Character Kings profiles 15 actors and reveals the struggles they’ve endured surviving in Hollywood. Each interview features behind-the-scenes anecdotes, tips on auditioning and secrets to making a living in acting.
Excerpt
They’re called character actors… They are the familiar faces we always see in movies and TV shows whose names usually escape us. They don’t earn $20 million a picture nor are their headshots splashed on magazine covers. Instead, they exist in a state of semi-anonymity; a legion of talented and dependable performers who are, in fact, the lifeblood of Hollywood.
The 15 men featured in this book may not be stars, but their hard work and dedication to the craft should serve as an inspiration to aspiring actors everywhere. Combined, they have nearly 2,000 film and television credits on their resumes and over 500 years of experience. More important, they have managed to accomplish what 96% of other actors in the industry fail to do, earn a consistent living.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average income of a Screen Actors Guild (SAG) member in 2007 was less than $5,000. Competition for roles is fierce, and most actors go for months (sometimes years) in-between jobs. Rejection is the norm, perseverance is essential and luck is almost mandatory, but for those who beat the odds and start making a name for themselves, it’s just the first step on a much longer journey. Getting a big break is one thing; exploiting that break and turning it into a career is something else entirely.
The key to maintaining longevity as an actor is realizing that compromises often have to be made. As much as these men are artists, most of them also have a family to provide for, which means sometimes taking roles in inferior projects just for the sake of a paycheck. If you’ve ever wondered why one of your favorite actors shows up in a movie that’s terrible from beginning to end, it’s probably because he has a mortgage to pay, food to buy and a car that requires gasoline. Acting may seem like a glamorous profession, but the simple truth is that if actors aren’t working, they’re not getting paid.
Ironically, in their effort to maintain a steady income, character actors often become victims of their own success. They’re so effective in playing the dedicated cop, the hard-ass authority figure and the deranged neighbor that directors and casting agents have difficulty seeing them as anything else. As a result of this stereotyping, many of them are branching out into writing and producing, trying to guide their own destiny instead of having their fate decided by others.
The men profiled here are not driven by fame, fortune or ego. They do their best with every opportunity presented to them and have successfully balanced the art and business of acting. Above all, they recognize(and are thankful for) the rare gift they’ve been given: the chance to make a living doing something they love.
Ladies and gentlemen, these are the Character Kings.
Copyright 2008 Scott Voisin. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the author.
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