Unless you've been hibernating under a rock in Bulgaria for the last year, you may have heard something about the hit sitcom Friends ending its 10-year run this year. Of course, the recent final episode was accompanied by enough fanfare and hoopla to put Christmas Day to shame. With all the magazine covers, television interviews, and countless teary promos NBC could muster, it's easy to forget that every year several quality shows leave the airwaves in droves. Aside from NBC's redheaded stepchild Frasier, long-running programs such as The Drew Carey Show and The Practice also recently wrapped production.
Much was made of the "what will they do now?" dilemma of the Friends cast, but let's face it: Considering that the cast's weekly salaries could buy a small island, the American public doesn't really need to concern itself with where Jennifer Aniston's next paycheck will be coming from. But for most actors who find themselves lucky enough to land a steady job on a successful show, suddenly finding themselves unemployed can be a jarring experience. Back Stage West spoke with three actors about their lives after cancellation.
Heavenly Luck
One of the most heartbreaking losses of this season was the WB's abrupt cancellation of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer spinoff, Angel. Completely original, frequently gothic in scope, Angel was one of the best-written shows on television. The show was enjoying its fifth year when the WB announced, in a rather cryptic memo, that it was ending the show despite calling Buffy and Angel "cornerstones of our network" and admitting: "The sum total of the work done on those shows has produced some of the proudest moments in our history." Despite rabid campaigns organized by fans of the show, Angel aired its final episode May 19.
On a sunny day in April, it's the next to last day of shooting on the series, and Amy Acker still seems stunned by the news. The petite actor, who joined the show as brainy science geek Winifred "Fred" Burkle in Season Three, sits in a trailer on location in Hollywood and attempts to describe the melancholy mood of the set. "It's strange; you sort of feel like this is your office," she notes. "You don't really imagine not seeing these people every day. You realize this is how the business works and no show runs forever, but it's still hard." Many tears had already been shed as she watched the people she worked alongside leave one by one. "Alexis [Denisof, who played her love interest Wesley] had his last day last week, and I was crying for two hours after I left work," she recalls. "All my friends are, like, 'It's just a show.' But it's sad when you've been with these people for three years, 15 hours a day sometimes, five days a week. Even if you see people outside of work, it's not exactly the same."
Acker's tale of moving to Los Angeles and landing on a hit show is the stuff Hollywood fairy tales are made of. Born and raised in Texas, she had worked at a Shakespeare festival in Wisconsin and lived in New York before heading west. She had been in L.A. only one month when she won the role on Angel. "It was just an audition," she says simply of being cast. "I went on this audition where there were a lot of people, then went back the next day and there were only two people, and then I went back the day after and it was just me. So I thought that was a good sign." Even she seemed surprised by her luck, having heard so many stories about struggling actors. "Now is going to be the time where I'm going to have to suffer through all of the not working," she observes.
Word of the show's cancellation came down in early February, not long after it aired its 100th episode and only a month after the WB spoke highly of the program at the annual Television Critics Association Tour. Acker was told in person by series creator Joss Whedon. "I'd gotten a bunch of cryptic messages on my answering machine from agents and managers, asking me if I had talked to Joss yet," she recalls. "I had just seen him the day before, and he had said he was going to dinner with [WB Co-CEO] Jordan Levin. I said, 'Call me if he cancels the show or something.' He said, 'That won't happen.' Well, it did happen."
According to Acker, Whedon called her the next morning and wanted to meet up with her. "I said there was a Coffee Bean by our house, and he said, 'Do they serve alcohol? We need a bar,'" she recites with a laugh. "I said, 'I don't think there are any bars open at 1 o'clock.' He said, 'Do you have alcohol at your house?' So we kind of drowned our sorrows at my place."
Ironically it was the second time in a year she thought her time on the show was coming to an end. Last year Whedon told her he would be killing off the character of Fred, but Acker would now be playing a bright blue demon goddess named Illyria that occupied Fred's body. Reveals Acker, "He told me last October he was going to kill Fred. And then he told me I was still going to be on the show. I thought that was the end of me."
After Acker dodged the bullet the first time, it seems particularly cruel that the show would end up being pulled off the air just months later. Perhaps worst of all was the timing of the announcement. Asked if she had anything else lined up, she points out, "It's been hard because we found out sort of halfway through pilot season. And it's not really easy to run across the street to audition for a sitcom when you've got blue hair and a blue face." Still, she is trying to remain optimistic. "I'm hoping something good will come up," she says. "I think we're all a little scared and nervous."
Which is not to say there isn't any levity on the set, even if it is mixed with self-deprecation. As Acker sits in the makeup chair preparing to undergo her transformation into Illyria, a process that generally takes two hours, actor Gary Coleman appears in a commercial on TV. As the former child star speaks about how important it is to invest money lest you leave a hit program and end up bankrupt like him, her co-star Andy Hallet starts laughing. "Someone told me I'm going to be taping one of these commercials with him next week," he notes.
By Acker's own admission, she's playing things by ear. And she claims to look forward to auditioning and experiencing new roles. "It seems like there's tons of good stuff out there," she said. "I'm excited to play a new character, and I'll see what comes up. I'd like to use the auditions not only to get a job, but also as a chance to act." And though she has heard stories of some people who are actually relieved when their show ends, she's not one of them. "People who are excited to move on," she says, "probably don't have Joss Whedon as their boss."
Keep on Trekkin'
Sometimes even the most experienced actors can find themselves abruptly unemployed. Actor and musician Tim Russ had several films and countless television appearances to his credit, ranging from Hill Street Blues to Murphy Brown, before landing a steady gig as Lt. Commander Tuvok on the Star Trek series Voyager in 1995. It would seem Russ, a charismatic actor who radiates intelligence, was destined to join the Trek world; he had previously appeared in the spinoffs The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine, and had a role in the seventh Star Trek film, Generations. Still, when the offer to join the new Trek series came, Russ knew joining the franchise could have its drawbacks. "I was not worried about being typecast before I took the part," he says. "But I was aware of the reality of this business: I think there is a potential danger of being overexposed on the series in general."
Of course being on a regular program had its benefits. "The good thing about being on a continuous series is that it establishes you as a name actor in the business," he observes. "There are outside benefits as well, like working in other areas. For example I got the opportunity to direct and do voiceover work as a result of being on the show. Either one of those jobs would have been very difficult to get if I had not been on the series."
Trek viewers can be a notoriously fanatical group, and Russ wasn't completely prepared for the onslaught of attention he received. "I am a somewhat private individual, and I noticed very quickly after the show began to air that my privacy was being compromised all the time," he recalls. "I had to be protective of my address and phone number. I was stopped constantly wherever I went, interacting with total strangers, whom I would not normally talk to on a daily basis." He compares the experience to Chinese water torture, saying, "A little bit is no problem. But over time, it wears you out. But I was usually very cordial with people, as I was aware that that kind of thing came with the territory."
Russ seems to have embraced his Trek connection. The actor, who lists Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan as one of his favorite movies, isn't one of those performers who wishes to distance himself from the role he's best known for. "I thought it was kinda cool to be part of the Trek legacy," he says. "It's a cult phenomenon that people all over the world are aware of." Even today he is active in conventions and recently directed a short film titled Roddenberry On Patrol, a comedy starring several Trek actors that pays tribute to Trek creator Gene Roddenberry.
When Voyager came to an end in 2001, Russ had mixed emotions. "I was relieved to escape the routine and monotony of playing the same character for such a long time and repeating a lot of the same dialogue and action," he admits. "But the other edge of the sword was, of course, realizing that a full-time acting job was coming to an end."
The key for Russ seems to have been to keep busy with many projects. His experience directing on Voyager gave him the cachet to direct several commercials and shows for the Discovery Channel. He remains active in charities, including Zenith Youth Homes, which works to provide homes for disadvantaged inner-city youths. And Russ has found more time to indulge in his other passion: music. His latest CD, Brave New World, was released last year and is available at his website, www.timrusswebpage.net. He performs with two different bands: one blues, the other a trio that plays original songs and covers. He continues to act, although he says there has been a dearth of roles lately. "Quite honestly, what I have discovered is that a lot of the work has simply been moved to Canada," he says, echoing a common problem among actors. "There are not as many parts available to read for as there used to be before I started on Voyager." But he has a definite bright side, and it involves his 5-year-old child. "The pace of life is slower than it was while I was on the show," he notes, "which is nice, because it gives me time to spend with my daughter."
City Girl
Indeed not everyone takes their show's cancellation badly. Amy Pietz starred on the NBC sitcom Caroline in the City for four years, from 1995 to 1999, when she got news the show would not be coming back for a fifth. "It was wonderful news," Pietz says bluntly. After attending the Goodman School of Drama in Chicago and appearing onstage at the Steppenwolf and Organic Theatre companies, she came to L.A. for pilot season and, in her own words, "pretty much started working right away."
On Caroline, Pietz played Annie, the spunky and frank best friend of Lea Thompson's title character. Years before critics began sniping that Will & Grace would have been more entertaining as "Jack & Karen," Pietz was perfecting the part of the scene-stealing sidekick who deserved her own show. She won critical raves and a SAG nomination for her work, and she thoroughly enjoyed her time on the show. "There was nothing more thrilling than hearing the audience laugh," she recalls. "I got a real high off that. It was like doing a new play every week." So why was the cancellation good news? "I had never done a part for that long," Pietz explains. "I had never played one role, and I was definitely looking forward to doing other things that I'd been trained to do theatrically and to doing drama." Pietz purposely avoided auditioning for sitcoms for a number of pilot seasons, wanting to concentrate on dramatic programs. "I really wanted to be part of a different rhythm," she continues. "I was so sick of: 'set-up, set-up, joke.' I can't even tell you. I was just really not interested in it anymore. I think it's true for every actor, that you need variety." She made a brief return to the sitcom world in 2000 for the much-maligned The Weber Show, originally titled Cursed, mainly because she wanted to work with star Steven Weber. "I thought he was a terrific performer, and it would be wonderful fun to work with him," she notes. "And that part of it was true. Thank God. The rest of it ... auugh."
Pietz sounds almost embarrassed to admit she wasn't at all concerned about job security. "I mean, there's tons of work out there, and I just always have believed that I would work. I wasn't worried. I was worried I might be perceived in a particular light that might limit my choices, and I think that was true to a certain extent. But I never thought, 'I'll never get another job again!'"
One of the reasons Pietz wasn't concerned was because of her strong theatre background, and her love of live stage work helped her keep things in perspective. She performed regularly at several theatres and with L.A. Theatreworks. Most recently she wrapped a production of Stephen Sondheim's Company, for which she received rave reviews. Beginning July 10 she will be appearing at the Odyssey Theatre in a production of Kenneth Lonergan's Lobby Hero, directed by her husband, Kenneth Alan Williams. Keeping busy was key for Pietz, and not just in the acting arena. "I've been very busy," she says. "I think last summer was the only summer I didn't do anything theatrically or film-wise or television-wise. And that's when I decided to become a doula."
A doula, she explains, is a birthing coach who physically and emotionally supports women through childbirth. Pietz took training courses and education classes and is on her way to being certified by Doulas of North America. It's been a passion of hers for years, since she gave up a child for adoption many years ago. "At that point I realized I wanted to help other women have non-traumatic birth experiences," she says. "It's always been a goal of mine to do this, and I'm so grateful that I can do this and still have acting."
The experience has also helped her keep the sometimes crazy world of show business in perspective. "I just like to balance out the selfishness and self-centeredness of my acting career with something that's selfless and serves others," she notes, adding that she is not paid as a doula. "It actually makes me a better actress. It makes me more excited and thrilled to be an actress, because I don't place my entire identity on that. It's the most meaningful thing in the world to me. I absolutely love it."
Her schedule is about to get even more crowded, as a pilot she appeared in was recently picked up for the fall season. Titled Rodney, after standup star Rodney Carrington, the sitcom was recently announced as part of ABC's new lineup. "I was very leery about it originally because I have prejudices about comedians being actors," Pietz admits. "Because you're asking them to do something they're not necessarily trained to do. But Rodney is the most generous performer I've worked with, onstage and off. He's just an amazing human being."
She has high hopes for the show but also knows there are many more opportunities if it doesn't take off. And to actors looking for their first or 50th break, she offers the following: "Realize that so much of it is luck and out of your control. Stay busy. Go back to class every chance you get. If you write, write your own material. And I would encourage actors to treat each other better than they do and not judge each other, because everybody's trying their best."
The Show Goes On
Acting is always a transitional profession, and most actors have grown accustomed to lacking job security. And no matter how experienced the performer, there will always be times when the phone doesn't ring. Still, the actors we spoke to all seemed to have no problems keeping busy. Shortly after Angel aired its final episode, Acker landed a role in a feature film called The Novice and completed a short opposite Oliver Hudson. Pietz is heading back to the sitcom world and winning raves on the stage. Russ continues to work in a variety of mediums, frequently creating his own projects. And all three leave a legacy of stellar performances in programs that, at one time or another, spoke to a legion of viewers. And even if they're not on television every week, it doesn't make the job any less important. "You know how some people are just born actors?" Pietz says. "I was born knowing I wanted to be an actor forever, and I'm sure I will be." BSW