When I was younger, everyone told me that I had “a face for radio.” But last year, I proved all the naysayers wrong when I landed a guest starring role on ABC Family’s hit TV show, “Greek.” You probably remember my work as COLLEGE STUDENT. As a refresher, I played a very complicated young man who wore a grey sweater, carried a backpack, and walked behind Spencer Grammar. You will have to pause the episode to see my face, but by all accounts, I stole the show.

My Big Break

So how does a kid without any formal training land a big Hollywood role? I became an extra, or “background artist.” Becoming an extra is not hard, and as long as there are crowd scenes in movies and TV shows, there will be a need for your services. Keep in mind that the pay isn’t much (minimum wage and meals), but if you are looking for some easy work to tide you over during these tough times, it might be what you’re looking for. Extra work may also help you build your credits to eventually get into the actor’s union, SAG.

Here are some of the steps to get started:

1. You need headshots. I knew a guy back in Jersey who sold his ‘87 Camaro to get headshots because someone once told him he looked like Lance Bass. But headshots needn’t be that expensive. If you’re not sure if extra work is for you, you might want to start out by getting a friend to photograph you or by bartering on Craigslist. You can check out photographers’ websites to see what types of poses they use. Here is an example of a headshot that books work:

This kid is smiling because he just booked another pilot!

2. Create an account on Actor’s Access and post a profile. This site charges a yearly subscription fee, but if you book two extra gigs it should pay for itself. This site is useful because it will email you postings for open casting calls and listings that meet your profile descriptions. Craigslist, once again, is a great source to find random casting calls and extra gigs. And best of all, it’s free.
3. After sending in your headshot, a casting director may call you in for an “audition.” This audition consists of you filling out a form with your suit size and having them take a Polaroid picture of your face. Most of the time they are looking for a “type” (ie, College Kid), so if you meet their description, you’re in.

Good luck…or rather, break a leg!

Tags: Hollywood, Job Ideas

This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 17th, 2009 at 10:51 pm and is filed under Previous Posts. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.