Dear Bonnie,

I could choose one path or the other, but where I live, it’s difficult to make a living as either a casting director or an actor. Nearly all the professional actors I know have other jobs. The other casting directors here supplement their casting income by teaching, working in other markets, or doing other things besides casting. I’d appreciate your thoughts. Thanks so much.

Hi! And thanks for writing. Of course, I’m a big fan of the hyphenate lifestyle. I write these columns, I author books for actors, I speak to groups of actors all over town and beyond, I produce showcases, and I cast awesome indie films. I love the “every day is different” part of my life. And I know that I am a better writer (and speaker) for actors due to my work in casting and producing. I have more to draw from because of those other facets of my work. Win-win.

That said, I have absolutely faced criticism by fellow casting directors who say I shouldn’t be producing showcases, writing for actors, speaking to groups of actors outside of speaking engagements directly related to my casting gigs. Heck, my application to join the CSA was rejected a few years back because no one knew for sure whether this was just another “thing” I was trying out or if I really had a career in casting “in me.” Being a hyphenate is delightful, but those who feel they HAVE TO pick only ONE THING they love and only do that might take swipes at us for being so dang happy doing so dang much… and that’s just part of the deal, I’m afraid.

Granted, the amount of stress I might feel over living a hyphenate lifestyle (note: that amount is next to NONE. I love my careers — plural — and wouldn’t trade ’em to avoid criticism) is nothing compared to what actor-slash-casting-directors experience. Actor-hyphenates are really at the bottom of the ranks, it seems. My husband is an actor and in addition to helping me in my casting business and producing duties, he also works in a casting office for a very popular TV series, runs our publishing company, has been hired to script doctor a few screenplays I’ve been hired to cast, and is working in production on several projects with a team of producers we’ve worked with previously. Other people in his life have made no secret that they find this “overlap” distasteful and a poor choice for his acting career. I say they just don’t get it and are probably jealous.

I don’t know who’s right. I understand why agents and managers want their actors available full-time to go on auditions and attend CD workshops to get a higher TV profile or whatever. I also understand that an actor who is making much deeper and more significant relationships with people at a level way above what can happen in a CD workshop is doing something very good for his career. And missing a student film audition for a lunch date with an Emmy-winning showrunner is just not a bad thing, in my opinion.

To wit, my husband spent two days on-set with some of the biggest names in this business recently due to a casting job I had. One day on the set, he was there as the casting liaison. He was such a help to them on that day, they wrote in a part for him the following day. So, how is it possible that his hyphenate lifestyle damaged his chances as an actor? There wasn’t even a ROLE for him or his type, going in. These guys now worship him for the hard work he did on the casting and production side of things, know he’s an actor, rewarded him with a role, and can’t wait to work with him again — in any capacity. To me, that’s a textbook example of how this industry works. You do good work — in ANY area — and it is rewarded. However, there are people who want to see this industry as linear and logical (Really? Eesh. Good luck with that!) and they really dislike those of us who go at it in any “non-standard” way.

In Los Angeles, there are about a dozen casting directors who also work pretty regularly as actors. That’s not a lot, considering there’s like 600 of us casting here in LA. I know of one busy actor/casting director in Chicago. I’m sure there is at least one in New York. Point is, it’s not common to work both sides of the table, but absolutely it can be done. Most of the CDs I know who also work as actors do not cast themselves in projects because they feel it would look like they can only book work as actors when they’re the ones filtering the talent to producers! So, some will only act in commercials while only casting theatrical projects, or vice-versa. Of course, if they’re hired to cast a project and the producers insist they work as actors in that project, most won’t say no. Just ask Phyllis Smith of The Office.

Here’s the specific part of your email that concerns me: Submitting yourself on projects you’re casting. It’s tacky. It’s also, depending on how your deal memo is worded, potentially a violation of your contract with those who hire you. For example, I have in my deal memo a clause that states that no one outside of those who have hired me for the job has paid me to consider any one actor in higher favor than another, for any role. Because you would experience financial gain by being cast in a project you were casting, that could be seen as a violation of such a clause (but I know things are more casual in minor markets and you may not be too worried about including an ethics clause in your deal memos or aspiring to join the casting union someday). Still, it’s a slippery slope.

More importantly, I’d imagine, is that if you become known as the casting director who will always pitch himself for a role in the projects he’s hired to cast, you’re going to find it tougher and tougher to get work. (Granted, your acting may be so amazing that it’s seen as a bonus to hire you for casting AND get you signed on as an actor. I don’t know and don’t want to assume either way.) But if anyone is turned off by your self-submission practices, you could find it becoming more challenging to get casting work. Not sure how important that is to you, but it’s something to consider.

Look, I was an actor for many years. Sometimes I’ll read with an actor in a producer session and after the actor leaves the room, a producer will turn to me and say, “Let’s cast YOU!” And I always reply, “Nah. Thanks. I’m retired from that part of my career.” It’s a nice thing for them to say, yes I have the chops for it, no I’m not interested in doing it. The reason I bring this up is because I believe any producer who hires you — especially in a small market where the talent pool is not so huge — is going to know that you’re an actor and, if he believes there’s a role for you in the project, he’s gonna mention it to you. (You said such a thing has happened.) Think about how your eyes are always scanning for people who might be right for a role, even when you’re not in an actor-saturated environment! When we’re looking for someone to cast, we’re usually open to all options. Trust that the folks who hire you as a casting director will ask you to be in the mix as an actor when they want you to be in the mix as an actor, and otherwise do the job they hired you to do: cast their project. It’s going to make your life much less complicated and it’ll be that much cooler when they do suggest that you do the acting gig too.

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/000926.html. Please support the many wonderful resources provided by the Breakdown Services family. This posting is the author’s personal archive.