How Actors Can Take Control of Their Career—With or Without an Agent

I have a story to share that involves the actions taken by one of my smartest clients. What this guy did showcases how every actor can and should take charge of their own career.

I’ve been representing Luke for six years. He’s a character type in his 40s. If you were to look at his résumé, you’d be impressed by all the credits, but there’s something there you wouldn’t see: the boredom.

Luke is one of those men who looks natural in a suit playing characters with authority. His reel is a flow of clips where he’s a banker, a lawyer, a doctor, a politician, etc. That’s what he books. That’s his bread and butter. But it’s also a curse.

You see, Luke has a theater degree from Yale, and he’s played every kind of character you can imagine onstage. Unfortunately, film and television don’t always offer an actor like him the chance to display his range. This is especially true of episodic television, where the turnaround is lightning fast. As a result, Luke has been in a rut for quite some time. 

Now, don’t get me wrong: My client is grateful for the opportunities that come his way. He has a family to feed and a mortgage to pay. But he’s also an artist; he wants to be challenged by a wide range of roles. Switching from a Windsor to a half-Windsor knot isn’t enough.

So here’s what happened: I recently sent him an audition for a guest star role on a one-hour drama. The character was a police commissioner that would probably come back for more episodes. Recurring roles like that have the potential to generate some decent scratch over the long term.

Luke confirmed he would put himself on tape right away, but then he made a request. There was another character on the breakdown that caught his eye: an unemployed reporter who was down on his luck—the kind of guy who spends more time drinking than looking for work. Casting described him as a grizzled Steve Buscemi type.

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Luke knew that wasn’t the right fit for him, but he didn’t care, because he knew he could play it. So Luke told me he was going to put himself on tape for both roles, and that I should give casting a heads up. This guy makes me a lot of money, and I wasn’t about to argue. Luckily, I caught the casting director in a good mood, because she said it was no problem. But she also listed all the reasons Luke was wrong for the reporter role.

When I received his self-taped auditions, I watched them right away, and I could feel my toes start to tingle. That’s a sure sign I’m excited. Watching Luke perform both characters back-to-back was a revelation, because you could actually see him transform in the blink of an eye. 

I was impressed, and so was the casting director. She forwarded both auditions to her director, and Luke booked the grizzled reporter. His plan worked perfectly—and, to be clear, it was his plan, not mine.

Most actors are capable of performances you would never imagine. They just need the chance to prove it. And if no one gives you that chance, just go ahead and take it. Fortune favors the bold.

This story originally appeared in the Jan. 21 issue of Backstage Magazine. Subscribe here.