Working Some things you need to know about a life in show business BY JOHN RAWLEY
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HAVE THE GREATEST JOB in the world: I’m an actor. For over a decade I’ve worked onstage and in front of the camera. I’m not famous, but you’ve probably seen my face or heard my voice. I’ve appeared in dozens of commercials for companies like Wrigley’s Gum, Radio Shack, Linens-n-Things, 7Eleven, and Texaco. I also had a small part in the 2002 comedy Serving Sara, starring Mathew Perry. (I was the guy who was tortured because of a missing stapler.) This might come as a surprise: I do not live in L.A. or New York, but Dallas, Texas. You may have heard that actors can only make a living in California or New York, that it’s impossible to pursue an acting career in any other city. Throughout my career, I’ve heard people say that, and it’s not true. This is one of many misconceptions about the acting profession. Because of all the bad information— or total lack of information—that young actors tend to have, most acting careers are over before they’ve started. Actors hear the wrong thing too many times, accept it as fact, and eventually abandon their career because they never had the tools to master the profession. I’d like to point out some of the misinformation actors receive so you don’t end up discouraged, and also provide some basic information that will help you out.
‘You can’t make money acting’ You’ll hear that, or “You can’t make a living acting.” These refrains are untrue DRAMATICS • JANUARY 2005
and annoying to the working actor. Most of the people who say these things don’t work in the industry and clearly don’t know what they’re talking about. Think about it: Is there no money in Hollywood? Do theatres in New York perform plays just for fun? Whom do advertisers pay to act in those expensive Super Bowl commercials? Are SAG, Equity, and AFTRA just clubs? This notion that there is no money in the entertainment and advertising industries is ridiculous. If you add up all the money spent annually by the film, television, radio, theatre, and advertising industries, you will get a number in the billions. So, why can’t you make enough of that money to pay your bills every year? Chances are you can. Of course, don’t expect to be making a living immediately. It takes time to get established in whatever town you choose to work. It won’t be easy, and you’ll have to work your Thespian tail off, but it can be done.
The author seated in front, during a commercial shoot for Stone Mountain Carpet.
one (and that’s what an actor is: a small business enterprise). I spent about two years of trial and mostly error before I learned how to run my business the right way. There are tons of books on business out there that can help you. (Guerilla Marketing by Jay Conrad Marketing Levinson is one helpful guide on how Here’s one that’s true: when I first to market a small business.) Another started acting, I was told that I needed great place to learn about business is to market myself as an actor. Well, I school, so take advantage of what your thought that marketing was synonyschool has to offer and plan on taking mous with advertising. How do you some business courses in college. Busiadvertise acting? I was confused. As it ness classes are not for you to have turns out, I wasn’t alone. something to fall back on, but to teach I would recommend that you learn you something so an acting career can about business before you start running and will work out for you.
Remember, the day you start acting is the day you become an entrepreneur. If you spend time learning how to run and maintain a business, it’ll pay off in the long run. The nine-to-five lifestyle Do you like going out every single weekend? Do you like partying with your friends? Do you like spending time with your family during the holidays? Do you like having a set, predictable schedule? I’m sure you answered yes to at least one of these questions. However, if you are an actor, you’re going to have a lifestyle that is a little different from most. For people who work a nine-to-five job, the weekend is the time to unwind. It is the time to go grocery shopping
and run errands. The nine-to-five folks also get home at the same time every day and can maintain a certain schedule or routine. For actors, the weekends mean work. If you’re going to do any kind of live performance, the schedule will almost certainly include Friday and Saturday nights. If you like watching football on Sunday afternoons, you may have a problem because of Sunday matinee performances. Rehearsals are going to eat up a lot of your time, too. Some theatres rehearse during the day, some at night, some both. You’re also going to perform on weekdays. During the month of December, you will be very busy performing, and will have opportunities to make a
lot of money. You’ll have to make some choices: go home to visit family, or be available to perform and make money. Go out on New Year’s Eve and party, or perform and make money. Commercials, industrial films, movies, and television shows can shoot any day of the week. These jobs will occur on an irregular basis and include some odd hours. Your schedule will probably fluctuate and never be the same from week to week if you work as a full-time actor. For some people, this is one of the advantages of the profession. These things seem obvious, but some actors have a hard time realizing that their lives are going to be different from those who work nine-toJANUARY 2005 • DRAMATICS
five jobs. I’ve talked to actors who are constantly unavailable to work because they want to live a nine-to-five lifestyle, and yet they can’t understand why they’re not acting much. It is possible for you to have a partor full-time job, and act full-time, too. You need to get a job that will allow you to take time off for rehearsals, auditions and acting jobs. The cliché about actors waiting tables is true, and not a bad idea, because of the flexible schedule. From time to time, I’ve had to work a day job; before I started acting, I got some experience working in an office and have used that experience to get temporary office jobs. Before you accept a day job, make sure that your potential employer knows you’re an actor and that you’ll need to occasionally take time off. Don’t put yourself in a position that will hinder your acting career or get you fired from your day job right before your rent check is due. Location, location, location A business’s location is important. A person who wants to sell tractor equipment to farmers would probably be out of business in a month if she opened the store in the middle of Manhattan. The same would go for someone opening a store that sold nothing but winter clothing in Key West, Florida. Spending time researching the markets of a city before you move there is crucial. If you live in a town that has a small acting community or none at all, it’ll be hard for you to make a living. It’s not impossible; you might be able to fill a niche that went unfilled or unnoticed by others, but chances are, it would be better to be where the action is. At the same time, you don’t have to move out to New York or Los Angeles. Every major city in America has theatre, television, film, and advertising communities. You might be able to start out in Dallas, Atlanta, Chicago, or St. Louis, and then move on, or as many have, stay. What your “type” is will be a factor in where you need to live and work. I DRAMATICS • JANUARY 2005
have a commercial look, so Dallas, being a commercial and industrial town, is a good place for me. What kind of work you want to do is also a factor. If you only want to focus on movies, then Hollywood is where you need to be. New York, of course, is the capital of stage work. Moving to New York or Los Angeles is a big decision. I know actors who moved to New York or California and immediately started working. I know others who didn’t, ran out of money and moved back home. It is very expensive to live in either one of these places, and there’s no guarantee you’ll get work, auditions, or an agent. These markets are also saturated and the competition is fierce. However, there is a lot more work in these cities than in smaller markets, and some actors thrive there. On the other hand, if you can get work in your hometown, and you’re happy doing it, why move? That’s a decision you’ll ultimately have to make for yourself. Think it through thoroughly, visit the town you’re considering moving to, and save up some money. Film vs. theatre Some people say that there are film actors, and there are stage actors. I don’t agree. Acting is acting. It doesn’t matter if you’re on a stage, in front of a camera, or in a sound booth. The principles are the same. I have never been hindered while working in front of a camera because of my theatre training, or vice versa. The difference between acting on a stage and acting in front of a camera is like the difference between driving a car with a standard transmission and one with an automatic. They’re cars with four wheels, lights, windows, and a steering wheel. The difference is the transmission, and you have to use a different technique to drive one than the other. The same thing applies with acting. Don’t be intimidated or confused about making the transition to a different medium. Take classes with a reputable teacher and learn how to do it.
John Rawley’s head shot
Acting is acting. You should be ready to work on stage, in front of a camera, or in a sound booth. It takes years for most people to get to a professional level. Actors should be able to work in any medium, and not limit themselves to just theatre or film. You should be trained to act on a stage, in front of a camera, and in a sound booth. That way, you’ll be able to make money from theatre, film, television, radio and television commercials, industrials (corporate videos and shows) and even billboard, newspaper and magazine print ads. There are going to be times when you’re not booking theatre roles. Film, industrial and commercial work will help you make money, and stay sharp. This reverse can also happen. So don’t be a film actor, or a theatre actor. Be an actor. ‘I want to play Romeo, not Mercutio!’ Not everyone can be the hunky hero or gorgeous desirable woman that people flock to the theatre to see. Figure out your identity, who you are as an actor. Are you a leading man type, a young mom type, a villain? Determine what roles you can play, and build your career from there.
I am a character actor. I’m very good at comedy and rarely get looked at for dramatic work. I understand that I will never be the tough, romantic, leading man. I will always play his wisecracking sidekick. You know—the one who always dies. I know a woman actor who thought she could play sexy roles. She had, well, a great personality. To prove she could be seen as sexy, she started wearing sexy clothes and way too much makeup. The effect she desired didn’t work, and she ended up looking foolish in front of a director she was trying to impress. I’m not suggesting that you shouldn’t push your boundaries and try new things. Just be smart about it. Don’t push an image onto people that they’re not going to buy. Knowing what your type is will help you get more work. The impossible audition Once you’ve determined your type, you’re going to have to deal with what I call “the five-foot-two 250-pound Eskimo woman factor.” If the people casting a commercial, play, or movie are looking for a fivefoot-two 250-pound Eskimo woman and you’re not one, you will probably not be considered for the role. Sometimes, though, you will be brought into an audition for something you’re physically wrong for. Your first instinct will be to shake your head and wonder why you’re here wasting your time. This is the wrong attitude to have. Every audition you have is an opportunity for you to hone your acting skills. Every audition is experience. The director watching you might think you’re wrong for the part today, but right for a part six months down the road. When I go into an audition that I’m wrong for, I don’t shake my head, thinking this is a waste of time. I say to myself, “I’m wrong for this. But I’m going to be so wrong that I’m right.” Anytime you go to an audition, you have the part. Not the paying job, but the part for that audition. The role is yours. You own it. You can do what-
ever you want with it. Think about what you can bring to this role, and bring it. On the other hand, if you think the audition is a waste of time, then it is. You should just leave, as opposed to going into it like you don’t care. A few months ago, I went to a “waste of time” audition with the “I’m so wrong, I’m going to be right” attitude, and booked the job! The client told my agent that I was wrong for the part, but I impressed them with my ability, and I changed their minds about me. This is rare, but it’s wonderful when it happens. The glamor factor Simply put, acting for film or theatre is not glamorous. You’ve had some experience in the theatre by now and know that acting is hard work; the same is true for film. Here are a few things you need to know about film acting: You will put in long hours, usually ten to twelve a day. The work is repetitious. You will do the same thing over and over again until you get it right. You will be uncomfortable, and the most common source of discomfort on sets is temperature. The lights used generate a lot of heat, and if you’re shooting a scene indoors, the heat from the lights, plus the body heat generated by the cast and crew, in addition to the air conditioner being turned off and all the doors and windows kept shut to keep unwanted noise out, equals one miserable day of shooting. There have been times when I’ve gone outside in ninety-fivedegree heat to cool down between takes. Another big problem is costuming. I rarely put on a costume, walk onto the set and feel comfortable. While shooting a commercial last December, I wore a short sleeve shirt, outside, in the cold for two days because the commercial needed to look like it was taking place in the summer. I’ve also shot winter scenes outside in one hundred degree summer heat. A few years ago, I had to play a baby, and
wore nothing but a diaper and bonnet. Just remember that at the end of the day, acting may not be so glamorous... but the paychecks are nice. ••• IF YOU LOVE to act, then act. You can
make a living as an actor, but it takes a long time and a lot of hard work. Also, you need to be smart and have a common sense approach to getting started. Spend time thinking about what you want to do. Set goals, both long and short term. Write these goals down so you can look at them later and see how much you’ve progressed. Ask yourself some questions: Do you need to move to Los Angeles or New York? How are you going to pay your bills if you don’t book a job next month? What kind of a look do you have, and how should you market yourself? How much time should you spend taking classes, and what kind of classes should you take; stage, screen, improvisation, voiceover, audition technique? Spending time planning out what you need to do, and not wasting it over the misinformation people may have fed you, will help you in the beginning and the long run. With hard work, you can make it as an actor— even if you’re a five-foot-two 250pound Eskimo woman. John Rawley has been a professional actor in Dallas since 1994. His play Whereabouts Unknown is available at www.ieclark.com.
JANUARY 2005 • DRAMATICS