzel (Frozen, Wicked)
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