There have been a lot of working (or not so working) actors out here who have given me a lot of advice on what to do and what not to do. And as a total novice to this industry, it’s been a process of figuring out what advice to take and what to leave. Many have said if I don’t feel like staying here for the next 10 years, I should just leave now. Some have told me to start in commercials. Others say soap operas. One told me to hide any indication (online and off) that I’m a Christian or have worked for conservative politicians in the past. It’s been a deluge of good, bad and ugly.

Basically, one of the paths (and probably the most viable) aspiring actors choose to take is this:

- Go to Samuel French Bookstore

- Pick up the Agent Workbook – Commercial

- Submit your headshot to every single commercial agent who needs someone like you

- Get picked up, start auditioning, book some commercials

- Audition for student films

- Eventually get picked up by a theatrical agent once you’ve got some solid credits under your belt

This will probably be what I start chipping away at once I’m back from the holidays (and thank you, Barak Hardley, for helping me with that), but I’m still shooting for the stars. Meaning, I’m willing to hop on ActorsAccess.com every day and submit myself for every possible role (provided a shred of me fits what the casting directors are looking for) if it gives me the experience I need to get a manager and theatrical agent.

I’ve also had incredible opportunities to meet with people on the opposite side of the industry from me. Particularly, one casting director and manager have been *so* kind as to meet with me, introduce me to people and point me in the right direction. Yesterday I had a meeting with a management company. The gentleman took one look at me and told me I need to be playing 18-24 year olds. And then subsequently told me my headshots make me look too pudgy, too ethnic, too old, and too unlike myself. The casting director, whose name is Julie, by the way. I’m going to call her Julie instead. Ahem. Julie told me she believes I should market myself as the girl next door, since almost everyone who looks at me is going to liken me to Katie Holmes in the Joey Potter phase, so I need to beat them to the punch.

So, as of this moment, my plan of attack is to come back from the holidays and get into a great acting class (fingers crossed I’ll get in with Adrian Brody’s acting coach. She’s fantastic, from what I’ve heard.). Then it’s time for new, girl-next-door headshots. Which will lead me to submitting myself on Actor’s Access every single day, and building my iMDB page. Oh, and on that note, I’ll probably be reaching out to you all again to look me up on there once it’s built. People searching for names there increases the person’s “Star Meter Rating” and that’s important, from what I hear. : )

Things are certainly lining up to be encouraging out here, but I’m still firmly planted in reality. Does the help and guidance from these people help? Definitely. Does it secure success? No. I could never book an audition. I could fall on my face and never be able to recover. Heck, for those of you who know me well, I could never stop breaking out in hives during auditions and no casting director would ever want to hire me (unless they’re looking for a leprosy-ridden 18-24 year old). You just never know. There’s a partial science in this industry, but there’s also a level of kismet I have no control over.

But I’m willing to work at it.

For now. : )