I answer questions on my Tumblr from time to time, and this one from today felt worth crossposting here.
the-eru-anne asked:
Good sir, what advice, if any, would you have for an aspiring actor? More so along the lines of – where in the world does one start if they cannot afford an agent? Because finding oneself work seems almost impossible. Or maybe I just don’t know how to look.
I answered:
An agent is never something that you need to afford. Legitimate agents only make money when you make money, by taking a 10% commission from the total you were paid. When you’re in SAG/AFTRA, most of the jobs you get will offer “Scale +10%” which means the SAG/AFTRA scale rate, plus the 10% for your agent (so if you make $1500, you make $1500, not $1350 after your agent gets the $150 commission).
Any agent who wants money upfront for anything is a scammer and should be avoided at all costs. Ways agents will try to trick you include paying them for headshots, submissions, coaching, etc. Legit agents will be able to recommend other people who offer those services (except submissions — that’s an agent’s job and shouldn’t cost anything).
But that’s just one half of things. That’s the business side (and not even all of it). Let’s talk about the other side: the art side, the side that keeps you working part-time jobs so you can go on auditions and hopefully work as an actor. The business of acting sucks. I’ve been at it for nearly 35 years, and I still endure the kind of bullshit that I thought would have gone away (for me, with my experience) now: casting people who don’t make an effort to give me anything to work with, directors who don’t know what they want or how to communicate what they want to actors, non-actors wondering what my “real” job is, and on and on and on. What kept me focused and dedicated through years and years of that (and the struggle to just get any work at all) was how much I loved performing, how much I loved the process of creating a character, getting to know him and his relationships with the other characters, and bringing whatever that reality was to life.
I’ve worked on wonderful things, movies like Stand By Me, and dozens of episodes of TV like Eureka and Leverage, and I’ve worked in truly awful crapfests to pay my bills, like Deepcore 2000 and Fish Don’t Blink. I’ve had big roles in shows like The Big Bang Theory and tiny roles that were almost cut out entirely, like Pie In The Sky. In every case, though, I loved the process of creating the character I was going to play. I loved the experience I had writing about and exploring who he was. I loved breaking down the scenes into actions and beats, and then discovering new things I hadn’t even thought about when I played in those scenes with other actors. That love, that joy, that feeling of rightness when I was in the creative moment kept me going through all the business crap that I hated. It gave me something to look forward to and remember when I was subjected, again and again, to the fundamental and inherent unfairness of the industry.
Another way of saying all of this is: if you’re going to succeed as an actor — whether you work a lot or not — you have to need it the way a normal person needs food and water. It has to be such a fundamental part of who you are, you will endure some pretty shitty times and make a lot of sacrifices while you work on your craft and your art. If you don’t need it that way, if it isn’t something you’re willing to fight for, then you aren’t going to be a happy person. You aren’t going to be a fulfilled person, and that will make you a desperate and frustrated person when you audition.
Being an actor isn’t easy (if it was easy, everyone would do it and we wouldn’t see hundreds of hours of bullshit reality television clogging up the airwaves), but it is also a calling for a certain kind of person. If you’re that kind of person, and you’re willing to do the work, you are answering that calling and taking your place in a long and wonderful tradition. Remember: everything worth doing is hard, and for an actor, there is no better feeling in the world than absolutely nailing a scene, and bringing an audience along with you.
I hope this is helpful. Break a leg!
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You’re awesome. That is all.
Sorry Star Trek wasn’t a ‘wonderful thing.’ But I’m glad it wasn’t a ‘crapfest.’
He never said that.
I had that thought as well 🙂 However, getting your recent “you” to know through big bang theory and TableTop completely redeemed you from your Star Trek character. Soon I want to rematch all TNG episodes, but now I might enjoy seeing your acting there 🙂
This was more than helpful. I’ve done some gigs with some local indie flicks and I’ve had a total blast doing it. That was about 5 years ago now, and I’m getting the craving again.. I need to get back out there. I now live in Burnaby/Vancouver BC, and Agents and Schools are all over the place.
What was your experience with Acting Schools (if any) and what should one look for when seeking them out?
Number one: I do not know why the hell they have not given you a series as yet? With all the stars you know and such. Number two: You are a good actor. They stereotyped you and have proven otherwise to me. Again refer to Number one. (an off shoot of BBT character u know) .. You really are a funny man. lol I mean that in a very good way. 🙂 blessings to u ..
What’s your “real job “? Being awesome. The acting and writing things are just aspects of this.
I’m typically not one to care much about appearance, but has anyone considered what it could mean if reality tv found it’s way on to another galaxy? It’s one thing alienating the martians with ostentatious programming, but there’s no telling what kind of response it might provoke in the Andromedans.
I blame the next generation (currently being represented by the last generation).
You mean Galaxy Quest?
‘Galaxy Quest Kardashian’ follows 12 teams of Questers in a week by week action packed competition to be the first to discover cutting edge fashion on ancient galaxies. The fun really begins when obstacles, puzzles and battles for Louboutin and Vendi bags are placed in the paths of ordinary people attempting to do extraordinary things.
In my family, theater is the other mistress and as necessary as breathing. My mom learned enough about stage lighting to sit thru many rehearsals as my step-dad wrote cues. I work in a good day job to allow my passion of theater to happen. I would say try a summer stock to see if you have the disease I call “Theater” or not. I am a Costume Designer and Box Office Manager for Hamden H.S.’s Theater Dept. I am lucky to pay my bills and explore my passion.
Well said as usual, Mr.Wheaton, well said.
I still think your best line was the one in Stand By Me. 🙂
WOW! I have no word for this. I am speechless. You have said it all Mr. Wheaton.
Word.
In my normal lifestyle never like to act defrent than what I am or beleave so I can’t tell Mach about it , I do see mistakes in movies .. Like the acter should do this and that but I think it’s not easy specially if I don’t beleave the story , most of movie nowadays after politics which full of lies which I don’t like too ,, becouse as we all see how many people died and immigrate from their home land and suffering or get killed which also harm the other stronger people , so that lies harm all humans , means no interest for anyone , but real story it’s the only I do like as experience for all human beings , thank you all ,
This, it seems to me, is exactly what it’s like trying to be a writer as well…and probably every creative endeavour…
“If you don’t need it that way, if it isn’t something you’re willing to fight for, then you aren’t going to be a happy person.”
True even for non-artistic endeavors. I think the reason a lot of us feel stuck in our soul-crushing jobs is because we settle into exactly this, doing something we used to love, used to feel passion for, but no longer know how to love it.
Hi Wil,
It actually does make sense!:) Also having a good resource book written by actors for potential ones on how to behave on set. I snagged a book. Erin Grey wrote. Its indispensable.:) Acting being hard? It really IS hard. I don’t think I’m any good at it, but I try to have fun.: )
I’ve been doing live action role playing for almost 20 years and every part you said about the craft is perfect. I can’t imagine a world where I don’t get to experience the joy of creating a character and seeing how it interacts with other characters. Letting other characters shape and change what I am playing and looking back years later and wondering how the character was ever the person they were to start. I hope to one day be able to complain to my friends and family about the business side, but until then, I’ll keep enjoying the art as a hobby and entertaining others there.
Greetings Mr. Wheaton
Reading your blog really helped answer some of the questions I had about the business. In short, thank you for giving us such valuable information that is definitely going to help out people like me who are just starting out….and have Anxiety issues :$
May, 2 I start an improve class for people with Anxiety and I’m really nervous. Wish me luck !! 🙂
What do you do about diction? I’ve noticed that in the work I’ve seen you in and heard you in, while your voice goes up and down, and slows down and speeds up, you never really get away from that California accent.
Does a lack of being a vocal chameleon interfere with getting parts that you might have really wanted? Are there ways for an actor who doesn’t have that gift, or doesn’t have an interest or feel a need to develop that skill, to compensate when a part calls for a character to have a specific dialect or accent?
You express concepts perfectly. I agree with other commenters in that loving the core of a profession is important for contentment in that profession. The joy of teaching comes with many challenges, but watching students learn makes my heart sing.
I’ve run up against this so many times. I’m an artist one way or another. I absolutely NEED to be creative somehow, the way we all need food at water, as you say.
But because I don’t need to be any specific kind of creative, I always end up back at this wall. It’s a weird cycle of needing to be creative, needing that to be a major core of my life, but because there isn’t a singular focus to it, any given path isn’t worth the price in our culture.
Ahh well. For all the cost, I can’t help but think people like you are lucky to know so strongly that direction they MUST go, artistically.
-E-
Good advice. I think it’s true for all the arts.
ThisTV is running “The Day Lincoln Was Shot” in heavy rotation. I was surprised to see you in it, but I enjoyed your performance. I liked the hair and mustache too. Any interesting tales about making that film? When I saw Spielberg’s “Lincoln” I couldn’t stop fighting back tears throughout most of that film.
I once had aspirations of being a working actor. Life ended up taking me in other directions, but I count myself fortunate that I can still be active in local theater. Of course there is always the argument of who are the true artists, those that make a living by it, or those who stick with it even though they cannot making a living by it, but that’s a discussion for another day, and I believe society benefits from having both.
Thanks for the insight Mr. Wheaton!
On the topic of “directors who don’t know what they want or how to communicate what they want to actors,” I read a book years ago when I was (and I use this term very loosely) “directing” staff while making promotional and training videos for a small business that opened my eyes to what it is to be a director:
“First Time Director” by Gil Bettman. http://www.amazon.com/First-Time-Director-Breakthrough-Movie-ebook/dp/B00696H8HC
What struck me most about it was the insight on what it takes to communicate effectively with actors. The author is friends with Robert Zemeckis and uses scenes from Back to the Future as teaching moments. I find it fascinating to see how professionals ply their craft.
Cheers!
Dear Mr. Wheaton,
I am a classical musician (violist) teaching at a small liberal arts university in Massachusetts and have been trying unsuccessfully to talk to my students about how and why they should pursue music as a career. Your blog post was so eloquent about the issues facing creative artists of all sorts that I had a “eureka” moment reading it. Would you mind if I handed it out to my classes to read?
Beautifully written, direct and wise! Well done.
I think this advice about needing to act like food, along with Bryan Cranston’s audition advice and DeNiro’s just be yourself, do less, let the audience place themselves there, are my 3 favorite pieces of advice.
Thanks,
Bill