Three Tips For Actors Starting Their Hollywood Journey

The act of moving to Los Angeles to chase your dreams is just the first step in the process of being a professional actor in Hollywood. There are dozens of tips and tricks to make your life easier but here are three important lessons every actor should know as they begin their career:

1. You will feel alone - Child actors and teen actors always have a support system in place because they have some form of their family with them in Los Angeles since they are underage. However, it seems that the majority of actors who move here in their 20's or older are almost always alone when they arrive in town. It takes a lot of inner strength to pack up and leave your family and friends behind and move to a place where there are thousands of other people also trying to make it in the same field. This business is not for those who can't take rejection easily. It takes hard work as well as an almost ridiculous amount of belief in your acting ability to survive. Be patient and give yourself time to get settled and, before you know it, you will discover where you belong in the acting community.
2. The people you think are "your enemies" are not against you - It might appear that some casting directors and producers never seem to like your work during an audition. You need to remember that they choose the actors they call in for auditions. Your agent or manager might submit you but the casting directors and producers pick the people they want to see during the audition process. They must like something about your acting style if you keep getting asked to audition for parts in front of them. Don't enter the room with a "me against them" attitude. Enter the room knowing that you are there for a reason. They keep calling you back so they must see something in you. Know that you've already won part of the battle because you were selected to audition over hundreds of other actors submitted for the part. They are not your enemy. They want to give you a job but they just haven't found the right part for you (yet).
3. You need to be more than a good actor - One of the unspoken factors that goes into landing a part is who you are as a person. There are hundreds of actors who would love to book the part. However, they might be missing the one quality that sometimes makes a difference in who books the job. Being a good person is just as important as being a good actor. The amount of time actors spend each day on the set can be anywhere from 8 to 12 to 16 hours. That is a lot of time spent with the same people 5 or 6 days a week for months at a time. The odds are that you are not a big enough name in the acting world to get away with being a jerk to everyone on the set. Being a pain. as well as having the reputation of being a pain, is one of the easiest ways to not get a part. I am convinced that Zach's acting skills got him the recurring role on "Bella and the Bulldogs". I'm also convinced that being professional as an extra in many episodes also got him the part. He was never late, worked hard, took direction and was kind and respectful to the entire cast and crew, Zach had earned the trust of the cast and crew. His reputation of being a professional who was also easy to work with served him well during his audition for the part of "Quiet Chris".

Don't be discouraged and don't give up easily. Whenever you are feeling down, just remember you are not the only person in this town feeling the same way. If you approach your acting career with the knowledge that your big break will not happen overnight, you will be prepared to face the challenges coming your way in Hollywood.

This actor is in it for the long haul.