I don’t know about you but the scariest thing I saw this Halloween season wasn't a ghost, a goblin, or any of the countless other costumes and decorations that marked the season.

It was actually an email that came from an actor struggling to make any kind of career progress.

She wrote to me a few days ago, lamenting about how she’s been in LA for almost 6 years but hasn’t really been able to do anything with her career.

She’s booked a few gigs as an extra and her biggest accomplishment so far has been as “barista” on a Showtime series, where she excitedly handed a cup of coffee to the series’ leading character.

What made this email cross the line into being “scary” was just how much her struggle is just like everyone else’s.

Making it in the industry and becoming a professional actor takes a lot of hard work and dedication but that’s not the only thing that leads to success.

There’s a 3rd factor that almost everyone ignores, but if you want to make acting your career and become a true professional, this is something you have to do...

The infamous and often elusive blue check mark is something nearly every actor I’ve ever met is going after.

And with good reason!

Everyone knows that social media, particularly Instagram, has a huge impact on your acting career. It can be the difference between being cast and being passed over for someone else, even if they have less experience.

It’s a huge part of the “castability index” we’ve been talking about recently so getting serious about your social media is something you have to do, if you want to be a professional actor.

Part of that is getting verified on Instagram, because it will impact the growth of your social media which in turn impacts your castability index.

Actors that book consistently tend to get verified easily, but since social media plays such a big part in casting decisions that becomes a little bit like the “which came first the chicken or the egg” scenario.

If you need credits to get verified but it’s easier to get credits when you’re verified, how are you supposed to do either?

It’s actually simpler than you might think...

I don’t think I’ve ever met an actor that doesn’t like to play over the top characters. For many, that’s kind of the most fun part of being an actor.

Over the top characters are some of the most memorable and with good reason...

They often play out things that people in the “real world” wish they could do or say (think Ari Gold in Entourage).

Think of a series that has lasted for 7 or more seasons, you will almost always find an over the top character at the center of it.

The industry loves to greenlight projects like this and audiences are drawn to them, when those characters are played by talented actors who get it right.

Projects like this are almost always a safe bet, and with the way the industry is trending, you will see more and more of them come along.

So, if you know how to play them well you could open up many opportunities in the near future.

Building your career as a professional actor is a lot easier when you can recognize trends like this before everyone else.

The types of characters that we’re talking about are not the ones that acting class prepared you for.

The good news is that, for most of them, your reel and resume don't matter much. Casting Directors tend to look far and wide for the right actor.

It puts everyone on a level playing field and when you book one of these projects, it can send your career skyrocketing.

Here’s where to start...

Few other things can have as big of an impact on your acting career as what’s contained in this report...

Recently we talked about your management and we discussed whether or not it makes sense for most actors to even have a manager.

In case you missed that report, here’s the rundown...

Every actor should have a manager. However, bringing on a manager is all about timing and finding the right fit.

The same goes for signing a PR rep. it’s something that most actors mistakenly think will come way down the line, once they’ve “made it.”

The truth is that successful actors think about this from the very beginning and they put a PR plan in place as soon as possible.

Just like bringing on a manager, getting a PR rep is all about timing and finding the right fit. In the early stages of your career, it makes sense for you to do it on your own.

One way or another it’s something that has to get done, so you can build your career as a professional actor.

It’s actually a pretty simple thing for you to undertake, even if you don’t have a lot of credits or any industry contacts whatsoever.

In fact, I’d say that even makes things easier. Here’s why...

To get to the top levels of the entertainment industry you have to be an avid reader, because reading scripts becomes a way of life.

But what about books?

Just about anyone who ever got to the top levels of whatever industry they were in, was a big reader too.

That lets you know that there’s something special when it comes to reading. You may not have ever been the type of person who found joy in curling up with a good book, and that’s ok!

What I’m talking about is reading with a purpose: to enhance and empower your acting career.

You know that Boost My Star is all about bringing you the information on what is working right now, to make it in the industry.

After working with so many actors through the years, I’ve noticed that the ones who make big career moves, quickly, are almost always big readers.

In general, most people don’t really grasp just how much information can be packed into the pages of a book.

Actors aren’t any different, and the subject of what books you should be reading never really comes up in your training.

But if you want to build a career as a professional actor, a few carefully selected books can make all the difference.

Don’t take my word for it! Even if you were to just skim the pages of the ones I mention here, you are going to find something that will atleast give you a different perspective on building your acting career...

Have you watched Jerry Maguire? It’s a great movie, about a sports agent, and there’s a lot that you can learn from it to advance your acting career.

During the movie’s opening monologue Jerry describes what he does and what it means for the clients he represents.

Here’s what it has to do with your acting career...

If you listen to the monologue, the job of a sports agent is very similar to the job of a talent agent. I’m a firm believer that the most impactful person you can have on your side is a talent manager.

Before you start googling them, understand that having a manager also comes with a lot of risk.

See, they will only be effective if you can find your own Jerry Maguire. A good manager is a game changer but a bad one can be a career killer.

Almost everyone starts out being their own manager, not because they want to but it happens simply out of necessity.

That’s the safest route and if you are self managing at the moment, you have a unique advantage but it’s somewhat of a double edged sword.

The problem is that no one teaches you how to manage your acting career. It’s a very specific skill set that even professional talent managers often struggle with.

If you want to be a professional actor, you're going to need a manager at some point. For several reasons, the best thing to do is to do it yourself.

Here's how you can do it effectively and move your acting career forward quickly...

I hate to say it but 99 out of 100 actors are confused about the industry.

I wish that was an understatement but sadly it’s what causes most to not make any kind of meaningful progress in their career and quit before ever getting their careers off the ground.

The ones that do make some progress, and maybe have a few guest starring roles, and a couple one or two liners in big films are the lucky ones.

They are the ones that, despite not really knowing much about the industry and how they really fit into it, caught a few lucky breaks and made the most of it.

But what about the actors that completely take the industry by storm, come out of nowhere and dominate?

They are the ones who actually came up with a plan and executed the plan to build a career.

Those are the actors you need to study. Take a look at their careers and you will quickly find that they all have something in common...

At some point, usually just before hitting their big break, they start to really take the idea of creating their actor’s persona seriously.

I know it sounds a little bit gimmicky, and “serious” actors don’t really want anything to do with the idea but that’s because they have it all wrong.

Your actor’s persona is a key part of building our acting career, so if you want to be a professional actor it’s something you have to take seriously...

Have you ever been completely floored by another actor's performance? For many, witnessing that is what led them to get into the industry.

They were inspired by another actor that literally changed the course of their life.

That is an incredibly powerful thing, and it makes you think, what is the unique ability those actors have that others are missing?

It’s actually quite simple...

World class actors dig beneath the surface and determine what traits and emotions are known about their characters and what traits and emotions are secondary, but still relevant.

Most actors only think of what’s going on in the scene, and don’t really build a character based on their entire story.

Making character choices with both of those in mind is what world class actors do. It can be tricky, but if you want to advance your acting career, this is a something you have to be able to do too,

Here’s how...