Two emails this week:
I just read your most current Showfax article and loved it as usual. One thing really stuck with me because it makes good sense. I’m stuck in co-star mode for the past few years. I have nine TV speaking credits and all of them are co-stars. I don’t have theatrical rep either, but I was always wondering if having that many co-stars was possibly hurting my chances to get a guest star or series regular audition. Five of the credits are network TV, and four are daytime drama. How many do you think I should cut out? I’d love your input on this one.
I actually would have a couple different versions of my resumé, if I were you. One would be geared toward daytime TV and the other toward primetime episodics. Then, on the network primetime episodic resumé, you could cut out one or two of the older credits, if they’re more than three or four seasons old (or on shows that are no longer on the air). But in terms of risk-assessment, I would imagine the regularity with which you are hired to work on primetime television is going to be beneficial, when “buyers” of such shows are reviewing your resumé. As for the daytime TV items, I would keep one or two of those on your network primetime episodic resumé. So, without seeing your actual resumé, my suggestion would be to pare down a little bit (cut two of each type of credit) and list, at the “Television” header, the word “selected” in parentheses. That way, anyone who wants to ask what has been omitted from your resumé can do so, but you don’t run the risk of pigeonholing yourself as a career co-star before you’ve even been invited into the room.
> The second email is from a manager friend of mine who runs a great kid actor resource site at BizKidsTG.com.
Excellent article Bon and one I think is really important. My husband worked for an insurance company that insured films and television shows. When it comes to risk assessment, they too will weigh in at the end of the day. I know of quite a few actors that are uninsurable because of previous claims that the company had to pay out. They include some top names, everyday actors, as well as a few kids. Actors need to know from the beginning that their behavior can mess up getting a job. It means being a professional from the very beginning to the very end on stage and off stage. It’s one of those facts-of-life deals. It may not be fair but its the way it is.
Right on! I think one of the most frustrating parts of the industry for most people is the concept of fairness and how infrequently there is any semblance of it, in the decisions that are made. That said, once you can wrap your brain around the inherent lack of fairness to it all, you begin to focus on what — as a performer — you can control about navigating the business. And one of the factors definitely in your control is how insurable you are (and how big a risk you may appear to be, to those in positions to take the risk on you). We may see an awful lot of nonsense in the tabloids from “stars” who make it look like partying is rewarded with major roles in studio feature films, but we have to remember that these folks were famous first, and THEN rebellious. No one is eager to take a risk on an unknown commodity who also behaves recklessly. Taking a risk on a star who has fallen is somehow more “okay.” Fair? No. But we already know the status of fairness in this biz.
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/000457.html. Please support the many wonderful resources provided by the Breakdown Services family. This posting is the author’s personal archive.