I see posts from new actors saying it’s a bad time to try and become an actor. With the WGA strike and now the SAG strike, I think the thought is that there’s nothing going on.
I have a small group of 7 actors that I talk to on a daily basis and every single one of them has booked a role and/or filmed a role in the last 30 days. We vary in experience from 6 months to 15 years.
There is non-union work out there and more popping up everyday. If you aren’t booking short films and independent films when the competition is only non-union actors, what makes you think you will book work on union jobs when the competition pool is larger and is non-union and union actors?
- If you aren’t getting auditions, you might need better headshots.
- If you aren’t getting callbacks, you might need classes or a class specifically on auditioning.
- If you aren’t booking work, then take acting classes.
- If your resume is thin, work on adding more skills, take more classes.
- And you always need to be networking, all the time.
Don’t get discouraged
Even with the strike there is work for you.
- voiceover work
- microbudget films
- interim contract agreements are allowed by the union still
*Make sure you check on the SAG-AFTRA website that work is allowed so you don’t get blacklisted.
Yes, the future of acting is up in the air, but now is the time to get yourself as marketable as possible and ready for the roles that come up when the strikes end.
Remember, actors act. You can always get together with friend to run scenes or you can start your own project.
Simon Shih 