I'm thinkin about going to a acting school so i can be in movies & tv shows. I have a good memory when it comes to memorizing lines from movies that i like so i know i could memorize lines for a movie or tv show. There aren't any acting schools in Cleveland so i don't know where to begin. I think what i'm gonna do is have some pictures taken of me & send them to a talent agency & see what happens. I know i wouldn't wanna live in LA or New York but if that's the career that i want, i'm gonna have to live in one of those cities. I want a career that i know i would enjoy doing instead of just having any job just to get paid. I'm trying to make some real money & meet entertainers & i know that would happen if i became a actor. I'm also trying to retire early from a career cause i don't wanna be working when i'm 60 yrs old. I read on BET.com a few weeks ago that Samuel Jackson has enough money to live off of so he wants to retire. That's a smart decision cause he's 55 yrs old. Have any of ya'll had dreams of becoming a actor & what advice do u have for me?

No offense, but you sound like an extremely LAZY person. People with your work ethic don't make alot of money. You seem to want to take the easy way out of everything and glide by. You are living in a fatasy world. It takes years of hard work and stuggling to be a successful actor. Besides, you are doing it for the wrong reasons. You want to hob knob with celebrities, meanwhile real actors do it for the love of their craft. It's time to grow up and get a REAL job.

Brian thanks for the positive feedback LOL. I'm not lazy at all & i don't wanna be a actor just to meet celebrities. I really do wanna act. If i'm not able to do movies, i would at least like to be on a tv show & do commercials. It's a lot of people who are actors who aren't good actors but they're on tv. Then u have rappers & singers who wanna be actors & they can't act.

Originally posted by isiahthomas
Brian thanks for the positive feedback LOL. I'm not lazy at all & i don't wanna be a actor just to meet celebrities. I really do wanna act. If i'm not able to do movies, i would at least like to be on a tv show & do commercials. It's a lot of people who are actors who aren't good actors but they're on tv. Then u have rappers & singers who wanna be actors & they can't act.

You can volunteer to be an extra. I've seen them all the time on movie sets in Toronto and Montreal. The only thing is, you don't get paid for your work. But if you look on the bright side, it would be a nice addition on your résumé. :)

Who doesn't want to be a celebrity of some sort? God, I'd give anything to have a life like that...but most likely it won't happen.

find an acting agency like john robert powers so they can evaluate you. i used to be involved with modeling agencies and i was gonna be in a magazine but i backed out cause im too lazy.

Just do it!
And don't care what anyone says about your acting unless it is constructive criticism, even from your acting teacher, if you go that route. Clint Eastwood's acting teacher told him to give it up; that he would never make it. I don't think I have to tell you who Clint Eastwood is. :cool:

If you do the talent agency thing, just make sure you check them out with the BBB(Better Business Bureau) before you sign anything.

And I say go for it! You never know what will happen. I think you know it is hard work but what job isn't. It might be that the hardest thing is the rejection, which you will get sometimes, but you just have to let it roll off your back and keep going.
I don't know if this was helpful to you,
but Good luck!

:wave:

It's EXTREMELY hard to get into the business unless you live near a city where agents are readily available- keep that in mind when considering schools
and resume build NOW, community theaters are great places to start (not sure how much experience you have already, but the more the better)

And to be perfectly honest- have a backup plan, at my community theater we call it "majoring in waitressing." To call it a competitive field would be an understatement.

Good Luck.:wave:

I'd love to either be a writer or a actress and i've had a chance at both. i could have been a extra in a movie, but i couldn't make it to Ohio, and i almost had a book published but they decided not to.

just live your dreams. if you wanna be a actor, i say go for it and good luck.

I used to want to act, but now I don't. I don't want to go thru life pounding the pavement, and I don't want to be famous. I want to go to the store and buy my Oreos and feminine products in peace.

I saw a ad in a employment guide that said if u wanna be a extra in movies or tv shows, u could make $200-$600 a week. So i called the company & they told me they were a talent agency. They said i had to send them $89.95 & some headshots of myself to get started. Ya'll think this is a scam?

I want to be a musical theater actor. I just made it into my first show which I am currently rehearsing for. This summer I plan on taking voice lessons, an acting class, and a dance class if I can. I am also planning on auditioning this summer for some community theatre's. I plan to major in musical theater in college too... so yep.

Originally posted by isiahthomas
I saw a ad in a employment guide that said if u wanna be a extra in movies or tv shows, u could make $200-$600 a week. So i called the company & they told me they were a talent agency. They said i had to send them $89.95 & some headshots of myself to get started. Ya'll think this is a scam?

If this is a talent agency then they probably will charge a fee. They are profit making organizations like any other service. But I would be leery about just sending them money. If possible I think it would be better to go there in person to check it out first. Or check with the Better Business Bureau. Good luck!:)

The talent agency i called is in California. I think it's in Hollywood & i don't have the money right now to fly out there to check out the agency. I will call the BBB though to see if they're legit. I would like to do commercials. I read somewhere that people make a lot of money doing commercials.

Originally posted by isiahthomas
I saw a ad in a employment guide that said if u wanna be a extra in movies or tv shows, u could make $200-$600 a week. So i called the company & they told me they were a talent agency. They said i had to send them $89.95 & some headshots of myself to get started. Ya'll think this is a scam?
I would do some research on the company...I was contacted by John Casablanca to see if I would be interested in modeling for them. I went and checked it out, and it turned out you had to pay for all there classes and for all these photo's...and it was basically a scam, so I passed on that one.

Models make good money. U don't have to be good lookin to be a model do u? I hope not cause when i look at these ads in magazines & i see the models they have, i be like ughh LOL. Black male model Tyson Beckford isn't handsome & neither is black female model Iman. I remember r&b singer Tyrese was a model for Polo or Guess i believe before he started singin. I remember when i first saw him do a commercial for Coca Cola when he was singin on the bus & his chin was pierced. I was like damn he's ugly LOL.

You do make alot of money doing commericials. You basically get a check everytime the commercial airs. My friend is an actor who's done several commercials and gets paid alot.

Originally posted by isiahthomas
Models make good money. U don't have to be good lookin to be a model do u? I hope not cause when i look at these ads in magazines & i see the models they have, i be like ughh LOL. Black male model Tyson Beckford isn't handsome & neither is black female model Iman. I remember r&b singer Tyrese was a model for Polo or Guess i believe before he started singin. I remember when i first saw him do a commercial for Coca Cola when he was singin on the bus & his chin was pierced. I was like damn he's ugly LOL.
um yeah...you have to be somewhat attractive...and you basically have to have a look that sells too...

A few years ago, I was a talent scout for a modelling agency in NY and yeah there is a certain look agencies are looking for. I remember booking several people who I thought were good looking only to have my boss shoot them down. One of the major things that a modelling agency will look at is your teeth. Good teeth are very important.

Originally posted by isiahthomas
Models make good money. U don't have to be good lookin to be a model do u? I hope not cause when i look at these ads in magazines & i see the models they have, i be like ughh LOL. Black male model Tyson Beckford isn't handsome & neither is black female model Iman. I remember r&b singer Tyrese was a model for Polo or Guess i believe before he started singin. I remember when i first saw him do a commercial for Coca Cola when he was singin on the bus & his chin was pierced. I was like damn he's ugly LOL.

All you have to do to become a model is be tall and skinny. :)

Originally posted by *A TV People*
All you have to do to become a model is be tall and skinny. :)

not true

Originally posted by Brian Damage
not true

Well what talent is there in it? All you do is walk down a runway and shake your ass, or your face gets all edited in a magazine.

Models are constantly scrutinized. Height, weight, teeth, hair, walking, posing etc. You really have to be secure in your looks and abilities.

Originally posted by Brian Damage
Models are constantly scrutinized. Height, weight, teeth, hair, walking, posing etc. You really have to be secure in your looks and abilities.

Okay, so I'll make that tall, skinny and secure. :)

The point is you can't just be tall and skinny and think you're a model. Alot goes into it.

yeah i don't get how people think modeling is so easy..it really isn't.

Originally posted by Brian Damage
No offense, but you sound like an extremely LAZY person. People with your work ethic don't make alot of money. You seem to want to take the easy way out of everything and glide by. You are living in a fatasy world. It takes years of hard work and stuggling to be a successful actor. Besides, you are doing it for the wrong reasons. You want to hob knob with celebrities, meanwhile real actors do it for the love of their craft. It's time to grow up and get a REAL job.

Brian is right, you seriously don't sound like you have the commitment or even have a clue of how hard you will have to bust your ass- and even kiss ass- to get to the level you are talking about. Commercials will be a bitch too, you think they just give them out to anyone who comes along?

And being starstruck and thinking that you can hang with celebrities is laughable. Your obvious questions state that you have no idea what you are doing much less any energy or serious thought into a venture that might as well be "professional athlete" the way you present it.

Just having a good memory does not translate into having personality or charisma or a presence that any producer is going to just hand you a paycheck.

If you think for one second that you and your slacker attitude can get an acting job without even taking a class, you better be as good looking as Jude Law (and he can at) and have the kind of drive that won't take "no" as an answer.

Seriously, does that sound like you?

Dlemond & Brian i could care less what ya'll are talkin about. U don't know nothin about me but from what u see me talkin about on here. I know what it takes to be successful at anything out here. I know there's plenty of people who wanna be a actor like myself & i'm sure a lot of them have gotten turned down, the ones who have gone to acting school.

Originally posted by isiahthomas
Dlemond & Brian i could care less what ya'll are talkin about. U don't know nothin about me but from what u see me talkin about on here. I know what it takes to be successful at anything out here. I know there's plenty of people who wanna be a actor like myself & i'm sure a lot of them have gotten turned down, the ones who have gone to acting school. I don't think you realize how competitive it is.

Originally posted by Georgia's on my Mind
I don't think you realize how competitive it is.

And the REALLY long hours you have to keep. Not to mention you need to REALLY exercise and have a very healthy diet in order to stay thin and fit. That goes for anybody in the acting profession, be it theater or TV (if I'm right).

When you're in TV, you have to be ready to wake up at 5AM every day and not get done until about midnight....That is, if you're an A-list star. I know a few stars have worse schedules than others...like if you have to get into a very elaborate costume (take Roddy McDowall when he was in "PLanet of the Apes"), be prepared to get up at 3AM to go into makeup for 3 hours. :eek:

You have to be REALLY committed to work in TV or theater. I've wanted to be an actress since I was 10, but now I'm questioning it. I'd really like to do something behind the scenes, though. Hollywood has had quite an interesting history that fascinates me very much...I love history and writing....And I want to combine the two...Maybe write biography books of celebs...We'll see what happens. I want to do it because it interests me, not because I want to rub shoulders w/ famous people. :)

There REALLY is a lot of work involved in making famous people look perfect and flawless...it's not very easy...and it can take its toll on people (think drugs). So, if you REALLY REALLY REALLY want to become an actor, you have to be willing to accept the consequences. If you become an A-lister (to some degree), you have to be prepared to get very little privacy, get criticized constantly, have your pics in the tabloids (sp?), get chased by the papperozzi (sp? I totally butchered that word) and autograph hounds, and you also have to be VERY secure about your looks. You can also get ready to get tons of offers for interviews and do some modeling (think magazine covers). It never ends. :) And you also have to remember you will have a ton of people working for you. Agents, attorneys, publicist, photographers, etc....A-listers make millions of dollars but oftentimes they only see hundreds of thousands of their money after they pay everybody that works for them.

And during all that time, you have to remember they're just regular people like the rest of us, they just work on TV!

Originally posted by *A TV People*
All you have to do to become a model is be tall and skinny. :)

A few of my friends kept telling me that I should consider getting into acting/modeling. There is a bunch of modeling agencies in Montréal, but most of them want money. I'm not going to fork out money for any job. I love watching movies, so I decided to take my dream, and work on the practical side of my career. Now I do work like editing, sound-dubbing, colour correction, pan-and-scan, and I also do audio correcting and monitoring films (correcting & monitoring Dolby Digital, SDDS, and DTS soundtracks). I love my job, because I get to re-master some great old classic films, and I get to watch a lot of new films several weeks before they are released to movie theaters. The best part is, it pays extremely well. Because my position requires partial profit sharing from the film's budget. :)

Originally posted by Miss Vicki
And the REALLY long hours you have to keep. Not to mention you need to REALLY exercise and have a very healthy diet in order to stay thin and fit. That goes for anybody in the acting profession, be it theater or TV (if I'm right).




You're right.
For my community theater/ballet company, its not even professional and theyre all over us about diet and excercise. You have to take really good care of yourself or you really jeopardize your chances.

And dont even get me started about the way some directors/producers treat us...:mad:

man I used to want to get into acting badly, like I still do but its more of a fantasy in the back of my mind, I did some plays, but nothing big and I was in a local commercial, see I have a problem where I love to be loud and the center of attention, but once a lot of people start watching and pay attention I get nervous, its just now that I am learning to be a better public speaker and freestyle when anyones around

you know those modeling agent that try to take your money, well one of those people came up to me in the mall, and dude sure I was flattered, but I knew it was a rip-off and a scam also in 8th grade a street performer told me I looked like a movie star, i was like "hell yahhh" recently a family friend whos written an best seller, was like if I ever were to direct, I would cast you, because you are really so beautiful, i was like thanks (beauty I guess is in the eye of the beholder because I am not a dogg but I am Jessica Simpson (or some other beautiful famous person...) )

but basically unless I am stopped on the street(not going happen) I am either going to go in law school become a lawyer or work in the MLB


BUT IF I ever worked in the hollywood business...dont be surprised to see me on SNL...thatd be pimp

isiahthomas, since you don't want to work until your 60 I would suggest you focus on television roles. these tend to be more long term. and most actors who works past 60 only do it for fulfilment, more than money. when I say long term I mean you will get more money and work quicker. If you focus on tv you'll be set be age 50.

Originally posted by *A TV People*
All you have to do to become a model is be tall and skinny. :)

[quote]Originally posted by *A TV People*
Okay, so I'll make that tall, skinny and secure. :)

LOL, there's just a little more to it than that.

Originally posted by Cashodeen
LOL, there's just a little more to it than that.

Go on...I'm curious to know. :)

Originally posted by *A TV People*

Go on...I'm curious to know. :)

Okey. :)

There are plenty of tall and thin people in the world. Lots of them walk into agencies thinking they have what it takes to get signed. Unfortunately most don't.

For starters sometimes the tall/thin criteria doesn't even matter, but that's a humungous rarity so I won't go there. Those two factors seem to be the biggies, yes, but they aren't all that decide who will make it and who won't. You've probably heard this before (did someone already say it here as well?), it's probably even a cliche, but modeling is truly about the right look.

What is the right look exactly? Hard to say. And some things seem to change from season to season. Some models that have found success at one time might not have if they had been trying another... which leads me to another important point--luck. Many models probably made it because they simply had luck--they looked good to these fickle deciders at that point in time. Another point in time they may have struck out.

There are also some specific factors that increase one's chances (ie the height/weight) and sources will stress these (magazines, websites) but I didn't bother putting other ones here because there all always exceptions. The only deciding factor that seems to always hold true is the right look.

Originally posted by isiahthomas
Models make good money. U don't have to be good lookin to be a model do u? I hope not cause when i look at these ads in magazines & i see the models they have, i be like ughh LOL. Black male model Tyson Beckford isn't handsome & neither is black female model Iman. I remember r&b singer Tyrese was a model for Polo or Guess i believe before he started singin. I remember when i first saw him do a commercial for Coca Cola when he was singin on the bus & his chin was pierced. I was like damn he's ugly LOL.

80% of models are ugly. They're sticks, so someone thinks they'd be good.

Originally posted by Cashodeen
Okey. :)

There are plenty of tall and thin people in the world. Lots of them walk into agencies thinking they have what it takes to get signed. Unfortunately most don't.

For starters sometimes the tall/thin criteria doesn't even matter, but that's a humungous rarity so I won't go there. Those two factors seem to be the biggies, yes, but they aren't all that decide who will make it and who won't. You've probably heard this before (did someone already say it here as well?), it's probably even a cliche, but modeling is truly about the right look.

What is the right look exactly? Hard to say. And some things seem to change from season to season. Some models that have found success at one time might not have if they had been trying another... which leads me to another important point--luck. Many models probably made it because they simply had luck--they looked good to these fickle deciders at that point in time. Another point in time they may have struck out.

There are also some specific factors that increase one's chances (ie the height/weight) and sources will stress these (magazines, websites) but I didn't bother putting other ones here because there all always exceptions. The only deciding factor that seems to always hold true is the right look.

Okay, but it just bothers me that you have to be this "certain person" to get into jobs like that. It's crap. No talent goes into it.

Originally posted by *A TV People*

Okay, but it just bothers me that you have to be this "certain person" to get into jobs like that. It's crap. No talent goes into it.

Yeah, the modelling world is brutal. Acting is too. At least there it is less about looks--although Hollywood does make a huge deal about that too.

You read it.

isiahthomas, I'm not trying to discourage you from following your dreams, but like a week ago you wanted to be a radio DJ and was determined to go to school for that. Now all of a sudden you want to be an actor. You also came across as not wanting to work a long time. Acting is hard work and success doesn't happen overnight. My friend is an actor. He graduated from one of the best acting schools in NYC. He's 37 right now and still struggling. He's had parts in movies and on the Sopranos and just recently nabbed an audition for the sitcom Hope & Faith. Yet despite all of that, he still needs a second job to support himself. He's 37 and has been acting for over 20 years and still hasn't "made it." It is very hard work.

When i did some research on radio dj's & found out that it's only a part time job & u don't make that much money, that's why i changed my mind & said i wanted to be a actor. CoolCounty thanks for the advice. I think being on a tv show is better than doing movies cause tv shows are more long term. I'm not saying movies aren't long term but it seems like working on a movie set requires very long hours & i don't think it would be that way on a tv show.

how old are you?



it's not all about money.

Originally posted by isiahthomas
When i did some research on radio dj's & found out that it's only a part time job & u don't make that much money, that's why i changed my mind & said i wanted to be a actor. CoolCounty thanks for the advice. I think being on a tv show is better than doing movies cause tv shows are more long term. I'm not saying movies aren't long term but it seems like working on a movie set requires very long hours & i don't think it would be that way on a tv show.


You do work long hours on a tv show. I don't know where you got your info from.

Originally posted by Brian Damage
You do work long hours on a tv show.

:nod:

Originally posted by *A TV People*
Okay, but it just bothers me that you have to be this "certain person" to get into jobs like that. It's crap. No talent goes into it.
It really doesnt matter. companies need models to show how things look on people or whatever, so they hire people that they think have the right looks to wear them.

Originally posted by safety pin
It really doesnt matter. companies need models to show how things look on people or whatever, so they hire people that they think have the right looks to wear them.
What kind of clothes are you really interested in modeling Sarah? Anything in particular?