Being an Actor isn't that Bad.

Recently, this article called 5 Awful Things Nobody Tells You About Being an Actor has been passed around the social networking sites.  I took it upon myself to look up the writer of this article, Soren Bowie (click on his name to visit his IMDb page and help his Starmeter.)  From what I can tell he has a similar career as me: a few independent films, a webseries, and some shorts he wrote.  This article makes it sound like he is going through a pretty rough point in his career.

I know being an actor is tough, but I disagree with almost everything he talks about in this article:

#5 You Aren't Building a Real Skill Set
He asserts that most of the day jobs actors have like serving or retailing are not meant to be careers and generally aren't very enjoyable.  That while your high school and college friends are moving up the career ladder you are stuck trying to upsell the vodka in someone's martini.

This is incorrect for two reasons.  First off, actors don't have to work in the service industry.  There are other flexible day jobs and if you find a generous boss almost any job can be flexible.  I have actor friends who work all types of jobs including as a doctor, personal assistant, and lots of various office type jobs.  Plus the career we want to build is as an actor, not in the service industry.  We work these day jobs to pay for our dreams.  If I always have to work in jobs other than acting in order to live, but it allows me the opportunity to act from time to time then I am happy.

Secondly, there are lots of skills actors learn that are useful in all walks of life.  Skills like public speaking, listening to others, and how to market yourself.  You even learn important skills in the service industry like how to deal with difficult people, multitasking, and even remembering long lists of specials helps with memory.  Plus, the writer of this article seems to be building a skill set by writing articles for an online magazine. (Look another day job choice that is not in the service industry.)

#4 Most Roles Have Nothing to Do with Acting
His example of a role that doesn't require acting is a Listerine commercial where people make funny faces using the mouthwash.  It's true that most commercials are more interested in your look than your ability to act.  You don't do commercials because you want to act; you do commercials because you want to make some money to support your acting career.  Those poor mouthwash people probably made tens of thousands of dollars for that one day of work.  Cry me freakin' river that it didn't require real acting.

If you aren't getting to do the roles you want, then write them yourself.  I noticed on Mr. Bowie's IMDb page that he wrote and produced a short that he acted in and that is exactly what you should be doing if you aren't happy with the roles in which you get cast.

#3 You Will Never Be Considered for Roles that Require Acting
First of all, never is a very harsh word.  Second, if you treat co-star one line roles as if they aren't acting then you probably aren't going to be cast as in those either.

He goes on a long diatribe about the difficulties of getting in SAG and how if you aren't SAG you won't be asked to audition for SAG productions.  Here is one argument: with the SAG New Media Agreement it is super easy to become SAG eligible.  Here is another argument: most casting directors I know have no issues Taft-Hartleying someone who isn't SAG.  True some productions will forbid it, but most allow it.  I was Taft-Hartleyed into SAG on an Army PSA.  He mentions a "hefty fine" but I've heard it isn't that much and certainly a pittance for a $20 million production.

He also mentions that directors are not likely to trust you in a lead role if they don't think you have experience.  That's why you get experience by doing co-stars, your own films, theater, and then hope that the right people will see it.  Most of the roles I worked have been given to me by someone who knows me and has seen my other work, including on stage and even as a reader in a casting room.

#2 Your Faith Will be Exploited
Here he talks about how much actors have to rely on everyone else in a production to help them look good.  It's true filmmaking is always a collaboration.  But, we've all made bad stuff and worked with people who were not so great at whatever they were claiming to be.

But, if you have a good technique then even if you look terrible and everything in the movie looks terrible you should still be acting correctly.  In the end that is what's important.  And if it really is that terrible then don't put the movie on your reel or show it to anyone.  Chalk it up as a learning experience and move on.

#1 You Won't Make Enough Money to Live On
We've gone over this in my blog post When Do I Start Getting Paid For This.  The answer is: maybe never.  And if you want to keep pursuing this job then you have to be okay with that.  You have to accept that you may never buy a house or be financially stable.

I've decided that the house with the barbeque and white picket fence are not part of my version of the "American Dream."  My dream is to be able to act and perform.  If I wanted money I could have picked a hundred different jobs.  And if you want to be rich and famous check out this post on how to do that: So, You Want be Rich and Famous?

He is right; you may not make enough money to live on.  And he ends the article by saying your take home pay for one day on an ultra-low budget movie is about the same as a Greyhound ticket home, which may be the point of this article: to make his competition want to go home.  Remember, y'all, this is a game of attrition and much like Survivor the winner is the one who Outlasts their competition.  So, do your best to outlast this guy.

And I wish Soren Bowie the best in his pursuit of the Hollywood dream!