Bitter Bloggings from an Optomistic Actress: Why I Hate The Business
"As a show goes on, we start to think of bad acting as a character trait, and stop seeing it as the performer’s lack of skill."
-Kevin Spak
I had to turn down a part yesterday. I hate doing it, but I had to make a business move. I hate it. But it was a choice that had to be made. Great part, small theater over Christmas break so I would have only missed a week of work. I would have gotten a small pay check. Why did I turn it down? Two things, more importantly because I got a better paying offer for two days work where I can still work the 9-5 and save some money to audition work free for a few months. Also, because when I sent in my information they said they had someone they had worked with before who had offered herself up for the part and they were waiting to hear back from her, they offered me the part, I kid you not, 5 minutes after I took the other role. I cried.
I am a wealth of ideas and ambitions that will not be realized because I was born poor and honest. Those are two things the world hates more than Anne Hathaway. Poverty and candor. No it's not that I would ever think of giving up. It's simply there isn't enough time left in my life as the ideas keep flowing. In my "old age," because I have been reminded over and over again that 32 is considered the cut off date of becoming a permanent working actress, I have become more diplomatic, however middle class wages seem a dream. Quite possibly because I loath the 9-5 grind. It not that I don't love hard work. I adore hard work. I enjoy building sets and doing makeup, though I would never tell this to a theater because then I would do nothing else. They can hire a million less talented actors to do the same job and no one will notice. But if you can sew, you are invaluable and will likely never set foot on a professional stage.
"Well that's how Harrison Ford was discovered," you say, if you have any remote film knowledge. Harrison Ford was in American Graffiti well before Star Wars and got the part because he was building sets, Lucas knew him and said, hey we are doing auditions for Star Wars, can you read with these actors?
If you have thirty six dollars and three days I strongly suggest watching Slings & Arrows. It's a brilliant satire about that very thing. The fight between business and art.
The first season is especially brilliant. Spoilers: the head of accounting, RICHARD SMITH JONES, is lured into aiding a shrewd business woman, HOLLY DAY, who wants to turn a renown theatre festival, already on it's way down the path of commerce, into an extravagant theme park dedicated to all things money...and Shakespeare. Complete with big budget musicals to bring in the crowds.
I will be honest, the business of acting should be avoided at all costs. Why? The business of acting is detrimental to the profession and the craft of acting. How? Keep reading.
Really the whole process can royally screw you over if you are not careful. It kinda screws over everyone.
First off, it is a horrible climate for artists. In New York City only 12% of equity actors are employed. Why? THERE ARE TOO MANY OF US! In the US in SAG/AFTRA alone there are no less than 120,000 and possibly up to 156,000 actors. This is the number of people actually in SAG/AFTRA. There are 38,000 in ACTORS EQUITY. Here is a brilliant flowchart on how many people are employed on a monthly basis. **Hint:It's less than 6,000 on average** This can equal up to 190,000 people. This is only UNION ACTORS! Statistically this could lead to over 1,000,000 "actors" in the US. I reiterate, there are too many. I know in a population of 315,000,000 that doesn't seem impressive, but on average per month there are only so many jobs. If actors equity employs less than 6,000 per month, think of how little SAG/AFTRA employs. Especially if they employ the same people per month. Think of the thousands who come in to audition for a single part. As many as 7000 for a gig.
Have you ever noticed how often the talent is screwed over by business? Edison royally screwed over Tesla, who, according to scientists, would have given us free electricity and flying cars by now. Tesla died penniless. Van Gogh, an artists so consumed by his own art he was driven to cut off his own ear, only sold one painting in his entire career and died penniless, supported by his brother Theo. Think of the countless other artists and geniuses who die with NOTHING! You want to know why? Genius is always trumped by marketing.
In the years of social media we have instant Internet celebrities from people who may or may not have talent. Seriously, look at the Internet. People do something, and their friends like it, and their friends like it and before you know it the machine has taken over and thousands of people are liking a video of a guy tap dancing poorly in a rhino outfit. This guy is asked to come and tap dance in a film or music video. Now this is just an untalented tapper dancing with other people, who may be more capable tappers, but he has a name. Now he is the soloist tapper in a video and can boot out other more capable tappers because he has the name and another 2000 will watch.
This may not happen often, but people do hire folks based off their IMDB rank and Facebook friends. Why? People are more likely to see it. Ever wondered why you don't hear about those great parts in the big movies. They specially select STARS and NAMED talent to bolster their numbers. This is why these actors keep getting hired. You wonder why that person who is slightly less talented than you are keeps getting roles? Have you seen the numbers they draw? Unless the film gets the numbers it won't make it's money back. I myself lost a MAJOR part in a really well known film to one of Hollywood's A-list actors. Why? She could pull in a bigger crowd. Was she more talented? This was not the reason they gave me as they asked if I would accept a smaller one liner in the film as opposed to the lead role I would have had. No contract except a verbal one so I am lucky I got the offer I guess. No, the reason they gave me as I bit my tongue nearly off is, "She will draw in the crowds." Not that the other three Hollywood names wouldn't do the same but she had a fan base.
Think about it. What if they found the most talented people and put them in a movie? How many Hollywood A-listers would survive?
So really what this whole process does is give us a fair to mediocre product. No the American Public doesn't need more. Thank you facebook and twitter for making instant gratification the only way to get a job in this town. I kid you not there are now auditions where if you don't get your information in within 30 minutes the you don't get to audition. Someone please tell me how the most talented and capable are supposed to keep an eye out at every moment for these gigs? Hopefully these are the people working. As much as I try, I very often miss these opportunities because I don't like having my phone on set. There are already too many people not talking to one another, why add to the problem?
Sure these people may have talent, but what about the other more talented people. You want to know why Hollywood folks are so happy to be working. Because they know more talented people who aren't. They know exactly how fortunate they are to be working. I have seen actors that would make the Hollywood elite blanch with inferiority. I have watched performances so groundbreaking Broadway itself would tremble. Yet these actors, these talented amazing many, will never get their day in the sun because of a popular consensus. "You aren't a friend of mine or on TV, so you must not be any good." It is a weird idea that if you are working you must have talent. No, if you are working in the biz you must be popular. Good is all relative.
Think of this. Tom Hulce put on a groundbreaking performance in AMADEUS. Still one of my favorites of all time. Why isn't he working? Where is he? Where have all those brilliant actors of old gone?
The casting folks weed through the smallest area for the brightest diamond, when one that is one hundred karats is just outside that line. People hire people they have worked with before, even though
a more capable actor works next door from the location. They hire famous people, even though the next Jennifer Lawrence is somewhere in the ether. It really is unfortunate. And how can they be expected to put out the best product if they are pulling from and creating for the lowest common denominator?
Is there anything you can do? Not really. Try harder, make more friends and do as many projects as you can to build up your followers as well as your talent.
-Kevin Spak
I had to turn down a part yesterday. I hate doing it, but I had to make a business move. I hate it. But it was a choice that had to be made. Great part, small theater over Christmas break so I would have only missed a week of work. I would have gotten a small pay check. Why did I turn it down? Two things, more importantly because I got a better paying offer for two days work where I can still work the 9-5 and save some money to audition work free for a few months. Also, because when I sent in my information they said they had someone they had worked with before who had offered herself up for the part and they were waiting to hear back from her, they offered me the part, I kid you not, 5 minutes after I took the other role. I cried.
I am a wealth of ideas and ambitions that will not be realized because I was born poor and honest. Those are two things the world hates more than Anne Hathaway. Poverty and candor. No it's not that I would ever think of giving up. It's simply there isn't enough time left in my life as the ideas keep flowing. In my "old age," because I have been reminded over and over again that 32 is considered the cut off date of becoming a permanent working actress, I have become more diplomatic, however middle class wages seem a dream. Quite possibly because I loath the 9-5 grind. It not that I don't love hard work. I adore hard work. I enjoy building sets and doing makeup, though I would never tell this to a theater because then I would do nothing else. They can hire a million less talented actors to do the same job and no one will notice. But if you can sew, you are invaluable and will likely never set foot on a professional stage.
"Well that's how Harrison Ford was discovered," you say, if you have any remote film knowledge. Harrison Ford was in American Graffiti well before Star Wars and got the part because he was building sets, Lucas knew him and said, hey we are doing auditions for Star Wars, can you read with these actors?
If you have thirty six dollars and three days I strongly suggest watching Slings & Arrows. It's a brilliant satire about that very thing. The fight between business and art.
I will be honest, the business of acting should be avoided at all costs. Why? The business of acting is detrimental to the profession and the craft of acting. How? Keep reading.
Really the whole process can royally screw you over if you are not careful. It kinda screws over everyone.
First off, it is a horrible climate for artists. In New York City only 12% of equity actors are employed. Why? THERE ARE TOO MANY OF US! In the US in SAG/AFTRA alone there are no less than 120,000 and possibly up to 156,000 actors. This is the number of people actually in SAG/AFTRA. There are 38,000 in ACTORS EQUITY. Here is a brilliant flowchart on how many people are employed on a monthly basis. **Hint:It's less than 6,000 on average** This can equal up to 190,000 people. This is only UNION ACTORS! Statistically this could lead to over 1,000,000 "actors" in the US. I reiterate, there are too many. I know in a population of 315,000,000 that doesn't seem impressive, but on average per month there are only so many jobs. If actors equity employs less than 6,000 per month, think of how little SAG/AFTRA employs. Especially if they employ the same people per month. Think of the thousands who come in to audition for a single part. As many as 7000 for a gig.
Have you ever noticed how often the talent is screwed over by business? Edison royally screwed over Tesla, who, according to scientists, would have given us free electricity and flying cars by now. Tesla died penniless. Van Gogh, an artists so consumed by his own art he was driven to cut off his own ear, only sold one painting in his entire career and died penniless, supported by his brother Theo. Think of the countless other artists and geniuses who die with NOTHING! You want to know why? Genius is always trumped by marketing.
This may not happen often, but people do hire folks based off their IMDB rank and Facebook friends. Why? People are more likely to see it. Ever wondered why you don't hear about those great parts in the big movies. They specially select STARS and NAMED talent to bolster their numbers. This is why these actors keep getting hired. You wonder why that person who is slightly less talented than you are keeps getting roles? Have you seen the numbers they draw? Unless the film gets the numbers it won't make it's money back. I myself lost a MAJOR part in a really well known film to one of Hollywood's A-list actors. Why? She could pull in a bigger crowd. Was she more talented? This was not the reason they gave me as they asked if I would accept a smaller one liner in the film as opposed to the lead role I would have had. No contract except a verbal one so I am lucky I got the offer I guess. No, the reason they gave me as I bit my tongue nearly off is, "She will draw in the crowds." Not that the other three Hollywood names wouldn't do the same but she had a fan base.
Think about it. What if they found the most talented people and put them in a movie? How many Hollywood A-listers would survive?
So really what this whole process does is give us a fair to mediocre product. No the American Public doesn't need more. Thank you facebook and twitter for making instant gratification the only way to get a job in this town. I kid you not there are now auditions where if you don't get your information in within 30 minutes the you don't get to audition. Someone please tell me how the most talented and capable are supposed to keep an eye out at every moment for these gigs? Hopefully these are the people working. As much as I try, I very often miss these opportunities because I don't like having my phone on set. There are already too many people not talking to one another, why add to the problem?Sure these people may have talent, but what about the other more talented people. You want to know why Hollywood folks are so happy to be working. Because they know more talented people who aren't. They know exactly how fortunate they are to be working. I have seen actors that would make the Hollywood elite blanch with inferiority. I have watched performances so groundbreaking Broadway itself would tremble. Yet these actors, these talented amazing many, will never get their day in the sun because of a popular consensus. "You aren't a friend of mine or on TV, so you must not be any good." It is a weird idea that if you are working you must have talent. No, if you are working in the biz you must be popular. Good is all relative.
Think of this. Tom Hulce put on a groundbreaking performance in AMADEUS. Still one of my favorites of all time. Why isn't he working? Where is he? Where have all those brilliant actors of old gone?
The casting folks weed through the smallest area for the brightest diamond, when one that is one hundred karats is just outside that line. People hire people they have worked with before, even though
a more capable actor works next door from the location. They hire famous people, even though the next Jennifer Lawrence is somewhere in the ether. It really is unfortunate. And how can they be expected to put out the best product if they are pulling from and creating for the lowest common denominator?Is there anything you can do? Not really. Try harder, make more friends and do as many projects as you can to build up your followers as well as your talent.
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