ABSTRACT
Many people enter the acting profession as a result of watching television. As actors, how often have we watched a TV soap opera or other series and thought that we should be doing that instead of the actors on the screens in our living rooms? Along with the general public, most actors have wished they were a TV star, at one point or another; indeed, the concept of stardom is now pushed to the fore in the minds of the viewing public, thanks to reality television competitions, where fame is guaranteed to the winner (and often some of the losers too). While fame and fortune sound very nice, especially to a struggling actor, it is a rare commodity and there is more to life than playing leading roles and being recognised and photographed wherever you go. It can be far more satisfying in the long run to be a ‘jobbing actor’, who works regularly playing the smaller and often more exciting character roles, possibly working your way up to those that are more prominently featured or recurring in a series, than to begin your career playing starring roles – ‘If you start at the top, you’re certain to drop’, to quote an old song. That said, as with everything in this industry, the competition is extremely tough. I regularly meet very experienced actors, who may have been well known in the past, who tell me that they went up for a three-line part in whatever television series and, despite their experience, didn’t get it.
