Actor (Virtual Apprentice)

ACtOR By Don Rauf and Monique Vescia

Virtual Apprentice: Actor Copyright © 2009 by Bright Futures Press All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Ferguson An imprint of Infobase Publishing 132 West 31st Street New York, NY 10001

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Rauf, Don. Virtual apprentice. Actor / Don Rauf and Monique Vescia. p. cm. Includes index. ISBN 978-0-8160-6757-2 (hc : alk. paper) 1. Acting—Vocational guidance—Juvenile literature. I. Vescia, Monique. II. Title. PN2055.R38 2007 792.02’8023—dc22 2006036580

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Produced by Bright Futures Press (http://www.brightfuturespress.com) Series created by Diane Lindsey Reeves Interior design by Tom Carling, carlingdesign.com Cover design by Salvatore Luongo Photo Credits: Table of Contents Tim Pannell/Corbis; Page 5 Phil McCarten/Reuters/Corbis; Page 7 Bettmann/CORBIS; Page 8 Bettmann/CORBIS; Page 17 Laures/Dreamstime.com; Page 21 Mschalke/Dreamstime.com; Page 25 Warner Bros. Pictures/Bureau L.A. Collection/Corbis; Page 26 Bertrand Benoit; Page 33 Tim Pannell/Corbis; Page 38 Nicholas Campbell; Page 41 Lya Cattel; Page 44 Ted Soqui/Corbis; Page 47 Matthieu Paley/Corbis. Note to Readers: Please note that every effort was made to include accurate Web site addresses for kid-friendly resources listed throughout this book. However, Web site content and addresses change often and the author and publisher of this book cannot be held accountable for any inappropriate material that may appear on these Web sites. In the interest of keeping your online exploration safe and appropriate, we strongly suggest that all Internet searches be conducted under the supervision of a parent or other trusted adult.

Printed in the United States of America Bang PKG 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 This book printed on acid-free paper.

CONteNtS

Welcome to the World of the Actor

4

CHAPteR 1

Acting Now and Then

6

CHAPteR 2

Actor at Work

16

CHAPteR 3

Acting Tech and Trends

24

CHAPteR 4

Lights! Camera! Action!

32

CHAPteR 5

Supporting Roles

40

CHAPteR 6

Kids Ask, Actors Answer

50

CHAPteR 7

Actor for a Day

56

More Resources for Young Actors

62

iNtRODUCtiON

APPeNDiX iNDeX

64

iNtRODUCtiON

You’re at the mall, shopping for some decent back-to-school clothes with your dad (who never lets you buy the really cool stuff) when a chic-looking businesswoman approaches you and says, “Excuse me, but has anyone ever told you that you have the perfect face for television? Let me give you my card!” Does this fantasy sound familiar? It’s fun to daydream about being “discovered”—after all, wasn’t that how the actress Natalie Portman got her start? It’s no secret that we live in a culture that is completely obsessed with actors. Stand in the checkout line of any supermarket and you’ll see the same familiar faces plastered on the covers of dozens of magazines. The intimate details of the stars’ lives make front-page headlines, and they command multimillion-dollar salaries for their work. Countless kids daydream that they’ll grow up to become megastars, too, someday. But what’s it really like to work as an actor? In this demanding profession, where only the tiniest percentage of people will ever wind up headlining in a blockbuster film, what keeps all those other aspiring actors going? Where do they acquire the skills they need, and how do they sharpen their 4

acting techniques? How do they earn money and use their acting talents while waiting for their big break? In Virtual Apprentice: Actor you’ll learn that real actors are born and made. You’ll hear that from the earliest days actors were seen by some as sacred and by others as the scum of the earth! You’ll find out how actors train their bodies and voices to express every different shade of emotion with—and without—words. You’ll step onto a Broadway stage and peek behind the scenes at a movie lot. You’ll play an actor’s role for a day and discover the latest trends and technologies in this entertaining, challenging, and ancient profession. We’ve saved you a front-row seat, so get comfy, park your bucket of popcorn on your lap, and get ready for a sneak peak at your future in picture shows.

These young stars of High School Musical made a big splash on the Disney channel.



cHAPTEr 1

In a time with no past and no present and no future … in a place once known as … Chicago…. Cold and hungry, you clutch your soggy, tattered clothes around you and stumble through a futuristic landscape of abandoned buildings and dying trees. Suddenly, a hunched shadow slices across your path. With a bloodcurdling cry, a hideous mutant

FUN

FAcToID In ancient Greece plays were part of religious festivals. During performances actors were considered sacred, and striking a performer could be punishable by death.

rat-man lurches out from behind a ruined wall and hurls itself at your throat! You act surprised and terrified…even though this is the fourth time that this particular rat-man (whose real name is Richard) has jumped out at you from behind that fake wall. Richard pretends to sink his teeth into your neck, and then suddenly someone behind you yells, “And…cut!” Richard lets you go and mumbles through his plastic fangs, “Did you have tuna salad for lunch again?” You may have to reshoot this scene three or 35 more times before you get it right. Each time you’ll have to look surprised and scared enough to convince an audience that they should be scared, too. You need to create an illusion of reality. That’s an actor’s job. Acting is a cooperative social art that dates back thousands of years. There’s something truly magical about what an actor

6

“I must say

that

acting was

good training for the political life that lay ahead of us.” —Nancy Reagan, wife of president Ronald Reagan does. The ability to conjure up castles and storms and whole armies out of nothingness, to make an audience feel a spectrum of emotions with words and gestures helps explain why actors have been respected and revered in some cultures while they have been distrusted and feared in others.

The First Thespian You may have noticed that playhouses are often decorated with a pair of masks, one happy and one sad. These masks represent comedy and tragedy and are the traditional symbols of the theater. In the classical theater of ancient Greece, actors wore large masks that served to identify their characters. These masks, which fit over the whole head, may have also served to amplify and project the actors’ voices to the distant spectators in the huge, open-air amphitheaters where plays were performed. Actors Ronald Reagan went from feeding chimps also wore thick boots to elevate them, and in a 1951 film to becoming the fortieth their gestures and speech were probably president of the United States in 1981. exaggerated so they could be seen and heard by every person in the audience. In the theaters of ancient Greece, the earliest dramatic stories were told through singing and dancing and via a narrator’s description. The first person to take on the role of a character was a Greek performer named Thespis, who spoke his part on the stage 

Virtual Apprentice:

Actor

curious about other people. That’s the essence of my acting.

“I’m

I’m

interested in what it would be like to be you.” —Meryl Streep, Actress

of the Dionysus Theater in 534 B.C. Today actors are known as thespians, in honor of Thespis. The ancient Greeks were nuts about the theater and held annual contests where playwrights competed for prizes. In the city-state of Athens, the center of ancient Greece, a festival called the Dionysia was held each spring in honor of Dionysus, the Greek god of wine and fertility. The main event at each year’s festival was a dramatic competition. The playwrights Aeschylus (called “the father of Greek tragedy”), Sophocles, and Euripedes all won prizes for their tragedies. These plays are still performed as written or adapted for modern audiences because the powerful themes they present are still relevant. The Seven is playwright Will Power’s 2006 hip-hop version of Aeschylus’s Seven Against Thebes, a tragedy first staged in 467 B.C. Before Aeschylus, early Greek drama featured a single actor (who played different parts, using different masks) and a chorus, a group of performers that stood apart from the action of the play and commented on it through music and dance. Aeschylus introduced a second actor, which allowed for much more dramatic conflict between the performers. Aeschylus also introduced stage direction, costumes, and he acted in his own plays. Later, around 468 B.C., the playwright Sophocles introduced a third actor, making possible even more complex interactions between characters. 

actinG nOW anD tHen

Bad company Fast-forward to the twentieth century: In January 1981, a former actor named Ronald Reagan was sworn in as the fortieth president of the United States, becoming one of the most powerful people on the planet. Former First Lady Nancy Reagan said that “acting was good training for the political life that lay ahead of us.” Many actors today have had very successful political careers. Actors play such prominent roles in our culture that it’s hard to believe that at one time, in certain places, they were considered the scum of the earth! While actors did enjoy respect in ancient Greece, this was definitely not true in ancient Rome. Performers in Roman theater were captives, foreigners, or slaves; they were treated badly and had no rights as citizens. Lumped together with thieves and vagabonds, in many countries actors were very likely to be run out of town. Traveling troupes of performers, which included jugglers, musicians, tightrope walkers, and other entertainers, moved from place to place, scraping together a living and infuriating the clergy, who considered them dangerous and immoral. Townspeople may not have trusted actors as far as they could throw them, but they turned out in droves to watch their performances. For the average person in the Middle Ages (roughly A.D. 400 to 1500), life was very hard, and any form of entertainment provided a welcome diversion. Players staged scenes based on biblical stories and the lives of saints. These performances became so popular that eventually entire villages took part in their production.

“The Play’s the Thing” Sixteenth-century England, during the 45 years when Queen Elizabeth was on the throne, was an exciting time to be an actor. The red-haired queen loved the theater, and during her long reign many playhouses were built, and this art form flourished. Some troupes of performers were lucky enough to be supported financially by members of the nobility. Actors gained status, and the most popular ones had plays written to showcase their talents. The star of the Elizabethan stage was (you might have heard of him) William Shakespeare. Shakespeare was a member of Lord Chamberlain’s Men (later renamed the King’s Men), one of the

FIND oUT

MorE

Find out what the most influential film critic of the last 50 years had to say about your favorite actors and movies. Pauline Kael (1919– 2001) was a writer known for her cantankerous nature and witty remarks. You can search for reviews by movie title at http:// www.geocities .com/paulinekaelre views. Also look for one of Kael’s books, such as 5001 Nights at the Movies. You can learn a lot from this sharp-tongued writer who once said about her profession, “If you can’t make fun of bad movies on serious subjects, then what’s the point?”

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most popular acting companies in London. Shakespeare’s plays were enormously popular when he wrote them—and they have been popular ever since. “The Bard,” as Shakespeare is fondly known, created some of history’s most timeless roles. As the great British actor Sir Laurence Olivier once wrote about the part of Hamlet, “Once you have played it, it will devour you and obsess you for the rest of your life.” In Elizabethan England, actors usually played multiple roles in a production. The Elizabethans loved complicated plots with lots of intrigue and disguises. They also adored gory special effects. During fight scenes, the stage would be spattered with blood and guts (animal blood and bits supplied by local butchers for the occasion), to the delight of the audience. Actors had to be physically skilled to perform in these plays; they had to dance well, fight convincingly, and be able to project their voices over the noise made by the “groundlings” clustered at the foot of the stage.

The Villain Wore White European theatrical traditions have tended to be very realistic, with actors trying to make the action on stage seem as lifelike and convincing as possible. In Eastern cultures such as in China and Japan, theatrical traditions are far more symbolic. Characters represent social types or human qualities such as greed or innocence rather than portraying specific individuals, as is usually done in Western theater. Chinese opera dates back to 700 B.C. Actors paint their faces with colorful designs that symbolize the roles they play. Noble characters wear dark colors and simple designs. Black makeup symbolizes integrity, white means treachery, and blue may indicate bravery or arrogance. The fiercest characters wear the most complicated makeup. Actors are venerated as true artists, and a performer may begin his training as early as age seven. In Japan, the two main dramatic styles are Noh, which began around 1300, and Kabuki, which dates from around 1600. Noh characters wear wooden masks and fancy costumes, and they carry props that signify their characters. The mysterious tales of Noh drama are told through dance, and a performance may last as long as 10 hours! (Better visit the restroom before you take your seat.) Japanese Kabuki theater is a lively mix of dance, pantomime, melodrama, and song. 10

ACTING NOW AND THEN

Theatrical Superstitions The history of the stage is rich with superstitions, and many actors today still take them very seriously. Here are some of the most well known: BREAK A LEG. The worst thing you can do to a fellow actor is tell her “Good luck!” before a performance. (You might as well say, “Go out there and have the worst performance of your life!”) Instead, actors say, “Break a leg!” to wish one another well before a show. No one is sure where the expression originated, but one theory says it may have come from the phrase “to make a leg,” which means to bow deeply. THE GHOST LIGHT. A single bulb called the “ghost light” is always left burning in a darkened theater, even if no one is there. (Does it keep the ghosts away or help them find their way in the dark?) THAT SCOTTISH PLAY. “Bubble, bubble, toil and trouble.” That famous line is from William Shakespeare’s classic play about an ambitious Scottish lord who murders his way to the throne. “That play” has a

reputation for bringing bad luck to anyone involved in its production. As a means of warding off the play’s curse, performers never refer to it by name but instead call it “that Scottish play.” (Can you guess its name? It rhymes with “black death”—but don’t say it out loud!) WHISTLING BACKSTAGE. It is considered extremely bad luck to whistle backstage in a theater—for a good reason. Long ago, the crew changing the scenery communicated with a system of whistles, so whistling backstage could bring a backdrop down on your head!

FIND OUT

MORE

If you dare…go to http://experts.about.com (search: theatrical superstitions) to learn about more actors’ superstitions and their origins.

No Girls Allowed For many centuries, theatrical traditions in both the East and West excluded women from performing. Female roles in Chinese opera and Japanese theater were played by male actors. When Shakespeare’s plays were originally staged, all of the women’s roles were performed by men or boys, whose hairless faces and high voices made it easier for them to play female parts. It wasn’t until the seventeenth century in Italy that women became respected performers in their own right, as members of troupes of traveling actors, performing plays in the Italian style of theater known as the “commedia dell’arte,” a phrase which when translated into 11

Virtual apprentice:

AcTor

English means artistic comedy. (Women didn’t crack the gender barrier in Chinese opera until 1911.)

The Art of comedy Italy’s commedia dell’arte style of theater became popular in the mid-sixteenth century. A troupe was generally made up of eight to 12 professional actors, both male and female, who shared in the profits from their performances. Audiences who attended these plays were entertained by humorous, partly improvised stories featuring “stock characters”—immediately recognizable to the audience: Arlecchino (the harlequin) in his diamond-patterned outfit, the pompous doctor, the stingy merchant, the pretty serving girl, and others. Since many of the actors wore masks, they had to use their bodies to convey emotion. As a result, this art form was very physically demanding. Each performer in the commedia dell’arte typically played a single role for his entire career. The playwright Molière was a master of comedy who was deeply influenced by Italian theater. In plays such as Tartuffe and The

PoP QUIZ

The Many Faces of Film As with any complex art form, film has evolved over time into many different categories or genres : film noir, screwball comedy, western, horror, and epic, to name just a few. See if you can identify the correct film genre based on the descriptions below.

1

known for interesting camera angles and a dark and shadowy look.

2

Don’t watch one of these when you’re home alone!

3

Do some research to find out the characteristics of each genre and the films that best represent that style of moviemaking. The counter person at your local video store can probably help you, or search for books on film genres at your local library.

This kind of zany, light-hearted film delighted audiences during the 1930s. John Wayne and Clint Eastwood starred in plenty of these movies, which were usually filmed on location. These sweeping dramas often employed “a cast of thousands.”

4 12

These black-and-white films were

5

actinG nOW anD tHen

Misanthrope Molière combined the physical energy of commedia dell’arte with witty dialogue to create biting social satires that are still performed today. Molière was a celebrated actor who performed in his own plays and who practically died onstage, after he burst a blood vessel in the middle of a performance.

Theater in America There’s a golden-haired girl tied to the train tracks. The villain snickers and twirls his waxed mustache as the locomotive chugs closer… In the nineteenth-century United States, the most popular form of theater was melodrama, which featured simple plots of good versus evil. In the end, the audience was reassured when the heroes and heroines prevailed and the dastardly villains got their just desserts. The latest developments in stage machinery provided for thrilling effects, like raging storms and erupting volcanoes.

Moving and Talking Pictures But as far as audiences were concerned, the most exciting new technology was “moving pictures” (that’s why they call them the movies). The first films were silent, which meant that actors relied on facial expressions and gestures to express emotion. When films with sound came to theaters in the 1920s, silent-screen stars such as John Gilbert and Pola Negri did not succeed in crossing over to the “talkies” because audiences did not like the sound of their voices. Actors also had to change their style of acting to suit the new medium. Stage actors have to project to the back rows of large theaters, but film is a much more intimate medium requiring a much more subtle and restrained style of acting. The entertainment business flourished in Southern California, where the bright sunshine made possible long hours of filming without the cost of artificial lighting. Actors flocked to Hollywood, one of the places where work could still be found during the Great Depression. The first real movie stars, like Mary Pickford, Cary Grant, and Joan Crawford, were products of the “star system.” Production studios like MGM, Paramount, and 20th Century Fox signed actors and actresses to exclusive contracts. In exchange for the promise to only appear in that studio’s films,

FUN

FAcToID “The Immortal Bard,” William Shakespeare (1564– 1616), was also an actor who performed in many of his own plays (he wrote 37) as well as in those by other playwrights of his time, such as Christopher Marlowe and Ben Jonson.

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Actor

Early silent movies, like An Oily Scoundrel, made in 1916, were all action and no talk.

stars were paid high salaries. Movie magazines featuring photos and gossip about the stars’ glamorous lifestyles—much like what you’ll find by the supermarket checkout counter today—fueled the public’s interest in actors and created millions of fans. Some actors did not like being “owned” by the big studios, however, and demanded more artistic control over their work.

Star Power Actors today have more power than ever before. Successful film stars choose the roles they wish to play and turn down those they don’t think will further their careers. Actors have unions, like the Screen Actors Guild and Actors’ Equity, to protect their wages and interests. In exchange for the high salaries they make, suc14

actinG nOW anD tHen

cessful actors often have to deal with unwelcome intrusions by fans and the paparazzi (aggressive celebrity photographers) that follow them everywhere. When you have a famous face, it’s hard to just pop around the corner for a quart of milk! Certain actors use their “visibility” to promote political causes. They know their celebrity can help put the spotlight on issues like AIDS, breast cancer research, and poverty, so they join in marches and rallies and donate money to the causes they support. Most actors are not movie stars, though. Acting is one of the most difficult and competitive professions and one of the least financially secure. Fewer than two percent of professional actors manage to make a living by acting alone; the expression “Don’t quit your day job” is especially applicable to this profession. But most actors couldn’t imagine doing anything else—go figure! The challenges of this work weed out anyone who doesn’t believe in the magic of theater, who isn’t totally addicted to the risky excitement of performing in front of an audience of strangers. If you’ve been bit by the acting bug, you know it. As Steve Buscemi once said, “When I was a fireman I was in a lot of burning buildings. It was a great job, the only job I ever had that compares to the thrill of acting.”

FUN

FAcToID The famous L.A.-based improv acting troupe called the Groundlings took its name from the Elizabethan term for the poorest members of the audience who watched the play from directly in front of the stage.

15

CHAPTER 2

You’re in a darkened theater, eyes glued to the screen, so swept up in the story that you forget it’s all make-believe. When that happens, you know that the performers are doing their job right. In a good movie or play, the

FUN

FACTOID

actors make it look easy. It’s difficult to see the hard work that has gone into creating something that seems so effortless. But ask any professional actor and he or she will tell you that good acting takes talent, study, and practice. As a drama professor once said, “A career in acting isn’t a sprint, it’s a

Actor and

marathon.” Even top celebrities, who have spent years devot-

comedian Jim Carrey bombed during his debut at age 15 performing at a comedy club dressed in a yellow polyester suit. He also failed the audition for Saturday Night Live in 1986.

ed to acting, continue to work hard at their craft. For example, Halle Berry, Charlize Theron, Matthew Perry, and Brad Pitt continue to train and have all studied with the acting coach Ivana Chubbuck to improve their acting skills. Some actors call in a coach to develop certain roles. If they need to learn to speak like a proper English lady or how to behave like a cop, for example, the coach helps them nail the role. Take an inside look at the lives of any of today’s most popular actors, and you’ll see that success isn’t just posing for cameras and winking at adoring fans. Better yet, put yourself in their shoes for a day!

16

“There are

no small parts,

small actors.”

only

—Czech writer Milan Kundera

A Typical Day for You—Superstar Your alarm clock rings at 4:00 a.m. Where are you, and what are you doing here? Oh, yeah—you’re in Italy filming a miniseries set in ancient Rome. You’ve been so busy lately with so many projects, sometimes it’s hard to keep track.

Lights! Camera! Action! Shooting a scene on a studio set.

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Better get those creative juices flowing, so you head to the hotel gym for a quick workout. Gotta keep that body in shape. You never know when the camera will sweep in for a close-up, not to mention keeping up with all the physical demands of some of the action scenes. A quick shower later, and you’re on your way to the makeup department to get transformed from the hip, good-looking dude you’d like to think you are in your “real” life to the aging Roman man you are playing in this film. At 5:30 a.m., you report into the makeup department and start your workday with some coffee and gossip with the makeup artist. It takes about 45 minutes for her to apply the beard and wrinkles that instantly add a good 30 years to your looks. A hairstylist next fusses with your wig, making sure it’s firmly attached and authentic-looking. With hair and makeup ready, an assistant in wardrobe helps you slip into your toga. Many other actors have to be made up and get in costume. Your first scene isn’t shot until about 10:00 that morning, so you use the time to catch up with your fellow actors. You and the two other primary players in the first scene rehearse lines and run through the actions required. In this particular scene, you have

REALITY CHECK

Is Your Name Stageworthy? Many performers adopt a “stage name” because their real name is difficult to spell or pronounce, too long, or because another actor is already using that name. (Michael Keaton’s real name is Michael Douglas, for instance.) Check out these well-known actors’ real names, and you’ll see why they opted for a change!

Jennifer Anistonopolis (Jennifer Aniston)

Tracy Marrow (Ice T)

Maurice J. Micklewhite (Michael Caine)

Goldie Jean Studlendegehawn (Goldie Hawn)

Thomas Cruise Mapother IV (Tom Cruise) Caryn Johnson (Whoopi Goldberg)

Natalie Hershlag (Natalie Portman)

If you’re serious about making it as an actor, you’ll need a moniker that will help rather than hinder your career. If you can’t imagine your own name spelled out in lights on a movie marquee (Mervin Glaablart Jr., Now Starring in Prognosis Negative! ), it’s time to think about changing it!

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And the Winner Is… Every year, actors attend awards ceremonies to recognize and honor achievements in the entertainment industry. Many of these gala events are televised, and the interviews of stars on the red carpet outside the ceremony can be more fun to watch than the events themselves. How closely do you follow award ceremonies? See if you can match the acting award with its description.

A B C D E

Oscar Emmy Tony Obie Golden Globe

POP QUIZ

1

Awards given for best performances and productions in Broadway theater

2 3 4

Given to actors starring in both film and television Awarded to best shows and actors on television

Honoring the year’s best in the film industry; voted on by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

5

Off-Broadway theater awards

ANSWERS: 1-C, 2-E, 3-B, 4-A, 5-D to fake a fistfight, so you want to make sure your motions are smooth to make your scuffle as real as can be. After rehearsing a bit, you head to your dressing room where your acting coach is ready to help you work on an Italian accent because your character is upper class and the director thinks that will work best for this role. When your coach leaves, you run some of the lines of dialogue with your personal assistant, who has gone and fetched your favorite bottle of water and a morning carrot muffin. Your cell phone rings—it’s your agent. “Remember, you have an audition tonight for that big, trouble-making garbage man role,” she says. The director happens to be in town, and you agreed to read for the role at a little theater not far from where you’re filming. Even though you’re somewhat of a household name, the director needs to see if you’re right for this particular part. You agree to meet him at about 7:00 p.m. after a long day of shooting. When it comes time to film your first scene of the day, you’re nervous but prepared. Makeup people give you a quick touchup, 19

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ACTOR

and you step before the cameras. The director yells “Action!” and you and the other players do your fight scene perfectly. At least you think it’s perfect—but the director wants it again. Even though you’re winded from the fake fighting, you jump back up and do it again. In fact, you do it seven more times so your director can get just what she needs. When it’s over, you’re sore and exhausted, but you know there’s more filming ahead. It’s time to break for lunch, and you, the director, and the lead actress grab a bite together in the director’s trailer so you can review the upcoming scene, which will be a romantic moment. The scene is very quiet and subtle, and much has to be conveyed with looks and tender gestures (ick!). The scene isn’t due to film until 3:00 p.m., so you and the actress have time to go over your lines and work through the scene.

Patience Is a Virtue

REALITY CHECK

The scene: You’re in line at Krispy Kreme donuts waiting for the guy in front of you to choose between glazed or cinnamon sugar—a decision that has already taken him five minutes of deep thought and chin scratching. Which of the following best describes your internal monologue?

A

Poor guy, it’s a tough decision—they’re both so yummy! I’m glad I’ve got some extra time to think about what I want!

B C D

Just get one of each, for Pete’s sake! I need my sugar fix! Must…kill…donut…man….

What internal monologue?! I left five minutes ago and ran screaming around the corner to Cinnabon! If you chose D, you may not have the patience to deal with all the waiting that actors have to do. Even the highest-paid stars spend hours in their trailers waiting for shooting to start or resume. Actors looking for work typically wait in looooooong audition lines. If you have a short fuse, find another line of work!

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Paparazzi waiting to get an exclusive photo of you.

By 2:30 your beard is falling off one side of your face, so you visit makeup to have more spirit gum applied. Filming is delayed until 4:00, so you kill the extra hour by checking your e-mail and sending a text message to your family back in the United States. At 4:00, cameras are rolling. You and your leading lady film the scene about five times—not only to get the performance right, but also so the director can capture the scene with cameras placed at different angles. The director will use these different points of view when she and the film editor edit the film later. At 6:00, the director calls it a “wrap” for the day. You come back to makeup one last time to have your beard and wig removed and your makeup cleaned off. Once your costume returns to wardrobe, you’re off in your sweats running to the audition. You figure wearing sweats will actually be okay, because you’re up for a role as a trash collector. As you exit the back door of the studio to catch a cab, photographers and fans are waiting. As a star, the media always wants your photograph, and fans want a 21

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flash of personal contact. You graciously stop for a couple quick snapshots and sign a few autographs for your dedicated fans.

The Never-Ending Audition Hustle As you head off in the cab, you think how the upcoming audition reminds you of your early days as an actor. You’re still nervous and excited by the whole process, but back then you were running from your temporary job at a law office to compete against 60 other actors wanting to say one line in a TV crime show. In those days, you would call your agent constantly to pressure her to get you more auditions. You put lots of time and money into

REALITY CHECK

What’s Your Day Job? Most aspiring actors have to have a non-acting job to support themselves before they become stars. Here are what some famous folks did before they got their big breaks:

Jennifer Aniston worked as a waitress. Jack Nicholson sorted mail at MGM studios (but that’s where he was discovered). Bill Murray sold chestnuts outside of a grocery store. Demi Moore worked for a debt collector. Marlon Brando dug ditches. Lucy Liu and Calista Flockhart both taught aerobics. Brad Pitt dressed as a chicken to promote a restaurant called Pollo Loco. Johnny Depp was selling pens by phone when he got an audition for his first movie, Nightmare on Elm Street. Harrison Ford worked as a carpenter. While on a job building a doorway in Francis Ford Coppola’s office, he was invited to audition for George Lucas’s newest project, Star Wars.

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“A

career in acting

a

sprint,

it’s a

isn’t

marathon.”

– a drama professor

your head shots—the photos that show casting directors who you are and the variety of looks you can assume. At that stage in your career, you took all sorts of gigs to get experience. You dressed as a giant hot dog for a fast-food commercial. You did a voiceover for a lawn-mowing device called the Weed Weasel. You worked at a trade show for toy manufacturers, wearing a mask and tights, posing as an action figure come to life. You made sure your head shots and resumes were seen by as many influential people as possible. Although you’re busy now, you were twice as busy then because you were hungry for work and had to hustle, hustle, hustle. When you finally get to your latest audition, you get up on stage with a few pages of dialogue and begin reading. Thankfully, the small audience of studio honchos in the room laugh in all the right spots and, at the end, you hear applause. The director thanks you and says that you absolutely have to talk again soon about this role. You leave unsure if you’ll get the part or if it will go to someone like Tom Hanks. You’ll have to wait and see what the director decides. The waiting doesn’t get any easier no matter how many films you’ve starred in.

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cHAPtEr 3

Technology has opened up a world of opportunities for actors. After all, without it there would be no “Lights, camera, action!” The need for actors grew rapidly as television and motion pictures became the world’s primary source of entertainment. More recently, cable television has

FUN

FActoID

increased the demand for actors as HBO, Comedy Central, and other new cable channels have developed original dramas and comedies. In the years to come, interactive media, such as direct-for-Web movies and videos, may generate even more jobs for hungry thespians. While technology has been kind

Alan Smithee

to actors, some professionals are concerned that computer-

is a fake name that a lot of directors use when they are disappointed with the final TV show or film and don’t want their real name on it.

generated characters might steal roles from human performers in the near future. What trends in the performing arts are waiting in the wings?

the computerized Actor If you happened to see the movie The Polar Express, you may have noticed that it wasn’t exactly animated and it didn’t star live actors. The film used a process called motion capture, or “mocap,” to digitize the movements of an actor (Tom Hanks) and then apply them to a computer-generated character.

24

“Any

sufficiently

advanced

technology

indistinguishable

from

is

magic.”

—science-fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke Computer-generated imaging (CGI) was used to create Gollum in The Lord of the Rings movies and the giant ape in the recent remake of King Kong. In both films a real actor was needed to model “human” characteristics for these creatures. Some actors feel computers are stealing a bit of their fame. Peter Calveley is one of the actors who provided the motions for computer-generated elves and orcs in The Two Towers, but he did not have his name listed in the credits. “Just because they cover people with digital skins, they can’t hide their existence,” Calveley said in USA Today. Actors are also concerned that once a computer has captured their digital performance it could be re-used in different media without them receiving any more pay.

Digital Makeup Without the Mess Just as some actors think they may be replaced by computerized characters one day, some makeup artists worry about technology being used to do their job. Many who saw Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest thought that the actor Bill Nighy had to wear an elaborate prosthetic tentacle beard to portray Davy

Actor Tom Hanks was the human inspiration for the animated conductor in the movie The Polar Express.

25

Virtual Apprentice:

Actor

Special effects like this make the impossible seem possible in movies.

Jones. His unique facial features, however, were made possible through sophisticated computer programming. A computer generated imaging technique called digital grading can be used to change the color of an actor’s face. The method made Captain Picard’s face blue as he changed into a Borg in Star Trek: First Contact and it allowed actor Sean Bean’s face to drain of color as he died in The Lord of the Rings.

Upstaged by a Cartoon Rabbit? One of the craziest twists for traditional acting came when filmmakers realized that they could manipulate film to have actors perform with animated characters. The technique goes back to the earliest days of film when silent-era cartoon Koko the Clown 26

acting tech and trends

interacted with people and animals in the real world. In the sound era of film, Gene Kelly had a famous dance scene with Jerry the Mouse in Anchors Aweigh. Disney’s Mary Poppins and The Three Caballeros both feature animated characters performing with actors. Actors had to learn to interact with characters that weren’t there during filming but were put in later. It was Who Framed Roger Rabbit in 1988 that really broke new ground in this area. The film’s advanced special effects made the interaction of animated characters like Roger Rabbit and live actors more real than ever. In more recent films, actors have had to learn to work with very authentic-looking creatures made through CGI. In 1993, Jurassic Park kicked this type of realism up a notch by having actors flawlessly interact with incredibly real-looking CGI-generated dinosaurs.

Oops! They Did It Again It takes the combined efforts of many people to produce a major film, but sometimes major bloopers will get by all of those eyes and onto the big screen. Some infamous mistakes that have made it into the final prints of films include:

cHEcK It

oUt

In Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, when the character of Jack Sparrow, played by Johnny Depp, is shoved into a grave, the print of a modern shoe can be seen in the dirt. In the 1997 film Titanic, when Jack (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) walks into the doomed ocean liner’s formal dining room to have dinner with Rose’s (Kate Winslet) family, a camera operator’s reflection is visible in the glass panes of the French doors. In Superman Returns (2006), the Man of Steel’s eye color alternates between brown and blue. (Maybe that’s what gives him X-ray vision!) Next time you watch a movie, see if you can spot any mistakes—such as a ring that switches from one finger to another, or a wound that heals miraculously overnight.

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Virtual apprentice:

Actor

Magical realism Watch for more films that stray away from strict realism into unexpected and surprising effects. Movies like the fantastic martial arts epic Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, where the fighters float through the air and run across the treetops, is a wonderful example of this style of filmmaking. Other movies with striking visual effects include Big Fish, Amelie, and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, which stars Kate Winslet and Jim Carrey as a couple who have their memories erased.

FUN

FActoID The original Tin Man in the classic movie The Wizard of Oz almost died! The powdered aluminum makeup used to cover actor Buddy Ebsen’s skin made him deathly ill. They had to call in a second actor, Jack Haley, and change the makeup.

Dead Actors Work Again? As CGI advances, some film industry professionals think that computer composites can be made of stars such as John Wayne and Marilyn Monroe. Using an extensive computer composite, a filmmaker could make a movie featuring a dead star in a new role. The method has been used on a limited basis so far. When the actor Oliver Reed died during the filming of Gladiator, scenes were digitally changed to make it look like he was in scenes that he never filmed. Star Wars director George Lucas is against the idea. He said, “Acting is a human endeavor, and the amount of talent and craft that goes into it is massive. Can a composite reproduce that?”

Digital Backlots Think it’s hard to act out a scene with a computer-generated costar? Some films today require actors to perform in front of an entirely blank screen. In the 2004 film Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jude Law, Giovanni Ribisi, and other actors were filmed on a digital (or virtual) backlot against a bluescreen. To achieve the look and feel of an old-fashioned scifi comic book, all sets and most of the props in this movie were computer-generated and added later.

Now Starring in a Video Game Near You Today’s video games look more and more like major motion pictures, and they even use the talents of real actors. Celebrities like Jack Black and Charlize Theron star in current games. Maria Menounos, who appeared in The Fantastic Four, recently made a video-game version of the James Bond movie From Russia With 28

acting tech and trends

Love. Menounos spent two days reading the dialogue so developers could capture her voice and her facial expressions. So be warned, young actors—one of your future auditions could be for a new version of Ms. Pacman.

the Silver Screensaver If you’re determined to be a movie star, you certainly don’t need to wait for someone else to discover you. Advances in cinematic technology and the Internet are making it easier for aspiring young filmmakers on a tight budget to make and distribute their own short films independently. You can find a number of Webonly short films on the ever-popular YouTube.com. A budding actress recently gained worldwide notoriety on YouTube by pos-

Meaty Roles Actors will sometimes go to extremes to transform themselves physically for a part. These actors have gained or lost weight to play the following roles, which netted many of them Academy Awards.

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Robert DeNiro gained more than 60 pounds to star as boxer Jake LaMotta in Raging Bull (1980) and won an Oscar for his work. Matt Damon lost 40 pounds to play a drug-addicted soldier in Courage Under Fire (1996). Former model Charlize Theron piled on 25 pounds (and a prosthetic nose) to play serial killer Aileen Wuornos in the 2003 film Monster, earning Theron an Oscar for Best Actress. Adrien Brody lost 30 pounds and was voted Best Actor for his role in The Pianist (2002). Renee Zellweger gained between 20–30 pounds to play the lead in two Bridget Jones films. Tom Hanks gained and then lost 50 pounds to play a marooned FedEx employee in the 2000 film Cast Away.

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Virtual apprentice:

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Family Reunion Acting often runs in the family, with many children choosing to follow in the footsteps of their thespian parents. Can you reunite the parents with their kids in the lists below? (Warning: They all have different last names, but we’ve dropped some hints to help you.)

PoP QUIZ

SHOWBIZ PARENTS

A B c D E

Martin Sheen is a stage name. His real first name is Ramon. Goldie Hawn has the same blonde hair as her daughter. Blythe Danner has a young granddaughter named Apple. Judy Garland has a kid who can act and sing, too.

Jon Voight has a daughter whose last name means “pretty” in French. SHOWBIZ KIDS

1 2 3 4 5

Gwyneth Paltrow Angelina Jolie Liza Minnelli Emilio Estevez Kate Hudson ANSWERS: A-4, B-5, C-1, D-3, E-2

ing as “Lonelygirl15,” a young woman who shared the details of her “life” on a regular online video segment. Elsewhere on the Web, you can catch a soap opera all about the young hipsters of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, or small independent films at http://www.atomfilms.com. Ten years from now, getting a role in a Web-based project may be just as prestigious as landing a role in a major motion picture or television show. 30

acting tech and trends

Auditioning Online When casting agents are working under a tight deadline and need to cast an actor immediately, they can now click on the Web for help. New online casting services let them instantly look up an actor’s resume and photograph and download a digital video clip. One television casting agent desperately needed someone to play an FBI agent and hired an actor based on his online clip. The video took the place of the audition, and he was hired on the spot. Agents can type in characteristics they’re seeking— height, ethnicity, and so on—and instantly find potential actors that match the role. New technologies such as these may continue to transform what audiences see on the stage and screen, but we will always need actors to show us what it means to be human.

31

cHAPtEr 4

You wouldn’t expect to successfully argue a case in court without attending law school, right? So you shouldn’t expect to break into the fiercely competitive world of acting without a lot of training and preparation. People in other professions accomplish their work with different tools— hammers or computers or paintbrushes or tow trucks. An

FUN

FActoID Nicole Kidman studied mime, ballet, and drama when she was a young girl in Australia. She made her stage debut as a bleating sheep in a school Christmas pageant.

actor is his or her professional instrument—his facial expressions, his voice, the way he moves his arms and legs to express something about a character’s personality. Accordingly, an actor’s training may include aerobic workouts, dance and voice lessons, as well as courses in improvisation, stage movement, taking direction, theater history, script analysis, character development, and much, much more. But the best way to learn is by doing, and some actors begin their training at a remarkably young age.

child’s Play? Drew Barrymore was just 11 months old when she got her first acting job, in a dog food commercial. Until a child turns 18, there are strict limits to the number of hours she or he can work. In fact, it is common in TV production for one kid’s part

32

“For an actress

to be a

must have the and the

success,

she

face of Venus...

hide of a

rhinoceros.”

—actress Ethel Barrymore to be played by identical twins to reduce the amount of time each child actor is on the set. Sometimes both twins become famous, like Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen, who were both hired to play the same part in the sitcom Full House when they were just one year old. It’s rare for a young person to have the kind of patience

Today’s singing pumpkins and piano-playing bananas may become tomorrow’s hot new movie stars.

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Virtual apprentice:

Actor

PoP QUIZ

Theatrical Slanguage As with any profession, the world of the theater has its own language. If you want to make it in show biz, you’ll need to talk the talk! Answer True or False to the questions below:

A

To “mad-lib” means to improvise (make up) lines or actions in the middle of a performance.

B

To perform a show that gets little or no response from the audience is to “bomb.”

c D

“Chewing the scenery” means to die on stage.

Breaking out of character during a run-through of a scene, usually by laughing uncontrollably, is called “porpoising.”

E F

Another name for theatrical makeup is “greasepaint.”

To “pig out” means to hog attention from your fellow actors by doing something to distract from their performances. ANSWERS: A-False. The correct term is “ad lib.; B-True; C-False. It means to overact and really ham it up; D-False. The term is “corpsing” and it is considered very unprofessional; E-True. Actors love the smell of the greasepaint and the roar of the crowd!; F-False. The correct term is “upstage.” and professionalism that this work requires, so the best child actors are very much in demand. The young actress Dakota Fanning, who got her start at age five and who has appeared in many films, including I Am Sam and War of the Worlds, earns more than $3 million per picture. (Makes you wonder how much she gets for allowance, doesn’t it?)

Building Your Acting Muscle Although you can embark on an acting career at almost any age, many actors take their first step before an audience when they are still in school. Some begin as early as grade school in student productions—often recreations of popular kid stories such as “Little Red Riding Hood” and “Rip Van Winkle.” High school 34

liGHtS! caMera! actiOn!

students find even more opportunities, as many schools have drama departments and mount productions of more famous plays and musicals—from Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible to the musical comedy Bye, Bye, Birdie. And if you join a high school drama class or club, you will get some professional training. Those groups teach the art of acting, and they can help you find out if you have the ability and talent to become a professional. The actor John Malkovich started acting in high school, and Kevin Spacey played Captain von Trapp in his school’s production of The Sound of Music. When Katie Holmes got a callback from her audition for the television series Dawson’s Creek, she at first declined because she was starring in her high school production of Damn Yankees. If you do get bit by the acting bug early on, you should try to gain as much experience as possible. Look outside of your school. Check your local newspapers for community or children’s theater productions. Contact these companies to find out about auditions. Local college and university theater groups sometimes search for new actors as well. Julian Anderson, who was a star on the TV program Alias, began his career in local theater performing in the musicals Jesus Christ Superstar and My Fair Lady while he was in high school. Even if there aren’t any roles open for you, it’s worth volunteering in a local theater to gain a sense of what goes into these productions behind the scenes. You can become familiar with a lot of the customs and language of the theater just by being there, and this can help you later. Knowing stage left from stage right may be just the thing that lands you a part down the line. If you’re young and serious about an acting career, you can contact your local office of the AFTRA/SAG (the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists/the Screen Actor’s Guild) to see if they have a list of casting agents in your area. To get an agent, you will have to submit a professionally photographed head shot and in some cases pass an audition. If an agent decides to take you on as a client, you should be able to get some paying jobs. You might get small commercial jobs—posing for newspaper ads or filming a TV commercial for a local business. Commercial jobs often don’t require much acting, if any, but they do afford you a chance to become comfortable in front of the camera.

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oUt

Dedicating a few years to learning the acting craft at college or a conservatory can prepare you for the highly competitive world of acting. If you’re serious about this field, check out 135 programs in theater arts accredited by The National Association of Schools of Theatre at http://nast.arts -accredit.org.

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Virtual apprentice:

Actor

the college Edge

FIND oUt

MorE

Acting is actually a career you can prepare for while you watch TV or a movie. The trick is to watch with a critical eye. Take note of the performances. Try keeping a log of your favorite shows and write down which actors impress you most and why. Also, write down which actors you didn’t like so much and try to identify what bothers you about their work.

36

You don’t need a college degree to succeed as an actor, but college offers many advantages to budding thespians. Studying acting for a few years will allow you to concentrate on honing your talents. In a drama program, you learn how to project your voice, move on stage, and interact with other actors. You learn how to memorize scripts and incorporate your unique personality into characters. Actors get into situations where they have to think fast on their feet, so typical training includes improvisation. Improvisation is making up a dramatic or comic scene on the spot, as you are performing it, without a script and usually playing off the responses of other actors. Young actors also experiment with dialects, speaking in different accents that can be essential to portraying a character. Sometimes, you have to do research to get the role right. If you’re supposed to be a Southern Civil War general, you might rent films about the Civil War and listen to tapes of Southerners talking so you’ll be able to mimic a real Southerner. Some parts demand that actors fake a fight with one another, so colleges often teach how to stage combat scenes and how to throw (and receive) a fake punch. A versatile actor gets more work, so it benefits young actors to stretch themselves. Don’t just learn to act—learn to sing and dance as well. Join in a musical production. Teach yourself to juggle or take a mime class. (Sure, mimes are the brunt of a lot of jokes today, but the discipline required for miming is excellent theatrical preparation.) An actor’s training also involves staying in shape, because of the physical demands of the work. Certain roles require actors to perform under difficult conditions, such as flying in a harness above the stage, wading neck deep in water, or wearing incredibly uncomfortable costumes and makeup. Horseback riding, fencing, wrestling, martial arts, marksmanship, and archery can be especially helpful since many movie roles require these types of activities. Diverse skills can help you land acting jobs that you might not expect. Also, acting students often take courses in subjects related to acting, such as scriptwriting and playwriting, directing, theater and film history, filmmaking, costume design, set design, and makeup. A diverse background and an ability to learn new skills easily can help a new actor get his or her foot in the door.

liGHtS! caMera! actiOn!

Fear Factor

rEALItY

Every actor has probably suffered a case of stage fright at some point in her or his career, ranging from a few stomach butterflies to a full-blown paralysis. If you’d rather die than show off what you learned in your clog-dancing class when Aunt Sophie comes to visit, here are some other suggestions for managing your performance anxiety.

cHEcK

1 2

Breathe deeply and evenly from the bottom of your chest.

Try to work with rather than against your anxiety. Remember, stage fright makes your reflexes sharp, your eyes sparkle, and your cheeks glow.

3 4

Memorize your lines.

Practice, practice, practice! If you know your part well, your reflexes will kick in.

5

This is a gross one, but some actors swear by it: Picture the audience in their underwear (ew!) and you’ll feel less exposed yourself. When it comes to college, you have a choice among twoyear associate’s degrees, four-year bachelor’s degrees, and acting conservatories. Some students go on to earn a master’s of fine arts (MFA) in acting. Other actors enter the career by earning a degree in a closely related area of study such as communications or broadcasting.

Get Yourself out there Beyond acting lessons, performers have to be willing to audition and fail over and over again to advance their careers. The actor Mark Ruffalo, who starred in Thirteen Going on Thirty and other films, estimates that he failed 800 auditions before getting his first movie role. Learning how to audition is an art in itself, and to get good auditions you may eventually have to relocate. Most acting jobs are concentrated on one coast or the other, either in New York City or Los Angeles, California. New York, the home of Broad37

Virtual Apprentice:

Actor

The stars shine brightest on Broadway!

way—“the Great White Way,” named for all the lights on the theater marquees—is the place to be if your sights are set on musical theater. L.A. is the home of most of the major film and television studios. Actors do live and work in other cities (for instance, Chicago, Houston, and Vancouver, B.C., are good places for actors), but your chances of landing a part are definitely better if you live in New York or L.A. Experience is probably the best way to build a career, so those starting in the field should pursue acting wherever they can. Beyond community and children’s theater, there are some acting opportunities that are less obvious. Amusement Parks. From Disneyland to Six Flags, theme parks hire entertainers to dress as characters, perform as clowns, juggle, and simply keep visitors happy. Animation. Animated shows and movies are more popular than ever, and for actors nowadays these can be well-paying, fun jobs. 38

liGHtS! caMera! actiOn!

Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Madagascar, and other animated blockbusters relied on the talents of actors to bring the characters to life. Cruise Ship. The big cruise lines often hire performers to entertain vacationers. Educational Film and Video. Some actors find work in educational programs ranging from driver’s ed to fire prevention. Extra Work. Films and television shows always need people, called extras, to appear in the background in scenes. Industrial Film and Video. Corporations often produce videos about their industry or for employee-training purposes. Music Videos. Music videos can be a way for actors to get some exposure to the public. Radio Programs. Deejaying isn’t exactly acting, but the job requires the ability to speak well and entertain. Voiceover Work. Some actors find work describing products and services in TV and radio commercials. Any of this work helps develop acting skill. Younger actors especially want to look for opportunities that will earn them credit so they can join an actors’ union. Unions help actors find work and provide health benefits and pensions. They also guarantee the amount they get paid. Almost all TV, film, and Broadway productions hire union actors, so joining a union is a must for getting ahead. Acting can be a fun, challenging, creative, and social career. But ask any actor, and she or he will tell you that you need talent, perseverance, and years of experience to succeed.

FIND oUt

MorE

The youngest actor to win an Academy Award was 10-year-old Tatum O’Neal, who won for Best Supporting Actress in the 1973 film Paper Moon in which she starred with her father, Ryan O’Neal. Who do you think is the oldest Oscar winner? Who was nominated the most times? You can learn about other Oscar records at the Academy Awards official site: http://www. oscars.org.

39

cHAPtEr 5

An actor may be the center of attention in a movie, play, or TV program, but behind every performance there are other trained professionals in supporting roles whose talents are essential to making a show work. If you love the world of entertainment but the spotlight doesn’t quite suit you, check out these jobs behind the scenes.

FUN

FActoID To make his character’s distinctive laugh, Tom Kenny, the actor who is the voice of SpongeBob SquarePants, hits his throat repeatedly with his hand while saying, “Ahhh!”

Acting teacher Acting teachers have a real passion for the craft of acting, and entertainers depend on them to perfect their performances. Their lessons include improvisation, voice training, and movement. To help an actor effectively portray a character, teachers focus on the way an actor speaks or moves and suggests ways to improve.

Agent Agents are an actor’s lifeline because they get the jobs for their clients. These professionals negotiate contracts and help plan an actor’s career. They usually earn money by taking a percentage (usually 10 to 15 percent) of an actor’s wage. Agents often work for big firms that represent hundreds or even thousands of actors. For information, check out the Association of Talent Agents at http://www.agentassociation.com.

40

“Acting of keeping a

people

is merely the

art

large group of

from

coughing.”

—British actor Sir Ralph Richardson

Filmmakers shooting a scene on location.

41

Virtual apprentice:

NAME:

Actor

Darrin Prescott

OFFICIAL TITLE:

What do you do? I’m a stuntman and a stunt coordinator. Right now I’m working on the movie version of the children’s story Where the Wild Things Are. The director, Spike Jonze, doesn’t want to use computer effects, so we have live-action “wild things“ that are creatures made by the famous Jim Henson studios (creator of the Sesame Street Muppets). I coordinate seven stunt guys who are in these creature suits. The wild things are constantly tripping each other and pushing each other. One wild thing throws another up into a tree. They have a giant dirt-clod war, and they’re so powerful that when they get hit with a dirt clod it sends them flying. I own a company with two other guys, and we rent stunt equipment like a winch with this wire that makes the wild things fly. We did all the flying in Spiderman I and II. It’s a great business for me because I like to do something different all the time. I’ve kayaked over waterfalls, gotten crushed by

oN tHE

JoB

42

Stuntman

waves, performed motorcycle stunts, fought with martial arts in The Matrix, and I’ve done ice hockey commercials and car chases. Safety is really my biggest concern in all stunts, but there’s a certain amount of danger. The thrill of it makes it fun. I’ve doubled for some actors, too, but actors are usually small—I’m six foot one. I’ve taught actors how to do stunts. I took Matt Damon out for some driving training when he did The Bourne Supremacy. He’s a talented guy and tries to do his own stunts.

How did you get started? I grew up in Massachusetts, and I always had motorcycles and bikes and ramps. I remember seeing stunts in the movie Hooper at the drive-in and that was it. I moved to California and fought my way in until I got my first break. I did a TV show that was a spin-off of American Gladiators called Knights and Warriors. I was a contestant on that, and then I met a stunt coordinator. For my first movie stunt, I fell over backwards in a chair— that was it. I built it from there.

supporting roles

NAME:

Sheri Kornhaber

OFFICIAL TITLE:

Makeup Artist

What do you do? I am a freelance makeup artist, and right now I’m on the TV show Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. For Law & Order, you have to simulate injuries—cuts, bruises, gashes. Basically you’re using colors in little palettes. If a bruise is old, there will be more purples and blues. I’ll take pictures of people I know who get a bruise so I have a reference. It’s the best way to capture what’s real. The biggest compliment I can receive is to have an actor who I made up walk into a room and have other people gasp, “Oh, my god! He looks awful!” The hours are excruciating. You work anywhere between 12 to 16 hours, five to six days a week. My overall advice to young people is don’t give up because

anything worth it is hard. I worked hard and I won an Emmy award at age 28 for All My Children. That’s something I had dreamed about.

How did you get started? When I graduated college, I was fascinated by filmmaking, so I took an internship on an independent film and got a position as a makeup assistant. I feel my degree in psychology and art has actually been a perfect mix because you really do become the actor’s therapist. The actors need to come in and trust that you will make them look their best. I’m more than just a makeup person—I’m a confidante.

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casting Director Imagine casting Dave Chapelle as James Bond or Brad Pitt as the Nutty Professor! It just wouldn’t be right. A casting director’s job is all about making the perfect match—finding the actors best suited for the parts in a particular show or film. For more information, check out the Casting Society of America at http://www .castingsociety.com.

costume Designer As the saying goes, clothes make the man, and they certainly make the actor. After all, where would an actor playing Superman be without his red and blue costume? Or how could Johnny Depp be Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean without his 43

Virtual Apprentice:

Actor

Looking good on camera takes some behind-the-scenes time with a makeup artist.

headscarf, vest, and tall boots? These professionals design costumes that define the characters. To succeed, some college education in fashion and hands-on construction of clothes is required.

Director Directors supervise everything that goes into making a movie or show. They are decision-making dynamos who must make hundreds of choices a day—all with the goal of bringing their artistic vision to life. Luckily, directors often depend on a crew of talented professionals and assistants who make their lives easier. The most successful directors are often as well-known and respected as movie stars.

Makeup Artist Through the miracle of makeup, Mike Myers transforms into Austin Powers and Boris Karloff becomes Frankenstein. Makeup

44

supporting roles

NAME:

chris Eigeman

OFFICIAL TITLE:

Director and Actor

What do you do? Sometimes I’m an actor and sometimes I’m a director. I just directed a movie called Turn the River. I wrote this film for Famke Jansen, who starred in The X-Men. I had not directed anything before, but because I had written the script, I wanted to direct it. There were hard parts working on an indie budget. I was always two hours behind and having to edit in my head. Sometimes I’d only have two more rolls of film left for the day, and I’d have to figure out how to film what I needed. My job is to make sure everyone is telling the same story—wardrobe, actors, art department, the camera person... There needs to be as much communication between departments as possible, because if wardrobe doesn’t know the story, for example, someone is going to show up on set in completely wrong clothes.

There’s a certain amount of bluster in directing. The bluster is this attitude of “Yes, I know what I’m doing, trust me.” You just have to keep going, even when you don’t know what you’re doing. You get through the day, though, and at the end of the day you think, “This movie isn’t going to fall apart, we’re going to be fine.”

oN tHE

JoB

How did you get started? People get into acting for one of two reasons—they want to find out who they are or they want to find out how many people they can be. I went into acting because I wanted to find out who I was. I started in junior high and did plays in college. After college, I did summer stock and when I auditioned for my first movie, I got it. That was Metropolitan. (He went on to star in several major motion pictures and TV shows, including Malcolm in the Middle and The Gilmore Girls.) Acting is incredibly fun, but there’s a whole business created to freak you out. But I wouldn’t do it if it wasn’t fun. I’ve worked with the actors Ian Holm, Bob Hoskins, and Donald Sutherland, and all of them say, “What other job can you get paid to do this? It’s crazy!”

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Virtual apprentice:

Actor

professionals use cosmetics and all kinds of “trade secrets” to change actors into the characters they are portraying. For elaborate transformations, these artists use prosthetics or fake body parts often shaped from foam or latex. Helena Bonham Carter spent four hours a day in the makeup artist’s chair to become the ape Ari in Planet of the Apes. To see how to create different looks

NAME:

Jayne Amelia Larson OFFICIAL TITLE:

oN tHE

What do you do?

I am an actress and a producer. I recently worked as an associate producer on a film called Aurora Borealis starring Juliette Lewis, Donald Sutherland, and Joshua Jackson from Dawson’s Creek. We were able to get great talent because the script was so good. I take a certain amount of credit for that. I helped find the script and worked on readings with actors so we could make adjustments. The other producers and I worked hard on making changes with the writer to make the film we wanted to make. I was more of a creative producer than a financial producer on this project. Now, I’m trying to produce a script on my own about Machine Gun Kelly,

JoB

46

Producer

which is really about the gangster and his love for his wife. On this project, I will be more of a financial producer because I’m working on my own trying to find the funding.

How did you get started? I always knew I wanted to be an actor. I did a couple of plays in high school. I went to Harvard to study acting, and I did 30 plays in two years there. I earned my Equity card because of that, and that meant I was part of the actors’ union. I’ve done a lot of voiceovers in commercials. I’ve had roles on TV on Judging Amy and The Gilmore Girls. My greatest love is acting, but as a producer I can contribute substantially to projects I love and projects that I might be able to act in.

supporting Roles

with theatrical makeup, check out Face Painting by Patricia Silver (Toronto, ON: Kids Can Press, 2000).

Manager Managers generally handle all the actor’s personal affairs—from daily scheduling to business matters. Unlike the agent, the manager usually has only one to a handful of clients—so the manager is more focused on advancing each client’s career. Managers also handle financial guidance and legal planning.

Production Assistant Some of the busiest people in a theater or on a movie set are the production assistants, or PAs. Many of their duties are secretarial—making copies of scripts, distributing them, answering phones, and keeping track of documents from contracts to budgets to script changes. PAs also pitch in handling the equipment, adjusting lighting fixtures, and setting up microphones. This job is often a great entry-level way to gain experience and see if you like the industry.

Producer Producers make productions come to life. Successful producers are entrepreneurs who have a combination of talent, experience, and business smarts. They select scripts, approve the development of ideas, arrange financing, and figure out the size and cost of a project. Producers hire directors, principal cast members, and key staff members. They oversee the activities of everyone involved to make sure the production is staying on schedule and within budget. For more information, check out Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers at http:// www.amptp.org.

Publicist An actor’s publicist gets the actor exposure to the public through the press, TV shows, and public appearances. Communications skills are key for this job, and many publicists start with an education in journalism. Check out the latest entertainment-related press releases at http://www.pr-inside.com.

47

Virtual Apprentice:

Actor

Screenwriter and Playwright Writers work behind the scenes, but their work is essential to the actor. Writers think up all the characters in films and television shows. Professionals in this field write according to a specific format—scripts include both dialogue and dramatic instructions about the actors’ movements, lighting, sound effects, etc. For more information, check out the American Screenwriters Association at http://www.asascreenwriters.com.

Set Designer For a movie, a set designer—sometimes called a production designer—may find the ideal medieval castle to shoot in and decorate it with suits of armor and lanterns. In the theater, the designer thinks of clever ways to create an environment within the space on the stage. Designers come from backgrounds in art, construction, architecture, and interior design. To construct a set, design-

Costumes are an important way that movies convey time and place.

48

supporting Roles

ers rely on skilled workers who are experienced in carpentry, electricity, hydraulics, and other trades.

Stage Manager In the theater, a stage manager oversees all the people and activities surrounding the production of a play. They supervise all the technicians from the lighting crew to the sound technicians to the stagehands who move furniture and set pieces. They make sure sets are being built to specifications. They check that props and wardrobes are ready to go. These professionals can easily transfer their skills to set management in TV and film. For more information, check out the Stage Managers’ Association at http://www .stagemanagers.org.

Stunt Person In a movie, when you see someone crash through a window or drive a car off a bridge, it is probably the work of a stunt person. Stunt experts often stand in for the lead actors when it comes time to do something physically dangerous. Those suited for this career are daredevils who are physically fit and love adventure and extreme sports.

49

cHaPtEr 6

How did we find out what kids really want to know about acting? We went right to the source, of course! We posed questions submitted by middle school students at the Montessori School in Yonkers, New York, to two hardworking actors—John Connolly and Joy Hadnott. Both John and Joy have worked in the theater, television, and film. John has appeared in the TV series Law & Order and the action film XXX: State of the Union with Ice Cube and Willem Dafoe. Joy has performed on ER, My Wife and Kids with Daymon Wayans, and in films, such as The New Guy, with Eliza Dushku, Lyle Lovett, Eddie Griffin, and Horatio Sanz.

What got you started in your acting career? —Nicholas R., age 12 John: I was a middle kid and needed attention so I was sort of a ham, but I wasn’t thinking about being an actor. I never had much exposure to it. But in college, I got a job building sets in the theater in Oberlin [College] in Ohio. I met a few actors who came in to rehearse and decided to take acting classes. Starting my junior year, I performed in several plays, and when I graduated, I decided to move to New York and go for it. 50

“I

pretend

like

you’re

acting.... You get to different people and do things you

never

thought you’d do.” — actress Joy Hadnott

Joy: I grew up in San Antonio, and when I was five I would watch the soap operas with my mom, and I said to her one day, “I’m going to do that.” My dad is a fan of theater, too, so he took me to different plays. I remember seeing Annie and Fiddler on the Roof. I was 12 or 13 when I started performing in school productions. My first role in junior high was as Rosie Alvarez in Bye, Bye Birdie. I also took dance and ballet lessons. When I graduated from high school, I continued my education at Southern Methodist University at Dallas, where I was a theater minor and a broadcast journalism/communications major. Dallas is a really good market for actors, so as soon as I got situated in school I sent out a letter and a few snapshots to an agency. The president called me to come in and meet her. She signed me on the spot.

What was your first acting job? —Quiran R., age 12 John: In New York, I first had to get an agent. I first sent out head shots that I had thought were interesting photos of me to agencies. I didn’t get any response. I then looked in Backstage magazine and saw that all the head shots in there were super-cheesy. So then I sent out traditional head shots, and I got tons of responses. I got a commercial agent and a theatrical agent. For one of my first jobs, I was hired by this big German billionaire, and I played this computerized head that [his] guests could talk to. My first big theatrical audition was for a movie called Dogfight, starring River Phoenix. I met a real 51

Virtual Apprentice:

actor casting director and that was cool. I also auditioned for TV shows—The X-Files and Friends. I didn’t get the parts, but I got practice auditioning. The first TV job I did get was playing an officer on Law & Order. I wore a uniform and played Officer Barnes. In the scene, a guy walks up to me and says, “What happened, Barnes?” And I say, “Female, 50 years old, took a blow to the head.” It was totally great. I met the actors Jerry Orbach and Chris Noth, and it got me in the union. For my first TV commercial, I worked for a Japanese whiskey company. I played the artist in a studio with a sweater splattered with paint.

Joy Hadnott

Joy: My first big job was an Applebee’s commercial for TV. It was national. That’s when I first saw financial benefit from acting. I was still in college then, and I wasn’t missing class but I was earning money from commercials and modeling. My first movie role came when I auditioned for a movie being filmed in Austin called The New Guy. At first I got a very small role, but I ended up replacing a girl with a much bigger role than I had.

What kind of things did you have to go through to get to this point? —Kianna B., age 10 John: I’ve acted in many different plays in New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles. I did a bunch of music videos, too. It was a good way to get acting work and get some sense of what was happening on a set. I was the boyfriend or the jerk in videos by Queensryche, Natalie Cole, and Luscious Jackson. In a lot of the videos I had to do something physically extreme. In the Queensryche video, I had to climb over this 40-foot fence. I did it once, and thought I did great, but I needed to do it 40 more times. At the end of the day I was whooped. 52

Kids Ask, actors answer

I had a small role in the first season of Sex in the City. And it’s funny, because I did one afternoon on that, and it’s the thing that most people have seen most. I’ve made thousands of dollars from that appearance based on how many times the program has been broadcast. I moved from New York to Chicago and did a lot of great theater. I found that big film productions would want to cast some of the roles locally and got small parts in Mr. 3000 with Bernie Mac and Ali starring Will Smith. Then I got cast in my biggest role so far, a villain in XXX: State of the Union. Joy: After I graduated from college, I took a leap of faith and moved to Los Angeles. I got a commercial agent right away, but I needed to get a theatrical agent. It’s hard in L.A., so when I got an audition with an agency, I worked all week with an acting coach and then I did a monologue in front of about five or six agents. The next day they called and took me on. They started to submit me for auditions. I was cast as a cheerleader in My Wife and Kids on ABC. I’ve never been a cheerleader, but I think I got the part because I’m from the South and outgoing, and I knew I could use my bubbly side to be like a cheerleader. I played a cheerleader again on ER. I stretched my experience when I was cast as a karate master in a TV show called All of Us. They hired a karate master to teach me. I was really proud of the fact that I could actually look like a black belt in the show.

What kind of tips would you give someone who wants to be an actor? —Nicolette D., age 11 John: Get as much experience as you can. You have to be willing to audition

John Connolly

53

Virtual Apprentice:

actor

a million times to get good parts, and you never know what it’s going to be that gets you a role. I auditioned for this music video, and when I asked the director why I got the part, he said it was because I came in first and I had dirty fingernails, and that’s what he wanted. When I did my final audition for XXX: State of the Union, they said, “By the way, how tall are you?” I said, “Five foot nine,” and they said good. I figured out I got it because Ice Cube is short and Willem Dafoe is short. They didn’t want a six-foot-six bad guy to make these leads look like shrimps. Joy: As an actor, you want to get as many auditions as you can. In Los Angeles, they film most of the pilots between January and early March. During pilot season, I sometimes have five auditions a day. Even if you don’t think you can play the part, I like to go in and meet the casting people because you never know if they’ll like you for something else. And if you don’t get a part, don’t look at it as a rejection. There can be a lot of factors involved—you just might not have been right for the role.

What is the hardest part about acting? —Davante S., age 11 Joy: Auditioning can be hard. Auditions are so unnatural and acting has to be so natural. Your scene might be that you’re in a carnival and someone’s shouting to you from the roller coaster, and you have a camera in your face and four people watching, and you suddenly have to place yourself in that moment. That’s hard. And it’s really nerve-wracking when you get a screen test, because that means you’re really close to getting a big role. I had a screen test where I had to read with the lead actor I had just met. They give you some critique of your performance and then leave you in a room by yourself for an hour or two. Then they bring you into a big room full of people and videotape the whole thing. I was so nervous. John: Big auditions are tough. When I was in Chicago, a production company liked my videotaped audition for a sitcom. They flew me to L.A. and put me in a hotel. On the day of the in-person audition, you wait in one room and then another 54

Kids Ask, actors answer

room and then they lead you into another room to wait. Actors have to know how to wait. Then you get shown into this theater inside the studio and they tell you, “Here’s what you don’t do: You don’t talk to anybody. You don’t say ‘hey’ to the people in the audience. You just walk on and do your stuff.” I did one scene—making paper airplanes in the office. You spend all this time memorizing and rehearsing, and it’s a total buildup of pressure and it’s over in minutes. Then they call you up later and say they’re going in a different direction.

What do you do when you’re not working as an actor? —Amanda A., age 11 Joy: Work for me goes in spurts so far. I’ll book a job and be really busy and then I won’t be busy for a stretch so I get modeling work in between. John: I’m a contractor and doing plumbing and electrical work. If I have money rolling in from acting, I stop doing the contracting.

Is it fun being an actor? —Genesis G., age 11 John: It’s been totally fun for me to act. If it’s not fun for you, don’t do it. Sometimes there’s a real electricity happening with the audience, and that’s really great. You get to throw yourself into a role and pretend. Like when you’re a kid—you need an emotional openness and you need to let go. That can be challenging sometimes, but it’s fun. Joy: It’s very fun. I like acting because you’re involved in something that a lot of people can enjoy. And there’s nothing like being on a set, hearing “Action!,” and doing your part. I love it when the show airs and friends and family call you up and say they saw you on TV. You get to pretend you’re different people and do things you never thought you’d do.

55

CHAPTER 7

ACTOR FOR A DAY Making it as an actor takes a tremendous amount of energy and dedication to the craft. Here’s a day’s worth of activities to prepare you for the challenges of an actor’s schedule. You can do these activities as a solo performer or as an ensemble work with your classmates.

8:00

To audition (an actor’s tryout for a part), you will usually be performing a brief monologue—a short speech that allows you to show off your skills as an actor. Your school or local library may have some collections of monologues for acting students (some titles are listed in the Resources section of this book). Choose one (you’ll want something a couple minutes long) and begin memorizing it. No one wants to hire an actor who can’t learn his or her lines.

9:00

Get to work on your resume. A theatrical resume includes your name and contact information (phone number and e-mail) along with your hair and eye color, height and weight, and vocal range (soprano, tenor, etc.). List any acting experience and theatrical training you’ve had. Finally, be sure to include any special skills that make you stand out from the crowd. Check your resume for errors, print out a clean copy, and staple it to the back of a good photograph of yourself.

10:00

Warm-up time! Actors come in all different sizes and shapes, but they need to stay in good condition to do the physically expressive work of acting. You can exercise your body and your voice by throwing and catching sounds. Work with a partner to act out throwing and catching actions using different sounds (“OOOF!” “Yeow!”) instead of an actual ball. Vary your sounds and the ways you catch and throw.

11:00

Costumes and props should serve as extensions of your character. Choose a simple costume piece (a hat, a long skirt) or a prop (a chair, a

56

hairbrush) and incorporate it into your performance. Keep practicing your monologue, relying less on the text and more on your memory.

12:00

Time for a low-fat, high-energy lunch. An actor’s body is her instrument, so be very thoughtful about what you put into yours.

1:00

Both male and female actors wear theatrical makeup to emphasize their facial features. Basic stage makeup kits are inexpensive to buy, or you can borrow some old makeup from your mom or sister. Check out a book on theatrical makeup from the library (see the Resources section of this book) and plan (on paper) a face that will enhance your character. When you’ve decided on a look, re-create it on your face. (Cold cream, tissues, and soap and water will help you clean up after the show.)

2:00

Dress rehearsal! Now that you’ve memorized your piece, it’s time for a complete run-through of the show (or, in this case, your monologue) in costume with props and makeup. Don’t worry if you mess up big-time—theatrical wisdom says that a lousy dress rehearsal ensures a hit show. Make changes now that will improve your performance.

3:00

Places please! And…action! Perform your monologue for an audience. If you’re doing this in class, takes notes on your classmates’ performances. After you’ve each had a chance to perform your monologue, give one another “notes”—constructive feedback on the performance that each actor can use to improve his or her work.

4:00

You’ve made it through your “audition”—now it’s time for some fun! Improvisation, or “improv,” is a great workout for actors. Write a brief description of several funny situations, recording each one on a separate index card. Then take turns picking a card from the pile and acting them out.

5:00

Rent a classic movie and study the performances. You can learn an enormous amount about acting by watching the masters at work.

57

VIRTUAL APPRENTICE:

ACTOR

ACTOR: FIELD REPORT If this is your book, use the space below to jot down a few notes about your Virtual Apprentice experience (or use a blank sheet of paper if this book does not belong to you). What did you do? What was it like? How did you do with each activity? Don’t be stingy with the details. 8:00

AUDITION MONOLOGUE: ___________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________

9:00

RESUME AND HEAD SHOT: __________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________

10:00 WARM-UP: ___________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________

11:00

COSTUME PREP: ________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________

58

12:00

LUNCH: _______________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

1:00

MAKEUP SESSION: _______________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________

2:00

DRESS REHEARSAL: _______________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________

3:00

PERFORMANCE: ________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________

4:00

IMPROV: ______________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________

5:00

MOVIE TIME: ___________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________

59

VIRTUAL APPRENTICE:

ACTOR

IN THE SPOTLIGHT, OR BEHIND THE SCENES? Still not sure whether you’re cut out for a life in show biz? Here’s a “screen test” that may help you suss out your own star quality. Record your answers on a separate sheet and refer back to them after you land your first role.

My larger-than-life personality is just perfect for the big screen! Some qualities that will make me stand out from all the other wannabe actors are: _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________

I have big dreams, but I’m realistic enough to know I’ll need to find a way to pay for all those head shots I’ll be printing up. Here are some day jobs I can see myself doing until I get my big break: ______________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________

I love the world of the theater, but I’m much more comfortable working behind the scenes. Some jobs that might suit me better are: _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________

Which role sounds more like you? ❑ I’m a good actor, but I don’t really see myself as a big-time Hollywood movie star. I’d like a part in a quirky, independent film that generates some buzz at the Sundance Film Festival.

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❑ Performance is my life! I’ve been acting since I was back in diapers (I wasn’t always hungry, Mom—I just wanted your attention!), and I won’t quit until the whole world knows my name. ❑ Me, an actor? Just the thought of being onstage makes me queasy. I’m happiest when I’m sitting in the dark with a big ol’ box of Milk Duds, getting lost in the magic of the movies. ❑ Hollywood, schmollywood—real actors work on the stage where there are no second takes!

These are the skills I need to work on to get ready for my big Broadway debut: _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________

I think the most difficult thing about being an actor would be: _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________

The most interesting part of being an actor is probably: _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________

The part I was born to play is: _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________

When my life story is adapted for the silver screen, the actor I would most want to see cast in the starring role as me is: _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________

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APPeNDiX More Resources for Young Actors bOOKS Discovering Careers for Your Future: Film. New York: Ferguson, 2005. Freidman, Lise. Break a Leg: The Kids’ Guide to Acting and Stagecraft. New York: Workman, 2002. Maddox, Deborah. Audition Monologues: Power Pieces for Kids and Teens. Mesa, Ariz.: Lucid Solutions, 2002. Mayfield, Katherine. Acting A to Z: The Young Person’s Guide to a Stage or Screen Career. New York: Backstage Books, 1998. McAlpine, Margaret. Working in Film and Television. Milwaukee, Wisc.: Gareth Stevens Publishing, 2004. Stevens, Chambers. The Ultimate Commercial Book for Kids and Teens. South Pasadena, Calif.: Sandcastle Publishing, 2005. Thudium, Laura. Stage Makeup. New York: Backstage Books, 1999.

PROFeSSiONAL ASSOCiAtiONS Actors’ Equity Association 165 West 46th Street New York, New York 10036 http://www.actorsequity.org 62

The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists http://www.aftra.org Screen Actors Guild 5757 Wilshire Boulevard 7th Floor Los Angeles, California 90036-3600 http://www.sag.org

Web Sites The official site of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences http://www.oscars.org The official site of the Current Academy Awards http://www.oscar.com The Actor’s Checklist This site has lots of helpful information about how to prepare for a career in the performing arts. http://www.actorschecklist.com

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iNDeX Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences 19 Actors’ Equity 14 Aeschylus 8 AFTRA/SAG (American Federation of Television and Radio Artists/ Screen Actors Guild) 35 Anderson, Julian 35 Anniston, Jennifer 18, 22 Association of Talent Agents 40 Barrymore, Drew 32 Barrymore, Ethel 33 Bean, Sean 26 Berry, Halle 16 Black, Jack 28 Brando, Marlon 22 Bridget Jones films 29 Brody, Adrien 29 Buscemi, Steve 15 Calveley, Peter 25 Carrey, Jim 16, 28 Cast Away 29 casting director 43 Chubbuck, Ivana 16 Clarke, Arthur C. 25 Connolly, John 50–55 costume designer 43–44 Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon 28 DeNiro, Robert 29 Depp, Johnny 22 digital backlots 28 director 44, 45 Ebsen, Buddy 28 Eigeman, Chris 45 Elizabethan England 9–10 Emmy Awards 19 Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind 28 extras 39 Face Painting (Silver) 47 Fanning, Dakota 34 Flockhart, Calista 22 Ford, Harrison 22 Full House 33 Gladiator 28 Golden Globe Awards 19 Hadnott, Joy 50–55 Hanks, Tom 25, 29

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Holmes, Katie 35 Internet 29–31 Jurassic Park 27 Kael, Pauline 9 Kelly, Gene 27 Kenny, Tom 40 Kidman, Nicole 32 King Kong (remake) 25 Kornhaber, Sheri 43 Kundera, Milan 17 Larson, Jayne Amelia 46 Law, Jude 28 Liu, Lucy 22 The Lord of the Rings (films) 25 Lucas, George 28 makeup artist 43, 44, 46–47 Malkovich, John 35 manager 47 Menounos, Maria 28-29 Molière 12–13 Monster 29 Moore, Demi 22 Murray, Bill 22 National Association of Schools of Theatre 35 Nicholson, Jack 22 Nighy, Bill 25–26 Obie Awards 19 Olivier, Sir Laurence 10 Olsen, Mary Kate and Ashley 33 O’Neal, Ryan 39 O’Neal, Tatum 39 Oscar Awards 19 Paltrow, Gwyneth 28 Paper Moon 39 Perry, Matthew 16 The Pianist 29 Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest 25–27 Pitt, Brad 16, 22 playwright 48 The Polar Express 22, 24 Portman, Natalie 4 Powers, Will 8 preparation for career 32–39 Prescott, Darrin 42

producer 46, 47 production assistant 47 publicist 47 Racine, Jean 12 radio 39 Raging Bull 29 Reagan, Nancy 7, 9 Reagan, Ronald 7, 9 Reed, Oliver 28 Ribisi, Giovanni 28 Richardson, Sir Ralph 41 Ruffalo, Mark 37 Screen Actors Guild 14 screenwriter 48 set designer 48–49 The Seven (Powers) 8 Seven Against Thebes (Aeschylus) 8 Shakespeare, William 9–11, 13 Silver, Patricia 47 Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow 28 “Smithee, Alan” 24 Sophocles 8 Spacey, Kevin 35 special effects. See technology, and acting SpongeBob SquarePants 40 stage fright 37 stage manager 49 Stage Managers’ Association 49 stage names 18 Star Trek: First Contact 26 Star Wars 22 Streep, Meryl 8 stuntman/stunt coordinator 42, 49 Superman Returns 27 Theron, Charlize 16, 28, 29 Titanic 27 Tony Awards 19 video games 28-29 voiceover work 39 Web-based films 29–30 Who Framed Roger Rabbit 27 Winslet, Kate 28 The Wizard of Oz 28 YouTube.com 29–30 Zellweger, Renee 29