That statement may seem surprising, especially in a tight job market. Wouldn't most commercial actors want to take a job, any job, that pays a union wage and potential residuals? The answer, for many experienced actors, is no, not necessarily. Why?
Bellantoni, who works with Beth Melsky Casting in New York, says actors are reluctant to do a regional commercial because it would prevent them from doing a larger ad campaign that could air nationally. Or, in the parlance of the commercial world, it creates a conflict.
In other words, if you book a job for the Bank of Whoville—a spot that will air only in one or a few small markets—you've potentially bumped yourself out of the running for, say, a Bank of America campaign, which would run nationally and pay residuals far exceeding those of the Whoville job. If Bank of America wants you as the face of its multimillion-dollar ad campaign, it doesn't want you also promoting another financial institution, however small. Moreover, Bank of America's national campaign may include print, radio, and Internet ads, which would translate into many thousands of dollars for the actor, above and beyond residuals.
But ascertaining what is or isn't a conflict can be tricky. Susan Bott, an actor recognizable from dozens of commercials, including a campaign for Swiffer as Beth, has often found herself facing somewhat convoluted, overlapping conflicts.
"I shot a Febreze spot," she says, "but I got the vibe on the set that although it was in the can, it wasn't going to run." And indeed, that's exactly what happened. Soon after, she auditioned and got a callback for a Glade campaign, playing "the Glade lady." Before the callback, Bott asked her agents to check with the Febreze people to see if they would let go of the conflict. But the ensuing conversation devolved into something that sounded like it was penned by Gilbert and Sullivan.
"Even though Febreze affects the air, technically it's a fabric freshener, though Glade would say it affects the air," says the commercial and voiceover veteran. "At the same time, I was doing an on-camera [for] Arm & Hammer Fridge Fresh, but the company kept me on to do the voiceover for their laundry product, and they also make a fabric freshener." So, says Bott with a laugh, "Febreze makes fabric freshener, which also freshens the air, which conflicts with Glade, which is an air-only freshener, while Arm & Hammer freshens clothing." But Bott is philosophical. Sometimes, she adds, "it gets down to the most minute details."
Ultimately, Febreze wouldn't let her go—the company held her for another 13 weeks, even though the commercial never aired—and she didn't go to the Glade callback. That's a move Bellantoni agrees with.
"We've had people pulled out right in the middle of callbacks, someone they really wanted," the CD says. "We don't want to show a director someone they can't have." That would make the casting director look bad in front of the client, and it wouldn't endear the actor to anyone.
Your agents should keep track of your conflicts, though some are better at it than others. When you get a call for an audition, if the agent doesn't mention what the commercial's conflicts are, ask, as he or she may not recall your conflicts. And there's a lot of overlap. "Telecommunications" once meant the phone companies, for example, but now it could include the Internet, cable, or handsets. "Financial institutions" may (or may not) include banks, credit cards, or brokerages. And "air fresheners"—well, it's not so simple.
"It's frustrating being held for one spot, knowing there won't be any residuals but being prevented from taking another job that will pay," says Bott. In the end, what you audition for should be a carefully considered career decision, with an eye on the long term. "You may book a job that will pay your mortgage right now," she says, "but it could prevent you from making a lot more later on."
