I’m a frequent reader of your column and I have a question I haven’t seen asked yet. I’ll be moving out to LA in the next year or so. I’ve read a few times now that the car that you drive around in can actually make a difference in the way that people in the industry perceive you. Is this true? If so, does that mean that it should be sporty BMW type vehicle or does it just need to be in nice working order and look like you’re not in danger when driving it? Also, do you think it is wiser to buy a car in California or elsewhere? I suppose my same line of thought would also be applicable to clothing. Is it smart to wear nice-looking clothes when going out? My question was inspired from your book Acting Qs — which is very helpful — when Daniel Bess is discussing how his agent took him to Armani Exchange to get new clothes and now that he dresses nicer he is getting more callbacks. Is this realistic? Thanks for all of your help that you provide all of us bumbling dreamers. Take care!

Let me start my answer with a bit of context, for those who have not read Danny’s interview in Acting Qs: Conversations with Working Actors (a book I co-authored with working actor Blake Robbins). The question we had asked Danny was: “What is your least favorite thing about being an actor?”

Ah, just the business. Just the whole notion of it as a business. They don’t call theatre “the business” like that. If you’re going to be an artist, you have to have a certain awareness of the business. What’s a good thing for me — since I don’t tend to focus on it — is that my manager started saying, “Dan, your feedback’s been great. You’re doing great auditions. You know how to do it all. We’re going to go to Armani Exchange and spend eight hundred dollars.” Honestly, I swear to God, I’ve been to test for a couple of things! I go in there wearing a nice fucking suit and this is such an image town that it makes a difference. It’s working! She was right. She knows how to play the game because she’s a producer. She knows all the bullshit you’ve got to do and how you’ve got to look and the car you’ve got to drive on set with. It makes a fucking difference! I’m starting to realize that I’ll play the game until I’ve got a name and then I’ll do whatever I want, go live in Italy, whatever.

Okay, so now that we’re all up to speed, let’s look at Danny’s specific situation. He came to LA and his first pilot (which was his first TV gig) was 24. He was signed for 20 episodes in the first season and suddenly went from being a very experienced theatre performer to a Hollywood “it kid” with the rest of the young actors on 24‘s first season. Most of them were doing the party circuit and really getting a lot of heat. So, when the heat died down from that and Danny was getting auditions and great feedback but not a lot of bookings, his manager decided to take advantage of “the image issue” and carefully craft a “hot, young, leading man” style for him to “wear” into every audition. It worked for the whole, “I am ready to book a seriously large role” mindset, and that translated into much more work for Danny than he’d had immediately following his successful run on 24.

Does everyone who comes to Hollywood need to drive a nice car and wear expensive clothing? No. Not by a longshot. In fact, many actors ride bikes and take public transportation to auditions and get cast all the time! For some character actors, being “too stylish” would actually decrease their chances of being seen as “right” for the roles they’re best suited for. So, it’s not a RULE that having a nice car or killer wardrobe is going to help you in Hollywood.

That said, certainly there is a more image-conscious attitude in Hollywood than just about anywhere else you would attempt a professional career in acting. You should always show up to an audition looking professional and put-together, even if the character is slightly unkempt and casual. But I would look at buying a car or wardrobe that matches your “actor image” as a way-down-the-line luxury, for most actors. When you first come to Los Angeles, you’re going to be spending a great deal of money on rent, gas, parking tickets (it’s a rite of passage for the new-to-LA), headshots, classes, postage, etc. Just the baselevel survival items for working actors in LA will cost you quite a bit. And, once you arrive, you’ll find yourself spending a lot of time getting to know the area, finding out who does what, investing in relationships with others who can mentor you along the way, and simply getting comfortable with the flow of this place. Having sunk mucho bucks in a nice car or high-end wardrobe isn’t going to give you an edge early on. You’ll still have the same level of “learning curve” to climb, at first.

Since most people in a position to cast you won’t ever SEE your car (since you’ll have left it with the valet before entering a restaurant for a power meeting or parked on the street before going in for an audition) just get a good, safe, reliable car that gets good gas mileage and is easy to parallel park. Don’t spend so much on a car that you’ll cry when it gets its first ding or is broken into for the change in the ashtray or three CDs in the glove box. It’s gonna happen. Hazards of urban living! Make sure you get AAA road service and good insurance (most LA drivers are uninsured, so you really want to be sure you’re protected in case of hit-and-run, high-speed-chase, or any other manner of craziness). As for waiting ’til you get here or bringing a car with you, I guess just do the math. I brought my car from out-of-state back when there was a “smog impact fee” being collected by the state of California for cars brought into the state. It was basically a penalty for NOT buying a California-emissions-approved vehicle. Luckily, that fee was found unconstitutional and we all got our money back, plus interest, but even with that hefty tax, I saved money by bringing in my existing (paid-for) car. I do know people who wait to arrive and then buy a good used car with fine results, so I suppose it’s just a matter of what your specific needs are. Many actors come to LA and get a long-term rental car from Rent-A-Wreck while they get their bearings and decide what kind of car they need.

Good luck with your move! I’m sure you’ll look great, whatever you decide.

Bonnie Gillespie is living her dreams by helping others figure out how to live theirs. Wanna work with Bon? Start here. Thanks!

Originally published by Actors Access at http://more.showfax.com/columns/avoice/archives/000404.html. Please support the many wonderful resources provided by the Breakdown Services family. This posting is the author’s personal archive.