Acting in LA: How to Become a Working Actor in Hollywood

By Kristina Sexton

Each year, hundreds of aspiring and experienced actors head to LA hoping to make it big in Hollywood. While many of them have their acting chops in shape, few realize what it actually takes to survive in Tinseltown. Even if they happen to make it onto a set, many are clueless about what’s expected of them and how they should behave. Acting in LA: How to Become a Working Actor in Hollywood is exactly what these actors need: a handbook to arriving, surviving, and thriving on- and off-set in LA.

Written by veteran Hollywood actor, acting coach, and acting teacher Kristina Sexton, this comprehensive guide takes no prisoners. With just enough snark to keep readers entertained—and on their toes—Acting in LA delivers solid advice on such topics as:

Headshots, resumes, and reels

How to find your “image” and market it

The SAG/AFTRA debate

Networking

Agents and managers

The importance of creating your own opportunities

Maintaining a life outside of acting

Setiquette

On-set terminology

And much more

A comprehensive guide that can be utilized by actors either inside or outside Hollywood, Acting in LA relies on Kristina’s real-life experience as a working actress and exposes the pleasures, pitfalls, and practicalities of pursuing a career in acting.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Allworth
• Release date: Nov 21, 2017
• ISBN: 9781621536239

Book preview

INTRODUCTION

I teach and coach acting the way I would have wanted to learn when I entered the professional acting world after graduate school. I had excellent performance training, but I had no idea how to work, much less consistently, in show business. I had meetings that I would give an appendage to have again, but I had no idea what to do or say at the time. I didn’t know what was expected of me beyond being a great actor. That part I had down. The rest? Clueless. That’s why I wrote this book, in the hopes that I can show you how to avoid the mistakes I made and be successful as you navigate this cockamamie but fun world of show business.

I’m a blunt coach with a mouth like a sailor most of the time, but I truly love my actors and want them all to be as successful as they can be. At times, it may seem like I’m giving you obvious information, but over the years, I have found how often the obvious is neglected. Other times, it may seem as though I’m asking the impossible of you, but trust me, I see people succeed in this business every single day. That’s what keeps me here—well, that and the fact no one should ever entrust me with a nine to five job, because we would both be sorry.

So much of what I have written here can be classified as common sense but not common information. All of it makes sense once you receive it, but it’s difficult to actually get the information. What I am saying is, read everything in this book, and then do it. It can’t hurt you. Chances are if you aren’t working as much as you want to be as an actor, it’s because you are deficient in some way. Most often, your deficiency lies in the area of the book that you thought you had covered, so you skipped it. Don’t skip it. Read it. Do your best with it. If you do all of the work and you still aren’t getting regular work, then—and only then—track me down to help you. Don’t stalk me if you haven’t done all of the work. I will probably kick your butt, tell you to read it again, and then send you back out there to put it into practice. If I have any personal recommendations for any of the services I have listed, you will find them on the website that accompanies this book: www.ActingInLABook.com. I don’t take any kickbacks from anyone for those recommendations. If I list them, it’s because I know that they have taken care of my actors in the past, or I know that those people won’t screw you out of your money.

So, start reading! Get working!

Thank me later.

PART 1

GETTING A LIFE ON SET

1

HOW HOLLYWOOD WORKS

You have to understand the basics of the game if you want to play. Hollywood isn’t as complicated as it feels, but you have to build yourself a foundation. Foundation starts here.

Hollywood is a small town where people want to make lots of money while playing with their friends. If those friends are the cool kids, there’s probably more money involved, and if playtime means getting to do what you love while making the world a better place, bonus points. Sure, there are wonderfully grand, world-changing pieces that can create unimaginable results, but on the whole, it’s about getting paid to play with your friends. Once you accept that basic tenet of show business, you can really start to play.

It would be fantastic if you were discovered at the local soda shop by Mr. Bigshot Director, who says, Kid, I’m gonna make you a star! If that does happen, go for it, and work your butt off so you can keep it up as long as possible. But working actors can do some things to help build an enduring career. Because that’s the goal, right? Longevity. Sustainability. Paying-your-bills-while-doing-what-you-love ability.

To do that, you need to find your people. Your people are the people whose brains meld with yours. You’re excited to share ideas with each other, you challenge each other artistically, and you just have fun sharing a beer while you commiserate about the injustices of the world. These are your people. They’re going to be your community in LA. That community can be you and one other person, or it can be you and an entire army. It doesn’t matter. The key is that you find your people and start working with them, because here’s the thing: As much as it seems otherwise, acting is not a solo sport. Nope. In its most basic form, acting requires a minimum of two brains: one to create the acting and one to observe it. Think about it. You can deliver the greatest monologue ever to your bedroom mirror (Side note: Please do not act in front of a mirror!), but if no one is there to see it, did it really happen? No, it didn’t. It doesn’t matter what your ego says. It didn’t.

Finding your people is a career-long activity. Some will come, some will go, and many a mistake will be made along the way, but that’s the life of a professional artist. Work with each other for as long as you are growing together. The only thing that gets proven day after day in this town is that when you work with your people, you all rise together. You most certainly won’t all rise at the same rate, because that would be far too easy, but you will rise. You will look back ten years from now and see how far you all have come. And don’t compare yourselves to each other. Stop comparing yourself to anyone. Now. Seriously. There is no point except if you want to pay your therapist an exorbitant amount of money for your inability to let crap go.

If you’re thinking, I’m an island. I don’t need people. I’ll be the greatest actor ever, and I’ll do it all myself, then it’s just going to take you that much longer to start working consistently. As an actor, you are one member of a collaborative process. If you don’t want to be part of a team, start making videos for the internet from your underground bunker, and turn the comments section off. (Trust me, never read the comments section if you’re even remotely sane.)

Speaking of your sanity, accept that you are probably at least a little off if you want to be an actor. Completely sane people like to know when they’re going to be paid again. They also like regular hours, paid vacations, and the dependability of seeing the same damn faces day in and day out for an endless stretch of eternity. Sane people require stability in life. As an actor, you might as well consider yourself a professional gambler. On second thought, don’t do that. At least professional gamblers know when the next poker match will be. You don’t even get to know when you might get an audition, much less get paid for your acting. Yes, you have chosen a career that is less stable than professional gambling. Excellent choice! But it’s what you love, so jump in!

At the most basic level, actors are storytellers. Storytelling is the oldest tradition in the world—well, that and prostitution. Maybe it’s no coincidence that, historically, both vocations have been grouped together. (Prostitutes should really find a way to clear their good names.) Storytelling provides the opportunity for connection, catharsis, and emotional development between people. It is an honorable profession. Some stories have been broadcast around the world and changed the thoughts of countless people. There have also been rerun of a silly kids’ show where the actor’s spit take was the only thing that made a sick kid in a hospital giggle that day. Both types of work are important. Both are admirable in their own way. Both offer a shared experience between humans that creates some sort of emotion. That is art. That is why we do what we do. We do it in the service of others. Our acting is a service we provide the world to promote change, healing, and growth. Remember that the next time you don’t want to tell someone you’re an actor. You are the person who is willing to use yourself as a tool to help other people feel. It can be difficult, and it can be fun, but it’s what you know in your heart you should be doing, so own it. You’re an actor. Now it’s time to become a working actor.

2

ACTING

Stepping into the world of professional acting in Hollywood can be massively overwhelming. You have to set yourself up for success if you want to have a chance at succeeding. This is a career in which you will never stop learning, so embrace the unpredictable adventure with endless curiosity and a thick skin.

Whether you just graduated from the most highly acclaimed MFA program in the world or you’ve never said lines out loud before, it doesn’t matter when it comes to working on your acting skills. You have to work on them. Consistently. And that is a hard thing to do when you have three auditions across town from each other, during which the highest level of character development will be to act purply. Yeah, sometimes you have to wonder how you missed learning how to act purply when you were dropping a hundred grand on your higher education, but I digress.

There isn’t an option here. You have to stay in shape with your skills in tune. You are not the exception. Get over yourself. If you were a professional guitarist, would you ever consider getting up to play every night without practicing or tuning your instrument first? And a guitar is an inanimate object that is not affected by emotions, holding down a soul-sucking day job, or its mother not understanding why no one will give it a shot.

Remember when you were killing it in the gym, doing your cardio six days a week, strength training like a beast, and ready to run a marathon? If you did run a marathon, you probably did pretty well. But if it has been a few months since you were on the regular cardio track and you’ve discovered the wonders of In-N-Out, maybe signing up for this weekend’s marathon isn’t the best idea. And yet, actors try stupid crap like that all the time. You will never do your best work if you are relying on your former glory. One of the reasons you see the same actors working over and over again is because they work all the time and are always primed for the next job.

So, consider one of your day jobs to be keeping your acting chops in shape. LA has some really great theatres and acting classes as well as some really shitty ones. There is no end all, be all actor training available anywhere (sorry to break your long-dead Russian heart, Mr. Stanislavski). Find what works for you. You might find a great studio that becomes your family and stay with it for a lifetime. Or perhaps you have commitment issues and you like to explore new studios every few months to keep things fresh. If that’s more your style, try to stick with a studio a little longer than you think you should so you can mine everything possible from it. In the end though, it’s whatever floats your actor boat. Just work on your acting at least a few days each week.

I am constantly asking my actors to trust their gut. Sometimes your gut needs some fine-tuning and training. Honesty and listening with a point of view should be your primary goals when acting. Are you responding with the genuine point of view of your character in the circumstance of the scene? Are you allowing your point of view to come through without trying to push or show it? Does it feel like you’re kind of doing nothing? If you’re answering yes to these questions, then you’re probably in the right territory. If you can’t tell, then you need some training. If you are delusional and/or not booking, then have an acting coach or acting teacher take a look and see if you are on the right track. The most important question I ask my actors is, Did you feel that? I probably sound like a weird porn director to anyone listening to my coaching, but it works, so there. I specifically ask that question, because there is a certain feeling that courses through your body when you are living it out truthfully. You need to learn to recognize it. You need to be able to not only identify it for yourself but also to repeatedly get there, under any acting circumstances. If you feel inconsistent in your ability to attain that feeling, or if you don’t fully grasp what that feeling is, then you probably need to consider some acting classes or acting coaching.

Keep in mind, LA has a heavy guru culture. Perhaps it’s because the city is so spread out and isolating that people feel the need to belong to a group. Whatever the case, the result is that a lot of acting studios feel cultish. Keep your eyes peeled for that cult-like nature. It is totally fine if you are comfortable in that environment, but don’t ever lose sight of the basic facts. You’re an actor. You don’t need to be in a permanent group to continue being an actor. Make no mistake: Every acting studio benefits financially by making you feel as though you cannot succeed without them. You can. You can also succeed with them. The important thing to remember is to not let yourself be led mindlessly. Choose what is best for you and your career. Don’t let other people influence you excessively.

Know when to get coached. I’m slightly biased here, since I’m an acting coach, but I’m being honest. If you are not getting consistent callbacks or fantastic feedback from your auditions, then you probably need coaching on how to audition. An acting coach can help you figure out a deeper level of text analysis, what the writer has written in script code, or discover how said analysis looks best on you as an individual with your unique skillset. A good acting coach can also help you get your confidence up to booking level and more. When you are getting coached, you should be learning stuff about the script and yourself during your session. Work with coaches who are honest while still being supportive. Stay away from any coach who makes you feel as though you cannot act without his or her guidance. A good acting coach will teach you how to work without them for the easy stuff and with them in the trenches for the tough stuff.

Quick refresher: Acting involves at least two brains. You need to act with another human being (or three) to actually be acting. Your mirror does not count as an acting partner. You need a person to say words with you, give you the opportunity to listen, respond, and offer some sort of feedback. Can’t you hear your drama teachers of the past praising listening in full Greek chorus? They were right. Maybe they weren’t right about the mime and kabuki work, but they were damn right about the listening. Act with other people all the time like it’s, oh, I don’t know, your job! Because it is your job!

Another part of your job: Auditioning. As much as you might hate auditioning, it’s part of the job. You have to get over it. Auditioning is part of

Reviews for Acting in LA

[tomdonaghey · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

ACTING IN LA by Kristina Sexton is a nice introduction to breaking into the Hollywood acting scene.You are from a small town, a small high school, but you were the star of the stage in every production. You knew all your lines and, more over, how to deliver them for greatest impact. Your voice was great, never a dropped note, and you could emote through the song into having the audience eating from your hand. With dancing you were good enough naturally to allow you to hoof it through any production without making a fool or yourself. Be it comedy, drama, musical, farce, whatever, you were the lead people came to see.And they all said you should go to Hollywood where your talents would make you a superstar.They just didn’t tell you how to break into the biz.Ms. Sexton gives you a guide to the working world of the movies and television. She has been a working actor in several movies and several television series as well as writing, director and producing several small movies of her own. It appears her knowledge has been hard won, which is great for you as she shines lights onto the right doors and avenues of approach to allow you to smoothly transition from small time to big screen. Starting with a general view of how Hollywood works, she guides you into the world of unions, workshops, getting an agent, day jobs and, most important of all for the staring actor, money.Using her own and others experiences, with a great deal of wit, a dash of cynicism, and many lessons from the school of hard knocks, Ms. sexton gives you a good grasp on the “How To” of being a working actor.She isn’t trying to make you a better actor, which is the true method of achievement in showbiz. But she helps you to not waste time, energy, and that small amount of money you’ve been saving up, allowing you to focus on the important things, like actually acting.