What are good jobs for people who want to be an actor?

Question

O.k I'm trying to be an Movie star the problem is until then, I need a job to pay bills like everyone esle. So what are good paying jobs that can also allow me time to go out and look for acting jobs? I hope i was clear.

i LIVE IN nyc HIT ME UP ON MYSPACE/ROMELOO2
i ALSO WRITE POEMS

Answer 1

Here's something to consider. The way I see it, you can go one of three different ways.

1) You get a traditional job, that has nothing to do with your acting or the acting industry. You will work a lot, not make a great deal of money or maybe make a lot. You might have difficulty getting off work, because your boss doesn't support your acting career. You will find it difficult to concentrate on your career, prepare for your auditions the way you know you should, network and really tend to your career.

2) You get a job that might not pay you a lot and that might not give you a whole lot of flexibility, but at least while you are working, you are learning something about the industry AND you have a boss, who understands you and your need to be able to audition and maybe be in a play, do a commercial, etc. AND you are making great industry contacts in the process. http://www.actingcareerstartup.com/job_ideas_for_actors.html

3) You do something that is innovative and completely different to make money; something that most people don't think of, but that taps into your individual skills and talents and what you are knowledgeable about, and it lets you use it. You make a decent amount of money, which is enough for you to fund your career and you work on your own schedule and don't have to worry about getting off work for auditions. You have a lot of flexibility and you are your own boss and you don't have to worry about having enough money to take that class or get those headshots or demo when you need to. http://www.actingcareerstartup.com/ideas_to_make_money.html

The choice is all yours.

Good luck!

Tony
http://www.actingcareerstartup.com/acs_blog.html

p.s. Oh! And about your comment about wanting to be a movie star: http://www.actingcareerstartup.com/wanna_be_a_famous_actor.html

Answer 2

One job I had was a messenger. They knew up front I was an actor and were very accomodating. If I had an audition I didn't go on a pick up. You have to have a reliable car and GPS or current Thomas Guides. The cool thing about doing this job in Los Angeles was that I was picking up and delivering packages in offices like Zanuck, William Morris, Warner Bros. lot, etc. Of course I had a lot of stuff in downtown and in big office bldgs where there's no parking and that was not fun.

Of course waiting tables is good because you have other servers who can trade time with you if you have an audition (or you call in sick if you get desperate) but your manager will get tired of that real quick so watch it. Working at a fairly trendy place is good especially if you have good personality. You can be a host or a server but of course servers get tips.

Bartenders get good money and work more in the evenings which are more desirable hours if your auditioning but not if you're doing theatre to build your resume. If you can work your schedule to mesh ith your rehearsals and everyone's cool with that then go for it.

A janitor may not be your ideal job, but if it were say at Sony Tristar, that may be something know what I mean? Depending on where you are many theme parks are hiring actors for their Halloween haunt activities right now too. Disneyland is almost always hiring.

good luck!

Answer 3

there are several things you could do... first of all, anything to do with filming or even photography will give you an opportunity to see things from behind the camera; second, any job that lets you deal with the emotional sides of people like a hospital, a school, or even a bar...( people are always acting out when they are drunk!)

good luck in your career but don't sell out, do only good roles and don't do anything degrading to anyone

by the way, are you living in hollywood? becaause that is your best bet

peace love dreams come true

Answer 4

Just about any day job...most of your acting (at the start) wil be done in the evenings at local theatre groups......or, you could look for other local options...I know here, we have a huge Renaissance Faire at a local winery, and they need people like you.....and when the Faire is over, they have an option of continuing with other events, portraying Poe and company at Halloween, and Charles Dickens' characters at X-mas....a lot of people have found their love or hatred of acting through something like that.

Answer 5

Ok, I'm gonna tell ya,......get a job as a waiter, that puts you in contact with guests and alloows you to listen in on conversations between people who do have actor's jobs or jobs available to actors, a great example is Mathew McConehey, he was aq wieter in austin, Texas at a rerstraint called "jazz" on 6th st. before he was an actor and he waited on me. it aint where you go to get a job, it's who you come into contact with "eventually" and "evetually" always comes by.

Answer 6

Waiter, Bus Driver Cab Driver......

Answer 7

Janitor, Waiter...good luck man, tough *** business to get into.

Answer 8

Anything that is part time.