The presence of others can create a social phobia often called "stage fright," yet surprisingly few studies have examined stage fright at its literal, namesake level-acting-and why even professional actors sometimes experience inhibiting anxiety in front of audiences. In this study, 151 "Pro-c" (i.e., elite professional) actors were given a brief measure of the Big Five personality factors as well as measures for locus of control and self-efficacy. In addition, the performance anxiety index was adapted to focus specifically on acting and therefore serve as a measure of stage fright. Using a stepwise regression, three significant predictive variables for stage fright emerged: emotional stability, gender, and locus of control. Although stage fright is an issue a majority of actors experience, female actors with low emotional stability and an external locus of control would seem to be the most at risk. Controllability rather than efficacy may be a variable to pursue in future anxiety research.

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