mike romo

I got one after my final recital in college. It was absolutely fantastic and I will never, ever forget it.

I always get annoyed when I hear actors tell other people who are interested in acting, “Well, my advice, is that if you can do anything else, if you are interested in ANY thing else…do that.”

I am never sure if they are just saying this to look cool, or to weed out the competition, or what. Being an actor is hard, but anything worth doing is hard. There are just a few things that I have learned:

- you can’t give yourself a time limit (ie, “If I don’t do xxxx by 5 years then I will do something else”) – being a professional actor is, above all, a process, it really is a way of life. There are SO may ups and downs, especially when you are actually out there auditioning….thick skin—yeah, you need it.

- it’s emotionally draining for awhile—you can NAIL an audition, you can leave there feeling you got the part, that you deserved it…and it really doesn’t matter. “Better” actors get passed up all the time for people who look more appropriate for the rest of the production, especially for film/tv. In theatre, there’s a lot more leeway, which makes the transition from stage to film and tv that much more frustrating.

- Stanislavsky’s writings and techniques are great for stage. They are NOT so useful for film and TV: how could they be? The guy died before TV was created. Television and film require one to be much more subtle, more real, and LESS stressed. This is, by far, the hardest thing to accept, and the sooner stage actors drop the (great) habits and tricks they have developed, the faster their screen career will grow. I have been resistant to this for awhile, but as I work out more in my classes, I have accepted it…acting is acting, but the camera is a different audience than your east village blackbox theatre. Both require you to live naturally under unnatural circumstances, but the treatement is just a bit different. One is not better (or easier) than the other, they are just different.

- Once acting stops being fun, take a step back and focus on the other parts of you life. You can always come back to acting. Having a full, happy life makes you a better actor, really. Be healthy, experience different places, take different classes, hang out with different people, different jobs…but experience LIFE—it will let you bring more to your performances.

Most of all? Never give up. There are tons of actors out there who are going to give up before you do. Be realistic with your expectations…this is a crazy life and it takes TIME to get anywhere in ANY profession…acting is no different..

Break a leg!

-mike

So, I got to LA three years ago and it’s only now that I have 3 agents (commercial/theatrical/voiceover) and a manager. My manager helped me get all three and his faith in me is one of the main reasons why I have been so lucky to have a fighting chance here in LA.

I am on my third commercial agent, and I have a learned a few things:

- just cuz you have an agent, it doesn’t necessarily mean you are going to start auditioning more

- mailings don’t really work

- those classes you can take with agents and the like are usually not worth your time BUT are worth checking out a few times to get some practice in

- you gotta keep looking for work; your agent will help with the contracts and that kind of thing, but you have to be an active partner

- it’s a business: if your agent is not getting you out a few times a month at least—and this lasts for 4-6 months, then you need a new one. we don’t have all the time in the world!

- if you can find a manager whom you trust, count yourself lucky!

- don’t annoy your agent by calling every week to find out why you are not going out

- but don’t let two months go by, either

- once you do start going out, show up to the auditions on time, be prepared, be professional and do your best…then forget about it. if you get called back, great, otherwise don’t sweat it. and don’t call your agent to find out why you didn’t get something.

the biggest thing? Perseverence. It will work out but you really, really, can’t give up.

good luck!