Success and Failure

Going to karaoke with friends. Trying out for American Idol.

Registering to do extra work. Submitting for principal work.

Posting video of your cat on YouTube under the name "pinky743". Submitting your film to festivals.

Telling your family jokes. Participating in Open Mic Night.

From the title, you might be thinking I'm going to tell you which are successful activities and which are failures. You would be wrong. Each of these activities can be successes or failures. It is a matter of degree within the activity.

If you mess up doing karaoke your friends might give you a momentary bad time, but millions of viewers are not watching. If you mess up on American Idol... But record labels are probably not hitting karaoke venues looking for people to sign.

This in no way means those who dominate at karaoke should feel they are not living up to their potential if they do not try out for American Idol. Unless, of course, a singing career is on their list of things to accomplish.

Want the high reward successes? Then you have to do the activities with equally great rewards for failure because the rewards for both are always measured equally. So, instead of looking at all the ways you could possibly fail, look at what the result of success will be.

Overcoming Yourself

In the movie Back to the Future, what was the greatest obstacle George McFly had to overcome? Hint: It was not Biff. Oh, and getting the girl to avoid having his brain melted by Darth Vader from Vulcan doesn't count. (I wonder what he thought when Star Wars and Star Trek came out.) It was his own self-confidence or lack thereof.

Punching Biff might have gotten Biff to back off, but realistically it would not transform him into a published science fiction writer. Until he gained the confidence to submit, his stories would remain in his desk drawer. Biff, Lorraine, Marty and party might be a help or a hindrance, but the proverbial buck stopped with George. After all, the key word here is "self".

Do you have "science fiction stories in your desk drawer"? Yes, you do. I know this because we all do. So, what area are you holding yourself back in and what are you going to do about it?

Overcome the internal obstacles and the external obstacles will significantly lessen or disappear completely. Focus on the external obstacles and it will be an uphill battle with no lasting pay off.

It's Slow So My Acting Career Is On Hold

How up to date would you want your attorney to be if you were facing criminal charges? How much recent hands on experience would you want the surgeon performing your operation to have? Other then when specifically looking for new talent, think filmmakers might feel the same way about casting actors?

Granted, of the three, the actor is the least important to get right. After all, casting an incompetent actor is highly unlikely to result in prison or death. (Others working on the project might be tempted to kill the aforementioned.) But that is no excuse for being mediocre.

So, what can an actor do to keep current and in practice? A non-judgemental list of some possibilities:

1. Self-produce


2. Actually get cast and be on set


3. Audition


4. Showcases


5. Workshops


6. Classes


7. Attend plays


8. Watch recent movies/Current TV shows


9. Attend industry events


10. Acting groups


11. Update your marketing materials


12. Read industry related articles


13. Non-acting interests

Some commentary on the list:

• #8: Not as a fan. This is to, for example, study an actor's approach to a role. Of course, nothing wrong with watching purely as a fan.


• #10: This would be things like getting together with other actors to read scripts.


• #12: It is absolutely essential that you read my blogs. JUST KIDDING! But I am thinking more of a SAG/AFTRA merger discussions type article than an actor's alcohol wows type article.


• #13: Yes, you read correctly. A reminder to actually have a life outside of acting. Much better than "obsessed actor fixated on acting".

There is always something you can do to work on your acting career. Oh, and if you think you are good to go, keep this in mind: Series regulars and actors consistently cast as the lead take steps to better themselves.

Booking the Room

A few weeks ago, I auditioned but did not book a particular project. The email notifying me was very complimentary. I bumped into the producer at an industry event a couple days ago. Learned a couple things from our conversation:

1. The email to me was the only one to go beyond the generic "not right" note.


2. He was definitely going to be knocking at my door if he ever had a part which was right.

I felt as great about this as I would have had I actually gotten the role. Why would I feel as great about "booking the room" as I would about "booking the job"?

• BTR means you made a good impression. They want to work with you in the future.


• BTR means you gave an excellent read. One does not BTR on a slightly above average read.


• BTR means if someone they know is looking to fill a role you would be right for, they might recommend you.

So, how did I book the room? Three words: Strong Character Choice. It was my interpretation of the character which impressed him.

How do you know you booked the room?

• Booking the job is deceiving clue. You could have been choice number five. (Highly recommend thinking of yourself as the first choice. It's better for the ego.)


• Not booking the job is a deceiving clue. You might have given the best read and still not be right for a particular role.


• What is said in the audition room is a very bad clue. They are not going to say "That sucked. I wouldn't cast you to play yourself in a surveillance video. You'll be notified Tuesday if you got a callback." Even if that is what they are thinking.


• Having them tell you in a neutral setting like my case is a very good clue. There was no reason he needed to bring up my audition at the industry event.


• Getting called in for future reads is a very good clue. It means they think you have potential and are trying to find the right fit.

Booking the job is short term. Booking the room is long term. So, book the room.

How Do You Approach Your Acting Career

There are many ways to approach your acting career. Let's look at the examples of two actors, A and B.

• A is proactive in looking for work. B expects his agent (don't ask how he got an agent) to do all the work.


• When A is going to be unavailable, which is the exception, he books out. When B is going to be unavailable, which is the rule, he simply doesn't show up.


• A attends industry events in order to network and support others. B also attends industry events. Particularly those that have an open bar or showcase a project he was involved in.


• A prepares for his auditions by reading the script, making strong character choices, etc. He also keeps his cold reading skills sharp just in case. B gets a copy of the sides when he shows up at the audition and glances over them once before going into the room. The only time he cold reads is in the audition room.


• A looks like his headshots. B, not so much.


• A is a pleasure to work with. He shows up on time, prepared, and is considerate of others. B is not a pleasure to work with. He shows up late, unprepared and gossips.


• A sincerely wants the best for his fellow actors. Even the ones that are often up for the same roles as him. B does subtle things to try to sabotage other actors. (FYI, B's behavior will usually backfire for several reasons.)


• When A posts on actor forums, it is done with the intent to help and give others another option to consider. When B posts on actor forums, it is to belittle those with differing view points.


• Whether it's a formal class or getting together with other actors, A is constantly taking steps to better his acting skills. With the exception of CD workshops in order to "be seen", B never works on his acting skills.


• A realizes this is a business and treats it as such. B doesn't bother with the business aspect.

So, are you an A lister or a B lister?

Dreams, Goals, and To Do Lists

Dreams: These are things you want to achieve. I also include the recognition you hope to obtain. Things like being an "a-lister", having own sitcom, being lead in Broadway production, getting hand prints in that cement thing, being profiled in Vogue and being one of People's sexiest.

Dreams are the show side of an acting career and the acknowledgement of others regarding said career.

Goals: These are what those who are not a Disney Princess need to do to obtain their dreams. Things like taking acting classes, putting together a demo reel, attending industry events, taking care of your product (that's your body), looking for work and being available.

Goals are the business side of an acting career.

I could dream of having my own sitcom all day, but until I take the steps to make it happen it won't. In other words, if I don't do the business part, I won't have much to show for the show part.

To Do Lists: I'm just throwing this one in because, well, it's how my humor works. These are things you simply have to do occasionally (or have someone do for you) such as laundry. It might or might not be acting related. Sometimes you might be putting together wardrobe choices. Other times you might be out of clean underwear.

Your Audition Begins When

the first line is read? you slate? you enter the room? your name is called? you sign in? you enter the building? you get out of your car? you leave for the audition? you get your stuff together? you wake up that morning? you are notified of the audition? you...?

Perhaps I should point out that there are actually two auditions. The one everyone thinks of. You know, the one during which sides are read and you hope the powers that be see you as the character. And the one where you play yourself.

This is about the audition where you play yourself. And it is constantly happening. Constantly happening because you are consistently developing habits which define you. Habits which will come out on set, regardless of how careful you are to keep them in check. Not every set, but eventually because in the end we must be true to who we are.

How do you play yourself? Sorry, can't tell you. There are too many factors I don't know about you. I would, however, highly recommend knowing yourself. And I don't mean knowing the name on your driver's license. I think this is where a lot of celebrities get into trouble. They are constantly being the personality their agents, managers and public relations decided on instead of being their authentic self. Yes, it is possible to make your authentic self work in harmony with your brand regardless of how different they might seem at first glance. Because your authentic self is not a one note person and your brand should not be either.

What does being yourself have to do with auditioning? Whether you're playing the title character or Under Five refers to the number of syllables you speak, you will spend a lot more time as yourself. You are the character between "action" and "cut". The rest of the time, you are pretty much yourself.

Does this come into play during the casting process? Every CD could probably, from projects they worked on, list actors that have not been hired, or were fired, or won't get called into their office anytime soon because of the actor's behavior. The good news: You can develop any habit you want as well as break any habit you want. Yes, it will take work, but it is doable.

Think of it this way. Someone who tells inappropriate jokes, burps in peoples faces and belittles others asks you on a date. You'll probably say no. But let's say, for the sake of discussion, you say yes. And let's assume this someone genuinely tries to be the perfect gentleman or lady on the date. How long before that joke slips out? And you'll probably spend the evening waiting for a face full of burp.

You think I'm kidding or you can reach a level in which your personal behavior won't effect your acting career? Think again. Look at Charlie Sheen and Two and a Half Men. Judging from his salary, I'm guessing he did a superb job playing the character, but he was fired because of his personal behavior. (No idea what the "official" reason was, but I can assure you he would be filming an episode had he behaved differently.) About the only thing bigger is if something like Jerry Seinfeld being fired from Seinfeld had happened.