“I didn't think I'd ever be able to do movies. That was for serious actors.”- Steve Buscemi

“Movie stars have careers - actors work, and then they don't work, and then they work again.”- Frances McDormand

“We actors always say how difficult and physically demanding a role was. But give me a break, it's only a movie.”- Javier Bardem

“Most actors will read a script and think, that's an interesting part. That blinds them to the fact that the rest of it is pretentious nonsense.”- Hugh Grant

“It is all about marketing; that is where the real craft comes in. The best actors do not necessarily become the biggest stars. And vice versa.”- Dirk Benedict

“It is hard sometimes to see how other actors are working when you are working with them.”- Miranda Otto

“Comedians don't have the kind of narcissism that actors have. They're writers who perform their own material. They risk more than anyone.”- Rachel Weisz

“I always say if you've seen good acting on television, those actors are really good. Because you don't have any preparation.”- Sasha Alexander

“There's nothing more boring than unintelligent actors, because all they have to talk about is themselves and acting.”- Tim Robbins

“I just feel lucky to be employed when there are so many actors and actresses who are not. I sometimes feel desperate, in case I'm not cast again.”- Judi Dench

“A lot of actors get concerned about their own image, even going so far as to rewrite a movie to best serve that image. All I want to do is be in good movies”- Michael Douglas

“I'm always described as 'cocksure' or 'with a swagger,' and that bears no resemblance to who I feel like inside. I feel plagued by insecurity.”- Ben Affleck

“I used to google my name to see what came up - it hurt.”- Emilio Estevez

“Being an actor is the easiest job. Just say the lines.”- Jonathan Rhys Meyers

“I went to the audition for a laugh and got the part for the way I walked down the corridor. There's no justice is there?”- Ray Winstone

“I know very little about acting. I'm just an incredibly gifted faker.”- Robert Downey Jr.

“First of all, I choose the great roles, and if none of these come, I choose the mediocre ones, and if they don't come, I choose the ones that pay the rent.”- Michael Caine

“I'm an actor... I do a job and I go home. Why are you interested in me? You don't ask a truck driver about his job.”- James Gandolfini

“Every actor looks all his life for a part that will combine his talents with his personality.”- Walter Matthau

“A good actor with a good opportunity has a shot; without the opportunity it doesn't matter how good you are.”- Denzel Washington

“Acting is half shame, half glory. Shame at exhibiting yourself, glory when you can forget yourself.”- John Gielgud

“Everything must be as in real life.”- Anton Chekhov

The business of acting, 2010

January 11, 2010 | 0 comments

January is usually a pretty quiet time for the film & TV industry, and I always expect that the month is going to be a dead one for me. Of course by the third week I’m booked up with shoots and meetings and loaded with print orders. Business as usual.

Not surprising, I suppose. January is definitely a time to take a step back and evaluate what you’ve been doing for the past twelve months of your life, and specifically to make some new decisions, start new projects, and make some kind of fresh start. For actors, this is a great time of year to take some anxiety-free downtime and make plans for March and April when the industry starts to come out of its post-holiday hibernation.

A lot happened in 2009. I think we saw the business of acting take its biggest steps away from the traditional structure of casting>agents>actors and features>TV>commercials, and toward something far more remixed. Actors, casting and production are speaking directly for the first time through sites like AACTION and Casting Workbook. TV, a medium that was once completely overshadowed by features, is in the middle of an incredible renaissance. And the web is almost overloaded with viral advertising and comedy projects, both low budget and high.

Two things have never been more clear when it comes to the business of acting. One is that the harder you work, the luckier you get. As an actor in 2010 you have opportunities to create work, develop your skills and market yourself in ways actors of 10 years ago couldn’t even dream of. The other is that at this point it’s change or die. If you’re waiting to be discovered, trying to appeal to everyone, or worried about offending your agent, you’re probably screwed.

So here’s my advice for you for 2010, whether you’re working or aspiring. If you want to make a real change in how you audition this year, ask yourself this: Why should anyone care about me? Why should a casting director be excited to watch my audition tape? Why should a producer or director want to work with me? Why should people want to watch my work? The advice part is this: there are lots of great answers to those questions, but it’s not casting’s job to drag them out of you, it’s your job to show them.

This year, take some risks, reveal yourself. You really have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

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