In 1999, as a young actress, I showed up for my first day of work as a “floater temp” at the offices for what was then called Back Stage West. I had decided — after having been burned the first time I lived in LA — that I would never again have a “golden handcuffs” job and would only ever take disposable gigs that would lend themselves to an unpredictable auditioning lifestyle.

Floating at BSW was great. I could cover a desk when someone was out, learn about the changes in the industry since my time away at grad school, and make a little money too. And then one day I covered the desk of someone whose job included a beat called “Casting Ouch.” Rob Kendt — then editor-in-chief and future associate publisher — gave me the specs, told me what he needed, and went back to his office.

Within a half-hour, he stood over my shoulder with a printout of what I had written up. “What is this?” he asked. “Um… it’s what you said. It’s the thing with the stuff… just like you needed.” “Yeah,” he said, “It’s also exceptionally well written, fact-checked, and grammatically perfect… and I just gave you the assignment a minute ago. Who are you?”

Damn. I was about to let the editor of *the* actor’s trade paper of the day know that I had not one but two journalism degrees. This was NOT the way to avoid golden handcuffs.

After turning down the first two jobs Rob offered me, I accepted the third: a freelance gig, interviewing casting directors. Bam! Best actor job ever! I could go into the offices of people who would *not* see me if I showed up with a headshot and resumé, but because I showed up with a microcassette recorder and reporter’s notepad, they welcomed me. “Come on in! Sit through sessions. Wanna hang out as we discuss selects with producers? Maybe that’ll help your article.” Participatory journalism? Dude. This was badass as hell!

Within six months, it was clear to me that acting was the bait that got me to Los Angeles (twice), but it was not what I was meant to do. My life’s work was meant to be the demystification of this glorious industry. I was here to write about the casting process and the business of acting — something that, in 1999, was NOT talked about very much. Back then, there were no casting directors blogging or vlogging or teaching about their process. How did you learn how not to mess up in their office? Get into their office and hope to God you didn’t mess up. How could you learn how to get into their office in the first place? Good luck. Because back then, very few people were sharing their toys.

This industry was a different place 15 years ago, and I had to go into some of those casting offices with a crowbar, begging the top casting folks to share a bit about how actors could rock that room. Some CDs flat-out said no to being interviewed. When I did the piece on “How to Become a Casting Director,” one commercial casting director said, “Why on Earth would I want to give someone the tools to take a job away from me? Hell no.”

I suppose that’s like that generation of folks who wouldn’t tell you how to get a SAG card or whom would never refer you to their agency. “It was hard for me, so it has to be hard for you. Figure it out like I did. I had to walk uphill both ways to school.” Okay, grandpa. Tell that story again. Man, I don’t know about you, but I am soooooo glad that generation of “mine mine mine — I will NOT share my toys” is dying off.

Now, even the casting director whose “Casting Ouch” I covered 15 years ago is writing an advice column. People who previously kept trade secrets secret are hip to the fact that the more information we ALL make available to one another, the better this entire industry is. Period.

To this day, I hold the record for the most casting directors interviewed by a single person on the planet, which is damn cool. One of the things that interviewing all those hundreds of CDs did for me (aside from getting me *into* casting 11 years ago) was put me in the unique position to speak about the trends in this business. I am the first to say that there is no ONE way to make it in this industry, but I’m able to speak to *patterns* that exist, due to how very many people I’ve spent quality time with, in 15 years of writing for actors.

Fifteen years? Wow. That’s kind of staggering to think about. Pretty much every week for 15 years, I’ve churned out a few hundred (or a few thousand) words for actors. I am so freakin’ grateful to Rob Kendt for starting me out, to Bob Brody and Gary Marsh for bringing me over here to Actors Access 10 years ago, to every casting director who welcomed me in for extensive convos about their process and their love for actors over the years, and OF COURSE to every actor whose readership is why these weekly columns continue to exist.

I often talk about how Self-Management for Actors came together via every question I was ever asked as a follow-up to something I had covered in my column. At a recent speaking engagement, I was asked about that: “Why is your book so engagingly conversational, even though it’s a textbook?”

Because we’re engaging in conversations here, every week. I am writing because you ask great questions. I am writing because you are hungry for good information, presented in a no-bullshit manner. I am writing because you agree to meet me here every week and I am thrilled that we get to jam like this.

If you had told me 15 years ago that my “floater temp” gig at Back Stage West would turn into all that’s come to pass in my life, I’d never have believed it. I’ve toured the world teaching Self-Management for Actors; I’ve cast Oscar winners in award-garnering festival darlings; and I’ve churned out something in the neighborhood of 2 million words on the topic of this beloved industry of ours — words that are all archived, free, and searchable, thanks to the Internet.

Man, I am so grateful for this journey and for your part in MY life. So, this week’s column is basically a thank-you to every single one of you — past, present, and future — for intersecting with me here. What an honor! Truly.

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/001812.html. Please support the many wonderful resources provided by the Breakdown Services family. This posting is the author’s personal archive.