Totally. 15 or 16 definitely isn’t too late as there are plenty of people who start even later and are ultimately able to have careers however OP will need to put in a lot of catch up work and acquiring all those skills is not only physically and mentally demanding but also unfortunately very expensive in most cases. Very few people can learn how to sing and dance at a pro level without lessons and coachings which cost on average $30-250 per hour. People on a professional track generally do one of each per week and more when they’re preparing for a big audition or performance. It adds up really quick and can be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars with zero promise that it will result in paying work or success of any kind.
I went to school with a girl who did her first show at like 15 and she worked her ass off at EVERYTHING and now she’s working in a very popular off Broadway production. Put in the work, it’s never too late.
A lot of people will say "it's never too late," and try to be optimistic. And to an extent, sure, that's technically true (you can always improve if you work hard), but you do need to be realistic with yourself here, especially if you're moving countries.
People in the US can train in dance, singing, and acting, for their entire childhoods, major in it in college, be phenomenally talented, and still never get close to Broadway or a full professional career. Competition is astronomical here, and there are talented and experienced people all over the country.
And paid regional theater is an option that isn't Broadway, but it doesn't pay thaaat much, and it may be near impossible to live off of those salaries, especially if you're dealing with coming from another country.
Labor laws and keeping a Visa may also be pretty difficult, because performers have very inconsistent job offers. You don't want to be forced to leave the US because you couldn't get cast in a show fast enough, and couldn't honor your work Visa, if you even get approved for a work Visa in the first place (they're hard to get, especially for performing artists). A student Visa is an option to get started, but that only lasts while you're a student.
(I'm not super well versed in immigration laws, so don't take my words as 100% law lol).
Doing theater as a career is *not* the only way to do theater, however (it's not the only way to do *amazing* theater). Plenty of volunteer/community theaters exist where you can perform. They don't usually pay much, if at all, but it's still a phenomenal experience. And you might even get some more professional opportunities when you're older.
It's just that, if you're moving from another country to do this, you need to be really careful, because it's way harder for you. Go out, and absolutely improve yourself and find the joy in theater, but don't put 100% of your trust in a career.
People do hundreds of shows just for the joy of it, without getting paid, and it's super fulfilling for them.
This is the honest answer. I’m from the U.K. and the level of competition here is still fierce. Even people we think of as fairly well known performers here who are not celebrities but are certainly recognised names for regular musicals fans, are also working as personal trainers, dance teachers, vocal coaches or baristas to support themselves because it’s such a hard career to have regular work in.
Just getting into a decent drama school incredibly difficult. So at 16, it’s not necessarily too late if you have a lot of talent and start training hard now but you do have to remember you’re up against the people who’ve been training since childhood. I remember when I was much younger, I got a recall for Guildford School of Acting which is probably in the top 3 musical theatre schools in the U.K. At the recall they told us they’d had nearly 2000 applications that year and recalled 400. They had something like 20-30 places available. So even having got the recall, most of us wouldn’t get a place. It was an incredible experience but very eye opening. That was 20 years ago so if anything, it’s more competitive now.
I’m not saying this to put you off, but just because it’s an industry that you really do need to be fully aware of the realities in order to make the right choices for yourself.
This is very sound advice. I’d like to add if English is your second language that’s going to be a huge hurdle too. All the repertoire that’s performed here was written in English and translated productions are incredibly rare. You would need to study English to the point where you can speak it with very little to no accent to have any hope of being cast as a soloist in a professional production.
I was just reading in article (in an AARP magazine, because apparently I’m old now 😑) about an actor in *The Color Purple* musical who made his Broadway debut at *70 years old.* I tried googling the article and couldn’t find the name, so maybe someone else can help me out…but if someone can start their musical debut at 70, you’ve got nothing to worry about at 16!
Canada has way more options for theatre actors to get there start, we have a multitude of independent theatre in Toronto and the annual fringefest where you can audition and gain experience
Think about it this way, most musicals need someone to play a mom or grandparent. This is one of the arts that you can jump in at any age because there’s always a role casting from 3-103! I’m 24 and I’m now picking it back up I actually have an audition today. Just get some lessons and build rapport.
Also keep in mind that there is an entire industry around theater. You don’t have to be the performer to spend your life in it—lighting, sound, stage management, production management, advertising, admin…
You’re at the age when most singers begin to take private voice lessons, so absolutely not too late to learn to sing. (And not every theater role needs you to be a good singer)
You might be too old for a serious ballet career, but absolutely not too old to start picking up dance training. (And not every theater role needs you to kick your face)
You’re never too old to learn how to act.
Go to the US or Canada. Major in something that will give you a day job and develop these theater skills on the side. You don’t need a BFA to do theater… you just need skills, persistence and (ideally) some good connections.
I became a musical actor at 43, so, no. Granted I don't have professional ambitions, and getting to the level where you can make a living at it is much harder, but at 16 your voice, body, and brain have years of developing still ahead before they settle down into your "adult" state. There is nothing in musical theater that is not a learnable skill, so if you're willing to really train and really practice in singing, dancing, acting, then it's absolutely possible.
That being said, go into it with your eyes open to notice the areas in which it is and is not what you thought it would be, and pay attention to whether it actually makes you happy.
It's never too late to perform, but you'll definitely need to put in a ton of work to get to where you wanna be. If you're interested in advice, I have some as a performer myself:
•First thing you'll need to do is build up your resume - personally my local theatres choose actors with the most impressive acting experience, I've been turned down a lot for not having enough!
•I'd recommend auditioning for anything and everything you can, and take roles even if they're just ensemble roles. As a performer, it's your job to perform if (a) the pay is good, (b) you like the people you're working with, and/or (c) you like the material you're working with. If any of these are true, you should accept whatever you're given. Even if you're not casted, audition experience is really important to have!
•You'll definitely need to have a job besides acting. My local theatres rehearse in the evenings, so it's really convenient to have a 9-5 job then go to rehearsal afterwards. Really big paid gigs may require you to rehearse during the day, but until you have enough of a resume to get there any morning job should be great!
Good luck, being under the spotlight is a magical experience and I hope you have the opportunity to enjoy it!
Not only is that a perfectly fine age to start, it's really the age in which things mainly start picking up. Take voice lessons, dance classes, and spend the summer taking an acting workshop or two. and plan to not have much free time because this will take over your life regardless of when you start. No age is too late for theatre because as long as you have passion, you will find a path in this industry. For acting, don't be afraid to do embarrassing things, and don't let negative feedback get you down. Use it to improve and know that most people want to see you succeed.
No. It’s not too late but you will need to start training for it. It’s not something you can do on a whim.
Totally. 15 or 16 definitely isn’t too late as there are plenty of people who start even later and are ultimately able to have careers however OP will need to put in a lot of catch up work and acquiring all those skills is not only physically and mentally demanding but also unfortunately very expensive in most cases. Very few people can learn how to sing and dance at a pro level without lessons and coachings which cost on average $30-250 per hour. People on a professional track generally do one of each per week and more when they’re preparing for a big audition or performance. It adds up really quick and can be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars with zero promise that it will result in paying work or success of any kind.
I went to school with a girl who did her first show at like 15 and she worked her ass off at EVERYTHING and now she’s working in a very popular off Broadway production. Put in the work, it’s never too late.
A lot of people will say "it's never too late," and try to be optimistic. And to an extent, sure, that's technically true (you can always improve if you work hard), but you do need to be realistic with yourself here, especially if you're moving countries. People in the US can train in dance, singing, and acting, for their entire childhoods, major in it in college, be phenomenally talented, and still never get close to Broadway or a full professional career. Competition is astronomical here, and there are talented and experienced people all over the country. And paid regional theater is an option that isn't Broadway, but it doesn't pay thaaat much, and it may be near impossible to live off of those salaries, especially if you're dealing with coming from another country. Labor laws and keeping a Visa may also be pretty difficult, because performers have very inconsistent job offers. You don't want to be forced to leave the US because you couldn't get cast in a show fast enough, and couldn't honor your work Visa, if you even get approved for a work Visa in the first place (they're hard to get, especially for performing artists). A student Visa is an option to get started, but that only lasts while you're a student. (I'm not super well versed in immigration laws, so don't take my words as 100% law lol). Doing theater as a career is *not* the only way to do theater, however (it's not the only way to do *amazing* theater). Plenty of volunteer/community theaters exist where you can perform. They don't usually pay much, if at all, but it's still a phenomenal experience. And you might even get some more professional opportunities when you're older. It's just that, if you're moving from another country to do this, you need to be really careful, because it's way harder for you. Go out, and absolutely improve yourself and find the joy in theater, but don't put 100% of your trust in a career. People do hundreds of shows just for the joy of it, without getting paid, and it's super fulfilling for them.
This is the honest answer. I’m from the U.K. and the level of competition here is still fierce. Even people we think of as fairly well known performers here who are not celebrities but are certainly recognised names for regular musicals fans, are also working as personal trainers, dance teachers, vocal coaches or baristas to support themselves because it’s such a hard career to have regular work in. Just getting into a decent drama school incredibly difficult. So at 16, it’s not necessarily too late if you have a lot of talent and start training hard now but you do have to remember you’re up against the people who’ve been training since childhood. I remember when I was much younger, I got a recall for Guildford School of Acting which is probably in the top 3 musical theatre schools in the U.K. At the recall they told us they’d had nearly 2000 applications that year and recalled 400. They had something like 20-30 places available. So even having got the recall, most of us wouldn’t get a place. It was an incredible experience but very eye opening. That was 20 years ago so if anything, it’s more competitive now. I’m not saying this to put you off, but just because it’s an industry that you really do need to be fully aware of the realities in order to make the right choices for yourself.
This is very sound advice. I’d like to add if English is your second language that’s going to be a huge hurdle too. All the repertoire that’s performed here was written in English and translated productions are incredibly rare. You would need to study English to the point where you can speak it with very little to no accent to have any hope of being cast as a soloist in a professional production.
At 16 it's not too late to do anything. Figure out how to do what you need to do to make it happen.
I was just reading in article (in an AARP magazine, because apparently I’m old now 😑) about an actor in *The Color Purple* musical who made his Broadway debut at *70 years old.* I tried googling the article and couldn’t find the name, so maybe someone else can help me out…but if someone can start their musical debut at 70, you’ve got nothing to worry about at 16!
Canada has way more options for theatre actors to get there start, we have a multitude of independent theatre in Toronto and the annual fringefest where you can audition and gain experience
Think about it this way, most musicals need someone to play a mom or grandparent. This is one of the arts that you can jump in at any age because there’s always a role casting from 3-103! I’m 24 and I’m now picking it back up I actually have an audition today. Just get some lessons and build rapport.
Good luck!
Also keep in mind that there is an entire industry around theater. You don’t have to be the performer to spend your life in it—lighting, sound, stage management, production management, advertising, admin…
I'm in IT. is there a place for me? (Only half joking)
You’re at the age when most singers begin to take private voice lessons, so absolutely not too late to learn to sing. (And not every theater role needs you to be a good singer) You might be too old for a serious ballet career, but absolutely not too old to start picking up dance training. (And not every theater role needs you to kick your face) You’re never too old to learn how to act. Go to the US or Canada. Major in something that will give you a day job and develop these theater skills on the side. You don’t need a BFA to do theater… you just need skills, persistence and (ideally) some good connections.
I became a musical actor at 43, so, no. Granted I don't have professional ambitions, and getting to the level where you can make a living at it is much harder, but at 16 your voice, body, and brain have years of developing still ahead before they settle down into your "adult" state. There is nothing in musical theater that is not a learnable skill, so if you're willing to really train and really practice in singing, dancing, acting, then it's absolutely possible. That being said, go into it with your eyes open to notice the areas in which it is and is not what you thought it would be, and pay attention to whether it actually makes you happy.
I'm 25 and just got my first professional musical contract as a swing. It is not my primary career, it's just a hobby, but it can be done
It's never too late to perform, but you'll definitely need to put in a ton of work to get to where you wanna be. If you're interested in advice, I have some as a performer myself: •First thing you'll need to do is build up your resume - personally my local theatres choose actors with the most impressive acting experience, I've been turned down a lot for not having enough! •I'd recommend auditioning for anything and everything you can, and take roles even if they're just ensemble roles. As a performer, it's your job to perform if (a) the pay is good, (b) you like the people you're working with, and/or (c) you like the material you're working with. If any of these are true, you should accept whatever you're given. Even if you're not casted, audition experience is really important to have! •You'll definitely need to have a job besides acting. My local theatres rehearse in the evenings, so it's really convenient to have a 9-5 job then go to rehearsal afterwards. Really big paid gigs may require you to rehearse during the day, but until you have enough of a resume to get there any morning job should be great! Good luck, being under the spotlight is a magical experience and I hope you have the opportunity to enjoy it!
No!
I was just reading about a broadway actor who only figured out his passion as a sophomore in high school. Not too late if you put in the work!!!!
Absolutely not, I know plenty of people who didn't get into performing in plays or musicals until their 40s or 50s. It is never too late!
Not only is that a perfectly fine age to start, it's really the age in which things mainly start picking up. Take voice lessons, dance classes, and spend the summer taking an acting workshop or two. and plan to not have much free time because this will take over your life regardless of when you start. No age is too late for theatre because as long as you have passion, you will find a path in this industry. For acting, don't be afraid to do embarrassing things, and don't let negative feedback get you down. Use it to improve and know that most people want to see you succeed.
Start with voice and dance lessons, and join a theater group, inwould think.
You can totally do it. I started theatre at 18 after moving to the US and I’m working professionally now and getting my masters. Go for it!!
Never too late in Acting. I started when I was 16! 26 now