What To Do When The Industry Throws You A Curveball
Building your acting career is not a linear journey. There are ups, there are downs and sometimes your career just kind of spins around in circles.
There will be many unexpected events throughout your career and what makes a big difference in how your acting career turns out is what you do when the unexpected happens.
Most actors freeze and rely on the counsel of their agents and industry friends to figure out what to do.
While that sounds like a good idea, it only works if you are surrounded by people that are much farther along in their career than you are.
It also only applies if they happen to be with you at the time, which is highly unlikely.
Because professional actors have learned to expect the unexpected, they have a way of turning what others would perceive as setbacks, into something that can actually move their acting career forward.
They don’t rely on others because they develop an ability to turn those proverbial lemons into lemonade.
If you want to be a professional actor, and finally start making progress towards building the career you always envisioned, this is something you have to get really good at too.
First I want to be clear about something that most actors don’t quite get...
Notice that we have so far been talking about “the unexpected.” That can mean a lot of things.
It can mean that you are passed over for another actor, when you were sure that you were going to be booked. Your agent told you that the audition was basically a formality and the Casting Director gave you a “wink and a nod” when you read.
It can also mean that you were accidentally given the wrong sides for an audition.
Either one of those events would be seen as a setback by just about anyone in the industry, but a professional actor will always make the most out of whatever situation they find themselves in.
They would see it as an unexpected event and nothing more.
See, when you look at it that way, you can then start looking for the opportunity instead of focusing on what happened.
Let’s say you were given the wrong sides for an audition. That would be a devastating thing for most actors.
What would you actually do in that situation? Seriously, stop and think about that for a second. Would you point the finger at your agent?
Would you just ask for the correct sides and try to reschedule?
I heard from an actor recently who was in this exact situation. She was sent the wrong sides and of course she didn’t find out until it was too late. Not only was it the incorrect scene, it was also the wrong character.
What she did then, earned her a ton of respect from the Casting Director.
She maintained her composure and expressed how she really felt like she built a great connection with the character from the incorrect piece, and asked if it would be ok if she read for that role instead.
It showed casting that she would be ready for anything and it was a great opportunity to display her professionalism.
Not many actors would do that...
Keep in mind that, during your audition, a big part of what Casting Directors try to find out is how you respond under pressure.
Being on set can be grueling sometimes and it can be a high pressure environment. CDs want to know that if they move forward with you, you will be able to handle it.
That’s why having a solid industry reputation is so important to your acting career. I built this to help you ensure yours is always in top shape. HYPERLINK TO SALES PAGE
This is a simple concept but over the years, I’ve seen that many actors struggle with putting it into practice.
See, the thing about unexpected things happening is that you are not expecting them so they catch you off guard.
That’s why most actors would point the finger at their agent while they searched for the nearest exit, instead of asking to read for the role they prepared for, thereby missing an opportunity.
So, practice looking for the opportunity in everything.
It won’t always work out in your favor, but you don’t need it to. Only a handful of unexpected events turned into opportunities can make a huge impact on your acting career.
The actor we talked about wasn’t booked for the role, but she ended up making an incredible impression and Casting Directors always remember things like that.
A few months after that audition, she was asked to come in and read for another project that the CD was now working on.
It went great and that CD has now booked this actor twice and has also referred them to other Casting Directors.
That’s how you turn a bad or unexpected situation into a positive thing.
Turning unexpected events into opportunities can have a huge impact on anything you choose to do. This is particularly true in the industry.
Whether it’s an unexpected opportunity or a run of the mill audition, CDs will look into you during the casting process, and a stellar industry reputation can go a long way.
You want to be sure that what Casting Directors find about you is up to their standards.
Of course, this only applies if you have enough exposure to the industry. That’s what many actors struggle with so I created a tool to help you increase your visibility where CDs and industry decision makers are looking for talent. Get the details here.
I’ll admit that what we talked about today is going to be a little bit tricky to implement, since we are dealing with things that haven’t happened.
There also isn’t a clear indication of what might come your way because it could be a number of things.
So, get in the habit of looking for the opportunity in everything that unexpectedly comes your way, regardless of whether it's related to your acting career or not.
It will help you get in the habit and it will then extend to your acting career.
Of course, if you want to bounce ideas about this and go over a few scenarios, feel free to get in touch. Leave a comment below or shoot me an email.
I’ll always respond and I’m happy to help however I can, because I truly want to...
See you at the top,
Scott