We’re incredibly happy to announce that veteran actor Scott Connors will be using Mastering the Business of Acting to teach the upcoming live acting class The Craft and the Business ..read more

  The saying goes like this: the audition starts when you enter the room and ends when you leave the room. Self-tapes, however, have changed that. Today, the audition starts when you enter the frame and when you leave the frame. Self-tapes actually present a huge opportunity for actors and actresses. Free from the pressure of audition rooms, you have extra time to prepare for auditions. If one take doesn’t work, shoot it again. You’re also able to tweak things in your recording space, that is the beauty of self-tapes. The advantages don’t stop there. In this post, I’ll dive into the posi ..read more

    The question of how to become a good actor is asked all the time by actors. It’s a good question, too—it’s a testament to understanding that actors should always be looking for ways to improve. I say there are three key stages when it comes to becoming an actor: Training Working Living. In this post, I’ll dive deep into each of these three stages and why they are so important to one another.   Aspect One: Training   "When looking for an acting class as an adult, make sure you look for red flags such as cold reading and auditing."   Training can mean a lot of th ..read more

  Can I Make A Living As An Actor? As with so many other questions I get about an acting career, my answer comes in two parts: Yes & No We define a working actor as someone who books a minimum of 4 acting jobs per year. Between those gigs and residuals and a non-lavish lifestyle, you could definitely make a living as a working actor.  This blog post is all about the financial realities of the working actor. Discipline and planning are key—make no mistake, the state of your finances will make or break your career.    Financial Planning Is Vital For Actors   Let’s s ..read more

Even before the pandemic changed our lives, online classes were taking off thanks to sites like Masterclass. Yet the pandemic has put the idea in overdrive—it seems like everyone has an online offering. For actors, training is vital, and online acting classes seem like a more convenient option. But before joining (or paying) for one, I want to share my thoughts on the true value these classes deliver. Like any acting class, value comes from setting expectations and understanding how they fit into your overall training as an actor. That’s why when someone asks me, are online acting classes more ..read more

Is Being An Actor Fun? This is one of those questions that’s easy to answer. The line by Daenerys in Game of Thrones comes to mind: “We all enjoy what we’re good at.” If you have talent and you're a good actor, of course you love being an actor. You get to perform, you get respect, the limelight, admiration, etc.  This begs the question: why wouldn't being an actor be a great thing? In this post, I’ll talk about my career and shed some light on the ups and downs actors will face on their own journeys. While there’s no job like acting, it’s important to help set expectations to make your c ..read more

Navigating the acting industry has taught me a lot these past 30 years. One thing that I see time and time again is the lack of education actors have on handling stardom. Nobody really spells out how to handle the fame and the status that comes with it. That’s why in this post I wanted to help actors overcome this challenge. I outline where the problem arises and how we as an industry can ensure actors know what to do with themselves once they reach a certain level of success.   The industry used to help actors handle stardom   In the golden years of Hollywood, the studios provided m ..read more

New York City or Los Angeles… Both cities attract aspiring actors for different reasons. LA, after all, is the country’s center of film and TV. New York, however, might be more attractive if you’re looking to get into the theater. Yet regardless of your career goals, I’m going to tell you that there’s only one right answer: LA. In this post, I’ll dive into the many benefits of moving to LA over NYC and why it’s a decision that will only benefit your career in the long run.     Why Move to LA   If you want to have a successful career and the freedom to call the shots, LA is undo ..read more

Most serious actors who’ve done extras work don’t like to draw attention to that fact. After the excitement and thrill of the extras work is gone—being on set, working around famous actors— reality sets in. They realize there’s nothing glamorous about being an extra.  Yet under the right circumstances, being an extra can be a good way to make money. In today's post, I’ll answer the most common questions I hear from actors about extras work.      Questions About Unions Answered   How Much Do Extras Get Paid?   Extras work pay varies with the type of produ ..read more

There’s no online course brand more popular than MasterClass. Users can find experts who teach everything from cooking to photography to… yes, acting. Samuel L. Jackson, Helen Mirren, Natalie Portman, and Steve Martin are among the instructors to date. If you're a fan of these actors, MasterClass is a win-win situation: you gain inspiration from them and also gain knowledge on the craft of acting. Yet I’ll say that MasterClass has one great flaw: these classes offer overviews and don’t get into any details that working actors need to know to make a career work. When it comes to the business of ..read more