There are a lot of reasons why actors become fearful. The most common is the fear of failure. Actors have egos; they need them but the ego can be a stumbling block to success. There's a risk every time you take the stage that something could go wrong and you'd lose your edge in what is a highly competitive industry. But take a deep breath - you're not alone in your fears or in the need to find ways to overcome them.

It's important that you first understand the root of your fear. Do you undervalue your ability? Do you have nagging self-doubts that rear their ugly head at the wrong time? Do you lack restraint and allow negative thoughts to spiral you into panic? If so, you need to step back for a moment and rethink things. You wouldn't be on that stage or set if you hadn't done something very right. Now you need to trust not only your director but yourself - find that inner rock and lay firm anchor. Now, this doesn't mean becoming overly arrogant. Assurance is fine - becoming a drama king or queen is NOT.

Some actors feel they lack training or feel they're background is poorly suited to a role. These two things are easily fixed. Go get the training you want/need! Study up on a role using whatever research sources you have available. You'll find that just getting out and doing something helps allay a lot of nagging doubts.

Another potential source of fear is preoccupation with other "real life" issues. Sometimes our real world becomes overwhelming. With actors that feeling may translate to the stage. This is when you need to disconnect from those daily issues, and reconnect with your character. Let it become a break from mundania for a while.

A fourth common reason for fear is being your own worst critic. You're not perfect. Get over it and get on with your role. Constantly requiring yourself to live up to unreasonable standards can hold you back and increase nervousness geometrically. Also you should know that while stage fright is irrational, it's also very human. It's ok to be human!

If you find you fall into one of these four groups, there are ways to level out your emotions. Breathing techniques are among the most common - deep, even breaths in through the nose and out through the mouth while mindfully relaxing your body. Another thing that seems to work is simple re-direction. Shake out your nerves.. pace, yell, dance, do something totally silly. If you can learn to laugh at the situation, the fears will slowly wane and you'll have all that energy to give to your role.