Did you guys see the Jenna Fischer blog that recirculated this week? It's old. It's from MYSPACE. But it's so well put, and really makes me feel good about what we all do. That consistency, professionalism, and smart marketing can really pay off. Take a read.
The Acting Advice Blog - by: Jenna Fischer from The Office
I’ve received tons of letters from people asking advice about
the entertainment industry and, in particular, pursing a life as an
actor. People have also asked how I got to be on The Office. This blog,
I hope, will address some of those questions.
I grew up in St. Louis Missouri. I always wanted to be an actor but
when you grow up in a place like St. Louis that is sort of like saying,
“I want to be a superhero when I grow up”. It hardly seems real. The
world of Hollywood is mysterious. You hear stories of girls being
discovered at ball games. Success is about having “it” or being pretty
or some other intangible magic. You have no model for how to
succeed. Everyone’s story is different. One person does stand-up for
15 years and then gets a TV show, someone else finances their own movie
and it takes off at a festival and suddenly they are the hottest
thing. But for each of those people there are thousands of stand-up
comics and filmmakers who never got their break. How do you know what
to do?
I thought being an actor meant being famous. But, most actors aren’t
recognizable. It’s funny. I watch TV in a whole new way now. Like, I
watch a show and I see the person who has 3 lines on Law and Order and I
think, “Their family is gathered around the TV flipping out right now.
I bet that was a huge deal for that person!” There are so many actors
that make a living by doing support work on shows. I was that person
for many years. For me to stay in this business, it had to be okay if I
was never recognized. I learned that I loved the craft of acting more
than the idea of being famous.
My first piece of advice to someone who is serious about being a
professional television or film actor is: move to Los Angeles. Moving
to Los Angeles can be difficult but it is the only city that doesn’t put
a ceiling on where you can go with your career. New York is the place
to go if you want to do theater. But if you want to be in film and
television, move to LA.
I had a teacher once who said, “If you can think of anything else you
are passionate about besides acting, do that. Your life will be better
for it.” I actually think that might be good advice. I couldn’t come
up with anything so I moved to LA.
I fully expected to be working in movies within a year of moving to
LA. That was not my reality and it is not the reality of most people
who move to LA to pursue acting. It can take a very, very, very long
time to succeed in this business and my best piece of advice is to not
give up. You have to motivate yourself and just keep going. Create
projects for yourself. Don’t whine. The first year is the hardest
followed by every anniversary up to about year 5 when you’re so beaten
down you don’t notice the years passing anymore. I have a friend who is
so incredibly talented it is a crime that after 10 years in LA he still
has to wait tables to make a living. He gets acting work here and
there but he can’t hold down an agent. This business is not fair. It
is not like other businesses where if you show up, and work above and
beyond everyones expectations, you are pretty much guaranteed to move up
the ladder. I don’t know why it works out for some and not for
others. And when you move here you have no idea which camp you are
going to fall into.
It isn’t who you know. It just doesn’t work that way. I didn’t know
anyone when I moved to LA. Most people don’t. I shared an apartment
with an old college buddy. He had a commercial agent and I was sure
that by knowing him, this agent would take me on. She didn’t.
Here is how I got “discovered”. I had been living in LA for about 2
years. A friend wrote a TV script and wanted to do a live stage version
as a way of attracting TV producers. He asked me to play a small
role. It meant lots of rehearsal for very little stage time and no
pay. Along the way I questioned why I had agreed to do it. But, it was
very funny and he was a friend, so I agreed. After our 3
rd performance,
his manager approached me and asked if I had representation. I said,
no. She offered to represent me saying she thought I had a real future
in television comedy. Naomi is still my manager today.
A month later, I was doing a very strange play - a musical adaptation
of the movie Nosferatu – at a small theater in Los Angeles. I was
doing it because I loved the Commedia dell’arte style of the show and
the people involved. I worked all day as a temp doing mind-numbing data
entry for a medical company and then went to rehearsals for 5 hours a
night, often getting home past midnight. One night an agent came to see
the play and left his card at the box office asking to meet me. He
became my first agent.
Now, that sounds easy right? Well, that was all after 2 years of
working as a temp, doing every acting gig I could find – usually for no
pay, borrowing money to buy a new engine for my car and wearing a pair
of shoes with a hole in them because I couldn’t afford anything
else. Did I mention my living room curtain was made from a torn bed
sheet? It was another 3 years before I got my first speaking part on a
TV show. That show was Spin City. (I played a waitress in a scene
where the girl playing Charlie Sheens crazy date threw bread at me.)
Every year I did a little more than the year before. My first 5
years I probably earned between $100 – $2,000 a year from acting. Year 6
brought me some of my biggest success and I only made $8,000 from
acting. But, I put a lot more money into my career than that.
Headshots are expensive. The photo session and getting prints can run
anywhere from $500-$800. Classes range from $150-500 a month. It costs
$1,200 to join SAG once you are eligible. And apartments are crazy
expensive. $700 – $1,000 for a crappy apartment that you share with at
least one roommate. Its no wonder my living room curtain was a bed
sheet.
So, how did I get The Office? Spin City was cast by Allison
Jones. She also casts The Office. She became a fan of mine through a
series of auditions. I kept going into her office year after year
auditioning for different things. I got some and not others but she
kept bringing me back. I developed a relationship with her – not
because I met her at a party and we schmoozed – but because I had proven
to her over the course of many years that I was a reliable and serious
actor capable of providing a consistent body of work. That is what this
business is all about – from a real working actors
perspective. Allison remembered me when it was time to cast The
Office. She called me to audition and I finally got the part.
Most actors think their first priority after moving to LA is to get
an agent. I disagree. I think the first priority should be to build a
body of work. Become a pro so that you are valuable to an agent. No
agent wants to sign a non-union newbie. It’s not their job to get you
ready. Join NowCasting.com or LACasting.com and submit yourself for
non-union work. Get experience. These websites require you to pay a
monthly fee for their service. I would normally warn you about places
that charge you a fee, but NowCasting and LACasting are legit
businesses. You post your photo and resume. They post casting notices
for student films, short films, non-union work and some
commercials. You are able to submit yourself for work and hope you get a
request to audition. I have friends who work all the time doing
this. It is a great way to get commercial work. I think the website
LACasting.com submits their non-union members to commercial agents as
part of their service. (You need to live in LA to participate.)
Work as an extra. If you are new in town this is a very good way to
learn how a movie or television set operates. I did this my first year
and I’m glad I did. No one gets treated worse than an extra (or as they
are called now, background artists) but since I went through it myself I
know how to be gracious now that I’m more successful. It’s a great
boot camp. You learn the set terminology and etiquette from a safe
distance. That way, when you book your first acting gig you will know
what it means to “hit your mark” or how to “clear for second team”. The
top extras casting agency is Central Casting. If you work enough you
can earn your SAG card. That’s how I did it.
You need your SAG card to be taken seriously by an agent. You cannot
work on a TV show or a studio movie without belonging to the Screen
Actors Guild (SAG) Union. You can do some extra work if you are not in
the union but you cannot have a speaking role in a major
production. There are non-union productions that hire non-union actors
(like student films and low-budget features) and that is a great way to
get practice in front of a camera.
When you are ready to get an agent you should know a few
things. Legitimate agents only take 10 percent and they should NEVER
charge you a monthly fee or startup fee. They should not force you to
use a certain photographer to take your headshots. If they do, they are
probably just signing you up so that you’ll hire the photographer and
they’ll get a kick-back. Agents should only make money if
you make
money. An agent may ask you to sign a contract – this is normal. A
standard contract is for 1-2 years. I would not sign a contract for
more than 3 years. And, READ THE CONTRACT. A friend of mine met with
an agent who tried to write a clause into the contract that made it so
that, at the agent’s discretion, the contract never ended. If you are
unsure, contact SAG and ask them for a standard Agent/Client
agreement. Ask if the agent you are thinking of going with is SAG
certified.
If you are good at comedy, take classes from the Groundlings or I.O.
(formerly known as Improv Olympic). Second City in Chicago is also
great. These are the most recognized improv comedy places. They look
good on a resume. It’s a great place to meet people when you are new to
town. Classes are expensive so that can be hard when you are just
starting out. I didn’t do this but I wish I had. Almost every actor on
The Office has studied with one of these 3 places.
There is a book you can get at the LA bookstore Samuel French called
“The Actor’s Guide to LA”. It is a spiral bound book that is updated
every year. It lists all the extras casting agencies, casting
directors, agents, photographers…etc. This is a great resource for the
new actor. I also suggest reading Backstage West. It has casting
notices and articles for actors.
Finally, there is an amazing book you can do called
The Artists Way by
Julia Cameron. I highly recommend it. It is a 12-week self-lead
creativity seminar in the form of a book. It’s brilliant. You don’t
have to move to LA to do it. In fact, it would be a good thing to do if
you are thinking of moving to LA. It might give you the answers you
need. It was through doing
The Artists Way that I was inspired to make my movie
LolliLove. I
completely credit this book with giving me the tools and courage I
needed to complete that project (a project that took over 4 years to
finish.) And I credit
LolliLove with giving me the confidence and practice with the mockumentary style that lead me to landing my job on The Office.
Yes, you will meet some scumbags if you move to LA. People that prey
on newcomers. I can tell you with absolute certainty that those people
have NO POWER in the grand scheme of things.
For example, it was my first year in town and I was part of a theater
group. At a party for a new play opening the playwright came up to me
and asked me if I was an actress. I said yes. He asked if I was
interested in doing a part in his new movie. I was kind of
floored. How did he know I was any good? I said, “What is it
about?” And he said, “Well, you’d have to do a raunchy sex scene with
nudity. Would that bother you?” I laughed and said, “I wouldn’t do
anything I wouldn’t be proud to show my parents.” He then said, “That
was a test. You aren’t a real actress. A real actress would never say
that. A real actress would piss herself onstage if the part called for
it. You aren’t going to make it in this town. You should just go
home.” And then he walked away. I went back to my apartment and
cried. Why was Shem Bitterman (that is his real name) such a dick? I
have no idea. Stuff like that will happen to you if you decide to
become an actor. People will roll their eyes when you tell them what
you do. You have to develop a thick skin – without becoming jaded,
guarded or cynical. That’s a tall order. I’ll say now what I wish I
had said then, “Shem, sir, with all due respect, you are a fuckface and
you can kiss my ass.”
I have a great acting coach who says that success in Hollywood is
based on one thing:Opportunity meets Readiness. You cannot always
control the opportunities, but you can control the readiness. So, study
your craft, take it seriously. Do every play, every showcase, every
short film, every student film you can get. Swallow your pride. Be
willing to work for nothing in things you think are stupid. Make work
for yourself. Make your own luck. Don’t complain. Hopefully, the work
will find you if you are ready.
I know how hard it can be when you first get out here. Go out and
meet as many people as you can. Create a family for yourself of
creative, supportive people. AND, don’t stop your personal life for
your career. I know a lot of people that wait to do things – visit
family, friends, have relationships, get married – because they are
waiting until they “make it”. Or, they don’t go to a friend’s wedding
because they might “miss something”. Life is too short and it’s not
worth it in the end. I always took off and did that stuff and it turned
out fine. I was often anxious and worried in the process but I did
it. I believe that in order for my professional life to move forward, I
have to keep my personal life moving forward as well.
I wouldn’t be where I am today if not for my ex-husband James. He is
the one who convinced me to quit my job as a secretary (ironically) and
focus full time on acting. I didn’t totally believe I could make
it but he did. He supported us financially and supported me
emotionally. He ran lines with me and coached me before countless
auditions. He put up with my highs and lows. He was, and still is, my
biggest cheerleader. And, you need that out here.
It will be hard to explain your first milestones to friends and
family back home. They are waiting to see you on TV or on the big
screen. It is hard to explain how a 2
nd callback for a job
you didn’t land was the highlight of your month and a very valid reason
to celebrate. I remember one year my proudest moment was at an audition
for a really slutty bar maid on a new TV show. It was written for a
Pam Anderson type. I thought, “I can never pull this off. I just don’t
have the sex appeal. I feel stupid. No one is going to take me
seriously.” But, I committed to the role and gave the best audition I
could. I didn’t get the job. I didn’t get a callback. But I conquered
my rambling, fear-driven brain and went balls out on the audition
anyway. That was a huge milestone for me – but hard to explain at
Christmas. A year later I booked the role of a trashy prostitute in a
little indie movie called
Employee of the Month. In the past I
would have turned down the audition thinking that I would embarrass
myself. But after that earlier breakthrough I felt confident. The
success is not always in getting the part but in the seed that is
planted.
If you live in LA and are serious about acting, I know a great acting
coach. He teaches a class on How to Audition. Being a great actor
isn’t enough. You have to master the art of the audition – showing
people you are a great actor. His class is both inexpensive and
amazing. I completely credit him with changing me from a good actor to a
working actor. His name is Robert D’Avanzo 818-508-0723. Ask about
his 6-Week On Camera Audition Class. He’s the best kept secret in
town. And he’s AFORDABLE!
This Spring marked my 12 year anniversary in Los Angeles. I didn’t
land the part of Pam on The Office until year 8. I’m hardly an
overnight success. Likewise, Rainn Wilson toured the country
doing theater and was one of those working but unrecognized actors for
over 10 years. Steve Carell had been kicking around for close to 20
years. Most of us on The Office have a story like that. I think that
is one of the reasons why we are all so very, very grateful to
have landed such a wonderful job. Slow and steady wins the race.
I hope that answered your questions about the biz. Good luck!
