I have a seven year old who started in the business four years ago. In the last year and a half she’s really hit her stride. She has booked six commercials, two voiceovers, and one print job. Her agents and managers are so thrilled with her and couldn’t wait for pilot season. But, she got very few auditions and not one callback. How hard is it for a child to crossover from commercials to roles in TV or films? Are we being unrealistic to think she can? She loves the work and is at home in front of the camera and has the talent. What are we missing?

First off, if she’s enjoying the work, that’s the most important thing. Staying focused on what she enjoys doing (and not on the bookings) will make a big difference in the way she learns to value the experience of working as an actor. So, just a gentle reminder from a former child actor, here, that you must keep your enthusiasm levels high over the work itself, not the bookings.

With that said, some actors (of any age, really) are simply better suited for commercial acting than theatrical/legit roles. That is not to place a higher value on one or the other — nor is it to say that actors won’t go through stages when they’re only booking one type of work and then the other — but your daughter may be ready to rock commercials and print, but not so ready to book the feature film and television gigs. I don’t think that’s necessarily anything to “fix,” if she’s loving the work that she’s doing and finding success in it. In fact, I know quite a few actors who say they moved from New York to LA because, “Broadway wasn’t loving me,” or LA actors who say they moved to New York because they weren’t booking the television roles they wanted. Not every actor is going to mesh with every potential gig.

I’m assuming your daughter is taking a good on-camera class for kids already, for you to say she feels at home in front of the camera. If that’s not the case, do investigate some kids’ classes, as the “problem” (not that I think there really is a “problem,” per se) could be that she doesn’t know how to adjust from commercial acting to film or episodic styles. Perhaps you could use the time between now and episodic season to investigate that. And, since you have a good relationship with her agents and managers, you could even set up appointments to have your daughter do a few “mock auditions” for them, being open to whatever notes they may provide, after seeing her work in those simulations.

Finally, don’t worry about it! I know that’s easier said than done. Just remember that you want your daughter to have fun and enjoy the journey for as long as she chooses to pursue acting. Most child actors don’t care whether they get a callback or a booking, as getting to play in the preread is often just as much fun as getting to play on a set (in fact, it’s usually more fun because it’s over faster and there’s no tutor to spend most of the day with, when it’s “just” an audition). Go ahead and do a little investigation into what the causes for the “theatrical slump” might be, but don’t over-think any of it. You’ve got plenty of time to see what works and what doesn’t work, in terms of career choices for your daughter. For now, it should just be loads and loads of fun!

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/000222.html. Please support the many wonderful resources provided by the Breakdown Services family. This posting is the author’s personal archive.