Skillshare Acting Courses

Skillshare was founded in November 2010 by Michael Karnjanaprakorn and Malcolm Ong in New York City, initially as an offline learning platform before pivoting to online courses in August 2012. Karnjanaprakorn's inspiration came from his realization that traditional college education often failed to teach the practical, creative skills people actually needed — an insight reinforced by his experience volunteering at a New Orleans school after Hurricane Katrina. The platform has since grown into one of the largest creative learning communities in the world, hosting over 35,000 classes across creative disciplines including acting, filmmaking, animation, photography, writing, design, and illustration. Skillshare's acting and performance library includes hundreds of courses covering everything from audition technique and cold reading to character development, voice work, on-camera acting, improv fundamentals, and the business of acting. Unlike MasterClass, which features celebrity instructors, Skillshare courses are created by a mix of working professionals, acting coaches, independent educators, and experienced performers — resulting in a wider range of perspectives but more variable quality. The platform has raised significant venture capital and grown to serve millions of students worldwide, establishing itself as a go-to resource for self-directed creative learners.

In 2025, Skillshare operates as a subscription-based learning community where a single membership unlocks unlimited access to the entire course library. The platform's acting courses range from bite-sized introductions (30 minutes to one hour) through comprehensive multi-hour programs that cover specific techniques or methodologies in depth. What distinguishes Skillshare from course marketplaces like Udemy is its emphasis on project-based learning — most classes include hands-on projects where students apply what they have learned and share their work with the community for feedback. For acting courses, these projects might involve recording a monologue, preparing a self-tape, or writing a character breakdown. The community dimension means students can review each other's work, provide encouragement, and learn from peers at similar levels — creating a sense of shared learning that self-paced platforms lack. Skillshare's recommendation algorithm also helps students discover relevant courses based on their interests and viewing history, making it easier to build a coherent learning path across multiple classes. The platform is accessible on all devices, and the mobile app allows students to download classes for offline viewing.

Getting started on Skillshare is straightforward — new users create a free account and can browse the full course library to see class descriptions, previews, and reviews before subscribing. A free trial is frequently available for new users, giving temporary access to the complete library. Once subscribed, students can enroll in any course instantly and begin watching immediately. There is no enrollment limit, no prerequisites, and no structured curriculum — the learning path is entirely self-directed. For acting students, this means you can study audition technique in the morning, explore Meisner exercises in the afternoon, and watch a class on the business of acting in the evening, all on the same day. The platform's search and filtering tools allow students to find courses by topic, skill level (beginner, intermediate, advanced), duration, and instructor rating. Each course includes a description, instructor bio, student reviews, and a lesson breakdown so you can assess quality and relevance before committing your time. Skillshare also offers curated learning paths and collections that group related courses together, helping students build skills in a logical sequence.

The Skillshare acting experience is defined by variety and flexibility — the sheer volume of courses means you can explore virtually any aspect of the acting craft, from classical technique to commercial audition prep to voice acting to improv to the business of building an acting career. Most acting classes are structured as a series of short video lessons (typically 5 to 15 minutes each) that collectively form a course of 30 minutes to several hours. The bite-sized lesson format makes it easy to fit learning into a busy schedule — you can watch a single lesson during a lunch break or binge an entire course in an evening. Instructors range from film and television actors with IMDb credits to drama school graduates turned educators to self-taught performers sharing their practical experience. This diversity of perspectives is both a strength and a challenge — you will encounter different and sometimes conflicting approaches, which can be confusing for beginners but enriching for students with enough foundation to evaluate and synthesize multiple viewpoints. The community feedback on projects, while not a substitute for professional coaching, provides a supportive environment where students can share their work and receive encouragement from peers. Skillshare also hosts occasional live sessions and workshops, though these are less frequent in the acting category than in visual arts and design.

Skillshare's acting community includes a wide spectrum of learners — complete beginners exploring whether acting interests them, hobbyists who enjoy performing as a creative outlet, aspiring professionals building foundational skills before pursuing formal training, and working actors looking to fill specific gaps in their knowledge. The platform's affordable pricing and unlimited access model make it particularly attractive to students on a budget who want to explore multiple aspects of the craft without committing significant money to a single course or program. Because anyone can teach on Skillshare, the instructor pool is more democratized than on platforms like MasterClass — you will find courses from working actors with genuine credits alongside classes from less experienced educators, making it essential to check reviews and instructor credentials before investing your time. The project-based community creates opportunities for students to connect with peers, share their work, and build accountability — though the depth of community engagement varies significantly from course to course.

Skillshare Premium costs $32 per month on a monthly plan or $168 per year ($13.99 per month equivalent) on the annual plan in 2025. The annual plan represents a significant savings of over $200 compared to paying monthly for a full year. A free trial is frequently offered to new users, giving temporary access to the complete library before the subscription begins billing. Once subscribed, students have unlimited access to all 35,000+ courses — not just acting, but every subject on the platform — with no per-course fees or enrollment limits. The platform does not offer individual course purchases; everything is subscription-based. Compared to other online learning platforms, Skillshare falls in the affordable-to-mid-range tier — significantly cheaper than MasterClass for year-round access and comparable to Coursera Plus. The annual plan is the clear value choice, as the monthly rate is more than double the per-month cost of an annual subscription. Students who are unsure should start with the free trial, watch several acting courses to assess quality and relevance, and then decide whether the annual commitment is worthwhile.

Skillshare is an excellent choice for actors who want affordable, flexible access to a wide range of acting topics and who are disciplined enough to self-direct their own learning. It is particularly well-suited for beginners who want to explore multiple aspects of the craft before committing to a specific methodology or formal training program — the unlimited access model lets you sample everything without financial consequence. For working actors looking to fill specific gaps in their knowledge — a dialect class here, a self-tape technique course there — Skillshare provides convenient, on-demand solutions. However, Skillshare should not be your primary or sole acting training if you are serious about building professional skills. The lack of live feedback, instructor interaction, and structured curriculum means it cannot replace scene study, coaching, or conservatory training. Use Skillshare as a supplement to your core training, not a substitute for it. For the most value, pair your Skillshare subscription with at least one form of live, feedback-driven training — whether that is in-person classes, a live online coaching program, or regular work with a scene study partner.

Before watching any acting course on Skillshare, check the instructor's credentials — look for a professional bio, verifiable credits on IMDb or LinkedIn, and positive student reviews that specifically praise the quality and relevance of the instruction. Sort courses by student rating and number of reviews to surface the highest-quality options, and always watch the free preview before committing your time to a full course. Create a personal learning plan that identifies the specific skills you want to develop — audition technique, on-camera presence, voice work, business skills — and then search for courses that target those areas, rather than watching randomly. Take advantage of the annual pricing plan rather than paying monthly — the savings are substantial, and if you are not sure, the free trial gives you time to evaluate before committing. Complete the class projects even if you are tempted to skip them — the act of applying what you have learned by recording a monologue, preparing a self-tape, or writing a character analysis is where the real skill development happens. Use Skillshare alongside a live training program for maximum benefit — the combination of self-paced exploration and real-time feedback creates a learning cycle that is more effective than either approach alone.