Continuing Education
Let’s finish a few thoughts…
Dating! You sometimes cannot put in a book certain things that are just part of being human. Line up all the contestants from The Bachelorette or The Bachelor, and though you might find several people physically attractive; if you were to go out with them a couple of times, very likely you would find yourself leaning towards one or two of the “candidates.” This is the whole point of the show.
The acting profession is no different. Casting, like a dating app, can be subjective. Most times, it too relies on just looking at someone’s physical appearance and making a determination. The actual “dating” takes place if they call you in for an audition.
In both worlds, casting and representation, they still have within them something very common in dating called timing. Think about it. How many times in your life did you meet someone and you were single but they were involved? Timing rules in Hollywood. Breaks happen all the time from people being in the right place at the right time.
Raise your hand if you’ve auditioned for a five line co-star on a television show and you have network executives watching the recording of your audition. They realize you are clearly more talented than everybody else they’ve seen… But there was someone there earlier in the day who’s just a little behind you talent-wise. But they look better for the part. They are the part. They’re going to get the job nine times out of ten, and that doesn’t mean you were bad.
It doesn’t mean you won’t be hired one day. However, some of us take that as rejection. Here we just need to look at the opportunity we had. Whether you get the job or not, if you had a great audition, they’ll call you in again. Same thing happens in dating.
Another philosophical element: the inconvenient truth that being an actor can easily become a convenient hobby. Since there’s no entry barrier, anyone can call themselves an actor. The entertainment industry is a multi-billion dollar profession, and its only requirement for membership is you self-identifying as an actor and seeking out work.
If you want to make money as an actor, please make it a business — not a hobby! To get something out of this profession, you have to put in the time. For most actors I consult, my first series of questions is: What kind of time are they putting in to get better at the “business of show business?”
In a competitive market like Los Angeles, while you’re waiting tables to pay your bills, another actor is performing live theatre, sitting with an acting coach, making calls, planning the next day. I got to Hollywood when I was twenty four. I thought I was too old. NEVER! Let’s get you where you want to go!