I'm a 22-year-old male. I started to pursue acting two or three years ago, and now I'm about to make a big move to L.A. For the past few years, I've been trying to do everything to up my chances of getting cast. I know that acting for film and TV in L.A. depends a lot on your looks. I'd never worry about the way I look, but unfortunately, in my opinion, this is an industry that requires that, and I think I'm being realistic here.
I started losing my hair about a year ago, and now I see that in one more year I'll be half bald. It's hard to get noticed in L.A. when you're young and attractive, but when you're not even attractive (which for me is not having hair), it makes it barely possible. I even tried to find actors who made it who are bald, but there are not that many. And I'm no Paul Giamatti.
Is being bald a big issue when you're just "another actor in the city"? I know that if you're the next Marlon Brando, maybe people won't care about your lost hair, but let's not kid ourselves.
—Too Naive, London
Dear Too Naive:
Being "half bald" myself, you can imagine my disappointment upon learning from your letter that this renders one completely unattractive and uncastable. I'll inform my fiancée and my agent at once. Thank the Lord I'm funny, so at least I have that. I guess you'd better give up, cancel your move to L.A., and take up goat farming in some nice isolated village where no one will have to gaze upon the horror of your half-bald head. I mean, what are the alternatives, unless you're Marlon Brando?
Okay, I'm teasing. No pun intended.
You might be surprised to learn that there are rare, rare cases in which being bald or balding didn't completely squash an acting career. Patrick Stewart comes to mind. There are also Ed Harris, John Malkovich, David Hyde Pierce, Jason Alexander, Nicolas Cage, Anthony Edwards, Bruce Willis…. And that's not to mention the guys with transplants or hairpieces: Hugh Laurie, Jeremy Piven, Matthew McConaughey, Brendan Fraser, Patrick Wilson—I could go on, but I don't want to reveal too many Hollywood secrets.
Hair loss can even be a plus, depending on your type. My career as a character actor didn't take off until I started losing hair and gaining weight. When I had a huge mop of gorgeous hair and a 32-inch waist, no one knew what to do with me. Now I work like crazy.
My colleague Michael Thomas Holmes had a similar experience. At 20, he started losing his hair. After seven years of using Rogaine and waiting for his big break, he began to get discouraged.
"I told my girlfriend, 'I always wanted to make it while I still had hair,' " Holmes says. "Her response: 'Don't you know that you'll only make it when you lose it?' I stopped using the Rogaine. In seven months my hair went away, and in about nine months I began to be cast consistently. I believe two things happened: With less hair, casting people started to see me as falling firmly into the 'character man' type, while simultaneously I began accepting that I was falling firmly into the 'character man' type. No one likes losing their hair—it's like watching your young self go away—but the greatest strength we have as actors is that the person auditioning is us. When we can incorporate all aspects of us into our package, that package will be unique and, as I found, castable. It's a challenge to make young and bald work in this business, but it can be done, through acceptance and the right haircut."
Of course, this is all great for us character guys. If you're more of a young leading-man type, maybe it's more advisable to sustain the appearance of having hair, in which case there are products and procedures to research: transplants, growth stimulants (McConaughey publicly touted a product called Regenix), hairpieces, sprays, etc. The better ones can be expensive, so save your pennies. Or you could let nature take its course and see what happens. You want something that sets you apart? You might have found it. A receding hairline hasn't seemed to have hurt Jude Law's career.
Or you could focus on becoming a great actor. Just a thought.
Dear Michael:
I spent five years pursuing acting, from about 1995 to 2000. I did a few student films, several no-pay indies, one under-five, and even a low-budget feature that gave me SAG eligibility. Shortly after that, life took a turn and I stepped out of acting to have a stable job. Ten years later, I've left the corporate world to return to my passions: acting and filmmaking. I've gotten headshots, built a basic website, and subscribed to Back Stage.
I have a reel, but I'm wondering whether to show it, because it's from so long ago. My ability might be the same, or even better, but my look has changed a lot. And none of the scenes really shows off my talent, because they were mostly small roles with just a couple of lines. On the other hand, I know that agents and casting directors like to see video. Should I keep the reel up or continue as if I don't have one, since the one I have isn't current?
—Older and Wiser, Long Beach, Calif.
Dear O&W:
I think you should present the reel you have until you've accumulated newer footage. Here's the main reason: It gives you a "yes" instead of a "no," as in "Do you have a reel?" "Yes, of course!" Agents and casting people, I believe, look for signs that help them categorize your level of professional achievement. Having a reel—even an outdated one—tells them you're not a total newcomer. And it gives them one less excuse to pass on seeing you.
But if you use it, for heaven's sake don't apologize for it. Find a positive spin. "Isn't this footage a bit old?" "I prefer the word 'vintage.' " "Why don't you have anything new?" "I'm waiting for you to cast me!" There's also no shame in the truth: "Life circumstances made me step away from my career for a while. But now I'm back and ready to dive in."
Now, I have to be blunt: The reel you've described will probably not open any doors or land you an agent. Obviously, getting more-current footage is a high priority. But until then, you only have what you have. You might as well use it.
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