It Takes More Than Acting To Be An Actor

I'm sure you've thought to yourself how easy life must be for actors. They show up on set, learn some lines, eat craft services all day and pretend for a living.

If that sounds too good to be true...You are correct.  It's not that easy to be a working actor.  In fact, there's a lot of work involved in being an actor before you even step foot on a set.

1. Natural talent only gets you so far - One of the first things you should do is sign up for an acting class.  Taking part in a class will help you sharpen your acting skills, make friends and be around a group of people who understand what you're going through to be a working actor. The Internet is filled with listings and reviews of acting classes and teachers. Try to find one that will take you out of your comfort zone and give you a chance to work on scenes that you haven't had a chance to perform in the past.
2. Be willing to make sacrifices along the way - I don't mean living in a small apartment or eating Spam for dinner.  I'm talking about sacrificing time with friends and loved ones. Being an actor is not a job that only happens during daytime hours.  You have to be ready for late auditions, odd call times, working on scenes late into the night, open mic nights and casting workshops that don't start until your friends are already home from work. You'll have to miss plenty of fun times with your buddies in order to move your career forward.
3. Opt for a "safe" look - This doesn't apply to everyone even though it sort of applies to everyone trying to be a working actor,  There are certainly a variety of parts available for actors of different sizes, styles and looks.  Here's something to consider as you decide on your career path.  Do you think you can get enough work on a long term basis as "the guy with the tattoos who robs the bank"?  How about being the girl with the piercings in her nose and eyebrows trying out for a regular role on a family sitcom?  Does your current look fit in with the type of parts you dream of playing on TV, in the movies and on stage?  Self expression is a wonderful thing but not if it limits the jobs you can potentially get as an actor.
4. Commitment - The idea of committing to a life as a working actor involves a variety of obstacles you will encounter on a daily basis.  Are you willing to be told "No" more often than you're told "Yes" about a part?  Can you handle long periods of not knowing when your next paying acting job will appear?  Can you handle not knowing when your first paying acting job will happen?
5. The hours - This ties in with the fourth point above.  Whether you're the lead of a TV show or an extra in the background of a movie scene, life on a set is filled with long hours.  Working on a set sometimes runs 10-12-14 hours per day.  While you're certainly not working a manual labor job, the hours are consistently long and demanding.  It's up to you to decide if you'd be happier with a 9-5 job instead of long hours, last minute script changes, a variety of working conditions and having to expose yourself emotionally on a regular basis.  Can you give enough of yourself on both an emotional and physical level daily for 10-12-14 hours?

The time and effort put into your career is completely up to you.  It's never too late to change your mind about making acting your career choice.  If you decide to move to Hollywood to be an actor, make sure you dedicate everything you have to realizing your dream.

This actor works to make his dreams come true on a daily basis.

"So LA" Conversations

I'm in the middle of writing a longer post about the world of acting but I need to take a break and recharge my brain.  I have to stop thinking about it and let the words come to me without obsessing about the post.

In other words...Time to write a post that is nothing but fun!

There have been plenty of times lately where I've heard conversations that are "so L.A.".  I've been taking notes and want to share my favorite conversation moments with you from the past few months:

• "You remember those candles we loved so much?  I bought them at Tori Spelling's store right before it went out of business."
• "You see this jacket I'm wearing?  Joe Walsh wore this same jacket in a video for the History of the Eagles. He gave it to me after sweating in it all day."
• "I know that I'm moving up in the studio world because I only have to walk his dog every other day."
• "My agent told me he would call me back after he was done watching a car chase on the 5."
• "I actually had the idea for that movie first but is the public going to believe me or Paramount Pictures???"
• "I didn't date him because he was a director.  I dated him because he lived 3 blocks from me so I didn't have to worry about parking."
• "I don't think he's a real homeless guy.  I think he's just staying in character to work on a part."
• "I ran lines with her and then she threw me over for another scene partner.  That other guy can't hold a candle to my interpretation of Prisoner Number One!"
• "My script deadline is this Thursday at noon.  My deadline to be a successful screenwriter is more flexible."
• "I'd appreciate it if you would stop using air quotes when describing me as a producer and director." 

Sharing these quotes with you has loosened my brain enough that I just came up with the second half of the other post.  I'm off to finish it and will share a new post with you soon!

I could fill an entire post with funny quotes from this actor.

Big News About Zach's Role In (Redacted)

It's definitely been a few weeks filled with excitement when it comes to Zach's career.

He is working hard on a project for (redacted).  While he has auditioned many times for (redacted), the right part has not happened until now.  The cast is strong and filled with a mix of veterans and young actors.  The plot of (redacted) is perfect for Zach as it allows him to showcase his comedy skills.  Plus, it gives him a good chance to develop the character of (redacted) by working with his partner in the (redacted).

It wasn't an easy task for him to land the role of (redacted) in (redacted).  It took (redacted) auditions in front of (redacted), (redacted) and (redacted).  His nerves never got the better of him and he started working on (redacted) last week.

I'll be telling you more about (redacted) in the coming weeks.  The script for (redacted) is clever and I think the (redacted) will be fun to watch.

Looking For Inspiration In Acting

I've discovered that writing a blog is a never ending hobby for me.  The feeling of satisfaction I get after posting an article lasts for about an hour before I start planning my next post.

Don't get me wrong.  I enjoy this creative outlet.  When I'm planning another post, sometimes it helps to seek inspiration in the words of others.  With that in mind, and in no particular order, here's my current Top 10 list of quotes about acting that I find inspirational:

1. "Work for the actor lies essentially in two areas: the ability to constantly create reality and the ability to express that reality." - Lee Strasberg
2. "Acting is all about honesty.  If you can fake that, you've got it made." - George Burns
3. "Acting is behaving truthfully under imaginary circumstances." - Sanford Meisner
4. "It's not whether you really cry.  It's whether the audience thinks you're crying." - Ingrid Bergman
5. "Acting is the least mysterious of all crafts.  Whenever we want something from somebody or when we want to hide something or pretend, we're acting. Most people do it all day long." - Marlon Brando
6. "If you give audiences half a chance, they'll do half your acting for you." - Katherine Hepburn
7. "I know very little about acting.  I'm just a very gifted faker." - Robert Downey, Jr.
8. "Never get caught acting." - Lillian Gish
9. "Acting is the ability to dream on cue." - Ralph Richardson
10. "When you talk about a great actor, you're not talking about Tom Cruise." - Lauren Bacall

Even though I only write about acting and actors, I find great inspiration in these quotes.  They inspired me to finish this post from Hollywood!

Here's an actor inspired daily by his fellow actors on set.

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The End Of Summer Brings The Start Of A New Hollywood Season

It's summertime and all across the USA, families are enjoying vacations and long weekends away from work.

While that sounds like a lot of fun, it's time for the folks in Hollywood to turn their attention to the next season on the entertainment calendar.  The name of the next season?  Episodic Season.

A season that's a favorite of many actors, episodic season is also one of the busiest and best times of the year to land a role on a television show.  Running mid-July through mid-to-late December, this is the time of year when individual parts in episodes of most television shows are cast.  Series regulars were cast and signed to deals during pilot season earlier in the year.  Now that the regulars are in place, casting directors start the process of auditioning and casting guests stars and recurring characters for the upcoming television season.

The odds are better that you'll book a part during episodic season because of the number of characters in each episode of a TV show.  Whether the part is a guest star, co-star or recurring character, the casting offices need to find talented actors to fill those roles.  These roles are also a great stepping stone for someone trying to get their foot (and whole body) in the door.

The big question is....Are you ready for episodic season? Here's a handy checklist to help make sure you're ready to go:

• Have your latest headshot and resume on your website as well as any casting websites you visit on a regular basis.
• Attend an acting class.  Besides brushing up on your skills, there are many times you can take an audition scene to class to work on with your acting coach.
• Stay in town!  Unless you are having a family emergency, plan to be in town during episodic season.  You want to show your agent and manager that you're committed and ready to audition at all times.
• Have extra clothes in your car.  You need to be prepared for a last minute audition by having your wardrobe with you in your vehicle.  You don't want to arrive at an audition unprofessional.  Also, you don't want to waste the extra time in LA traffic trying to get back home to change clothes.
• Using the same reasoning as above, make sure you always have extra copies of your headshot and resume in your car.
• Find a casting workshop with a casting director that is right for you.  You don't want to sign up for a session only to discover the casting office specializes in shows for kids.  Make sure the person you are meeting is casting the type of parts you want to play.

Episodic season is more welcoming than pilot season to new arrivals in Los Angeles.  Unless you already have a great manager or agent based in Los Angeles that will get you seen by casting directors, pilot season can be a giant waste of time for newbies.  Episodic season requires many more bodies to fill parts on television shows so the work is available and the IMDb credits are waiting to be listed on your page.

Have fun. Be prepared. Break a leg this episodic season.

This actor knows a thing or three about working hard during episodic season.