There’s a lot of “no” in show business: No phone calls, no unsolicited submissions, no props, no touching the casting director, no yelling, no low energy, no pacing, no laughing, no talking too much in the interview, no asking questions...the list goes on.
Actors hear that word so often that they carry it into auditions, meetings, and calls with their agents, managers, or the representative they hope to sign with. Eventually, “no” begins to affect talent, and all those “don’ts” can leave you not wanting to create for fear of being told not to do this or that.
But, what if we started thinking of “no” as a positive?
When applied correctly, the power of “no” can be more revitalizing, remunerative, and sacred than a million “yeses.”
I'm sure you've heard stories of artists walking away from six-figure paydays in order to retain the rights to their projects, things they’re passionate about. Not necessarily for better pay, but for more creative control over something they believe in.
Sylvester Stallone, a then-unknown actor, wrote the original screenplay for “Rocky” with himself in mind. A bidding war ensued and Stallone was offered a handsome sum for the rights to the story, the caveat being he wouldn't play the title role. The biggest stars of the day were suggested, but Stallone wouldn’t budge unless he got to play Rocky. The producers countered with more money, and still, Stallone stood his ground.
At one point the offer approached a million dollars, an unheard of sum at the time for a new screenwriter. When Stallone declined that offer too, the studio finally succumbed—the compromise being that he would receive a nominal fee for the story, and even less to appear in the film. The rest is history: Sylvester Stallone went on to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor and the film won Best Picture.
READ: Stop Calling it Rejection
When Chazz Palminteri workshopped his coming-of-age one-man show, A Bronx Tale, Hollywood came calling. However, Palminteri wouldn’t be guaranteed a meaningful role in the film or much creative input. So he walked away from a six-figure payday and decided to take his show to New York City. He felt it was there that he'd find someone more aligned with his vision.
Robert DeNiro saw the show and turned it into a Palminteri-starring film. “A Bronx Tale” is still being produced to this day, currently as a musical on Broadway. And coincidentally, “Rocky” just finished a run on the Great White Way.
Stallone and Palminteri had a belief in themselves that carried them through the fear of loss and into power.
As an actor, it's important to have leveraged yourself in such a way that you want a job but you don't need it. People can sense it “have to have” the job. However, the truth is, you can't have anything you're not willing to lose.
I've found that this attitude works best when you already have something in your life that you love as much as acting, something that fills your life with purpose and meaning.
In the traditional world, it’s often said that it’s easier to find a job when you’re already employed. It seems the reason for this is due to the fact that the employer perceives the potential employee as being more viable since they're already being paid by another entity.
While that may be partially true, a greater determining factor is the confidence and fortitude a working person already possesses.
People are perceptive; they can sense fear, want, and desperation. The unemployed person pounding the pavement looking for a job is doing their best to project confidence whereas the person with a job isn't necessarily concerned with selling themselves—they're already winning.
So how do we attain that certainty or aura about ourselves when we’re between jobs or looking for that elusive breakthrough?
There is a certain power in sometimes walking away or being willing to say “no.” The person who walks away because they don't need the job is stopped more often than not by the producers, director, and casting director, who now find themselves making a better offer to the talent. Their value just increased with one word.
Nothing changed about the actor. Same audition, same résumé. What did change was the power play. Say “no,” it's healthy. You're saying, "I'd love to work with you guys," but unspoken is the sense that you don't need them. You create the need on their end, first by doing great work and then with a polite, "no thanks."
My grandmother called it “a walk away,” employing it at the flea market or swap meet. In my book, nobody bargained like her before or since, and actors could stand to learn a lot from the tactic.
If, after your walk away, a potential employer doesn't stop you it means one of two things: either you didn't fully convince them you can do the job or they know you're bluffing; you don't have that emotional or financial safety-net to keep you from needing that job more than they need to have you in the role.
It's not a trick: fill your life with other passions and you can walk away with pride. And don't be surprised if they chase you down the hall. You have the power.
George Gallagher is a critically acclaimed actor, having appeared in over 30 productions on the New York Stage, with notable performances at The Irish Arts Center and the Obie Award-winning Classical Theater of Harlem where he performed in “Caligula” opposite Andre DeShields. He drew praise in the New York Times for his role in the SlamDance hit “Over the GW,” opposite Kether Donohue. Next, he can be seen opposite Vivica A. Fox in the soon-to-be-released “Garlic & Gunpowder,” and as Special Agent Alton on the Amazon series “Backstabber.”
A graduate of AMDA, George also trained under legendary teacher and director Gene Frankel, who pioneered the Off-Broadway movement in New York. Further studies have been under the tutelage of legends Wynn Handman, Terry Schreiber, Milton Katselas, Austin Pendleton, and the teacher that has inspired his own approach to teaching, Harold Guskin. George Gallagher continues to lead professional actors and newcomers with his unique "instinctual and intuitive" approach at his workshop The Actor's Instinct & The Art of Communication in Los Angeles and New York.
Check out Backstage’s commercial audition listings!
The views expressed in this article are solely that of the individual(s) providing them,
and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Backstage or its staff.
