In the long-ago land of 2015, Nathan Shapiro was a fresh New York City transplant by way of Seattle, who, like many, arrived with a dream to make it in show business. He, also as so many before him, immediately joined Backstage and began to accrue footage, credits, and connections. In fact, through his Backstage bookings, as well as a featured role in “Girl On the Train,” Shapiro was able to join SAG-AFTRA.
Backstage caught up with Shapiro to discuss his new multi-hyphenate status (he’s transitioned into producing in addition to acting), his advice for actors new to Backstage, and the SAG-AFTRA feature he just booked through Backstage which he calls the biggest of his career so far.
How did you first find out about and start using Backstage?
When I moved to New York about five years ago. I was originally from Seattle, and I came here to pursue acting as a career. It’s just one of those things where you’ve gotta look and figure out which casting websites there are, and how to get in the rooms. Without representation, the only things that are really available to actors who are self-submitting are those online casting websites. Backstage is the one I check every single day.
What’s kept you coming back to Backstage?
My first big memory of Backstage was getting called in for “Blue Man Group” auditions about three weeks after moving to New York with very little knowledge about what was going on, and just realizing that real people actually use these websites. There are actually proper gigs out there, and the fact that I can get into rooms that will pay, that will provide good footage, that will provide good experiences through self-submission, is why I keep coming back.
Has Backstage helped you form connections in the industry?
Without a doubt. The film I was working on for the past four years, we just submitted to Tribeca and it’s in post-production right now. We used Backstage, and through that, I’ve met tons of people. Now I’m working with some of those people on other projects that I myself am writing. Finding people through Backstage that I then get along with, jive with, we have the same creative language. We want to work on things together in the future. Backstage has definitely helped with that.
Do you feel like Backstage has helped you grow as an actor?
Yes; it’s a place I’ve gotten work, and it’s through the work and the connections that I make that has helped me grow… It’s hard to tell what’s gonna appeal to people, what’s gonna blow up. So keep on submitting for things, showing up, and eventually, something hits.
Do you have any advice for others to maximize their Backstage profiles?
Do your research. One of the things with self-submission is that for all the good stuff that’s out there, there’s also a lot of stuff that isn’t as wonderful. I have found myself in situations that I now know to look out for. Similarly, in terms of people who are just starting out, one of the things that was tough for a while was when I first started out, I didn’t have a reel. So much now is moving to self-tapes, is moving to reels rather than just people wanting to read a résumé and see a headshot. So for me, doing a lot of unpaid gigs, lower-tier things where my only goal was to get footage, to get something that could show people that I can act, was definitely helpful in those earlier stages. It helps disappointment down the line if you know I’m here for footage, I’m not here to get paid, I’m not here to get people to see it. So if I only get footage, I feel like that’s a win.
Are you still using Backstage to book work?
I was just offered the biggest role of my career, which I booked through a self tape I found on Backstage. It’s the lead in a SAG feature and it’s a really solid opportunity for me—definitely the biggest thing I’ve booked to date.
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