Ticket to ride

Every once in a while, on a certain local message board for actor types, you come across a post along these lines: "Hey, I'm low on cash and have been thinking I should get into commercial work. Anyone have a list of agents?"

They probably don't quite mean it that way. I mean, they probably don't have any idea. I guess few of us do.

I remember when I first started dipping the proverbial toe in the on-camera world. I was in just my first theater production, after taking classes and doing improv and sketch for about a year-and-a-half. I asked a couple of my castmates about it and they totally encouraged me to check it out. They said I'd have no problem getting an agent.

So this good acting friend, Shawna, takes me under her wing, shares her advice and her agent list, I send out 17 headshots and, surprise, surprise, get invited in and eventually signed by 7 of them. One of them, especially, was known as a particularly good agent to be with. I went in, expecting little, wore my basic black pants/french blue shirt audition outfit, read some copy, and -- boom -- they signed me!

I remember walking out of there -- hell, floating out of there. I called one of my best friends, got her voicemail, spoke a mile-a-minute. I forget what all I said, but I do remember my closing words: "I'm on my way!"

So yeah. You think, "All I need is an agent -- that's the hard part. Once I've got that, the ticket to fame and success is quick and inevitable." But, of course, it's not like that. You go through dozens, scores of auditions where (only later) you realize you had no idea what you were doing. A couple of years of flailing, up and down, riding the mysterious cycles, developing relationships, winnowing down to a couple of key agents. Until you finally get to a place where ... you're in position to make a little extra money. Not nearly enough to live on, of course, but something.

And then you divide it out by all the hours spent in hundreds of auditions, plus travel and you realize -- you could have done better making coffee at Starbucks. Not quite as much excitement sure. But that's what I'd probably tell one of these people who asks about getting an agent. Unless you're very, very good, or very, very lucky (or very, very good looking), becoming a barista might be a better ticket.

Still, I wouldn't change anything. It's been a great ride.