Do you have to be good looking to be an actress?

Little Ms Sunshine

No - Meryl Streep was turned away when they were looking for pretty ingenues, and yet she is now recognized as one of the greats. Learn your trade, hone your skills, seek out character parts.

ajtheactress

No. Acting is far more than appearance. There are many film actors that are not conventionally attractive. There are even more interesting stage actors that have a distinct look. What you do need is training, talent and perservence.

chasmannn

No, plastic surgery may make your face less interesting to look at. Play up whatever is positive about your appearance, but don't try to look like a generic model.

Adam

You do not have to be good looking, just follow your passion.

Nansin

There is no "certain" look in order to be an actor... if there was then they'd all look the same. The industry is a melting pot of different races, ethnicities, heights and sizes. There's no Height requirement and you don't have to be a model in order to be an actress. Cameron Diaz is 5'8'' and did start as a model (only because the opportunity came up). Salma Hayek is only 5'2''.

Ardeshir

Not at all. You just have to be good at ACTING! (Consider the role of Lady Macbeth - is she supposed to be pretty? Or the three wyrd sisters in the same Shakespearian play? Yeah, right.) +++++

bluebellbkk

'Symmetrical' and 'presentable' are not synonyms. If your face is interesting and expressive enough, it will not in itself prevent you from being an actor.

GSN

No - There are plenty of actors/actresses who aren't good looking

Jeremy

No you don't. If all actors and actresses were good looking most films would be very boring. Film companies and theatres groups need a variety of looks otherwise they will not be able to cast people in the variety of roles available/needed for their productions.

Mike

In order for the beautiful heroine to stand out, she has to be surrounded by ordinary looking people. Movies need more ordinary people than beautiful heroines. In The Wizard of Oz, the most memorable character is Margaret Hamilton's Wicked Witch. She made an awful lot of movies.

Lili

No, but you would likely be restricted to certain types of roles. It depends on what kind of an actress you want to be. Many, many actors and actresses are not good-looking. They just don't expect to play romantic leads and that sort of thing.

Anonymous

If it’s meant to be it will be

westville sal

No

daoco

Not at all. Look at Rosanne Barr, Kathy Bates or Gabourey Sidibe.

Adam

No if u have enough talent

Eddie

It's not necessary. To be yourself is way better than a bad plastic surgery.

Philip V

I think if you are a girl/woman, looks certainly help but it's not the overall factor to get a part. Creativity, performance, memory, and natural skill helps.

David

Kathy Bates.

Josie

No you don’t but it’s going to be harder for you to make it unfortunately. Just work hard, let your work speak for itself and if you’re really talented in this field, you have a chance

The_Doc_Man

There are "character actors" who play supporting roles. They appear in dozens or even hundreds of films and get a credit somewhere in the middle of the "cast crawl" at the end of the film. They never get headline recognition but also are rarely out of work. And those folks are just ordinary folks. Not incredibly ugly, nor incredibly beautiful. If you consider the male chauvinist 1-10 scale, character actors in the 3 to 7 range do quite well.

Atlanta

Generally, yes to some extent. Don't do plastic surgery. You are probably good looking enough to be an actress.

Bill G: No. Some are hideously ugly. Such as

No. Some are hideously ugly. Such as: Whoopi Goldberg Cathy Griffin Tori Spelling Rosie O'Donnell Sandra Bernhard

frankie

Hell naw

Billandhiscats

Would have thought that a desire to be a good actor or actress would have put the emphasis on being able to act. The curvaceous attractions of a fine **** would thus have been of secondary importance., though most attractive as an additional asset to be sure.

Gerry G

No

Bego

No

John P

Almost no humans have symmetrical faces. Before you get plastic surgery etc, you should get your acting abilities assessed honestly by someone who knows about such matters. There are many successful actors and actresses whose appearance does not conform to present ideas of "good looking". But they are all good actors.

Taylor

You do not have to be good looking to be an actress

Glo

No you don’t have to be good looking. However, you may be too hard on yourself. We tend to be our own worst critics. Follow your dreams.

Pearl

thats up to you but you nnight be good looking already