How To Fix The #1 Problem Actors Are Facing Right Now

Over the last few months, I've noticed something happening to actors and it is severely impacting many of them.

Because of the changes that have happened with how we interact with one another, many actors find themselves losing touch with the nuances that make for great performances.

To be honest, most of them didn't have a very good grasp on this to begin with.

See, most acting classes will teach you how to portray certain emotions but they leave out a huge part of what makes a performance believable.

Successful actors know that "showing emotion" isn't enough and they go multiple layers deeper than that.

We'll talk about those layers in depth over the coming weeks.

What we'll start with today is the biggest piece of what makes a performance stand out to the audience and makes CDs and industry decision makers want to work with you over and over again.

If you want to be a successful actor, this is something you have to master...

World class actors know that what your character is saying isn't nearly as important as how they say it.

Regardless of what type of character you're playing, there are really only 3 major things they are trying to communicate at any time.

Everything else mostly falls into those.
The majority of what the audience perceives is through your tonality.

"Hello." Is different from "hello!" which is also different from "hello..."

The meaning behind what you are saying is completely driven by the tonality behind it. Here's what I mean...

The simplest way to think of tonality is to break down the 3 major things you are trying to accomplish through what you're saying.

With every line, your character is either in rapport seeking mode, rapport breaking mode, or neutral.

Just about everything else falls into one of those 3. Let's start with rapport seeking mode.

When your character is in this mode they are, on some level, seeking approval from the person they are talking to.

This would be the kind of interaction you would have when meeting someone for the first time, provided it's someone you wanted to be friendly with.

When in rapport seeking mode, your voice goes up at the end of your statement. It's like a subconscious signal to open a conversation.

Compare that to rapport breaking mode.

This one is the exact opposite. Your character is trying to signal that they don't want to continue a conversation.

When in this mode, your voice goes down at the end to signal to the other person that you would rather keep the interaction short.

This would be how you would talk to someone you have nothing in common with and don't want anything to do with.

It's also used by people in a position of authority, because it's a very matter of fact way of communicating.

It's a way of controlling the pace of the conversation, while maintaining control of the interaction.

Neutral tonality is similar but it is intended to show that you are neither interested nor disinterested in the conversation.

Your voice stays in the same range throughout, as a subtle sign that you are open to keeping the conversation going, but you're not totally bought in just yet.

You would use this tonality when your character is looking for more information or when they are unsure what to think about someone and what's going on in the scene.

I could literally write an entire book on what we talked about today, but this is enough to get you started and it can give you a big advantage over other actors.

Take an old script and read it through.
Identify what tonality should be used for each of your lines.

Then watch your scenes and see if your tonality on screen matches what you identified it should have been, when reading the script.

You can also do this when preparing for an audition, to help you create dynamic characters that will be way more developed than anyone else you are reading against.

When actors aren't booking as much as they should be, there could be a few factors at play.

What we went over today will help if the problem is related to your performance. However, that's only the only thing that matters.

Casting will typically build a file and look into you before moving you along in the process. That's why it's important that your industry reputation is always in top shape. Here's how I can help.

A terrific audition does not guarantee a call back. There is a lot that happens before casting takes the next step with you.

If what they find about you isn't up to what they expect, then it could be why you are having great auditions but few callbacks. This is why successful actors make it a point to manage the way they show up in the places where CDs and decision makers are looking.

This is something most actors don't think much about.

They also don't really put in much of an effort to get in front of CDs, other than when they are reading.

If you've been around Boost My Star for any length of time, you know that this alone can be a career killer.

So, in 2022 focus on making yourself visible to the industry. Don't just wait around for your agent to get you an audition.

Successful actors know that if the industry doesn't know you, they can't hire you. They consistently try to get in front of CDs using something that is indispensable to them. Here's how I can help.

As we enter a new year things will continue to change in the industry but I will always only be an email or a comment away. I'm happy to help however I can so feel free to get in touch anytime. I want 2022 to be the year when I...

See you at the top,
Scott

What’s Working Right Now To Build Your Acting Career

Another year has come and gone, and as we reach the final report of 2021 I want to ask you something...

Career-wise, did this year live up to your expectations? How close did you come to accomplishing what you set out to?

If you know that you could have made much more progress and you want to set yourself up for a more productive 2022 then this could be the most important few minutes you spend on your career.

I had something completely different planned for you today, but instead I dug through the conversations I’ve had with successful actors over the past year and I pulled together their most powerful strategies.

I wanted to bring you what’s working right now to build an acting career, so here's what helped actors make big career moves in 2021...

Fair warning, as we go through the list you will probably identify a few things that are common sense. Don't just shrug them off!

Stop and think about how well you are doing with that point. A big part of building a successful acting career is stuff actors already know they should do but are putting off for one reason or another.

For example, one of the most powerful things actors did in 2021, to build their careers, was reaching out and making connections with CDs and decision makers. The trend that started almost two years ago that had everyone going digital, really picked up steam in 2021 and there is no sign of it slowing down.

An unintended consequence to this was that Casting Directors and industry decision makers became a lot more active and a lot more accessible on social media.

That's something many actors used to move their career forward.

Actors that used social media, with purpose, put themselves in a very good position to make big career moves.

In an environment where CDs and decision makers were actively looking for and connecting with talent on social media, the actors that used it to show themselves as true professionals were able to differentiate themselves and stand out from the crowd.

We talked about this quite a bit over the year and I’ll continue to bring you more strategies around this in 2022.

Something else that successful actors did was narrow their focus to a single category. This is also something we talked about extensively over the last year, because it's that powerful!

Think of your career kind of like a magnifying glass. When it's focused, it can light a forest fire, but when the light source is scattered and unfocused nothing out of the ordinary happens.

Stop and think about how well you focused on a single category over the last year. It’s one of the building blocks of your career and a lot builds on this.

For example, having headshots that make you shine. This is something all successful actors have in common and I'm always surprised at just how many actors have headshots that don't serve them.

Even though most actors keep them updated, few ever really plan out how to take headshots that help casting directors see them in the roles they are casting for and it’s hard to do that when you are not focused on a single category.

So, actors often take their headshots with the goal of "looking good" but to get the most out of your headshots, your goal should be to embody a character type. That's why focusing your category is so important.

It’s as important as having an effective reel. This is similar to your headshots. An effective reel, one that will help you move your career forward, will be focused on helping CDs see you as a particular character.

Actors that did this in 2021 found their reels to be better received and were a lot more effective than actors who just cut all of their scenes together in a reel that "showed their range."

Something else the successful actors had in common was being consistent.

When it comes to building your acting career, doing things one time or doing them every now and then when you get around to it, won't usually cut it.

For example, when it comes to putting yourself in front of CDs and decision makers, doing it consistently is usually better than doing it “right.”

Most actors think they have to wait until they have everything lined up correctly and perfectly before they start to pursue opportunities. Successful actors start from where they are and improve things as they go.

The actors who were able to make big career moves in 2021 just started working consistently towards their goals.

There will always be some things that just have to get done and being consistent with them is key, even if they are not the most fun parts of the industry. It’s what I created Boost My Star and why I built this to help you with that, so you can focus on what you do best.

Over the last year...

The industry has changed and it will never fully go back to the way things were. Successful actors have been able to adapt to the changes, instead of letting themselves get left behind while waiting for things to go back to normal.

Most actors have done the opposite. They have continued to do things the same way they always have or they are continuing to sit on the sidelines waiting for things to go back.

The truth is, I’ve been sounding the alarm on these changes for a long time now. Things just ended up changing faster than anyone expected.

One of the few things about the industry that remained the same is that your reputation as an actor is extremely important. In fact, that has probably become even more important and successful actors made sure that their industry reputation was always in top shape. Here’s how I can help...

As we wrap up 2021 I want to be clear on something. It may sound harsh but as always it comes from a place of wanting to see you reach your goals.

When it comes to Casting Directors and industry decision makers, if they don't know you they can't hire you. Don’t mistake being seen with being known.

Here’s what I mean...

If you read for a casting director, you’re being seen but that doesn’t mean they “know you.” If a CD asks you to come in and read for them, that’s being known.

Here's how I can help you show up in a place where they are already looking for talent.

Everything changes when this happens, and we’ll open up 2022 with a game plan for doing just that.

For now, get started on what we went over today and remember you can always reach out through the comments below or by shooting me an email. I’m happy to help however I can because I truly want to...

See you at the top,
Scott

Why Your Headshots Could Be Hurting Your Acting Career

Headshots! Every actor needs one but few actors actually get them done correctly.

What is supposed to be their industry calling card often turns out to hurt their chances of being booked, more than it helps them.

Most actors I’ve spoken to over the years have put a ton of effort into taking their headshots, but few of them have stopped to think about what they want their headshots to do for them.

Have you thought about it recently?

If you haven’t then, chances are, your headshot isn’t doing as much as it could be doing for you. That’s something that needs to change as soon as possible.

Successful actors have a very well thought out strategy for their headshots.

It’s a huge part of what helps them take their career to the next level. If you want to be a professional actor, your headshot will be very important.

So how do you know whether your headshot is actually going to help you build your acting career or if it could end up hurting your chances of getting booked?

First, think about what your headshot is actually used for.

It’s what casting directors hold on to and what they use to envision you in whatever they are casting for.

Most actors take their headshots with the goal of “looking good.” Really, you should take your headshots with the goal of matching whatever category you are going to be specializing in. We’ll come back to that in a sec...

So how do you get the best headshot, that can actually help your career?
Determine what kind of characters you want to play and let that dictate your headshot.

For example, if you want to play outlaw type of characters, then wearing a suit for your headshot is probably not the way to go.

I know, it sounds kind of obvious but I see it happen all the time.

If you are playing relatable, everyday characters, a glamor type of headshot won’t help you get booked.

Your headshot should give casting directors a lasting impression and help them see you in the role they are casting for.

When I talk to actors about this, they cringe and talk about how they don’t want to get typecast and be stuck playing the same role over and over again.

So, they end up taking all kinds of headshots that will help them play against type.

While that kind of makes on the surface, what you should really do is focus on one or two categories of characters that you want to play and take headshots that fit those categories.

If you have been keeping up with the reports I’ve put out over the last few weeks, then you are already very familiar with why narrowing your focus to just one or two categories is something successful actors do.

It helps to make the maximum impact with everyone you work with because you get to work with the same people over and over again, so you actually get to know each other.

That’s only a small part of it.

The bottom line is that your headshot won’t book jobs for you. Your resume won’t book jobs for you either.

There is a lot more that goes into building your acting than just your headshot and resume but they are extremely important because they serve as your first impression to casting directors and industry decision makers.

The thing is, even the best headshot possible and an extensive resume won’t help much if your industry reputation isn’t up to what casting directors expect. That’s why I built this to help.

When CDs build a cast, they will look into you and anyone else they are considering.

So what is it that CDs expect to see when they look into you and your potential costars?

They don’t just try to find the “most talented” person to play every role. It goes way beyond that!

We’ll talk about the specifics another time. For now, use this to make sure your industry reputation always matches your goals.

When those two don’t match, actors find themselves stuck in their career.

If you haven’t been making the kind of progress you should be making, there could be a few factors at play.

Over the coming weeks, we’ll talk about how to determine exactly what the issue could be. Whatever it turns out to be, it always helps to be highly visible to casting directors and industry decision makers where they are already looking for talent.

If you’ve been in the industry for any length of time, chances are you already have a headshot.

How do you think it suits your career? Does it match the categories you’re going after or is it the kind that helps you play against type?

If you need a second opinion, let me know in the comments below or shoot me an email. I’ll always respond and help however I can because I truly want to...

See you at the top,
Scott

The Problem Many Actors Can’t Overcome

There’s a common problem that a lot of actors experience at one point or another and hardly anyone is ever prepared to deal with it.

After seeing so many actors fall victim to it over the years, I started digging deeper and I wanted to find out why it was happening.

Most actors think this would be a good thing, and it can be if you approach it correctly.

I’m talking about having “multiple talents.” There are so many actors that are incredibly talented in many areas.

They can act, sing, dance, do their own stunt work, etc. This typically seems like it would be what a casting director is looking for, but an actor that can do it all is usually a big red flag.

However, many of the most successful actors are the ones that can do it all.

Study their careers, and you’ll see that almost all of them followed the same path to success.

If you want to be a professional actor, this is something that you will want to follow closely too...

When you have multiple talents, it’s hard to focus on just one.

Actors are creatives and it’s in their nature to want to share all of their talents with everyone, all the time.

This can sometimes even cause problems on set.

A few years ago, I spoke to an actor who was replaced because he wouldn’t sing out of tune in a scene.

Because he was an incredibly talented singer, he didn’t want to be seen not singing well since he was hoping to also build a musical career.

That’s kind of an extreme example but things like this happen all the time. It’s why successful actors focus one developing a career around one talent at a time.

If you want to be a professional actor, focus on being an actor. If you split your focus between two or more things, none of them will get your entire effort.

You can always work on other things later on and your career will likely lead you down that path.

It kind of ties into the category of one concept we talked about recently. There is a caveat to this. We’ll get to that in just a sec...

Actors that try to do it all don’t have enough exposure to any single category to make any kind of meaningful progress.

While some actors are able to launch successful music careers, or are able to move behind the camera and start directing, they almost never do it while they are focused on developing their acting career.

There have also been musicians that launch successful acting careers but they don't do it while they are focused on their musical career.

Usually, when I see actors try to do some of everything they end up distracting themselves from making progress on anything.

Successful actors don’t do that.

Look at it from the casting director’s perspective...

If they are casting for on screen talent, how much will they really care if you are a phenomenal director? How much will they really care if you are a talented singer, if the role doesn’t call for it?

I’ve seen CDs pass over talented actors who would go on and on about their “experience” behind the camera.

If a CD asks you about that, it’s usually a trick question. The best thing to do is eliminate the possibility of the question even coming up by being all about your acting career and only your acting career.

Let everything else come in due time.

When you focus entirely on your acting career, you get to know people better because you start working with them over and over again.

That’s a very different experience from someone who is trying to network with promoters one day and casting directors the next.

It’s difficult to stay top of mind and in touch that way. Successful actors build their career first and then wait for opportunities to do other things to come their way.

I bring this up now because as we head into the new year, a lot of actors will start to look into making big changes in their career and those changes aren’t always the best ones.

So, take some time over the next few days to sit and think about what you want to accomplish in your career.

If you know that acting is your top priority and you are committed to doing everything possible to succeed then this is the logical next step. I built this so you can focus on what you do best, while we help make you visible to the industry.

It goes hand in hand with what we have been talking about today, because when it comes down to it, focusing on one thing is also about protecting your reputation.

That’s what the industry is built on and having a scattered career effort, will lead to having a reputation that reflects that.

If an actor’s reputation doesn’t look quite the way it should, some agents, casting directors, and industry decision makers won’t even see an actor so make sure that your reputation always matches your goals.

Focusing your efforts isn’t just about your talent. There is a lot more that goes into building an acting career and much of it happens off set.

It’s the more mundane part of the industry, so most actors tend to ignore it altogether. It’s still stuff that has to get done, because it can help to unlock many opportunities to boost your acting career.

That’s why I created this to help actors manage their presence and be highly visible to casting directors and industry decision makers where they are already looking for talent.

So, are you going to give acting your full attention? Have you been splitting your focus and you’re not really sure how to get back on one track?

Let me know in the comments below or shoot me an email. Even if you just need someone to bounce ideas with. I’m always happy to help however I can because I truly want to...

See you at the top,
Scott

How Even A 1 Liner Can Be A Gamechanger

Have you ever watched a movie or a show and saw a character being played by someone you kept forgetting was in the project?

It happens all the time and that is a horrible thing for an actor! Why?

It should go without saying, but over the years I've found that most actors don't really connect the dots on this.

Booking a role isn't just about getting a credit and getting on screen. It's also about being seen,. and more importantly, being remembered by the right people.

Otherwise, what did the project actually do for you?

That's kind of a touchy and uncomfortable subject for most actors and it's because that's where they usually find themselves.

I can't tell you how many times I've heard from actors who booked a scene on a primetime series, blasted their friends with text messages, DMs, and posted relentlessly asking everyone to tune in and support the show...

Only to have almost everyone ask "where was your scene, did they edit you out?"

See, if your performance doesn't leap off the screen and force the audience to pay attention they won't, even if you blatantly asked them to.

Doing that is something professional actors have mastered, and if you want to be a professional actor you have to get really good at forcing the audience to notice you too.

It's all about creating an emotional connection with your audience, which is simple to do, even if you only have a few lines and a few seconds of screen time.

Here's how...

You just have to tap into the emotions that are building throughout the rest of the project and give the audience a chance to experience them.

Here's what I mean...

Most actors try to force things on the audience, but great actors know that they need to give the audience only what they are ready for at that particular moment in the story line.

In other words, they pace their character choices and that's a big part of what makes for a memorable performance.

Audiences are temperamental. If you push their emotions too far they'll tune out. If you don't push them far enough, they'll tune out.

Proper character pacing is how you connect with your audience on an emotional level and hook them.

Once you hook the audience, you have to get them to take the journey with your character. That's where your emotional range comes in...

This is possible to do, even if you only have a single scene and not a lot of screen time.

Think of your audience's emotions like a rubber band. Throughout the movie or show, their emotions are being pulled in either direction and they snap back to their original place from time to time.

At least that's how it goes when a project is done correctly.

That's why every comedic project has some kind of dramatic moment or subplot that shows up from time to time and it's why every dramatic project has some comedic relief from time to time too.

If the audience doesn't have a break, they'll mentally tune out because it's all "too much." They'll pull out their phone and start scrolling social media looking to get a mental break there.

Your character should take them through the range of emotions instead. That's actually a pretty simple thing to do.

Regardless of whether your character has 1 line or 100 lines, the process is the same. Look through your script and identify places where you can shift the level of intensity your character is in.

Most actors leave decisions like this up to the director, but great actors take this upon themselves. Your director can help you polish your performance but you shouldn't depend on them for what is really one of the foundational parts of your character.

Great actors have been building their careers like this since the dawn of the industry.

If you watch an old Charlie Chaplin film, you’ll find saying “aww” almost as much as you find yourself laughing.

Being able to pace your performance and take the audience on through a range of emotions is what great actors are really good at. It’s what makes them so relatable, and it’s why casting directors and decision makers seek them out to work with over and over again.

They do it because putting great talent on screen is important, but they also do it because audiences can’t get enough of those actors.

I can't tell you how many times I paused something and logged into IMDb to look up the actor that delivered a magnificent line in whatever I was watching. You've probably done the same, more times than you can count.

Actors sometimes forget that CDs are people. They do this too so even a single line can be a gamechanger, when you are visible to decision makers in the place where they are already looking for talent.

Getting booked is only the first step. Really, it’s more like step 3 but we’ll get into that another time.

What I mean is that getting booked won’t do much for your acting career, if you don’t deliver a memorable performance on set.

Even when you do deliver a great performance, you shouldn’t just wait around hoping that something comes from it. You have to do what you can to make sure that casting directors and industry decision makers see what you are working on. Here’s how I can help with that.

That’s how you turn one acting job into 2, 3, 4, or more.

Great actors are good at both pacing, and moving an audience through an emotional range. Most actors are good at one but not the other.

Identify which one is your strong point and then put a plan together to work on the other one.

This can be challenging but it could end up being one of the most rewarding things you do for your acting career.

It will also have you flexing your creative muscle over and over again, as you dial in your performances.

As an actor, there’s so much that has to get done and focusing on the creative side is always a lot of fun. I built this to help with the other things that go into building your acting career, so you focus on the creative side.

So which one is your stronger point, pacing or range? How do you plan on making the other one stronger? Let me know in the comments 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 the top,
Scott

Why You Should Turn Down Your Next Booking

The most successful actors have passed on more acting jobs than they’ve taken. That’s kind of a given, because everyone wants to work with them...

Or is that really the whole story?
What if I told you that passing on jobs was one of their secrets to success.

For many of the most successful actors, passing on opportunities is what helped them build their career.

I know it sounds strange but if it didn’t work, they wouldn’t do it and the biggest agencies wouldn’t use this to help their clients either.

So why is this something you don’t hear much about? Everyone likes to talk about who passed on what and how those projects went on to be huge successes.

That’s kind of the problem...

If you want to build a successful acting career you have to be willing to do the opposite of what everyone else does.

Why?
Because if you do what everyone else does, you’re likely to end up where they end up.

Successful actors do things differently and if you want to be a successful actor too, you have to know when it’s time to stray from the norm.

It can be the best career move you ever make, if you do it right. Here’s where to start...

I’m assuming you decided to become a professional actor because you actually want to be on set, so passing on projects probably sounds a little bit weird.

I do want to be clear, if you pass on everything you won’t get anywhere. Passing on the right things, and being selective about the projects you do work on is what will make the difference.

That means you have to narrow your focus. Most actors go after anything and everything because they want to spend as much time on set as possible.

The thing is, if you look at a successful actor’s career you will see that, at one point or another, they were narrowly focused on a particular category or genre.

They did this while passing on just about everything else that wasn’t in that category. Here’s why this is so powerful...

When you focus on a particular type of project, you get to know the other industry people that also specialize in your same category and create meaningful connections, since you get to work with them over and over again.

When you do what most actors do, go after anything and everything, you don’t have that same benefit because you almost never work with the same people again.

Last week we talked about how casting directors don’t like to start from scratch every time they build a cast.

Instead, they first reach out to actors they know and have worked with in the past, and actors that have extensive experience in the type of role they are casting.

So, if you’re not already on their radar you're typically left reading only for what’s left over.

That’s a major reason that so many actors struggle to make any kind of meaningful career progress.

It’s almost like starting your career over from scratch every single day. So what should you do instead?

Pick a category and put all of your efforts into it. Ignore everything that doesn’t fall into that category.

When some actors start down this path, they pick a category randomly and that usually doesn’t work out very well.

Instead look at the kind of projects you’ve already done. Which projects helped you make the most career progress? Which ones do you think back on and feel most proud about? Above all, which characters did you enjoy the most?

When I speak about this with other actors, they tend to think that they will end up being typecast and only playing the same kind of role for the rest of their career.

While you will spend some time in that character type, you won’t be stuck with it forever.

Moving from one category to the next is something successful actors do all the time. We’ll get into that another time, but it is simple to do. It just takes a little bit of planning.

Some actors get bored quickly and that’s why it’s important that you choose a category that you actually enjoy.

Have a conversation with your agent and let them know what direction you want to go with your career.

Be prepared for them to try to persuade you to keep doing what you’ve been doing. Most agents will want to keep sending you out for anything and everything because that gives you more chances to book.

The problem with that thinking is that, if you go on 20 auditions and book 1 job, that's a lot of time that you could have spent doing other things to help move your career forward.

However, when you focus your efforts and stick to a particular category, you will go on fewer auditions but your booking ratio could be a lot higher.

When you pick your category correctly, you will find yourself reading for things that you are a terrific fit for, not just anything and everything.

So if you go on 5 auditions and book 1 job, that's a lot of time that you can devote to other things that will help you grow in your career.

Doing less and booking more will always work out in your favor.

It all starts with narrowing your focus and choosing the direction you want your career to go in. Whatever you decide, stick with it for at least 6 months.

By then, you should be making enough progress to stay the course or you might decide that things aren’t working out and it’s time to switch things up again.

If your booking ratio isn’t improving there could be other factors involved. Whatever category you choose, casting will look into you before so you have to make sure that your reputation is always in top shape.

That’s one of the most common factors. We’ll get into the others next week. For now, get started on what we talked about today.

Sit down and really think about what direction you want your career to go in. Talk with your agent about it and let them know what you decide, then move forward and go all in on it.

Remember, you won’t be stuck in that one category forever .As you get more involved in it, you might find that it's time to build a team around you that can help you take your career to the next level.

Remember, I’ll always be in your corner and I’m happy to support you however I can. Here’s a great place for us to start.

Start looking for other people you can trust. You don’t have to bring anyone else on your team just yet, but you want to have the right people around you when the time comes.

Put the pieces in place now, so you don’t get caught off guard because things can move really fast, when you get your career on the right track.

Of course nothing happens if the industry doesn’t know you. For most actors, this is an afterthought but successful actors are constantly making themselves highly visible to industry decision makers in places where they are already looking. I built this to help.

So what category do you plan on specializing in? Do you kind of have an idea, but you’re not really sure whether it's the best path?

Let me know in the comments below or shoot me an email. I’m happy to help you get on the right track because I truly want to...

See you at the top,
Scott

What Makes Veteran Actors Different and Why They’re Sought After

We celebrated Veterans Day a few days ago. This time of year, heading into the holiday season always gets me thinking about big picture stuff...

Particularly, the events that marked veterans day got me thinking about what it means to be a veteran in the industry.

Most of the actors I’ve ever spoken to have a flawed idea of what it means to be a veteran actor.

Everyone knows what it’s like to be a green, newbie actor because that’s where everyone begins their journey in the industry.

Because so few ever earn “veteran status” there’s a lot of confusion around what it actually is. So why is it important that you understand what being a veteran actor is?

Because veteran actors have built accomplished careers that have withstood many, many industry changes and they’ve done it while understanding a key industry element that other actors simply don’t get.

Most other actors try to wing it, when it comes to building their career. Veteran actors almost always follow in the footsteps of someone else.

If you want to build a career as a professional actor, pay close attention to what the veterans are doing. Following in their footsteps is about as close to being a sure thing as you can get in the industry.

Here’s where to start...

I watched an interview recently from one of the “experts” on casting and she spent a lot of time building up the actor she was interviewing as a veteran who had seen it all and accomplished a lot in the industry.

When it came down to it, she was interviewing an actor who had arrived in LA after a few years of doing off broadway shows and a few student films.

He had booked 2 episodes on a primetime show and had been signed with an agent at a second tier agency.

I don’t intend to minimize his accomplishments, at all, but he is far from being a veteran.

Sure, he had some great things going on and he had made some great progress pretty quickly but that doesn’t make him an industry veteran.

I say that to bring up the following...

Most actors get the idea of following in someone else’s footsteps but knowing who to follow isn’t always an easy thing to figure out. However, if you study a veteran actor's career you are almost surely going to start down the right path.

So who are the veteran actors?

By definition, it means that they’ve been in the industry for a long time. What separates veteran actors from actors that are an “overnight success” is that they have survived industry and career cycles.

The industry changes constantly.

There was a time when acting way over the top was desirable in an actor. When that changed, the actors that couldn’t change with the industry were quickly left behind.

Stuff like that happens all the time, and it’s been happening since the dawn of the industry.

When movies changed from silent pictures to talkies, the actors who had never thought about things like inflection and tonality quickly found themselves sitting on the sidelines as the industry kept moving.

Every actor’s career also goes through different cycles.

You can’t play an action hero at 70 years old, at least not in the same way that a 29 year old could.

Similarly, a teenage heartthrob who puts on more than a few pounds in his late twenties won’t continue to book roles in that category.

What I just mentioned could be a career killer for someone who was an overnight success, but for a veteran actor it just means that it is time to shake things up.

Regardless of what career cycle they’re in, veterans have always been good at differentiating themselves. That’s how they stand out from the pack.

Their ability to do this is largely what helps them become successful and stay relevant over the long term.

So, to follow in their footsteps, come up with something unique you can bring to your characters.

It can be almost anything so feel free to get creative with this, even if it means that you have to learn a new skill.

Are you good with speaking in foreign accents? I can think of several actors who were booked for having this particular talent as a differentiating factor.

It doesn’t always have to be an actual trait. It can even be a personal interest that is such a big part of you, it always makes it on screen somehow.

Whatever it is, your differentiating factor will always come from who you are off set.

Nicolas Cage has that pensive and intellectual manner of speaking and Robert Downey Jr. has charm like no one else. That’s what sets them apart and what they bring to the characters they play and it’s also who they are off set.

When a character that calls for a quality like that is presented to a casting director, those actors become the obvious choice.

It becomes difficult for anyone else to even enter the conversation.

I know it’s easy to look at a veteran actor’s career and feel discouraged because of how much farther along they are.

Instead of looking at their career as a whole, break it down into their different career stages.

Don’t look at their career at stage 10 and compare it to your career at stage 2. Look at where you are in your career and plan your next steps, based on what veteran actors did when they were in a similar stage as you are in now.

If you want to have a long and prosperous career, then you have to build your acting career on purpose, and this is how you do it.

As you start planning your career you will come up with some things that you need to do and you will have to decide whether they’re things you need to bring on a manager or a pr rep to help with, or if you need to do them yourself.

Building a team with the right people is something veteran actors take very seriously. Most actors are just happy that someone wants to represent them, but veterans seek out the right people.

It’s the reason I built this to help build your industry credibility and become an actor that casting directors and industry decision makers want to work with.

It’s not a magic pill of course, but it helps by tapping into one of the building blocks of the industry.

We talked about how the industry is constantly changing and how important it is to keep up with those chances.

But, there is something about the industry that will never change and it’s that the industry is built on reputation, so make sure your industry reputation shows that you are a professional actor.

That’s something that veteran actors were able to do, even early on in their career.

Even a stellar industry reputation won’t exactly speak for itself so you also have to put some effort into making yourself highly visible to casting directors and industry decision makers by showing up in places where they are already looking for talent.

You don’t have to use the solution I built, but if you want to be able to do that consistently and without you even having to think about it, freeing yourself up to work on the more fun parts of building your career, then you owe it to yourself to at least check it out.

Regardless, remember I’m always only an email or a comment away and I’m happy to help however I can because I truly want to...

See you at the top,
Scott

How To Avoid The Industry’s Biggest Problem and Become a Successful Actor

It's hard to build a career when all you’re ever cast as is barista #2, and the best you can hope for is that one of your facial expressions ends up on screen.

That won’t make Scorcese pick up the phone and call you anytime soon...

Almost every actor I’ve ever spoken with has encountered the same problem when trying to build their career.

They have trouble getting to the next level in their career because they have no experience and no credits at that next level. But, how are they supposed to get the credits and experience if no one will give them a chance because they don’t have it?

It’s a problem that has been around as long as the industry itself and it’s one that few actors are able to solve.

The ones that do, end up having long and prosperous careers.

If you want to be a professional actor and you’re having trouble getting to the next level in your career this is something you have to figure out.

Here’s where to start...

While there’s no one size fits all, magic bullet type of solution there is a simple formula you can follow.

Getting to the next level in your acting career comes down to opening yourself up to opportunities and seizing them when they come.

I know that sounds like common sense (and it is) so let’s break down what that actually means.

Opening yourself up to opportunities that are beyond the ones you have been working on so far, means that you have to make yourself castable for those opportunities.

For example, you might be a talented dramatic actor, but how many other talented dramatic actors can you think of just off the top of your head?

You can probably think of quite a few...

But, how many talented dramatic actors can you think of that can also wield a samurai sword and know martial arts?

Probably not many...

So, when a project comes along that calls for someone with those particular skills, your resume and your credits become an afterthought.

It’s not always an entire project that has to come along.

Things can change really fast on set, especially when you are working on a quality production with a great creative team.

Rewrites often happen in the director’s head, or in one of your costar’s head, so you could find yourself in a scene that goes in an entirely different direction.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard from actors that have been on set when a director called out for someone who could perform a specific task or who could ad lib a scene they sort of rewrote in their head.

It’s literally happened more times than I can count, but the sad thing is that when it happens, no one is ever prepared to step up.

Just a couple weeks ago, I heard from an actor that was playing an extra on set when the director called for someone who could skateboard.

The scene didn’t call for a skateboarder and everyone kind of looked around confused. This actor was a pretty good skateboarder but he didn’t speak up.

The actor that did speak up, ended up getting pulled into a scene with what will end up being about a minute and a half of screen time.

He was also given 2 lines to exchange with one of the other actors in the scene, who just so happens to be a bonafide A-lister.

It may not sound like a huge deal, but imagine showing up on set ready to play an extra for a day and instead you end up with featured screen time and a couple lines with an A-lister.

Here’s the thing, the lines this actor was given were written for one of the supporting actors in the scene, but the director “gave them to the skateboarder because he said he liked his energy.”

Stuff like this happens all the time. You’ve probably found yourself watching a show and seeing someone with a tiny part that is all of a sudden everywhere.

Is the director going to remember “the skateboarder” and bring him in to read for whatever project comes next?

Probably not. Will the A lister demand that “the skateboarder” be given a part in their project?

No.

But here’s what will happen...

The skateboarder will end up with a credit on his resume that will show a huge jump in his career, because going from an extra to being featured in a scene with an A lister is a big jump.

That’s what CDs and industry decision makers look for. Everyone wants to work with actors that are on the rise.

Is this one isolated event going to put him on the map? Not likely, at least not this one thing alone.

What will do wonders for his career is continuing the momentum. See, when actors get stuck in their career it’s usually because they don’t have a way of getting to the next level, whatever that next level might be.

No one wants to give a featured role to someone with 5 years of experience as an extra or doing one lines,and no other movement. Yet, that’s where most actors find themselves.

To break out of that, you have to seize every opportunity when it presents itself. You also have to make sure that you stay top of mind with industry decision makers.

You do that by showing up as a professional actor in places where they are already looking for talent.

When casting directors start to build a cast, the last thing they want to do is start from scratch. It’s possible to do, but incredibly inefficient.

What they do instead, is look for actors that have played similar roles in the past and start there. That’s why it’s important to keep in touch with CDs and decision makers, even after production has wrapped.

We’ll talk more about that another time...

For now focus on coming up with your differentiators. That’s what really gave the actors we talked about today, the opportunity to get to the next level in their career quickly.

Whatever that next level is for you, getting there is almost impossible if there’s nothing to set you apart from everyone else.

Things also tend to become easier when your industry reputation matches your goals. Here’s how I can help you make sure that yours is always in top shape.

As we’ve talked about a number of times, there are really only two ways to build your industry reputation.

You can either build an extensive body of work that you can leverage, which takes time and you run into the problem that keeps most actors stuck (no way of getting to the next level).

The other way is to make yourself highly visible to the industry while also building your industry reputation and credibility. I created this to help with that part.

Regardless of which direction you decide to go in, remember I’m always here to help. Leave me a comment below or shoot me an email.

I always read and respond, even if you just want to bounce ideas, because I truly want to...

See you at the top,
Scott