“But I don’t want to do commercials; I want to do real acting…”

Let’s face it, none of us entertains the dream of becoming an actor so that we can land that late, great toothpaste commercial we saw on daytime television. That dream comes later, after we’ve been in the business for a year or so—then that toothpaste commercial is incredibly appealing. But when we first get into the business, we all dream of the big roles: the roles we see on great television programs, our favorite big-screen movies, and on the stage under the lights. But how do we get there, and what’s it really like?

The road to the big roles is different for every actor… some actors start out in the theater and find their way to the camera; others start out in commercials and find their way to regional theater. Your road will be impossible to determine, or plan, from the outset. But you can set long term and short term goals that will lead you towards good legit parts (that’s fancy actor lingo for “not a commercial”).

Legit work breaks down into several categories: Theater (principal, supporting, chorus), Television (lead, co-star, day player, under 5, background), and Film (lead, co-star, day player, under 5, background). Within each of those categories are a myriad of additional sub-categories: Theater (Broadway, Off-Broadway, National Tours, Regional Theater, Community and Educational Theater, Children’s Theater), Television (Daytime, Prime-Time Drama, Prime-Time Comedy, Cable Drama or Comedy, Made for TV Movie, Miniseries, Animated Series), and Film (Short Film, Animation, Comedy, Drama) and even more that I have not mentioned. So there is a lot of legit work, and a lot of actors involved.

I receive emails like the following, from time to time:

Could you give me some insight into the chances of being able to pick up a small one liner role without previous acting experience?”

A simple answer: it’s not likely.

Legit acting is a sacred space—the Oscars are for legit work, the Tony awards and the Golden Globes are for legit work. Beginning actors will generally find it very difficult to land a role, no matter how small. But with every genre, and in every field, there are ways to break in on a small scale, and then to improve on the size and importance of the roles you perform.

Theater

The theater is perhaps the easiest place to break into legit acting: high schools, colleges and community theaters perform exponentially more legit dramatic content than all of the professional film studios and professional theaters combined. Many colleges are associated with professional theaters, and can lead you into an Equity card—a member of the professional theater actor’s union. Most theaters are open to beginning actors, whether allowing them to appear in the chorus or to sit in on the rehearsal process to learn the ropes. I began my professional career by working as an assistant to the sound engineer for a regional theater and appearing on stage in the chorus in a single scene of Fiddler on the Roof. Not an auspicious beginning, but it was a first step. Topher Grace (That 70’s Show) got his break while performing in his high-school play—a casting director happened to be in the audience.

Community theaters generally cast throughout the year, and are the most open to beginning actors. Find the listing for your local amateur houses and call the administrative offices: someone there will gladly be able to tell you the audition schedule. But remember, just because it is Community Theater does not mean that the performers aren’t expected to be top-notch. If you have no experience whatsoever, you would be better served by taking a few acting classes before trying to land a part.

Regional theaters hold audition in several ways: open calls in the town where they are located, agent-submitted auditions for larger houses, lead auditions in large cities such as New York, LA, and Chicago, and regional mass auditions such as UPTA and StrawHat. These theaters are professional, experienced houses and generally only consider experienced performers. But occasionally, a specific role comes up that can be filled by a beginner… especially roles for teens and children. Auditions for these theaters can be discovered by looking at their websites, calling the administrative office or looking through actor trade publications such as Backstage, Playbill.com and Actors Equity online. Several times a year, the large mass auditions (which you pay to attend) occur throughout the United States. These auditions are great beginning steps towards landing legit work.

Television

Television is a lot harder to break into than theater, and in some respects film. Most television programs are shot on the coasts in New York and LA, with a few shot elsewhere (Toronto, North Carolina). Breaking into this medium will, more than likely, require a move. But there are opportunities outside of the big cities. Often times, dramatic reenactment shows (America’s Most Wanted, Unsolved Mysteries) will hire actors on location in the places where the events took place. While it’s hard to predict and/or count on this type of work, it is available if you stay on the lookout.

But for the most part, breaking into television will require meeting the casting directors that make it happen—and those casting directors are in New York or LA. The standard plan of attack for landing television roles goes something like this: a letter of introduction accompanied by a headshot and resume mailed to the casting director’s office, a follow-up letter or postcard several weeks later, additional post-cards or letters when you have news about your career (landing a part in a play, finishing a new class, attending a special seminar on daytime television). Without an agent to speak on your behalf, it can be a long road to hoe. An agent will be aware of the roles currently waiting to be filled for television programs and will do his/her best to make sure a casting person sees you for those you are suitable.

Daytime television is a little bit different: the soaps have been around far longer than any other type of programming. Dating back to the days of radio, they have been a staple for entertainment and the proving grounds for beginning actors. Daytime television casts Under 5’s (roles with less than 5 lines) and background actors (extras) far more often than any other genre. They are constantly looking for new faces. The standard procedure is the same as any other television show, with the added bonus that if you’ve worked as a background actor you stand the chance of being bumped up to an Under 5. Once the casting directors know you, you can find yourself working often.

Film

The most basic type of film, and the type you will most likely first find work, is the short film. With a length anywhere from less than a minute to more than forty, the short film is a very loosely defined genre. Student filmmakers generally begin with some version of a short, and progress to elaborate shoots that rival commercial blockbusters in their complexity. With the advent of digital cameras and computerized editing, even the at-home amateur is in on the action of creating short films.

In almost every city in America, you will find someone creating a short film. Whether it’s the local Radio Shack enthusiast or the college student home on summer vacation, the one thing they all need is actors. Tracking down auditions can be very easy, if you are not picky about quality—online message boards in your area belonging to film clubs are a great place to start, as are posting boards on college campuses. Sometimes a filmmaker will even go to the trouble of putting an ad in the paper. But in most cases, your best friend will be the Internet.

Better quality auditions can be found in trade publications (Backstage, ActorsAccess.com, etc) or through the state film commission. In all cases, be prepared for competition and remember that just because the project is small does not mean that it will not attract talent and require skill.

Auditions for feature films are extraordinarily difficult to come by. As with television series, they will almost always require an agent to get you in the door, and take place in one of the big cities. One possible exception is a location shoot—a feature film shooting in an area other than the typical settings (LA, NY, Toronto, Chicago). When a feature film shoots in a place like Arkansas or Missouri, many of the roles will be cast locally—that is, they will be filled with actors hired because they live in the general vicinity of the shoot. Many times these auditions will be filled with agent submissions (yes there are agencies in places like Arkansas), but just as often they will not. Your job will be to track down these auditions, and to submit yourself when appropriate. Ross Reports puts out a monthly pamphlet outlining film production throughout the United States. By searching the listings, you might be able to track down something shooting in your area. Internet research is also helpful, browsing the message boards for the state film commission, and local film enthusiast web sites. Start out by calling the production office to inquire about the casting director and the correct address for submissions, then send a headshot and resume along with a (brief) cover letter introducing you. Your odds of being seen are much higher if you have a resume with several respectable credits. Additionally, the higher the quality of the production, the more respectable those credits will need to be.

Breaking into legit work requires skill, talent, patience and perseverance. It can take years to build a career—even with great credits on your resume. It will (most likely) not happen overnight, and it will be something you spend a lot of time worrying over. But remember, like any other business, and any other career, you have to start somewhere and that somewhere is at the beginning. Don’t look down on small roles (even non-speaking) and don’t forget that a small role with an unknown director can lead to a large role when that director moves up. By steadily working in small parts, you will build a resume, a reel (if working on camera), relationships with other artists, and a reputation (good or bad). Eventually you will have the credentials to approach an agent, if an agent hasn’t by then approached you, and to look for bigger and better roles. Until then: do your homework, assess your current situation honestly and look for the opportunities that are on par with your appraisal.

And don’t be so quick to look down your nose at commercials… Clive Owen made his big break doing a series of commercials—in the form of short films—for BMW. You never know where that break might happen…

Points to remember:

1. There is no set path to legit work
2. Investigate the opportunities in your area
3. Use the Internet to research auditions
4. The small role today will lead to bigger roles tomorrow

Who to contact:

1. Trade publications:
   Backstage, Actors Access, Now Casting, Playbill, Ross Reports
2. State film commission
3. Local film and theater enthusiast organizations
4. College and University mass media or film programs

Recommended reading:

• Acting Qs: Conversations with Working Actors
  by Bonnie Gillespie, Blake Robbins
  ISBN: 0972301917

• Casting Qs: A Collection of Casting Director Interviews
  by Bonnie Gillespie
  ISBN: 0972301933

• Letters To A Young Actor: A Universal Guide to Performance
  by Robert Brustein
  ISBN: 0465008062

• Biographies of Actors You Resemble