THE ACTOR’S PASSPORT TO HOLLYWOOD

As everyone knows, before you can enter a new country, a passport is required. The passport itself does not provide transportation, nor maps to places you’ve never been, nor lodging, food or clothing. No education; no financial aid; no new friends. The passport merely allows you to cross over into new territory and back again.

To most non-Angelenos, Hollywood might just as well be a “foreign country”. Even people who move here from, say, Bakersfield or San Diego (only a couple of hours away) find it a maze of unknowns, often difficult to navigate, both literally and figuratively. For most actors, however, Hollywood is not thought of as foreign; it’s “the promised land”, the place they strive to reach by hook or by crook.

This site, which you so cleverly discovered, is meant to serve as your passport to the actor’s life in Hollywood. Before you delve any further into it, we would like to make our “mission” clear. No need wasting anyone’s time – this may very well NOT be what you were searching for. That being said…

- IF you are an actor living somewhere other than Hollywood…

- IF you have ever dreamed of pursuing an acting career, but didn’t have a clue how to begin…

- IF you are scared to death of scams and/or the myriad ways in which strangers seem to want to relieve you of your cash…

- IF you think you are ready, yet are totally unprepared (two different things!) to make the move to Hollywood…

- IF you are already living in Hollywood, but feel like a fish out of water, because no one ever bothered to tell you how things really work here…

…then this may very well be the place for you.

We have over 20 years experience as Hollywood talent agents. We are sick and tired of seeing Hollywood “hopefuls” being stripped of both their hard-earned cash and their dignity, due almost exclusively to a lack of knowledge about how show business really works.

Ignorance may be bliss, but not for very long. A person cannot know what he does not know. In other words, you may not know what questions to ask and therefore, the answers to those very important questions will remain a mystery for far too long, costing you both time and money. This site is designed to provide you with both the pertinent questions and their answers.

Because we want nothing from you and because we have no interest in representing you (whoever you may be), we have constructed this site anonymously. The only thing you will have to invest here is your trust that we are, indeed, very knowledgeable about the actor’s life in Hollywood. Most of the information we intend to impart can be easily checked for its accuracy by you. We have absolutely nothing to gain by sharing misinformation, so why would we bother?

Our opinions, on the other hand, are just that: Opinions. But bear in mind that they are opinions that have been developed over many years of observing the good, the bad, and the just plain stupid behavior of literally thousands of actors. If we can prevent just one person reading this from losing his or her shirt (or even fifty bucks!), it’ll be worth all the time and effort we are putting into this site. If we can help even one truly talented person attain his or her goals as an actor, all the better.

We are in this business because we happen to adore actors. Yes, they can and often do drive us nuts, yet they are still the most alive, creative, quirky and interesting people we have ever encountered. That shouldn’t come as any surprise to you, since you, yourself (if you’ve gotten this far on this page) are either an aspiring actor, an accomplished actor, a concerned relative, or merely someone who finds actors to be as fascinating as we do!

So…if you are in need of demystification and clarification of the acting field in Hollywood (some of what you learn here can also be applied to New York and Chicago, etc., but it will almost always refer specifically to Hollywood), then please consider this ever-evolving site as your passport to a better, more informed career in Tinseltown. If nothing else…

Your dreams are welcome here!

HAITIAN-BORN HOLLYWOOD TRANSPLANT

(1/19/10 – Haitian actor, Max Eugene, would like to share the following information with anyone who wishes to help the people of Haiti, during this terrible disaster:

A list of charitable organizations active in Haiti.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34834553/ns/msnbc_tv-rachel_maddow_show/from/ET

SEND ANY KIND OF SUPPORT TO AID THE RELIEF EFFORTS IN HAITI THROUGH REPUTABLE ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS  UNICEF AND THE AMERICAN RED CROSS. YOU  CAN DONATE TO UNICEFUSA.ORG OR 1-800-4-UNICEF OR TO THE RED CROSS AT 1-800-REDCROSS. ALSO A $10 DONATION GOES TO THE RED CROSS WHEN YOU TEXT “HAITI” TO 90999. THIS DONATION WILL SHOW UP ON YOUR NEXT MONTHLY PHONE BILL.

MAX)

Bilingual actor Max Eugene was born in Port- Au Prince, Haiti, once hailed as the Pearl of the Caribbean by the Spaniards for her richness in beauty and natural resources.

(Haiti became the first independent Black Republic in the Western Hemisphere, after defeating the French Army, which undoubtedly had fallen too much in lust with the island in the late 1700’s and early 1800’s.)

His parents, Max Eugene, Sr., a journalist, an actor and an activist, and Jeanne Montfleury, a nurse, left Max in Haiti at the tender age of one, in the care of his Aunt Nini, to seek a better life for the entire family in America. Aunt Nini treated Max like her own son, leading him to genuinely believe that she was his mother.

As a young boy, Max had aspirations to become a footballer like his Argentine idol, Diego Armando Maradona. Becoming a footballer like Maradona or Pelé was probably the dream of most Haitian boys in the eighties and nineties, as Max recalls. He has fond memories of running barefoot and playing in the streets of Haiti with balls made from water balloons covered in large pair of socks, or lemons, or oranges, or plastic bottles of various shapes. As he puts it: “I’d kick anything back then.” But persuaded by his elementary school teacher to play Jean Jacques Dessalines, a Haitian revolutionary leader, in a school play, Max became infatuated and was later seduced by the adrenaline rush that every actor experiences when they perform before an audience. A series of unforeseen events propelled his passion for acting into a lifelong love affair. It was a love affair that he only kept to himself, because to most Haitian parents, an actor is less than a doctor, a lawyer or an engineer. Nevertheless, Max’s passion grew stronger with his first VHS experience in French of “Le Flic De Beverly Hills”, which translates to Eddie Murphy’s “Beverly Hills Cop.” He started dreaming more and more of tall buildings and snow falling from the sky. America! The land of opportunity. ‘And only in America can pretending that you’re someone else earn you a living as an actor’ he thought. Besides, he had already had enough of Haiti’s political turmoil. He wondered, also, about what it would be like living with his biological parents and a brand new sister, Sabine Eugene.

Finally, Max thought his dreams had come true when he was awarded a green card to come to America in the summer of 1992. But his parents insisted that they did not intend to let him stay and live with them in Brooklyn, NY, simply because in Haiti, Max had a village looking after him, which would be the opposite of life in Brooklyn, for both parents worked night jobs. Therefore, coming to America would only be a visit and not a permanent move. During a brief summer visit in 1993, his parents were faced with a difficult choice on the day of his departure to Haiti. As they were leaving for JFK airport, they heard on the radio that armed gunmen had once again taken over the streets of Haiti, that there were no flights arriving to or departing from Haiti since the gunmen were using the airport as a de facto headquarters. Right then and there, he recalled his mom saying to his dad: “My baby is not going back there.”

The next day Max found himself in a classroom filled with English-speaking students at Samuel J. Tilden High School in Brooklyn. Armed only with French and Creole, he found it hard to communicate in the English language at first. But as he kicked into survivor mode, he quickly mastered the language with the help of his teachers; music and reading out loud any newspaper articles that he could get his hands on sealed the deal. Furthermore, Max’s love for the art of acting took on new meaning when he was introduced to William Shakespeare. He became more confident and self-assured when he performed as Duke Orsino in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night in his high school play, his first performance in English.

In 1997, Max graduated valedictorian of his high school class. He continued his education in upstate New York at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and graduated Cum Laude with degrees in Philosophy, Theatre and Dance. It was in college that Max informed his parents of his commitment to acting, knowing “that acting would not be an easy girl to bring home to his mama”, to echo his words. Neither parent objected to Max’s choice, although they certainly had their doubts. Aunt Nini, however, was certainly disappointed to learn that Max had now declined to pursue a career in law, after she had just come to terms with the fact that he wouldn’t go to medical school even if it were free. Knowing that acting had already had a strong hold on Max’s heart, Aunt Nini uttered: “ Take it easy and just be careful.” Still, the battle with the parents was not over until they attended one of Max’s performances in Luigi Pirandello’s play, “To Clothe The Naked”.

After completing college, Max sought to make his dream a reality. He spent a year working at Children’s Aid Society in New York City as a drama specialist, before embarking on his graduate studies in acting at California Institute of the Arts (also known as CalArts) in California. In 2002, He landed in California with two bags, little money and no place to live. With the help of his peers during orientation at CalArts he finally found a room to rent and was able to purchase a car, which he paid for with a student loan.

At CalArts, he deepened his love of acting by following a rigid regimen of acting, voice, speech, and movement classes on a weekly basis for three years. Following his graduation from CalArts, he was fortunate to acquire an agent in Los Angeles through diligence, hard work, and persistence. Since then Max has toured with a play in France; worked at Sundance Theater Lab; performed at the Roy and Edna Disney Theater (also known as THE REDCAT) in downtown Los Angeles; performed at the Ford Theatre in Hollywood; and starred and co-starred in a few independent film projects, including an experimental film with Hollywood movie director, Elias E. Meridge (Shadow of The Vampire and Suspect Zero). Max currently works at Oakwood School and as an administrative assistant to a Family Therapist. And, of course, he continues to attend acting classes and casting workshops in the Los Angeles area, while he researches the Haitian Revolution, the subject of his own ambitious film project, and adds to his tan under the SoCal (a.ka. Southern California) sun.

WHERE SHOULD YOU LIVE?

Even if you live as close by as Orange County or Central California, if you intend to be a Hollywood actor, you will most definitely need to move to L.A. There is no good way to establish a career long-distance; it simply doesn’t work for a novice.

No matter where you live, be it the Mid-West or the North-East, or even if you’re in a foreign country, the logistics of making this move will be the same.

If you possibly can, you should try to make a short trip to L.A. – maybe only a week or two – to get the lay of the land and start mapping out the areas of town that appeal to you as a potential new home. For most out-of-towners, the vastness of Los Angeles is a bit unexpected, no matter how much you’ve heard and read about it. (It reminds us of our first trip to Rome. Nothing and no one had ever prepared us for the enormity of the Vatican. It was beyond imagining!)

So! Get yourself a map. No, not the kind you find online and no, not even a Thomas Guide. A good, reliable, unfold-it-and-lay-it-out-on-a-table map. No matter where you live, you can easily obtain one of these. Spend some time “navigating” this city and learning the names of the various little “towns” that all merge into one, great big region. The San Fernando Valley, for example, includes Sherman Oaks, Studio City, Van Nuys, Encino, Tarzana, North Hollywood, Valley Village, West Hills, North Hills, Sylmar, Panorama City, Pacoima, Northridge, Canoga Park (shall we stop now?), etc. Yes! Etcetera! Even though there is absolutely no physical separation between all of those places (from an airplane, you can’t tell where one begins and the other lets off), there is definitely a difference in, shall we say, style from one part of The Valley to another.

For purposes of being centrally located for your work as an actor, The Valley is a pretty good place to start your search for a place to live. On your lovely map, locate the Ventura freeway (that’s the 101 to you). Then locate the San Diego (405) and Hollywood (170) freeways, which run into the 101. We’d say that if you can stick to within 2-3 miles of those freeways, you’ll be able to easily access all of the casting houses and studios within The Valley and Hollywood.

Here’s a practical idea for you:  The Oakwood Apartments are located near Universal City, which in turn is located near the branching off of the Hollywood and Ventura Freeways.  VERY convenient.  They offer short-term stays in fully furnished apartments and have been a haven for out-of-town actors for decades.  It’s a great place to use as a home base, while looking for a more permanent arrangement.  Check it out at www.oakwoodtoluca.com.

Another big destination for actors will be Culver City – not necessarily to live, but it’s home to a number of studios and many casting directors. It is not near The Valley, but it is near the 405 freeway. That same freeway will lead you fairly close to Santa Monica – not the beach – the city, where many casting companies (particularly for commercials, for some reason) are located.

Now, we know that most people from out-of-state think that living near the beach would be a dream come true. Well, maybe if you’re independently wealthy and don’t mind having your limo driver take an extra 30 minutes to drive you to your auditions. Nice as it may be, the closer you get to the ocean, the costlier everything becomes and the less convenient to get to and from. We’d suggest that you wait until your first million dollar check arrives before attempting to live there. But then, that’s just our opinion.
On a side note: Public transportation is definitely not L.A.’s strong suit. We sincerely hope you don’t intend to use it to get to auditions, because you may as well leave home 3 or 4 hours early (and have very good walking shoes) in order to reach your destination on time. It’s really imperative that you have a car.

Once you’ve gotten the lay of the land from your map, start googling information about the places that seem right for you. Remember – you’re doing all of the pre-move research work from home. It’s costing you next to nothing, but it may ultimately save you a lot of money and wasted time, simply because you will come to Hollywood prepared for action and that’s going to be a great feeling!

MORE HOMEWORK – THE FUN KIND!

Go to the movies. As often as you can. And puh-leeze don’t limit yourself to one genre of film (action, dumb buddy, horror, romance, whatever). Expand your horizons with a variety of types of films, even if you can’t stand some of them. You will be absorbing and thus learning (we hope) different styles of acting, all of which obviously landed the actors involved on the big screen.

Watch television and we don’t mean reality shows. If you wanted to be part of that nonsense, you wouldn’t need to devote yourself to learning how to act, now would you?! We mean primetime dramas, comedies, old films, Movies Of The Week (MOWs), ANYTHING created for HBO or Showtime. Observe the various acting techniques and absorb.

(All actors in Hollywood are instructed by their agents – at least the smart, caring ones – to watch at least one episode of every new show that airs on TV, every season. Why? Because each and every show has its own particular style and mood and if you call yourself an actor, you’d better damned well know the difference between the various programs. If, for example, you think that the acting styles of “Boston Legal” are the same as those of “Law & Order”, you’re going to be in big trouble when you have to audition for one or the other of them.)

Read. Anything and everything you can get your hands on. An informed actor is an interesting actor. And read out loud every day, even if it’s the ads from Sport Illustrated while you’re sitting on the john. It will improve your cold reading skills.

Memorize. You must keep your brain in top shape for memorizing and doing it quickly. The easiest things to memorize are probably poems or the lyrics to songs. Try to memorize something new at least every week, if not more often. Once you get the hang of memorizing rhythmic, rhyming pieces, graduate to prose: Passages from books, magazines, newspapers – it really doesn’t matter what it is, as long as you can test yourself for accuracy (use a friend or a recording device to check yourself). If it in any way simulates the dialogue from a role you may one day perform, that’s what you want.
(Needless to say, the older you are, the more difficult memorization becomes, but hey! it’s good for you, so do it!)

Observe your fellow human beings. They will be your “role models” (pun intended) when you need to create new characters. Observe their facial expressions, their body language, their speech patterns. Trust us: This will make you a better, more versatile actor, even if you never consciously use any of it.

These are some basic things you can do both before and after your Hollywood life begins that can serve to better both your acting chops and your life in general.

SUBMITTING YOURSELF FROM HOME

If you are truly adventurous and able to afford a quick trip to Hollywood (frequent flyer miles, anyone?), you may occasionally want to submit yourself for some of the projects you find listed in Backstage. If you have the equipment and capability of taping an audition from home, there may be the rare casting director willing to go along with that idea. If you can up-load that audition to a website (even YouTube or MySpace can be used for this purpose), all the better.

When you make your submission (and it had better reach the casting office overnight!), be prepared for the remote possibility that they will call and tell you that you have an audition TOMORROW! It’s at this point that you must tell them you’re out of town “at the moment”, but could send them a taped (uploaded?) audition. Tell them that you’re available to come to the callbacks or, if they’re planning to book directly from your audition, OF COURSE you’re available for the job. (ONLY say that stuff if you mean it. Duh.)

But do not fool yourself into thinking that it will happen very often, if at all. It won’t. Casting directors don’t need to reach outside of Hollywood for more actors; they already have literally hundreds of choices for each role right here at their disposal and they will always prefer meeting and auditioning actors in person.

Bear this in mind, too: The vast majority of projects you will find in BSW are either non-paying or so low-paying as to be almost ridiculous. Would you really be willing to fly to L.A. and put yourself up in a motel just for the possible chance to work for free (or worse, after expenses, to be out-of-pocket)? In our opinion, you should only consider doing that if it would not be a financial hardship and if you can look at it as a mini-vacation/adventure/learning experience. Otherwise…fuggedaboutit!

*When we say “home”, we mean those of you living outside of L.A.

EXTRA! EXTRA! READ ALL ABOUT IT!

If you’re rolling in dough and want to also get the other side of the Hollywood story (meaning not just from the actor’s standpoint), it wouldn’t hurt to subscribe to either Daily Variety or the Hollywood Reporter. These are designed more for producers, directors, agents, etc., but there’s no reason a well-educated actor shouldn’t read them occasionally, too. You really don’t need both, though; they pretty much duplicate the news.

www.dailyvariety.com
www.hollywoodreporter.com

For news about Los Angeles itself – which you really should be familiar with if you intend to become an Angeleno – read the Los Angeles Times online. It’s a good way to begin figuring out which part of this enormous city you may eventually want to settle in. Of course, the old saying, “If it bleeds, it leads” has become a truism for our once-beloved Times, so always keep in mind that most of the crime reports will center on certain areas that are really unsafe. You wouldn’t want to live there anyway, because 99.9% of those areas are too far removed from where you need to be anyway.

A “bonus” feature of the online version of this paper is: It’s FREE.

www.latimes.com

While we’re suggesting reading material, how about keeping up with the current trends by thumbing through the occasional “in fashion” or “people watcher” magazines – and guys, that means you, too! It can’t hurt to know what your peers are up to, even if you have no intention of following suit (no pun intended – well, maybe just a little!). Some trends should be avoided like the plague, but if you hope to “fit in” in the eyes of the casting community, you should at least be aware of what your competition is doing. Can’t afford to keep shelling out for magazines? Then try your local library (remember those?). They carry a lot of them.

BACKSTAGE AT BACKSTAGE

One of the best things you can do for yourself before ever leaving home is to get a subscription to the weekly publication, BACKSTAGE WEST (BSW). It is considered the bible of actors in Hollywood and it can open up entirely new avenues of information for anyone, anywhere. Unlike Daily Variety and Hollywood Reporter, which are geared more (though not exclusively) to other pros in our business, such as producers, agents, casting directors, etc., virtually everything you will read in BSW will be of interest to you, the actor.

Among the many regular departments you will find articles and lists such as…

- Audition notices for plays, student films, and other types of acting projects
- Photographers and acting teachers/coaches
- Acting schools
- Reviews of plays in Southern California (yes, you should read them, even if you aren’t living here yet)
- A great advice column
- During tax season, a tax advisor column specifically for actors
- Updates on the union activities and problems
- Agent and manager info

The more you read about the actor’s life in Hollywood, the more prepared you’ll be to either join it yourself or…not. They don’t sugar-coat the information they disseminate, so you’ll see a few horror stories intermingled with the general news every so often and that, in our opinion, is a good way to balance things.

We suggest you read the play reviews as a way to become familiar with the various theaters, of which we seem to have at least one on every corner. Seriously. Theater snobs from New York and Chicago would like you to believe that L.A. has little to offer in the way of live stage productions, but nothing could be further from the truth. Granted, as recently as the early ‘90s, our theaters were nothing to write home about, generally speaking, but that has really improved since then. Be prepared to attend lots of low-cost plays when you get here. We think you’ll be pleasantly surprised by how good most of them are and the reviews will give you a good idea of the better theaters in town.

By the way, one of the choices for your subscription says that it includes Ross Reports. Don’t waste your money on that. You aren’t even close to needing it and it’ll be something new to “discover” later on.

www.backstage.com

KATHY LAMKIN: FROM HOUSTON TO HOLLYWOOD

This face has become recognizable throughout the world over the past 4 or 5 years. If you love movies and television – and the interesting projects that this terrific, versatile actress has performed in – you’ll understand why.

Although she’s been an actress and acting teacher most of her adult life, KATHY LAMKIN “broke out” of her safe, Houston, Texas, surroundings only as recently as 2002 when she made the move to Hollywood. Since her arrival – encouraged by casting director and friend, Terry Berland, and agent, Kristene Wallis (who immediately saw immense potential in this “unknown face”) – Kathy quickly grew into a valued member of the Hollywood acting community. Just a few of the very prestigious projects in which she’s made memorable appearances: “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” as the Tea Lady (“Oh, my, my, my, my, my!”) and its prequel; “Astronaut Farmer”, with Billy Bob Thornton; “Malcolm In The Middle”; “Medium”; “Boston Legal”; “Nip/Tuck” (in a 200 pound fat suit, as the unforgettable Mama Boone); “In The Valley of Elah”; and of course, her SAG Award-winning performance in “No Country For Old Men”, opposite Javier Bardem.

We asked Kathy to share some insights about how she managed to make the move here so smoothly and what has made her a director’s favorite. She is living proof that age is not a barrier to beginning a career in Hollywood, provided you have the right background and “do your homework”. Following are some random thoughts from this lovely lady:

I began to think about how the journey began.

First, I had to learn to believe in myself. To believe in myself and my instincts, and to just learn to say “thank you” when someone complimented me (and NEVER point out what YOU think you might have done wrong). What you did at that moment was perfect for the time.

The ability to cry on cue.

Honor the exact words of the writer because it is your job to bring those words to life.

Pay attention to detail and entertainment law.

For two years, I took a group from my Houston acting school to L.A. to get a feel for lay of the land. I knew it was a different set of rules, and yet some things were the same; I needed to know the twists and turns.

I noticed that actors who went to L.A. usually returned defeated. The large numbers going and coming back so fast was a concern for me. Within a few months, their savings were gone. I knew I wanted enough money in savings that I could live at least a year without worry, because so many had to get paying jobs and could not work on their acting. Many didn’t seem to understand that the game was played differently in L.A.

I thought the talent was just stronger and better in Hollywood, so I started taking workshops with L.A. casting directors and getting feedback. I noticed what they liked and didn’t like in the workshops, and realized that I was as strong, or stronger than anyone in the room. A lack of confidence and an over inflated ego were the two biggest drawbacks in actors. Many actors were allowing themselves to be puppets; they weren’t taking control of their careers or their acting.

In order to have control over your life and career, you must have POSITIVE people around you. Listen to advice and do what is best for you. Small example: For many years, I had the same hairstyle and would not change it. One day, I went to a new stylist and came away with all my hair chopped off. I was ready to cry because I had to stop by an agency for some reason. They saw my hair and LOVED it. I needed to be me, but I had been playing it safe.

What did I learn before I went to Los Angeles? I hold the POWER, and second, I USE COMMON SENSE. Thus, I knew that I was the only key to success, because I had the power to control how I went to L.A. Common sense let me know that where there was a will, there was a way. I sought those who give back through teaching and sharing. I attended workshops out of town (or out of state) to check out instructors and learned from those people.

For more information about Kathy Lamkin and a complete list of credits, follow this link:

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0483541/

SMALL TOWN GUY MAKES GOOD!

August, 2009 UPDATE:  AND NOW HE’S AN EMMY NOMINEE.  This year’s Super Bowl fans loved BLAKE EVERETT’S national commercial and the L.A. Times said is was the best one on the show: www.careerbuilder.com/tv/.  Now, THAT’s a success story!  THE SPOT WAS JUST NOMINATED FOR AN EMMY!!!

BLAKE EVERETT is originally from a small town in Virginia. According to Blake, “When I was 4 years old, I saw the movie that would change my life forever: “Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein”. I knew from that day to this that entertaining people was the life I was destined to live.

I performed the Abbott and Costello routines on stage for years, but it wasn’t until I competed in the AMTC (American Model & Talent Convention) competition in July of 2003 that I was finally able to start living my dream. Despite my age at the time (mid-40s), a well-known agent from Hollywood, who was one of the dozens of professional judges at this competition, took interest in me and thought I had “the look” and the talent that would get me noticed.

At the agent’s urging, I made my plans to finally fulfill my dream of moving to Hollywood. I saved money for the next six months (I must admit, though, that I totally misunderstood how expensive life in L.A. was really going to be – I should have come here with thousands of dollars more than I did!) and made the move in 2004.

I won’t say it hasn’t sometimes been a difficult journey, but I have met so many kind and giving people out here, most of whom have encouraged me to keep going, that I feel it’s all been worthwhile.
Whenever I get down and feel like giving up…I book something!

I have booked a number of short films and commercials, including a commercial for the Belgian Lottery (See? Now I’m “international”!); a music video for the Australian group, Bumblebeez, “Dr. Love” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=novN-7Qzt_o – you really start to see me at 1:50 on the counter – I’m the “telephone”); a bunch of pretty weird shorts (playing the wacko/zombie/nut job); and now I’m a member of the sketch comedy group, “MyBlueCollar.com”. I also booked a feature film, “Funeral Director”, but unfortunately, my role was cut. That booking, however, did put me in the position of becoming a union member.

I guess my most exciting accomplishment so far was the day this spring when I got to go down to the Screen Actors Guild and hand them a check for (gulp) $2,400. I’d been saving up for that moment the entire time I’ve been in Hollywood and now I’m a proud, card-carrying member of SAG! It “only” took 4 years, but I’m told that’s about average, especially for someone in my age range just starting out here.

I’ve managed to get into some great acting classes and man! do they help! I would never have learned what I know now back in Virginia, that’s for sure. In fact, my booking rate has really gone up thanks to the one I’m currently taking at A.C.T. (Actors Certified Training) in North Hollywood. My first teacher here was the casting director, Craig Campobasso. No one could have been more giving and encouraging for someone like me and I’ll always be grateful to him for giving me a chance to learn from one of the best.

2010 update: I’m a big believer in “giving back”. That being said, I now teach a COMMERCIAL ACTING CLASS: 4 weeks, extremely inexpensive, with basics that are real eye-openers. If you’re interested, call me at (818) 669-3649. (Mention that you found me here and you’ll get a 10% discount.)

www.myspace.com/soyouwanttobeanactor

Or simply go to www.myspace.com and enter “So You Want To Be An Actor” in the search box.

ACTING TEACHERS/COACHES/SCHOOLS

As you can well imagine, there are scores of acting teachers and schools in Hollywood. For a newcomer, it’s a daunting task to try to determine which ones to consider studying with. The list that we are going to provide below is just the tip of the iceberg, but it is comprised of some of the best-known teachers, coaches and schools in town.

It’s up to you to figure out which ones will provide you with the type of class that you need most, but if you are coming from a strong stage background, or have just finished studying somewhere that doesn’t offer on-camera training, we urge you to seek out at least some classes that are geared to film and television acting. How do you find out? You ask!

Most, though not all, classes allow you to audit, so by all means take advantage of that if it’s offered. In fact, we kinda feel that it’s a mistake to just jump into any ol’ class without knowing if you’d even like the teacher. After all, unlike high school or even college, no one is forcing you to study with someone you detest, or whose methods are off-putting to your own acting instincts (which, of course, are not always correct…ahem!). And these classes cost money, which is all the more reason to look before you leap. So, again – ask!

First, the “private” teachers/coaches:

DEKE ANDERSON (310) 722-8303

GARY AUSTIN (“GROUNDLINGS” FOUNDER) (800) DOG-TOES

TERRY BERLAND www.terryberlandcasting.com

CRAIG CAMPOBASSO www.craigcampobasso.com

SHARON CHATTEN (213) 486-4229

MICHELLE DANNER & LARRY MOSS (310) 392-0815

HOWARD FINE www.howardfine.com

MARGIE HABER www.margiehaber.com

JEANIE HACKETT (818) 763-5933

JOHN HOMA www.johnhoma.com

GARY IMHOFF (323) 938-3772

JOEY PAUL JENSEN www.joeypaul.com

ANITA JESSE (323) 876-2870

KARI KURTO  actorsclasses@gmail.com

RICHARD LAWSON (310) 855-1556, EX. 30

KEN LERNER (818) 753-7444

HOLLY POWELL www.hollypowellstudios.com

BRIAN REESE (323) 874-5593

LEO ROSSI & STEPHEN SNYDER (323) 465-4241

SCOTT SEDITA www.scottseditaacting.com

CAMERON THOR (818) 760-9426

CRAIG WALLACE (323) 960-7852

DEE WALLACE-STONE (818) 635-2149

DOUG WARHIT (310) 479-5647

CARYN WEST (818) 693-4625, (323) 876-0394

A few acting schools:

BEVERLY HILLS PLAYHOUSE http://www.bhplayhouse.com

AMERICAN ACADEMY OF DRAMATIC ARTS www.aada.org

*LEE STRASBERG INSTITUTE www.strasberg.com

*THEATRE OF ARTS www.acthollywood.com

STELLA ADLER CONSERVATORY www.stellaadler-la.com

ACTORS COMPREHENSIVE TRAINING www.actorscomprehensivetraining.com

*Also has a special program for international students

Now, it’s up to you to contact the teachers or schools and ask as many pertinent questions as you may have. Don’t let the ones with snotty-sounding receptionists throw you off. Remind yourself (and maybe them, if they’re too obnoxious) that you are the paying customer here and as such are entitled to some polite behavior on their part. You won’t always get it, of course. This is, after all, real life as it exists in Hollywood, like it or lump it.

One other point: Unless you only want to become a standup comic, even sketch/improv people need to study…acting. The reverse is also true and we urge everyone to sooner rather than later take some improv classes, too. Even if you aren’t the funny type, you must learn to think on your feet and nowadays, most casting people expect to see improv training on all actors’ resumes. There are a number of excellent improv schools and classes in Hollywood; once you establish yourself here, you can easily locate them, since virtually all of your new actor friends (you know – the ones you will so happily be acquiring from your acting classes…!) will already know about them! Just (here we go again) ASK!

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